Learning Differences

Hello again!

School is about to start or has already started in some areas of the country.  Hope everyone has a successful year!  In some cases having a successful year can be very difficult and stressful.  Not all kids are able to learn or grasp the information the same way.  Some are tactile learners, others audio learners, some visual learners, and yet others have the physical impairments or emotional impairments that can have an adverse affect on a childs academic performance.  This is where public education gets tricky.  Federal mandates protect kids with learning difficulties.  Schools are given extra Federal dollars for kids with these differences in learning.  Parents, educators and other professionals can create an IEP (individual education plan) for each individual student that has been tested and displays a learning difficulty.   For example, my daughter struggled in school from 4th grade through graduation.  First we took her to the doctor to eliminate anything physical that may have been causing her problems academically; next we had her tested for thyroid problems or lead, we hired tutors, and when nothing helped we finally had her tested for learning disabilities. (The school is required by law to perform these tests at no cost).  Once the results were in; medically and from the testing; our daughter qualified for help in school as she was categorized as TBI (traumatic brain injury).  We worked with the school officials, specialists, and teachers and created an IEP for her where she was given the help she needed to be successful.  We discovered she was an audio learner.  In other words, if she was given a test and had to read each question individually she was unable to absorb or comprehend the question and she could not complete the test.  But, if someone read her the questions out loud she was able to correctly respond with a written answer.  Another technique that worked for us was the use of the library.  I would get all the books I could on creative learning and we were able to develop techniques she could understand.  For example, spelling had words that would end in  OR, ER, AR and were very difficult for her to decyhpher.  Practicing spelling at home I would color-code only the ending of the word.  OR would be in red, ER would be in green, AR would be in blue…so when she would study the word list she could associate the ending with the color and during spelling tests in school this color-association proved to be a success.  Her difficulty was in comprehension as well especially in the area of reading.  She could not read an entire book as was required by most English or Literature classes.  She was totally unable to comprehend what she had just read.  Teachers would adjust her work-load to include magazines or short articles.  When we would go to the grocery store I would give her coupons.  She would have to find the item, read the size, brand, etc. as a comprehension exercise.  We developed a Word-For-The-Day in our home.  I would post the word in a visible place in the morning.  Each of us (mom, dad, brother, sister, and her) would have to read the word, spell it, give the meaning, and use it in a sentence.  It became such a big deal in our home that when people called us they would say; Yea, so whats the word for the day!  The point is that not all kids learn the same way and especially in the manner in which the public school system is set up.  The public school system is not set up to benefit all kids.  They have baseline requirements and anyone that deviates from that baseline is either labeled a problem, as not paying attention, as daydreaming, as not working up to their potential, as ADD or ADHD, or learning disabled.  That is not always the case.  Many are bored.  There is a plethora of issues facing kids today.  Many come from broken homes, proverty, alcoholic or drug addicted homes, non-English speaking homes, and so on.  Most kids will rise up to meet the expectations placed on them.  We expect less they give us less, we expect more they will give us more.  The current education system is not set up to make all kids a success.  The system discriminates which is why teachers do not like the NCLB mandates…it does NOT allow for discrimination.  Teachers are required to teach ALL kids throught the mandate   NCLB does not allow excuses.  Teachers are using the union to reclaim the excuses for not meeting the needs of all kids.  It makes them and the system look better when we remove the accountability factor.  What teachers and administrators need to remember is THEY ARE THE HIRED HELP, we, the taxpayers are their bosses!

Downgrading Our Public Schools

Hi Everyone!   Education is the most valuable gift we can give our children.   Currently most of us have to rely on the public school system to foster that gift.  Are they doing an adequate job?  In some geographical areas yes, but in others…absolutely not!  It is up to us to see that all childrens needs are being met in the education areana, but one of the biggest road blocks to quality education is the teachers union and in some cases the teachers.  In no other industry in this country are workers virtually guaranteed a job regardless of performance.  In no other industry in this country is a persons job so overtly protected regardless of outcome and performance.  In no other industry in this country do people take the word of the employee as the basis for productivity and outcome.  Yet, these are prime examples of the guarantees offered teachers through their union.  This  is unfair to the students and suggests absolutely no accountability on the part of the teachers or administrators.  They are their own watch-dog!   Recently, President Obama announced and passed his plan to change the mandates required through No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).  This change gives individual states the authority to opt out of the current NCLB standards testing.  We need to remember that NCLB mandates have been in place for about ten years.  Each state through the mandate was able to create its own tests and were required to administer these tests at various stages of education, ex: 3rd grade, 5th grade, 8th grade.   The requirement of NCLB is that all children become proficient in Reading, Math, Science regardless of labeled Learning Disabilities (differences), race, ESL students, socioeconomic status (rich vs poor kids).  Schools that did not show proficiency in these areas of basic education through AYP (annual yearly progress) reports faced sanctions.  After several years of sanctions and an inability to meet the standards of NCLB the school could face potential job losses and a rearranging of their curriculum and staff.  This is what the teachers union is fighting.   This watch-dog (testing standards) and accountability requirements makes teachers and administrators uneasy and in many cases angry.  Why?  Because these testing standards speak clearly about a teachers performance.  Teachers would much rather tell mom and dad that Jonny is not doing well in Math.  No explanations, no responsibility on the part of the teacher…just take the teachers word for it that it is Jonnys fault.  NCLB does not allow that.  With NCLB the teacher has to take responsibility for Jonny not doing well and why is Jonny not doing well?   Why is Jonny unable to grasp the Math tasks?  Perhaps it is because of an ineffective teaching technique…or an ineffective, status quo teacher.  But with the new changes to the mandates President Obama just put into effect…we will never know!  After almost ten years of data, we have proof that all schools have shown some improvement in these areas of basic education because of NCLB.  The removal or rearranging of the Federal NCLB mandates only benefits the teachers NOT the students.  Schools are failing to meet the AYP (annual yearly progress) mandates set by NCLB and their response has been to eliminate the mandates!  Why…because the results of these mandates through the testing is proving our current public education system is not working.  Removal of these mandates put the teacher back in charge.   We MUST also remember that many schools are meeting the AYP.  Many schools have made the necessary changes in their curriculum to meet the needs of all kids.  NCLB is the great equalizer.  In MN it was reported that almost 1/2 of the over 2700 public schools failed to meet AYP.  Therefore, something must be wrong with the system..so Govenor Dayton has changed the current law allowing schools to opt out of the NCLB mandates handing over the reins to the teachers.  What was NOT reported was that OVER 1/2 of the public schools in MN did meet the AYP standards.  Over 1/2 of the schools were able to meet the requirements.  What is it the passing schools are able to do that the failing schools refuse to do?  Washington DC was able to completely turn around their education system.  High risk kids were being addressed and the public schools were able to meet the AYP.  However, the teachers union fought these mandates and the education commissioner long and hard in DC until finally they had the education commissioner removed (fired).. FOR DOING HER JOB!!!  This union…teachers union…is the biggest and most powerful union in this country.  And we must remember that we as parents are not paying the union dues the teachers are, so exactly who do you think the unions are fighting for?  Our kids?  Of course not…the unions are fighting for the comfort of the teachers ONLY!  We need to fight to see that education in our country remains for the benefit of our kids NOT as a life-long job for a teacher.

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