In response to a post about standards for pre-schoolers, this reader wrote:
As far as I am concerned, with all the variety of disabilities under special education, English language learners, 504, medical plans, modifications and accommodations, full inclusion, differentiation, and now the new term: responsive teaching and any other new fad coming our way…this is an impossible feat and the Common Core State Standards will just widen the achievement gap even more.
But, maybe that is the purpose and then they can close down even more schools and further segregate the children into other categories and sub-categories….I guess the levels within the American caste system are yet to be determined.
We have larger class sizes, less supports, more children with a wider range of abilities in the same classrooms with limited supplies…..even the superman or woman we are all waiting for would fly away ASAP. They do not understand what we deal with everyday, so they have no idea what they are asking us to do. This is a recipe for failure.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Spend some time in the comments sections of articles on education on general media sites. For instance, one commenter on Eric Zorn’s blog who’s never set foot in an urban public school assured me that English language learners aren’t a problem because kids pick up languages within “weeks”.
I try to spread the word about the realities of edukational rheeform as much as I can, but when you encounter attitudes like these, you have to realize there’s no point in talking any more – they’re not going to hear you anyway.
LikeLike
Dienne,
There is so much junk science out there it boggles the mind. Many intelligent people read articles about education that have not been fact checked and assume because it’s in print or on television it’s the gospel. “If you see it in the Sun, it’s so”
If all you listen to is one side of a story, that is what you are going to believe.
Even though I am often met with a brick wall, I feel I must keep speaking out against what is trying to pass for reform in education. You never know which person you might reach and when.
Dienne, don’t stop talking. We can never tell when our voice will resonate with someone.
LikeLike
I believe people will eventually listen to us, but I also think that things are going to have to get a lot worse for public schools before that happens. This nonsense has to hit Mr. and Mrs. Suburbia before things will really change. They wrote off the cities years ago. Of course, THOSE children will need rheeform. Our kids are doing fine, though.
LikeLike
I agree. It scares me how in comfortable districts even the teachers are largely oblivious to the rheeform movement. There won’t be a significant response until this stuff comes for them too.
LikeLike
Not to say these two events are even comparable, but Martin Niemoeller said it best:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.
LikeLike
It’s all about the ideology of free markets (or how a small club of people can make more money, in this case from public funds). Beats me why a “free market” approach to education would take hold in this country especially after banking disasters in 2008. I’m beginning to think the public has the memory of a flea or everything, government, media, think tanks, etc. are all captured by the money. If it’s all about the money, you don’t need any conspiracy.
LikeLike
I’m watching teachers at my school nearly collapsing under the pressure of these new standards.
And, then, as a parent with a struggling math student, I am watching him struggle because the standards have only “regular” and “honors” standards, and nothing for struggling kids, unless they’re special ed. So there’s this enormous gulf between the kids in special education and kids who can grasp the material right out of the gate. Everyone else is left behind. Talk about irony.
LikeLike
Insofar as Special Ed. students go, rather than being “segregated,” they are more & more being “included,” that is, tossed back into regular classrooms even when it is grossly inappropriate & doesn’t follow their IEPs (Individual Ed. Plans, their education blueprints). Response to Intervention (R.t.I.) has swept the country, & this relatively recent obstruction (w/no state or federal timelines) has cost many students YEARS of not getting the help they desperately need. Also, NOT placing children in SpEd. classrooms keeps the SpEd sub-group low, so that sub-group doesn’t count against a school in order to make AYP on “standardized” tests. Again, we are moving back into the 1950’s and before, when parents had to fight for every last form of education for their SpEd. kids. Everyone should be outraged!
LikeLike
Sped. get very few services anymore. Full inclusion and co-teaching is the panacea for all while they fall further and further behind. Once you speak out you are mysterioulsy not invited to PPT’s anymore. The least restrictive environment is the most restrictive for many and specialized direct instruction no longer exists..just modify, modify, modify so they can pass…how about giving them the skills by TEACHING so they have the ability to work independently…what happened to that concept? Aghast and appaled at what is happening.
LikeLike
True. Pretty much the only kids not being left behind are the kids who would not be “behind” in the first place.
LikeLike
It now takes nearly a full year to compile data and documentation to refer a child for special education testing thanks to RTI (Response to Intervention). It is the desire of reformers to eliminate special education, they believe that handicaps and disabilities will disappear. They believe in the reform fairy and reform dust will eliminate our differences. Most of them do not even realize that under normed tests half of the students will always be below average!
LikeLike
…and when the Special Ed kid is placed in an inclusion class with “regular” kids, the parents are happy because they think that it is a “step up”. Inclusion classes ( half and half with two teachers…) are designed to save money…not to have all the kids enjoy school and learn from each other. Aargh!
LikeLike
SpEd is expensive and Richard Rothstein on c-span said it accounts for much of the growth in the cost of education. The “ed-reformers” only want to squeeze dollars out of the system to free up their profits.
This is like the rationing of health care that HMOs use to free up dollars for HMO companies’ profits. The HMO pays bonuses to doctors who do not provide referrals for follow-up care by specialists.
LikeLike