So let's go over again why I think homeschooling isn't a valid option for dyslexic children.
First off, way back my husband and I discussed why people homeschool (when we had our backs against the wall and were unsure of which direction to go with our dyslexic child). Part of the appeal was getting her out of a situation that was only going to hurt her. We got it, sometimes there doesn't seem to be a better way than homeschooling.
Yet, I live in a community with lots of people who homeschool and un-school and I see their children. I see how they meet at a local community center to get physical education while the moms wait in the hall. Sometimes people drive from a long way just to go to that program. In a sense the parents create a community of school without school.
Once again I have to point out that they are dependent on resources that are, for the most part, provided through tax money (community centers) the same way schools are. So any idea of being truly "independent" of the rest of society is nonsense. Sometimes people choose to homeschool for that reason. It's a sort of live-off-the-land mentality.
When a parent has realized that their child is different from most because they see them struggling to read many times the parent goes to a center run by our local University (again tax money pays for this). So in the case of a child with special needs a parent is even more dependent on other's knowledge.
Sadly, one of the options that claims to help dyslexic children in our area has devised their own "testing" which shows that after a short time the child is at "grade level" which they clearly are not.
I now know of 3 children this has happened to. 2 of these children were homeschooled.
If the average public school teacher does not have the necessary skills to teach a dyslexic child and (in our area) the tutor doesn't have the correct methodology to tutor a dyslexic child then really, is it reasonable to think that the average mother staying home and teaching her child is going to have more knowledge or even slightly adequate knowledge in the area of dyslexia?
No.
I'm not saying it can never happen but I would think that it would be quite rare for a dyslexic child in a homeschooling situation to really get what they need to learn to read.
If all this smoke and mirror nonsense is going on in the world of educational professionals who do have at least an inkling and the exposure to the education field what in the world is the average parent thinking with their dyslexic child?
While I'm hoping that perhaps buying the Barton system could be a possibility for the homeschooling parent of a dyslexic child the truth is I haven't looked into it. I'd like to know people who did use it. I'd like to see children who were able to read successfully because of it.
I'm not holding my breath.
Monday, September 30, 2013
A statement
I went to a party the other night where I ran into a woman who works in a local public school trying to be of assistance to the special needs kids. It's an alternative elementary school.
We had a good talk and she wanted to know more about what works with dyslexia. She was open to anything that could help the children in the classroom she served in. She suggested someone coming in to the school to talk about it.
Her sincerity and desire to help the children of her class is in keeping with how I see so many public school teachers. They didn't get into teaching to get rich, they got into it in order to make a difference. There is psychological evidence that suggests that people who go into education are non-competitive and that is one of the reasons they pick education as a career field.
Pitting them against each other in a "Race to The Top" or any other such idea is not going to get the best out of these folks.
So many public school teachers are disheartened and scared right now. It has everything to do with laws that have been recently passed.
The most vulnerable teachers are the very ones who have chosen a life in a high need situation (impoverished areas or children with special needs). They are the unfair targets of many people who want to privatize school and turn it into a competitive money making business.
This is not in the best interest of anyone who needs or works in education. It is only in the best interest of people who want to make money and the politicians who need their money to be elected/re-elected since our election system has become so corrupt in this country.
Hopefully, this teacher and I can meet again and we can talk about what to look for and how to help the dyslexic children she serves. In making progress for them perhaps it can lead to progress for other children with other special need issues. This is my hope.
Sometimes all I have is hope, today is one of those days. Just a glimmer of hope with no idea about where it will lead in the future.
But back to the issue. I'm still completely on board with the fact that charter schools are not going to be a valid option for children with learning challenges. I'm preparing what I'm going to say in this regard. I believe I will be the first to make a statement which takes a side on this in the dyslexia community that I'm a part of.
I've thought about this a lot, turning public education into a private enterprise so that people who are mostly already rich can have slices of education tax money pie is simply not a good idea and it's really not a good idea where special needs like dyslexia are concerned.
Our public schools overall are full of trained professionals who are simply not trained enough as it is.
If the bar is lowered any farther in regard to what training a teacher is required to have then we are going to have a lot more work to do before dyslexic children can get what they need to read. It's already too low. Teachers are not receiving the education in college that they need for dyslexic children. Charter schools and the 5 week Teach for America program which supposedly gets people ready to handle a classroom is a huge step backward for education.
The community of people who have children on IEP's needs to be aware of this and soon.
We had a good talk and she wanted to know more about what works with dyslexia. She was open to anything that could help the children in the classroom she served in. She suggested someone coming in to the school to talk about it.
Her sincerity and desire to help the children of her class is in keeping with how I see so many public school teachers. They didn't get into teaching to get rich, they got into it in order to make a difference. There is psychological evidence that suggests that people who go into education are non-competitive and that is one of the reasons they pick education as a career field.
Pitting them against each other in a "Race to The Top" or any other such idea is not going to get the best out of these folks.
So many public school teachers are disheartened and scared right now. It has everything to do with laws that have been recently passed.
The most vulnerable teachers are the very ones who have chosen a life in a high need situation (impoverished areas or children with special needs). They are the unfair targets of many people who want to privatize school and turn it into a competitive money making business.
This is not in the best interest of anyone who needs or works in education. It is only in the best interest of people who want to make money and the politicians who need their money to be elected/re-elected since our election system has become so corrupt in this country.
Hopefully, this teacher and I can meet again and we can talk about what to look for and how to help the dyslexic children she serves. In making progress for them perhaps it can lead to progress for other children with other special need issues. This is my hope.
Sometimes all I have is hope, today is one of those days. Just a glimmer of hope with no idea about where it will lead in the future.
But back to the issue. I'm still completely on board with the fact that charter schools are not going to be a valid option for children with learning challenges. I'm preparing what I'm going to say in this regard. I believe I will be the first to make a statement which takes a side on this in the dyslexia community that I'm a part of.
I've thought about this a lot, turning public education into a private enterprise so that people who are mostly already rich can have slices of education tax money pie is simply not a good idea and it's really not a good idea where special needs like dyslexia are concerned.
Our public schools overall are full of trained professionals who are simply not trained enough as it is.
If the bar is lowered any farther in regard to what training a teacher is required to have then we are going to have a lot more work to do before dyslexic children can get what they need to read. It's already too low. Teachers are not receiving the education in college that they need for dyslexic children. Charter schools and the 5 week Teach for America program which supposedly gets people ready to handle a classroom is a huge step backward for education.
The community of people who have children on IEP's needs to be aware of this and soon.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
A tremendous amount of illiteracy
So I reflect on this subject a lot. I talk to a lot of people in all walks of life, always educating (as my mom would say) about dyslexia.
I'm getting to the place where I believe that people who were in elementary school from about 1987 onward are 20%-40% still struggling readers even as adults.
I thought of another way to gauge this. How do the military branches teach and test? Is it similar to the health care industry that now questions everyone having surgery with how do they learn best because they know that they cant send home written information about homecare if a person avoids reading at all costs?
Today I think our Catholic school is just hiding this same information that I've known all along. A significant number of children are not responding to their teaching methodology. It's the same everywhere really (at least in my state). Only they aren't really in the loop of what's going on other places so they don't know this the way I do.
Let's hope this is all they are hiding. Since I certainly have the sense that something is being hidden.
Funny, I talked to someone I trust about this the other day and they referred to all of this as: Cops and Robbers. In this case the Robbers are getting away with not actually teaching children while the parents are the Cops always trying to have justice be served. Very interesting.
Here is the problem also with our Catholic school, they are getting ready to have an conference at the beginning of next month. Catholic educators conference. There are plenty of little seminars within the conference about Autism (which according to the Center for Disease Control effects 1 in 110 children) but there is next to nothing about dyslexia (which effects 1 in 5 children).
It's astonishing, dyslexia is not even on the Catholic school administrators radar.
I'm getting to the place where I believe that people who were in elementary school from about 1987 onward are 20%-40% still struggling readers even as adults.
I thought of another way to gauge this. How do the military branches teach and test? Is it similar to the health care industry that now questions everyone having surgery with how do they learn best because they know that they cant send home written information about homecare if a person avoids reading at all costs?
Today I think our Catholic school is just hiding this same information that I've known all along. A significant number of children are not responding to their teaching methodology. It's the same everywhere really (at least in my state). Only they aren't really in the loop of what's going on other places so they don't know this the way I do.
Let's hope this is all they are hiding. Since I certainly have the sense that something is being hidden.
Funny, I talked to someone I trust about this the other day and they referred to all of this as: Cops and Robbers. In this case the Robbers are getting away with not actually teaching children while the parents are the Cops always trying to have justice be served. Very interesting.
Here is the problem also with our Catholic school, they are getting ready to have an conference at the beginning of next month. Catholic educators conference. There are plenty of little seminars within the conference about Autism (which according to the Center for Disease Control effects 1 in 110 children) but there is next to nothing about dyslexia (which effects 1 in 5 children).
It's astonishing, dyslexia is not even on the Catholic school administrators radar.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
You havent met me before
Here is what I want to say to school administrators who think they are going to get to keep playing the same "throw you off the scent games" that they usually get away with:
You Haven't Met Me Before
Listen, there is a lot you don't know and I'm not going to tell you but you have not met me before.
No mom has ever walked in the doors of your school who is like me and no one ever will again.
You seem worried, you should be, I'm smart but in a different way than you are used to. You don't have any idea the places I've been, the things I've seen, the games I've played.
I see you. I know what you are doing and what you are about.
I see your weaknesses and I'm sniffing out as many of them as I can. I will be using them against you should I need to.
You will be on the up-and-up with my child and my family. I will push you into a corner and you will be transparent and trustworthy when dealing with me.
You will not be able to stop me or my mission to help both my family and other families who struggle with dyslexia (whether diagnosed or not).
I'm not going to tell you my strategy but believe me I have one.
You Haven't Met Me Before
Listen, there is a lot you don't know and I'm not going to tell you but you have not met me before.
No mom has ever walked in the doors of your school who is like me and no one ever will again.
You seem worried, you should be, I'm smart but in a different way than you are used to. You don't have any idea the places I've been, the things I've seen, the games I've played.
I see you. I know what you are doing and what you are about.
I see your weaknesses and I'm sniffing out as many of them as I can. I will be using them against you should I need to.
You will be on the up-and-up with my child and my family. I will push you into a corner and you will be transparent and trustworthy when dealing with me.
You will not be able to stop me or my mission to help both my family and other families who struggle with dyslexia (whether diagnosed or not).
I'm not going to tell you my strategy but believe me I have one.
Angry Mommy music
Here are some good tunes to be played as loudly as possible when one gets into Angry Mommy mode because they have the sense that the people dealing with their children are not being completely trustworthy and transparent:
Born to Be Wasted by 009 Sound system
Metal Health (aka: Bang Your Head) by Quiet Riot
Return of The Mack by Mark Morrison
I will be adding to this list but this is good enough for now.
Born to Be Wasted by 009 Sound system
Metal Health (aka: Bang Your Head) by Quiet Riot
Return of The Mack by Mark Morrison
I will be adding to this list but this is good enough for now.
An attempt to help a parent and how it went
So a parent wrote on an attachment parenting board that I'm part of wrote that her first grader was struggling to read and had anyone been through that and what should she do. It sounded a lot like dyslexia to me and the following were the things I told her:
Not only have I been through this process (twice now), I love to talk about this subject.
It can be so difficult to see your bright child struggle with reading. Parents all over the country are wondering what is going on with their kid, blaming themselves, dealing with tears (their own and their child's) and generally not knowing which way to turn.
The big warning flags start in first grade. The alert parent notices something is wrong and not getting better.
I'm not sure if I should tell you 1. Our personal story. 2. What is going on with this subject from a historic standpoint or 3. Just have you call me if you want to talk about it.
Let's try the historic standpoint for now:
In the late 1980's a new way to teach reading began in CA and quickly spread throughout the country. It is generally called the Whole Language Method (but it also goes by other names). Phonics (the old sound-it-out) method was declared by many to be obsolete and Universities everywhere jumped on board.
For 40% of the population the Whole Language method does not work well at all (half of this 40%-20% of the population is dyslexic - per NIH).
So the old phonics method took longer but worked better for many more children, it also provided a more solid understanding of words. It was all about matching sounds with letters.
Yet unless a teacher graduated from college before the late 1980's they will not know how to teach phonics (generally speaking but certainly in Ohio). Side note: we cant exactly blame the teachers since they weren't taught phonics in the first place.
This Whole Language vs. Phonics is known as the Reading Wars
I have met people on both sides and I can tell you that the Whole Language folks are completely sold on their technique although many scientific studies have discounted it.
If a child is dyslexic (1 in 5 are) then there is even more need for phonics, hand holding and taking the reading process slowly with a very knowledgeable teacher/tutor. Sadly, these knowledgeable folks are hard to find.
Compound this problem with what is generally (in OH) given as remediation to struggling readers in our schools. It is called Reading Recovery and it does not work for many and especially dyslexic children (scientifically proven for 15 years).
Sadly, our OH schools (all of them: public, Catholic, private) mostly only have tutors trained in the Reading Recovery method which has only been shown to work for children who have never been exposed to literature (in other words that baby was never read to) and do not have any learning challenges. It does not work for the rest of the population.
Still, this is the applied medicine. Why is everyone still using it? It's OSU's big moneymaker. They invented it, they market it and now they have a new federal grant to re-market it which they are doing in CCS and around the state.
What a struggling reader actually needs is called Orton Gillingham (O-G) or an Orton Gillingham based method. O-G has been around since the 1930's and has been proven to work. Yet it is not licensed which gets in it's way, it's also not easy to get well trained in it (a tutor needs many supervised hours, not some weekend class).
Wilson is a classroom based O-G method being implemented in the Big Shot district this year. A homeschool O-G method is called Barton and while I have no personal experience with it I'm currently looking into it.
I would recommend a call to Our school/Academy where they will give your child a free screening with a test called the CTOPP. It can let you know quite a bit. It's a well regarded 30 year old test.
The Big Shot district has just now started screening every kindergartener with the CTOPP to see who is going to need extra help. (Don't be too impressed Big Shot district has been sued by enough parents that at this point that they know they have to make changes).
Message me and I'll send you my number I'm always glad to talk about this. I have cried many tears and wasted time but now I feel it is a personal mission to assist parent who is going through what I went through.
For now let me point you to a great book with a whole chapter on reading struggles that goes into more detail than I have (it's at the library) The Good School by Peg Tyre.
Then there was some talk that went something like, "my kids learned to read easily and with no problem in their own timeframes."
So I wrote this:
Remember that for 60% of the population Whole Language does appear to work quickly and with little effort. These 60%children do what people in the education business call "crack the code" without a lot of additional help. (Thank your lucky stars if you have one of these children because the reading struggles subject won't pertain to you).
For the rest of us (the 40% who have a bright kid who is struggling to read) we need to be well informed about this subject and as quickly as possible (for early intervention).
She has already spent a year in tutoring at her school (she was probably given Reading Recovery because it doesn't seem as though you saw any true improvement or mastery). You will see immediate improvement when the methodology is correct.
I can tell she is smart because she is trying hard to memorize words (bless her heart- mom she is giving it her all, very typical of most bright kids who struggle to read).
I do recommend testing and quickly, early intervention is a crucial time and self esteem saver. I would never "wait and see" although many people/teachers/school staff will tell you to wait. For her sake, please do not. So many bright children blame themselves for their reading struggles. As the years pass many struggling readers are put off by school and reading entirely, this is not necessary.
Testing is a personal choice but the entity you use to test can be very important. While many places claim to test there is the general consensus among those of us with experience at this that there are only 2 well regarded pediatric neuropsychologists in central Ohio. They are Dr. C. and Dr. G. They are expensive and both have waiting lists. Dr. G. is nationally recognized (6 month waiting list last time I checked). Dr. C. (2-3 month waiting list) is also very good.
As another option C. Hospital also tests and I do know people who have gone there (it may be covered by your insurance). Many places will take your testing dollars, the problem is that they are not knowledgeable enough about this subject to give an accurate reading of the results (even though the tests themselves are standard). If the absolute only concern you have is with reading difficulty then C. Hospital would hopefully be okay.
I would not go to Speech and Hearing in this case. I have used them and do not believe that they have the collective knowledge you need in the area of reading struggles. They are fine for other things but not for this.
Again, please feel free to message me and I will happily talk with you. A stranger once helped me (putting me ahead by at least 2 years) and I consider it a duty to help others.
Pat yourself on the back for being on this so quickly, first grade is a good time to start getting the help she needs.
Then there was some banter about "my district does it differently" and "my kids get phonics". From the teacher types they insisted that they had been taught phonics in college. So I wrote:
Yes, better school districts, like say, the O. District added (a sprinkle of) phonics back in and do have a "balanced" approach using both methods. (Really I was too agreeable here because they are not truly getting phonics but a very modified version of what it should be).
In other places, some teachers close the door and quietly teach phonics on their own, yet none of this is enough for a struggling reader.
There is still a lot of reliance in most places on Whole Language with many words needing to be memorized and the same expectation/pressure to read entire books while in kindergarten. Children's books are written with Whole Language in mind rather than phonics and lesson plans assume the rate that memorization vs. sounding-it-out takes. (This paragraph was so key it's not even funny but I expect it got missed.)
Children who are struggling readers are not going to respond well to the fast pace. Their brains are not wired in the same way. Language is not an area of strength. These children need a diagnostic and systematic approach which builds on itself and relies heavily on phonics. Memorizing some words which cannot be sounded out (often called site words, or red words) as only a very small part of the learning to read experience.
Testing gives the road map to know what your child needs but it wont drive the car there for you. The parent still has to do that part. Still, I encourage early intervention.
The parent then wrote that she was still going to have Speech and Hearing do the testing (mistake) and she named dropped her school (which would have been impressive had I not known families who left that school for this very reason because it's not how much one is paying for a school but how the teachers are teaching that matters).
So it's hard to not be discouraged after being so completely dismissed.
Not only have I been through this process (twice now), I love to talk about this subject.
It can be so difficult to see your bright child struggle with reading. Parents all over the country are wondering what is going on with their kid, blaming themselves, dealing with tears (their own and their child's) and generally not knowing which way to turn.
The big warning flags start in first grade. The alert parent notices something is wrong and not getting better.
I'm not sure if I should tell you 1. Our personal story. 2. What is going on with this subject from a historic standpoint or 3. Just have you call me if you want to talk about it.
Let's try the historic standpoint for now:
In the late 1980's a new way to teach reading began in CA and quickly spread throughout the country. It is generally called the Whole Language Method (but it also goes by other names). Phonics (the old sound-it-out) method was declared by many to be obsolete and Universities everywhere jumped on board.
For 40% of the population the Whole Language method does not work well at all (half of this 40%-20% of the population is dyslexic - per NIH).
So the old phonics method took longer but worked better for many more children, it also provided a more solid understanding of words. It was all about matching sounds with letters.
Yet unless a teacher graduated from college before the late 1980's they will not know how to teach phonics (generally speaking but certainly in Ohio). Side note: we cant exactly blame the teachers since they weren't taught phonics in the first place.
This Whole Language vs. Phonics is known as the Reading Wars
I have met people on both sides and I can tell you that the Whole Language folks are completely sold on their technique although many scientific studies have discounted it.
If a child is dyslexic (1 in 5 are) then there is even more need for phonics, hand holding and taking the reading process slowly with a very knowledgeable teacher/tutor. Sadly, these knowledgeable folks are hard to find.
Compound this problem with what is generally (in OH) given as remediation to struggling readers in our schools. It is called Reading Recovery and it does not work for many and especially dyslexic children (scientifically proven for 15 years).
Sadly, our OH schools (all of them: public, Catholic, private) mostly only have tutors trained in the Reading Recovery method which has only been shown to work for children who have never been exposed to literature (in other words that baby was never read to) and do not have any learning challenges. It does not work for the rest of the population.
Still, this is the applied medicine. Why is everyone still using it? It's OSU's big moneymaker. They invented it, they market it and now they have a new federal grant to re-market it which they are doing in CCS and around the state.
What a struggling reader actually needs is called Orton Gillingham (O-G) or an Orton Gillingham based method. O-G has been around since the 1930's and has been proven to work. Yet it is not licensed which gets in it's way, it's also not easy to get well trained in it (a tutor needs many supervised hours, not some weekend class).
Wilson is a classroom based O-G method being implemented in the Big Shot district this year. A homeschool O-G method is called Barton and while I have no personal experience with it I'm currently looking into it.
I would recommend a call to Our school/Academy where they will give your child a free screening with a test called the CTOPP. It can let you know quite a bit. It's a well regarded 30 year old test.
The Big Shot district has just now started screening every kindergartener with the CTOPP to see who is going to need extra help. (Don't be too impressed Big Shot district has been sued by enough parents that at this point that they know they have to make changes).
Message me and I'll send you my number I'm always glad to talk about this. I have cried many tears and wasted time but now I feel it is a personal mission to assist parent who is going through what I went through.
For now let me point you to a great book with a whole chapter on reading struggles that goes into more detail than I have (it's at the library) The Good School by Peg Tyre.
Then there was some talk that went something like, "my kids learned to read easily and with no problem in their own timeframes."
So I wrote this:
Remember that for 60% of the population Whole Language does appear to work quickly and with little effort. These 60%children do what people in the education business call "crack the code" without a lot of additional help. (Thank your lucky stars if you have one of these children because the reading struggles subject won't pertain to you).
For the rest of us (the 40% who have a bright kid who is struggling to read) we need to be well informed about this subject and as quickly as possible (for early intervention).
She has already spent a year in tutoring at her school (she was probably given Reading Recovery because it doesn't seem as though you saw any true improvement or mastery). You will see immediate improvement when the methodology is correct.
I can tell she is smart because she is trying hard to memorize words (bless her heart- mom she is giving it her all, very typical of most bright kids who struggle to read).
I do recommend testing and quickly, early intervention is a crucial time and self esteem saver. I would never "wait and see" although many people/teachers/school staff will tell you to wait. For her sake, please do not. So many bright children blame themselves for their reading struggles. As the years pass many struggling readers are put off by school and reading entirely, this is not necessary.
Testing is a personal choice but the entity you use to test can be very important. While many places claim to test there is the general consensus among those of us with experience at this that there are only 2 well regarded pediatric neuropsychologists in central Ohio. They are Dr. C. and Dr. G. They are expensive and both have waiting lists. Dr. G. is nationally recognized (6 month waiting list last time I checked). Dr. C. (2-3 month waiting list) is also very good.
As another option C. Hospital also tests and I do know people who have gone there (it may be covered by your insurance). Many places will take your testing dollars, the problem is that they are not knowledgeable enough about this subject to give an accurate reading of the results (even though the tests themselves are standard). If the absolute only concern you have is with reading difficulty then C. Hospital would hopefully be okay.
I would not go to Speech and Hearing in this case. I have used them and do not believe that they have the collective knowledge you need in the area of reading struggles. They are fine for other things but not for this.
Again, please feel free to message me and I will happily talk with you. A stranger once helped me (putting me ahead by at least 2 years) and I consider it a duty to help others.
Pat yourself on the back for being on this so quickly, first grade is a good time to start getting the help she needs.
Then there was some banter about "my district does it differently" and "my kids get phonics". From the teacher types they insisted that they had been taught phonics in college. So I wrote:
Yes, better school districts, like say, the O. District added (a sprinkle of) phonics back in and do have a "balanced" approach using both methods. (Really I was too agreeable here because they are not truly getting phonics but a very modified version of what it should be).
In other places, some teachers close the door and quietly teach phonics on their own, yet none of this is enough for a struggling reader.
There is still a lot of reliance in most places on Whole Language with many words needing to be memorized and the same expectation/pressure to read entire books while in kindergarten. Children's books are written with Whole Language in mind rather than phonics and lesson plans assume the rate that memorization vs. sounding-it-out takes. (This paragraph was so key it's not even funny but I expect it got missed.)
Children who are struggling readers are not going to respond well to the fast pace. Their brains are not wired in the same way. Language is not an area of strength. These children need a diagnostic and systematic approach which builds on itself and relies heavily on phonics. Memorizing some words which cannot be sounded out (often called site words, or red words) as only a very small part of the learning to read experience.
Testing gives the road map to know what your child needs but it wont drive the car there for you. The parent still has to do that part. Still, I encourage early intervention.
The parent then wrote that she was still going to have Speech and Hearing do the testing (mistake) and she named dropped her school (which would have been impressive had I not known families who left that school for this very reason because it's not how much one is paying for a school but how the teachers are teaching that matters).
So it's hard to not be discouraged after being so completely dismissed.
The reading struggles discussion group and our new school
So only 2 other people showed up (besides the other facillitator and myself) to our new discussion group. People who told me they were thinking about coming didn't (3 of them).
I think it was worth more to one new person than to the other. Well possibly. I guess things got sort of taken over by the person with a whole lot of needs.
I guess sometimes it can be enough to help just one person although if I think about it wasn't my goal to help three and, well, three showed up (including the person hosting with me) and so there we go, I reached my goal.
Three moms know a little more than they did the day before and the seeds are planted to help three children.
So I talked with the Intervention Specialist yesterday on the playground. I had the sense that she was hiding something, maybe even quite a few things. She was not forthcoming or positive about anything. I mentioned the plan to have Dr. G. a well known highly respected local pediatric neuropsychologist come and talk to anyone in the school who was concerned about their child.
Again, I know she was hiding something.
I got that sense I had at our old Catholic school that the teachers and staff actually consider the parents to be the enemy and keeping the enemy in the dark was an important part of dealing with the enemy. Same old same old with Catholic schools I guess.
When I think back on the meeting last week about my son's IEP that the school had with my husband and I (how they had everyone in the room - so familiar, such a huge warning flag) I wish I had taken our child advocate.
The kindergarten teacher (defensively) dominated the conversation. They mentioned that the intervention specialist had been pulling him out to work on occupational things (working with clay etc.) which I had never been informed about until then. (Come on, cant you drop me a line?)
Perhaps I'm in a bad place today but I have some bad feelings about our new Catholic school.
For the last week when I pull in the parking lot I feel like getting a tattoo (this is so not like me) and wearing all black (with leather) and playing Return of the Mack as loud as I can get it to go.
Is this an immature way to deal with feelings of oppression? Perhaps. I know I know, grow up Mom.
Yet, remember that with my daughter I felt like dyslexia was a blessing because it allowed us to pull her out of the same stifling atmosphere our first Catholic school had.
There is probably a lot going on with me on this since, 1. I'm not Catholic and never will be. 2. I detest being lied to. 3. I went to public school.
I think it was worth more to one new person than to the other. Well possibly. I guess things got sort of taken over by the person with a whole lot of needs.
I guess sometimes it can be enough to help just one person although if I think about it wasn't my goal to help three and, well, three showed up (including the person hosting with me) and so there we go, I reached my goal.
Three moms know a little more than they did the day before and the seeds are planted to help three children.
So I talked with the Intervention Specialist yesterday on the playground. I had the sense that she was hiding something, maybe even quite a few things. She was not forthcoming or positive about anything. I mentioned the plan to have Dr. G. a well known highly respected local pediatric neuropsychologist come and talk to anyone in the school who was concerned about their child.
Again, I know she was hiding something.
I got that sense I had at our old Catholic school that the teachers and staff actually consider the parents to be the enemy and keeping the enemy in the dark was an important part of dealing with the enemy. Same old same old with Catholic schools I guess.
When I think back on the meeting last week about my son's IEP that the school had with my husband and I (how they had everyone in the room - so familiar, such a huge warning flag) I wish I had taken our child advocate.
The kindergarten teacher (defensively) dominated the conversation. They mentioned that the intervention specialist had been pulling him out to work on occupational things (working with clay etc.) which I had never been informed about until then. (Come on, cant you drop me a line?)
Perhaps I'm in a bad place today but I have some bad feelings about our new Catholic school.
For the last week when I pull in the parking lot I feel like getting a tattoo (this is so not like me) and wearing all black (with leather) and playing Return of the Mack as loud as I can get it to go.
Is this an immature way to deal with feelings of oppression? Perhaps. I know I know, grow up Mom.
Yet, remember that with my daughter I felt like dyslexia was a blessing because it allowed us to pull her out of the same stifling atmosphere our first Catholic school had.
There is probably a lot going on with me on this since, 1. I'm not Catholic and never will be. 2. I detest being lied to. 3. I went to public school.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Caution: nervous mother driving
I had a great talk earlier today with someone in a key position in a better known, well thought of school district. She has been influential within her school district but for her family personally her child has not been given the keys to succeed as a dyslexic child despite: tutoring, special help from school tutors and a well written IEP and don't forget being in a "better" district.
She told me something that caused me to have to pick myself up off the floor:
When settling with a public school district in a due process hearing it is standard practice for the district to require the family to sign a gag order.
I guess in the school districts minds that could be called damage control.
Yet, here, even in my rather know it all state, I did not know that.
Although there is more to say I cant seem to get over this information so that is all I'm sharing today. That, and I need some good energy because the new discussion group I'm starting with another mother in our Catholic school meets for the first time tomorrow and I'm nervous about that.
She told me something that caused me to have to pick myself up off the floor:
When settling with a public school district in a due process hearing it is standard practice for the district to require the family to sign a gag order.
I guess in the school districts minds that could be called damage control.
Yet, here, even in my rather know it all state, I did not know that.
Although there is more to say I cant seem to get over this information so that is all I'm sharing today. That, and I need some good energy because the new discussion group I'm starting with another mother in our Catholic school meets for the first time tomorrow and I'm nervous about that.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
The drive to get the education they deserve
The other day my daughter was reading Charlotte's Web to me. She had to read for 20 minutes. She's in third grade.
It wasn't perfect reading, she is only in third grade after all, but honestly it was fantastic as far as I was concerned.
She will not go through life illiterate and that in and of itself is a huge reason to be joyful.
Although she had to do the actual work of learning to read it was all really a team effort.
Her father and I simply weren't going to settle for less than what she needed. Both sets of grandparents completely backed and supported our decision. It took 6 adults being committed to an idea, the idea of our dyslexic child being able to read.
It also helped that we have the good fortune of being near a school with a thirty plus year reputation of working with dyslexic children (which my family was already familiar with because of my brother).
Many times people tell me that they cant afford our school (believe me I understand, it's expensive). Other times people say they'll get tutoring or they piece together some other way to get their dyslexic child what they need. That is fine, that is okay, but I am so glad we have done what we have done.
To me it has been worth the sacrifice to make certain that she got what she needed when she needed it. Her school is not perfect because no school is perfect but it is the best we could do for her. I think that matters. I think it matters a lot.
It wasn't perfect reading, she is only in third grade after all, but honestly it was fantastic as far as I was concerned.
She will not go through life illiterate and that in and of itself is a huge reason to be joyful.
Although she had to do the actual work of learning to read it was all really a team effort.
Her father and I simply weren't going to settle for less than what she needed. Both sets of grandparents completely backed and supported our decision. It took 6 adults being committed to an idea, the idea of our dyslexic child being able to read.
It also helped that we have the good fortune of being near a school with a thirty plus year reputation of working with dyslexic children (which my family was already familiar with because of my brother).
Many times people tell me that they cant afford our school (believe me I understand, it's expensive). Other times people say they'll get tutoring or they piece together some other way to get their dyslexic child what they need. That is fine, that is okay, but I am so glad we have done what we have done.
To me it has been worth the sacrifice to make certain that she got what she needed when she needed it. Her school is not perfect because no school is perfect but it is the best we could do for her. I think that matters. I think it matters a lot.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Where are we headed? A possible future
What is interesting about this subject, the whole subject of dyslexia, reading, illiteracy and education is that there is a great upheaval in education right now. Moreso than usual.
The Third Grade Reading Guarantee in my state (Ohio) is essentially about the privatization of education.
In deciding to make changes the governor and his accomplices didn't count or think it seemed to matter that; Charter (aka: "Community") schools have a lousy educational track record and no one asked any trained professionals (aka teachers, pediatric neuropsychologists, etc. ) before they passed this 400 page nonsense into a law called Senate Bill 316.
What does this mean for dyslexia?
First off, we know that most children with dyslexia are not identified. Those few that are and have an IEP to (hopefully) protect them are invariably in a much stronger socio-economic position than children in impoverished areas where children regularly go without any needed intervention.
Second, take the statistic which shows that the Whole Language teaching method doesn't work for 40% of the population. Nearly every teacher who has come out of college in my state since 1987 has been taught Whole Language and fed the line that the Phonics method is a slower way to teach reading and an relic of the past. Most people in college are still in their formative years and this is a crucial time of being convinced as to which way is right and which is wrong.
This argument over which is a better way to teach reading is officially called the Reading Wars.
Where does this take us as far as Charter schools go?
Here is my thinking:
Public schools aren't doing all that fabulous at educating children with dyslexia but there are so many more factors to play against dyslexic children in the charter schools.
Starting with teachers with less training, making less money and having less overall job security.
Let me digress for a moment and say that Universities would be wise to realize that should teaching become a non-career their entire Colleges of Education will no doubt end up suffering. Should more teachers be paid Walmart wages, you can expect serious ambitious college students to NOT become teachers.
Also a charter school doesn't have to accept just any child the way a public school does. The charter school that doesn't educate third graders to read isn't going to be graded and closed the way it's written for the public schools to be closed if they are in "academic emergency".
If the path of turning much of out educational system is going to go private we will see that less and less funding, encouragement and support will go to our public schools.
This is not good overall for any child but especially not the dyslexic child.
Currently public school districts in wealthier areas are starting to implement things like the Wilson method. They are trying to get some Orton-Gillingham training. They are scared to death of continuing to be sued by ever more knowledgeable parents who are forming groups. They are changing because they have to.
Charter schools close at the drop of the hat, reorganize themselves, change their names and have all sorts of other ways to hide. They simply aren't going to be held to the accountability factor that public schools are.
I cant predict the future but I'm going to go out on a limb and say what I seem to be seeing in the works and how it may, on a personal level affect both my family and my community and not for the better.
We, as a society, are going to have to respond. We need a plan to counteract what has currently been set in store for us.
On a personal level and on a more widespread level, it's time to see some action start to take place. I have hope it will.
The Third Grade Reading Guarantee in my state (Ohio) is essentially about the privatization of education.
In deciding to make changes the governor and his accomplices didn't count or think it seemed to matter that; Charter (aka: "Community") schools have a lousy educational track record and no one asked any trained professionals (aka teachers, pediatric neuropsychologists, etc. ) before they passed this 400 page nonsense into a law called Senate Bill 316.
What does this mean for dyslexia?
First off, we know that most children with dyslexia are not identified. Those few that are and have an IEP to (hopefully) protect them are invariably in a much stronger socio-economic position than children in impoverished areas where children regularly go without any needed intervention.
Second, take the statistic which shows that the Whole Language teaching method doesn't work for 40% of the population. Nearly every teacher who has come out of college in my state since 1987 has been taught Whole Language and fed the line that the Phonics method is a slower way to teach reading and an relic of the past. Most people in college are still in their formative years and this is a crucial time of being convinced as to which way is right and which is wrong.
This argument over which is a better way to teach reading is officially called the Reading Wars.
Where does this take us as far as Charter schools go?
Here is my thinking:
Public schools aren't doing all that fabulous at educating children with dyslexia but there are so many more factors to play against dyslexic children in the charter schools.
Starting with teachers with less training, making less money and having less overall job security.
Let me digress for a moment and say that Universities would be wise to realize that should teaching become a non-career their entire Colleges of Education will no doubt end up suffering. Should more teachers be paid Walmart wages, you can expect serious ambitious college students to NOT become teachers.
Also a charter school doesn't have to accept just any child the way a public school does. The charter school that doesn't educate third graders to read isn't going to be graded and closed the way it's written for the public schools to be closed if they are in "academic emergency".
If the path of turning much of out educational system is going to go private we will see that less and less funding, encouragement and support will go to our public schools.
This is not good overall for any child but especially not the dyslexic child.
Currently public school districts in wealthier areas are starting to implement things like the Wilson method. They are trying to get some Orton-Gillingham training. They are scared to death of continuing to be sued by ever more knowledgeable parents who are forming groups. They are changing because they have to.
Charter schools close at the drop of the hat, reorganize themselves, change their names and have all sorts of other ways to hide. They simply aren't going to be held to the accountability factor that public schools are.
I cant predict the future but I'm going to go out on a limb and say what I seem to be seeing in the works and how it may, on a personal level affect both my family and my community and not for the better.
We, as a society, are going to have to respond. We need a plan to counteract what has currently been set in store for us.
On a personal level and on a more widespread level, it's time to see some action start to take place. I have hope it will.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Dyslexia information aka It can be hard to know who's trustworthy
So in forming the parent discussion group where we will talk about reading struggles I have to go about it rather quietly.
We are going to have the tutor come in and speak to the group and also the intervention specialist.
I need to do that even though I'm expecting to have to bite my lip until it bleeds because these are the already established authorities about reading in this school community.
I have to play the game.
Just a side note: I'm not terribly good at game playing. One would think that after all of these years (I'm no spring chicken) I would be good at game playing. I'm not. It's part of my natural weirdness that I've never been all that good at politics and game playing. Sigh.
Still, this subject is so important to me. I'm setting a small goal for myself, 3 kids. If I can help 3 families learn what they need to know to help 3 kids then, well, it was worth it.
I don't have any idea how many people will show up at this discussion group. Really, no idea. But I know a lady in a well regarded district who has tried to create a similar group and they had 300 people show. So who knows.
Statistically 20% of the population has dyslexia so at least 20% of the children in the Catholic school we are in are going to be or are already struggling readers. So call it market research, I think someone will come. We will see. My mom is praying for us and she is a great prayer. I have hope.
Now on to more thoughts.
Yesterday someone told me that they are having their child tested 3 times a year to make sure that the private school which specializes in dyslexia is doing a good job.
It wasn't the first time I've heard of this but let's suppose for a moment that, they aren't. That really the child isn't making as much progress as they could at our (one of 11 in the entire country) school. Where else is there to go?
I think accountability is a great idea but there really aren't any better options. I mean there just isn't anything else.
Perhaps I'm not as mistrusting of our school because my brother went there ages ago and he can read. They have refined the techniques since then and I have seen my daughter read.
It seems silly to pay an outside entity extra money to use their testing method (called Aimsweb) to watch my child. I understand why a public school person would want to do this but not where we are.
It's hard to know whom to trust. Another part of what makes this whole subject so crazy.
We are going to have the tutor come in and speak to the group and also the intervention specialist.
I need to do that even though I'm expecting to have to bite my lip until it bleeds because these are the already established authorities about reading in this school community.
I have to play the game.
Just a side note: I'm not terribly good at game playing. One would think that after all of these years (I'm no spring chicken) I would be good at game playing. I'm not. It's part of my natural weirdness that I've never been all that good at politics and game playing. Sigh.
Still, this subject is so important to me. I'm setting a small goal for myself, 3 kids. If I can help 3 families learn what they need to know to help 3 kids then, well, it was worth it.
I don't have any idea how many people will show up at this discussion group. Really, no idea. But I know a lady in a well regarded district who has tried to create a similar group and they had 300 people show. So who knows.
Statistically 20% of the population has dyslexia so at least 20% of the children in the Catholic school we are in are going to be or are already struggling readers. So call it market research, I think someone will come. We will see. My mom is praying for us and she is a great prayer. I have hope.
Now on to more thoughts.
Yesterday someone told me that they are having their child tested 3 times a year to make sure that the private school which specializes in dyslexia is doing a good job.
It wasn't the first time I've heard of this but let's suppose for a moment that, they aren't. That really the child isn't making as much progress as they could at our (one of 11 in the entire country) school. Where else is there to go?
I think accountability is a great idea but there really aren't any better options. I mean there just isn't anything else.
Perhaps I'm not as mistrusting of our school because my brother went there ages ago and he can read. They have refined the techniques since then and I have seen my daughter read.
It seems silly to pay an outside entity extra money to use their testing method (called Aimsweb) to watch my child. I understand why a public school person would want to do this but not where we are.
It's hard to know whom to trust. Another part of what makes this whole subject so crazy.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
3 Fish
I'm frying three fish right now. (That's probably an old Southern expression).
My smallest fish is our new Catholic school where my son is attending. Although the folks at that school sometimes say they have a learning-difference friendly school truthfully, I find them as steeped in a lack of knowledge about dyslexia as the first Catholic school we attended. If one has read this blog, they'll know how that turned out.
So I'm attempting, along with a more established family, to create a discussion group. We will be discussing reading difficulties. There will be occasional speakers and the hardest part for me will be biting my tongue at the extreme amount of misinformation I believe I will be hearing (including from our speakers).
Sigh. At least I have the hope that I'll be able to throw in a few helpful things.
It's like a different world there compared to my daughter's excellent dyslexia school. Also I should say that I'm pretty surprised the principal is even letting us start this group. An utter surprise.
Fish 2 is that I've made a pretty bold attack on the dyslexia FB page on two dyslexia related groups in my city, which I'm sure I've already mentioned, that claim to help children with reading problems but really are using the children as guinea pigs while they pursue their own organizational agendas.
While I lumped them into the same helpful-but-not-really category in my FB post truthfully one is worst than the other.
Yet, one of the things I'm most sick of about this whole subject is how taken advantage of families with dyslexic children can end up being.
Someone is always trying to sell something (most recently an App) someone is always claiming to do so much for our dyslexic community (when really they are just using these children and the children are not their first priority).
So I guess I let loose a sort of crazy woman rant in that FB post. However, it was pretty decent writing if I say so myself.
I ended up being called privately by someone I really like who asked me what 2 groups I was talking about. I told on myself. Hope that turns out okay.
My husband is worried that I'll get sued.
Maybe my biggest fault is that I sound like an expert when really I'm not one. Yet, I know from personal experience what works and doesn't work in getting my kid to read. I know which sources are trustworthy.
I also know that a cult-like "Don't question what we do here" attitude is a danger sign that not much is actually being done.
These two groups are not valid options for families who are really wanting their children to be able to read. Very sad.
Finally Fish 3 - I've been writing about it a lot lately. The third grade reading guarantee. Really it's the Lets-Take-Education-Down-A-Few-Notches guarantee. At least I've found some takers. Here is my last post. It's a recipe. I'm very proud of it.
My smallest fish is our new Catholic school where my son is attending. Although the folks at that school sometimes say they have a learning-difference friendly school truthfully, I find them as steeped in a lack of knowledge about dyslexia as the first Catholic school we attended. If one has read this blog, they'll know how that turned out.
So I'm attempting, along with a more established family, to create a discussion group. We will be discussing reading difficulties. There will be occasional speakers and the hardest part for me will be biting my tongue at the extreme amount of misinformation I believe I will be hearing (including from our speakers).
Sigh. At least I have the hope that I'll be able to throw in a few helpful things.
It's like a different world there compared to my daughter's excellent dyslexia school. Also I should say that I'm pretty surprised the principal is even letting us start this group. An utter surprise.
Fish 2 is that I've made a pretty bold attack on the dyslexia FB page on two dyslexia related groups in my city, which I'm sure I've already mentioned, that claim to help children with reading problems but really are using the children as guinea pigs while they pursue their own organizational agendas.
While I lumped them into the same helpful-but-not-really category in my FB post truthfully one is worst than the other.
Yet, one of the things I'm most sick of about this whole subject is how taken advantage of families with dyslexic children can end up being.
Someone is always trying to sell something (most recently an App) someone is always claiming to do so much for our dyslexic community (when really they are just using these children and the children are not their first priority).
So I guess I let loose a sort of crazy woman rant in that FB post. However, it was pretty decent writing if I say so myself.
I ended up being called privately by someone I really like who asked me what 2 groups I was talking about. I told on myself. Hope that turns out okay.
My husband is worried that I'll get sued.
Maybe my biggest fault is that I sound like an expert when really I'm not one. Yet, I know from personal experience what works and doesn't work in getting my kid to read. I know which sources are trustworthy.
I also know that a cult-like "Don't question what we do here" attitude is a danger sign that not much is actually being done.
These two groups are not valid options for families who are really wanting their children to be able to read. Very sad.
Finally Fish 3 - I've been writing about it a lot lately. The third grade reading guarantee. Really it's the Lets-Take-Education-Down-A-Few-Notches guarantee. At least I've found some takers. Here is my last post. It's a recipe. I'm very proud of it.
.... a recipe:
Take one historically marginalized population
Take one historically marginalized population
Add one standardized test that kids from more privileged areas will not have as much trouble passing
Call the test a “Norm”
Target first all the teachers who only ever wanted to make a difference and chose to work in less affluent areas.
Put in very hot oven which grades teachers and schools on the way their students test on the "norm".
Invite your 1% top of the economy friends over who donate to your campaign and feel like they need another entrepreneurial opportunity and a slice of the tax money pie (which they will get since they’ll be paying their workers Walmart wages).
Add the nice little perk of dismantling the strongest union in the state (your political arch enemy).
Write it all down in a 400 page, difficult to read, maze-like document.
Get it passed into law as quickly as possible.
making certain no one from the OEA (teachers union) ever see the secret recipe until law is finalized.
making certain no one from the OEA (teachers union) ever see the secret recipe until law is finalized.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Some thoughts about injustice
Buried deep within hundreds of pages of things that really have no consequence, standard stuff for schools like how much milk to provide per student, someone stuck in (with the most legal of jargon they could dream up), some sneaky and manipulative concepts that would help achieve an end goal.
Part of it was almost game-like. A written maze. See page 4 if you want to know the definition of page 6. That sort of thing.
No one had to dream this up alone. Crafty friends on a national level helped and, as they drank their scotch and looked out their back window to the boat parked in the bay, they congratulated each other on the success of their idea.
It really is for the best they told each other.
Even if in the process all those words would hurt hundreds of thousands of people, including children.
But it was for the best, it had to be done. They would all think to themselves.
Most people, including reporters, could be counted on not to read the dry, tedious, boring and mostly smoke screen cover-up document (law). There was a cliff notes version and as long as it didn't point too much out that the originators didn't want to be seen, well that was enough for most people, including reporters.
Otherwise no one ever would have agreed to it. Or those who did would be just as underhanded.
What if it succeeded. All of it. Better than wildest dreams even.
What if only people that could be immediately discounted in one way or another questioned it.
Until after the fact that is.
After the bulldozer came out. After the legal fights which didn't result in much. What then?
Part of it was almost game-like. A written maze. See page 4 if you want to know the definition of page 6. That sort of thing.
No one had to dream this up alone. Crafty friends on a national level helped and, as they drank their scotch and looked out their back window to the boat parked in the bay, they congratulated each other on the success of their idea.
It really is for the best they told each other.
Even if in the process all those words would hurt hundreds of thousands of people, including children.
But it was for the best, it had to be done. They would all think to themselves.
Most people, including reporters, could be counted on not to read the dry, tedious, boring and mostly smoke screen cover-up document (law). There was a cliff notes version and as long as it didn't point too much out that the originators didn't want to be seen, well that was enough for most people, including reporters.
Otherwise no one ever would have agreed to it. Or those who did would be just as underhanded.
What if it succeeded. All of it. Better than wildest dreams even.
What if only people that could be immediately discounted in one way or another questioned it.
Until after the fact that is.
After the bulldozer came out. After the legal fights which didn't result in much. What then?
Monday, September 2, 2013
At last, someone who understands
At last I have spoken with a public school teacher who knows more than me about the way the Third Grade Reading Guarantee has been set up to make more than just third graders fail.
Let me take a relaxing pause here.
Sadly, she and her colleagues currently feel rather defeated (What, before the games have even begun?)
Yet, I feel a renewed sense of hope.
Yesterday, I went to the funeral of a family friend. It was one of the best services of it's kind I had ever been to. The person who died had a loving community and many valued our friend, not because she was perfect but because she lived in such a way where she had gotten to the root of what was important in life. We will all miss her.
We sang a hymn, Abide with Me, at that service. The words that are stuck in my head are,
"Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me."
I feel a sense of calm.
I could point out here that should this ridiculous law continue on it's course with the passing of time the Big Universities which currently educate plenty of public schoolteachers could see a drop in enrollment in Education should there be fewer worthwhile public school jobs for their graduates. I wonder if their lobbyists that spend all sorts of time getting in the way of Orton Gillingham and other training methods could spend a touch of time on this subject?
I could also point out that the FL public school teachers union is now filing a lawsuit, I cant imagine that around the country the unions arent watching what each other are doing to cope with the seriousness of this attack on their workers.
I could point out that the AFL-CIO completely understands what is going on and has this published on their website: http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/education
So, I guess this brings me to my final point. The law itself is set up to pick on the people who actually deserve our highest regard.
People who have chosen to work with the most impoverished, underprivileged and needy school districts.
Teachers who work in districts where they aren't puffed up with pride merely saying the name of the district they are a part of.
Teachers who have foregone the niceties of a district that come with well off parents willing to do anything, give anything and support the education of their children.
I call these teachers- frontline teachers.
They deserve every medal, every honor and all the community support they can get. And yet, they are being attacked now both by the world they have tried to make a difference in as well as from behind, by the very folks who should be singing their praises.
So here we are back to money and classism. We can pretty much add racism to the mix too since the majority of the population in an urban school district would fall into the minority category.
I'm going to go pray now. This is not a defeatist position folks but rather the position of someone who understands how to humbly ask for guidance and help.
After that I'm going to re-read Psalm 34:17-22. It's a frequent passage I think of in terms of all the children and families suffering from the lack of understanding about their dyslexia.
I wonder what bible verses mean and power hungry lawmakers read?
Let me take a relaxing pause here.
Sadly, she and her colleagues currently feel rather defeated (What, before the games have even begun?)
Yet, I feel a renewed sense of hope.
Yesterday, I went to the funeral of a family friend. It was one of the best services of it's kind I had ever been to. The person who died had a loving community and many valued our friend, not because she was perfect but because she lived in such a way where she had gotten to the root of what was important in life. We will all miss her.
We sang a hymn, Abide with Me, at that service. The words that are stuck in my head are,
"Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me."
I feel a sense of calm.
I could point out here that should this ridiculous law continue on it's course with the passing of time the Big Universities which currently educate plenty of public schoolteachers could see a drop in enrollment in Education should there be fewer worthwhile public school jobs for their graduates. I wonder if their lobbyists that spend all sorts of time getting in the way of Orton Gillingham and other training methods could spend a touch of time on this subject?
I could also point out that the FL public school teachers union is now filing a lawsuit, I cant imagine that around the country the unions arent watching what each other are doing to cope with the seriousness of this attack on their workers.
I could point out that the AFL-CIO completely understands what is going on and has this published on their website: http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/education
So, I guess this brings me to my final point. The law itself is set up to pick on the people who actually deserve our highest regard.
People who have chosen to work with the most impoverished, underprivileged and needy school districts.
Teachers who work in districts where they aren't puffed up with pride merely saying the name of the district they are a part of.
Teachers who have foregone the niceties of a district that come with well off parents willing to do anything, give anything and support the education of their children.
I call these teachers- frontline teachers.
They deserve every medal, every honor and all the community support they can get. And yet, they are being attacked now both by the world they have tried to make a difference in as well as from behind, by the very folks who should be singing their praises.
So here we are back to money and classism. We can pretty much add racism to the mix too since the majority of the population in an urban school district would fall into the minority category.
I'm going to go pray now. This is not a defeatist position folks but rather the position of someone who understands how to humbly ask for guidance and help.
After that I'm going to re-read Psalm 34:17-22. It's a frequent passage I think of in terms of all the children and families suffering from the lack of understanding about their dyslexia.
I wonder what bible verses mean and power hungry lawmakers read?
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Once again Third Grade Reading Guarantee
Why is it so hard for (some) folks to see that the Third Grade Reading Guarantee is really about shutting down as much of the teachers union as possible?
Let's look at Florida. Unless you live there you probably haven't seen this article documenting how the union is suing the state for the absolute nonsensical way it's evaluating teachers:
http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/2013/04/16/teachers-union-files-federal-lawsuit-challenging-florida-teacher-evaluations/
In FL the law is called "The Student Success Act" (Senate Bill 736). There are probably differences in the way all 14 states which have all these similar laws are targeting public school teachers but I'll tell you the truth, right this moment I don't have time to look through them all and make a comparative study.
Still, I'm on the scent right now and besides trying to help my own children and others in our community where it comes to dyslexia, I'm all over this.
Just so you know how dreadful the whole "grading" teachers concept is and how it's failed to work in the business model, check out this interesting article from Slate which tells how top performers at Microsoft responded to a similar business model by an "every-worker-for-themselves" self defensive position. http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/08/23/stack_ranking_steve_ballmer_s_employee_evaluation_system_and_microsoft_s.html
Now do you really think a bunch of politicians don't know that it didn't work at Microsoft. They had no idea what a lame, ugly, wrong concept this was. I think they knew exactly how to cripple the teachers morale and work over the system. Anytime someone (or a group) want power but they aren't in the majority they have to use sneaky methods like this to achieve their goal.
Let's look at Florida. Unless you live there you probably haven't seen this article documenting how the union is suing the state for the absolute nonsensical way it's evaluating teachers:
http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/2013/04/16/teachers-union-files-federal-lawsuit-challenging-florida-teacher-evaluations/
In FL the law is called "The Student Success Act" (Senate Bill 736). There are probably differences in the way all 14 states which have all these similar laws are targeting public school teachers but I'll tell you the truth, right this moment I don't have time to look through them all and make a comparative study.
Still, I'm on the scent right now and besides trying to help my own children and others in our community where it comes to dyslexia, I'm all over this.
Just so you know how dreadful the whole "grading" teachers concept is and how it's failed to work in the business model, check out this interesting article from Slate which tells how top performers at Microsoft responded to a similar business model by an "every-worker-for-themselves" self defensive position. http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/08/23/stack_ranking_steve_ballmer_s_employee_evaluation_system_and_microsoft_s.html
Now do you really think a bunch of politicians don't know that it didn't work at Microsoft. They had no idea what a lame, ugly, wrong concept this was. I think they knew exactly how to cripple the teachers morale and work over the system. Anytime someone (or a group) want power but they aren't in the majority they have to use sneaky methods like this to achieve their goal.
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