People love built-in excuses. The most popular one used now is COVID-19. Everything can be blamed on the pandemic and the lockdowns. I am not denying the problem it has caused but when it comes education all these problems existed prior to the pandemic, and they were at a critical stage then too.
I just read the following on-line article Too
many kids are chronically absent. How can schools bring them back? https://www.yahoo.com/news/too-many-kids-are-chronically-absent-how-can-schools-bring-them-back-153547903.html.
It’s interesting to read this in this article
and find there are NO CONSQUENCES for being absent. Geez, just like the rising
level of crime we have today. There is a correlation. No one accountable and everyone has an excuse.
I spent 10+ years in the educational field
in grades K-18. I also spent many years 10+ in corporate training where we
constantly had to teach basic math classes and reading classes prior to the “Real”
training that we needed to implement the latest processes and systems. Most
were high school graduates but 20% were college graduates.
In 2016, the Michigan Legislature passed a law that requires schools to identify learners who are struggling with reading and writing and to provide additional help. The consequence for not being at 3rd grade reading level was retention.
In theory
this was a good law to identify student early on if they were behind because it
would only het worse as they moved to higher grades.
In 2021 a report released by researchers at Michigan State
University found that Michigan
schools planned to retain just 229 Michigan third graders out of 3,477 students
who scored poorly on the reading portion of the state’s standardized test, the
M-STEP. Like most laws there were wide exceptions to the rules with little or
no enforcement if a parent were to challenge the findings.
In 2023 the law is now up for vote to repeal because it is
considered to be punitive, inequitable and ineffective. https://detroit.chalkbeat.org/2023/3/7/23629746/michigan-third-grade-retention-reading-repeal-gov-gretchen-whitmer-house.
Aha, here is another excuse that is now used for everything “INEQUITABLE.”
The number one solution for years has been to throw more
money at the problem. This has proven to be ineffective in most instances.
Other failed solutions are the many standardized State-run tests (Every 3-5
years they change) that require teachers to teach to inept guidelines for
passing as opposed to testing situationally for each struggling student.
The amount of money like most government run program never
reaches down to the level it was intended to reach to correct the problem. The
classroom must have qualified teachers and in-classroom support so that each
student can be identified and helped. We do it now for all Special Education students
(The numbers and categories have increased beyond control over the past 20
years.). Education like most government run programs are top heavy in administrative
personnel who sit back and make rules and then create armies of assessors to
tell you that schools are filing. All the money is spent at the end instead of
upfront where it belongs.
Another huge problem is summer school. Years ago, there would
be a teacher in the classroom giving individual and group support to students who
needed help to catch-up. For the past 20 years you may get a teacher/adult who
sits at the front of the room while students sit at a computer using grade
level learning lessons (many are home and don’t have to come to the building - guess what? Many parents are finishing the lessons). Don't worry all you have to do is finish the lesson. You won't be held back). Oh yes, much like the learning that took place during the pandemic. And we wonder
WHY we are in the mess we are in now.
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