Comments on: Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations?

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:33:49 +0000

@Lisa One of the things I’m most looking forward to about teaching first grade is the lack of labels. There will be kids with special education or ESOL or other labels, but they will be fewer than I’ve had in 4th and 5th grades. I’m excited to teach them all, as they are.

By: Lisa Parisi

Lisa Parisi — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:59:09 +0000

Great Post. And I love the conversation thread in the comments. We must work to keep our students integrated regardless of tested ability levels. Then, using differentiated instruction, we can have all students achieve at high levels.

And brava, Jen, for putting out there that you did not push your students enough prior to teaching the GT class. So many of us are afraid to say how much we have learned over the years. I often say, “If only I knew then what I know now.” It is important for teachers to continue their learning, too.

By: speedchange

speedchange — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:05:40 +0000

I think that almost all American schools, when faced with poverty and social class issues, lower expectations to a point which mimics the worst colonial schools of the old British Empire. Even those which claim “high standards” are usually discussing behavioral standards, not the expectation that their poor students will be offered the same educational choices and opportunities as kids in Scarsdale.

One of the reasons that I beg schools to embrace contemporary technologies is that these can break down the walls which separate poor, struggling, and LD students from truly high levels of success. The web can bring the world’s best libraries into the classroom and read the books to the students. Skype video calls can bring experts from around the globe into the room. MIT will deliver courses for free, so will Stanford. Free software can translate for language learners, and free software will really support spelling (and thus writing confidence) for language learning and dyslexia. I can bring 100,000 sophisticated math web sites to any room. And within two years, you’ll be able to run all this stuff on the standard mobile phone.

Real high achievement will not come without access and opportunity. Without overthrowing the US government and its school finance structure - the only way to really offer access and opportunity to schools in low SES communities is through technology.

By: alicemercer

alicemercer — Wed, 14 May 2008 02:42:01 +0000

This just in folks from LA Times vis NEA Morning Bell, reports that 80% of gifted students do not receive any services.

I’ve also asked Ira Socal and Socrates to join this discussion since they’ve been duking it out on my blog about KIPP and charters, in my “What DO they need” thread.

By: blink

blink — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:42:52 +0000

Vincent, another benefit of having these classroom settings in our school is how our teachers school-wide, have increased their awareness in recognizing and identifying strengths and/or gifted behaviors in all kids. Strengths-based instruction beats the deficit model anyday! We agree with you… (from a colleague of Jennorr’s)

By: Jenorr

Jenorr — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:54:00 +0000

Vincent,
I completely agree with you. Keeping our GT kids at our school is one step towards that. We work hard to keep them from being isolated and do a lot of team teaching to have different groups working together. But, we still have a long way to go!

By: Vincent Baxter

Vincent Baxter — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:15:31 +0000

well put. here’s the next step: we design schools where we have these rigorous gt-level expectations and creative outlets for all kids. that means working to get our gifted kids sitting right next to special ed/esl/etc… kids. inclusion works both ways.

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:33:46 +0000

Your post brings two things to mind.

1. A math workshop with two sets of teachers. Set A kept saying “Our kids can’t do X, that won’t work with our students” Set B said, “I like that activity and see its value, but our students would have difficulty because they don’t understand underlying concept. Do you have suggestions to help there.

Set A kept interrupting the answer to set B’s questions with more negativity. Finally a teacher from Set B stood up and said - If you had faith in your students they could do this. Stop interrupting so I can get the information I need to help my students. Set A finally shut their mouths - at least in the sessions.

2. We had the 2nd highest rating given by our State. We had missed the highest rating by 0.4 of a point. I teach at a 100% Title I school with a large number of ESL/BIL students. A teacher from a “rich” school grabbed my ID and looked at my school - in a dismissive manner said “You all did well for your population” (Totally a bigoted tone that I can’t reproduce here).

I looked at her and said - our population is kids - what do you teach goats. And walked away.

I found out later our superintendent over heard the conversation, this was a district wide inservice. He wasn’t pleased with the other teacher and she was reprimanded for her attitude. No-one ever said anything to me about it. He does know me because the Superintendent has addressed me by name in a store - and I didn’t have my school ID on and I wasn’t with anyone.

By: Brian Crosby

Brian Crosby — Sun, 11 May 2008 21:33:51 +0000

You said - “But the fact that they are performing below grade level in one or more areas shouldn’t mean that we restrict their access to higher level thinking activities, technology, collaboration, and other activities or tools we would want our own children to have.”

AMEN!!!!

Brian