Ditching (or Fixing) No Child Left Behind

So....finally..after many miserable years and immeasurable misery states are being allowed to opt out of NCLB. When the law was first enacted those of us with half a brain could foresee this day. However, it has taken far too much time and energy down with its existence.

What is wrong with NCLB? For starters, it was written by politicians without consideration for child development differences and even a smithering of knowledge of how and when (all) kids learn.

This law put every student in at least one sub group, and some students in many sub groups defined by race, ethnicity, language, ability, socio-economic levels, etc., all with the same expectations.

One year of progress for one year of schooling. It doesn't happen that way folks!!! That is all there is to it. Soon school leaders throughout the country were yelling about the inequities of the law. So... big brother "attempted to pretend" to hear their cries and added a few more little twists and turns.

The law never got better because the crux of the problem was never addressed.

Yes, all children can learn. But.... that is where it ends. All children do not learn at the same rate on the same scale to the same depth. Children with disabilities often have limits and abilities unknown to all of us. How can you ever pretend the write a law honestly addressing or measuring their abilities? That is what NCLB was portrayed to do.

Now remember in schools you have subgroups which include many subgroups of special education children --- EMH, TMH, BEH, LD, ADD. ADHD, Autistic -- the latest catch-all category for students who do not fit with any other exception.

Does anyone believe that these students grow and progress academically like regular ed students?? Only the writers of NCLB believed they did. Oh, by the way, do children all grow at the same rate???? Did your children have growth spurts??? Did they all happen at the same point in their lives??

So now, states are being allowed to opt out of NCLB so long as they (as states) have in place a state testing program as strong as or stronger than NCLB. Many states including NC already had that in place when NCLB was created. True, it has evolved and changed during this debacle.

It is time for politicians to get their fingers and hands out of education and allow educators to do their jobs without their interference.

Most politicians are elected by popularity rather than their "smarts." Sometimes it seems to me that it is by who is the dirtiest player in the game or the one with the most $$$$$.

Know what I mean???

The Story of My Fav....."When The Frost is On The Punkin...."....

Once more it is time to drag forth my favorite fall poem. As usual I simply must tell the story of how it saved James Whitcomb Riley's job. James wasn't having much success in choosing a profession when one of the family's friends gave him a job working for the newspaper. After some time the newspaper was taken over by a new owner who was interested in cutting expenses. Among the new owner's plan was to fire Riley from his newspaper job. Now, one of Riley's chores at the newspaper was to write for each publication, thus he wrote poetry for the paper and published it under a name -- not his own.

One day a politician wanna-be was trying to give a speech at a political gathering. When the "cat got his tongue" and he couldn't remember his speech he wound up referring to "when the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock." This was the poem that had been written most recently (by Riley) and published in the newspaper. When it was quoted the room broke forth with applause. The new owner of the newspaper recognizing what had happened was impressed that so many people were reading (and enjoying) his paper. The evidence was in the applause. Therefore, the story is told that Riley's poetry saved his job.

WHEN THE FROST IS ON THE PUNKIN

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and the gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,
And the clackin'; of the guineys and the cluckin' of the hens
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O it's then the times a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock

They's somethin kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here -
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny monring of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock -
When the frost is on the punkin and fodder's in the shock.

The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn;
The stubble in the furries - kindo' lonesome-like, but still
A preachin' sermons to us of the barns they growed to fill;
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;
The hosses in theyr stalls below - the clover overhead! -
O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!

Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps
Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps;
And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through
With their mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too!
I don't know how to tell it - but if sich a thing could be
As the Angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me -
I'd want to 'commodate 'em - all the whole-indurin' flock -
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!

This poem is one of my favorites for teaching imagery to children. Generally children, today, have difficulty writing (expressing themselves) such that it paints pictures in the mind. As a teacher I found it to be a wonderful selection to use in the fall while teaching descriptive words and phrases. A few props that are wonderfully available in the fall, tastefully arranged in a corner of the room, plus a well used rocking chair and a teacher can be off and away with imaginations and a group of students!

My goodness those memories almost inspire me to teach writing to elementary kiddies again! That's all folks!

Interstate Adventures

Yesterday it was time for the Gypsies 3 (as I call us) to go to coast and clean up the yard at our home there. It was quite a warm day and I was rather wet with good old salty sweat by the time I finished the mowing and weed eating. Such fun activities! Anyhoo, the marketing agent and company is having an Open House there tomorrow morning and the yard needed attention. While there we or I, rather, did some inside primping -- like clean the toilets, dust, and vacuum.

And oh, I forgot to mention when I got there the AC was not working "up to snuff" so I called the repairman and took care of that problem.

Since I did not get there until afternoon it was dusk by the time I prepared to leave. One must observe that the days are getting shorter! Having had nothing to eat since toast for breakfast I stopped by the Mc Hardees and picked up a drink and a little nourishment. After that I filled the tank with gasoline which incidently was 345.9 in Wilmington but had cost me 367.9 in Raleigh when I topped off the tank. Go figure!!!! I don't get the price difference.

But on to the adventures---By the time I left the little town and got on I-40 it had gotten dark.

I set my cruise control, got my radio / cd player all set and my girls nestled down in their little dog seats for the next 130 miles back to the capital city. For the next 20 or so miles I chomped on my "ham sammich" and drove along. All at once my CRV started to shimmy like rock 'n roll

and making this horrific noise like I can't describe --- truly like rim hitting the pavement. I was braking and slowing as I tried to figure which tire had gone flat. At this point I start pulling right trying to get off the road but certainly not venture down that embankment not knowing what could be over there. You know those awful ridges along the pavement designed to wake you up should you be falling to sleep ---well, the noise running over those ridge things was ever more horrendous as I cleared the pavement and tried to get far enough off the pavement to be out of danger.

I reached for my phone, called first my sister, then called AAA Carolinas and asked the person on duty to send first a highway patrolman to stay with me while she sent the AAA attendant to change my tire. I was scared "spitless" out there in the dark by myself until the patrolman arrived but he was not long in arriving. From that point on it all went very well considering the circumstances. Trooper Duff with the Highway Patrol was a truly nice young man only interested in helping. I believe he is stationed in Wallace, NC. The AAA representative was a very nice young man who changed my tire quickly and I was on my way home. I was fortunate -- my AAA membership paid for itself last evening -- and the helpers got to me quickly -- although the girl on duty at AAA did not have the correct phone numbers to contact the highway patrol at first. She had to get the phone numbers from the Pender County Sheriff's Department.

By the way this is not an advertisement for AAA but simply my experiences from using their services when otherwise I would have been desperate.

We actually left the Wilmingon area about 7:20 pm and arrived home in Raleigh about 10:40 pm. Not too bad for the experiences we had during that time.

As for the tires -- I might add they are Michelin HydroEdge tires ---top of the line and guaranteed for 90,000 miles. I have had them rotated every other oil change. Thus far, I have put 24, 588 miles on them since having them put on my vehicle. So, I don't think I need to to explain my confusion about this top of the line tire!!

Am trying to decide what kind of tires I will buy next to put on my little CRV but I don't think it will be Michelin. I think I am lucky to be alive.

Why Cain't Jonney Spel

Have you noticed how folks spell these days? I often cringe when I read articles and entries online --- not so much hard print--- as they use copywriters who proof writing ----but many folks left to proof their own can't see their own errors. Always makes one wonder whether they know the difference in the words they have written or typed.

Don't get me wrong in what I write here because I, too, makes mistakes when I am hurried. And I must add it can be most embarrassing.

I often pause when I see these blatant spelling mistakes and ponder the cause. I reflect back on the years when school teachers were pushed into using the Whole Language method of teaching Language Arts. That was when you saw the spelling books and language books disappear from the classroom. Many teachers were truly upset as they were pushed / forced into dropping the weekly spelling list and test. Some continued to do it behind the backs of administrators because it made parents happy. I am not going to admit (in this blog) on which side I was, but it might surprise a few. English language books were gone, thus teaching parts of speech, punctuation, verb tenses, etc., diminished. The theory behind this entire movement was that teachers no longer needed to teach these skills in isolation -- as in Spelling lessons and English Language lessons. The belief being that these skills were learned more effectively when taught in context. They were directed to integrate the teaching of those skills into their Writing lessons. About that time dpi also started to mandate the testing of Writing as a part of the state testing effort. Then the Writing test was thrown out in NC a few years ago because of problems with scoring. But.... what about those folks who missed out on those Spelling and English Language lessons for all of those years. You are right --- they do not spell too well nor do they know much about the use of tenses and parts of speech to name a few skills. I forgot to mention that with the demise of the writing assessment I do not remember that re-introduction of teaching spelling and language lessons in isolation. I suppose teachers continue to teach those in context???? Well, I would be remiss if I did not admit that quite a few teachers continue to teach some spelling skills in isolation. Many continue to have a spelling list but I am not so sure about the language lessons that helped students learn rules to apply in spelling words. Thus, we have many who have poor spelling skills graduating from our schools.

There you have it.... my theory of why Johnny can't spell. Nothing sacred about it, just my opinion.

I read an article recently about spelling mistakes you should not make when applying for a job. Many of the words mentioned were antonyms, synonyms, and homonyms. Words like, to, too, two; their, there; whose, who's; no and know; separate, receive, appreciate, restaurant, your and you're, etc.. As I recall those lessons were a part of both Spelling and Language instruction in the "good 'ole days."

Do you think we have neglected our students in the choices made in the instruction of spelling skills, language skills, and reading?

I know what I believe!

How Is Your Whistle??

Has your whistle outgrown its worth?

Another timely message (in my opinion) from last week's Spoken Word by Lloyd Newell.

Delivered On: September 4th 2011
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

Are You Paying too Much for Your Whistle?

When Benjamin Franklin was a boy, he traded all his money for a friend’s whistle. And he enjoyed the whistle until he learned it was worth only a fraction of what he’d paid for it. Immediately the whistle lost all its charm, and Ben was greatly annoyed at having made such a foolish mistake. But he learned an important lesson that day: not to invest more than something is worth.

Years later, when he saw a man neglecting his family for political popularity, or a miser sacrificing friendship for wealth, he would see what the man was missing to pursue the wrong ideals and say, "He pays too much for his whistle."

In Benjamin Franklin’s time, just as now, many people were proud of their appearance, their lavish lifestyle, and fancy homes. He would watch them go into debt to maintain the image of wealth and would once again decide they were paying far too much for their whistle.1

Today we might see people working overtime to buy all the latest toys and electronic gadgets. Long hours away from home could mean that their families have every enticement, but a better gift might simply be to spend time with them.

The most valuable treasures and the greatest satisfaction can usually be found close to home, in the people and loved ones around us. If we’ve been chasing fame and acclaim instead of building lasting relationships, we can stop in our tracks and make a course correction. What guides our daily actions? Are the things we seek really worth the sacrifices we’re making?

Thoughtfully consider your course and your priorities, and then resolve to invest time in what matters most. Then our actions will align with our values and we can rest assured we won’t be paying too much for our whistle.

1. See Benjamin Franklin, "The Whistle,” in Brander Matthews, comp., The Oxford Book of American Essays (1914), 4–6.

Labor Day is Here!

So here it is Labor Day. All of the stores are featuring Halloween. There are decorations and a gazillion varieties of candies. Some folks are never too happy to see these items appear so early -- as in the summer months. On the other hand there is another way some folks look at the arrival of the Labor Day point of the year. It goes something like this -- starting after Labor Day we look forward to the Christmas time of the year. In spite of all of the holidays that come between Labor Day and Christmas -- Christmas is the next point in the year.

After Christmas is wrapped up and put away we look forward to spring and summer vacation. This long winter provides time to plan and look forward to spring and summer which in most minds ends with Labor Day and the beginning of the school year in earnest. Summer is the time when we can suspend the regimen of school schedules and kick back and enjoy long days and time spent together as a family.

Is this really the way it goes???

September's Song

Here we are September 1st already! It truly seems like summer has flown by. The days are getting shorter and the trees are looking spent. Soon trees will get that message from their"innards" that slows the photosynthesis process and the leaves will loose their green. I love the pretty colors of fall but I really don't like bare trees without their clothes on.

With the arrival of September this year comes the tenth anniversary of the 2001 September 11th event in New York City. I am certain there are many who lost loved ones on that awful day who are still healing and many children who lost parents who still grieve. As we as a nation commemorate that event it is important that we also remember that those who caused that happening still desire and plan to create more havoc and tragedy in our country....if they get the chance. So sad.

At our house this is the third fall since I turned five(years old) that I have not gone to school. I suppose I should be sad but.......

I did go to the coast and work with my sister in a middle school media center for the first two days of school. Most school teachers are aware that assistant principals in the state of NC have as their assigned duties the three B's --- buses, books and butts. However, in that school system textbooks have been assigned to media specialists / librarians. Since her cardiologist has limited the amount of weight she can lift (for now) I helped her with some of the "textbook issue duty."

Starting school was interrupted by the passing of Miss Hurricane Irene. We were all glad to tell her goodnight and send her up the coast. She dumped a tremendous amount of water. The fact that she hit some areas at high tide and the storm surge in other areas created a large amount of flooding and destruction from water. It was interesting that we had an earthquake followed by a hurricane within the same week.

Perhaps September will do us all a favor and bring nice temperatures ( after a hot, hot summer) and days that we can enjoy and work restoring our burned lawns.