tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886184679252057946.post5560305388218942190..comments2022-03-02T00:28:14.337-05:00Comments on TYPE A LITTLE FASTER: Shared Awareness: Information + Technology = "Education Spring"Sarah Darer Littmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00780738493733344947noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886184679252057946.post-6069550244410524542013-11-21T21:36:58.619-05:002013-11-21T21:36:58.619-05:00I think maybe it's because I've parented (...I think maybe it's because I've parented (well, still am parenting!) two very different children that I am so passionate about fighting the corporate education reform high stakes testing model. There is no one size fits all method of education, and I'm so sick of places like Achievement First and Capital Prep being held up as "successful models" on the basis of test scores when they're taking on few Special Needs students - and the few that they are aren't getting the services that they're supposed to be getting - or ELL students. And the "no-excuses" thing - for a kid with learning disabilities or special needs, it's cruelty. I have always had extremely high expectations for my son - because I see his gifts and possibilities - but at the same time, I've always tried to ensure that I'm giving him the support (both academic and emotional) that he needs. I can't even imagine how damaged he would have been if he'd been put in an isolation room or made to wear a different colored shirt or run up and down a flight of stairs when he'd a problem at school. It's horrifying to think of what these kids are being subjected to in the name of "reform." Trust me, if they tried those methods on the little darlings in Greenwich, there would be lawsuits out the freaking wazoo. So why can they get away with it in Bridgeport and Hartford? Sarah Darer Littmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00780738493733344947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886184679252057946.post-26998666822615424882013-11-21T19:22:19.818-05:002013-11-21T19:22:19.818-05:00I think that the comment you've shared above s...I think that the comment you've shared above speaks to my concern about the entire direction of education; no longer seeking to properly educate children, schools have become a never ending drill to prepare the students to perform on standardized tests. Standardized tests require standardized answers, and the world simply doesn't work that way. Furthermore, many students will not bloom in this educational environment. It feeds the constant need to apply one set of metrics to many types of children; those children who struggle to meet the standards are made to feel "stupid" and once that self-image is set it is extremely difficult to reform. <br /><br />I was a child with learning disabilities prior to widespread acknowledgement of the existence of learning disabilities. I struggled to learn to read; I struggled with time management; I struggled with maintaining attention to my classes or to my homework. I self-identified as a poor student and consequently didn't push myself very hard in my studies. As an adult, I realize that I am an intelligent, capable person. If I had realized that as a child I may have achieved far greater success academically. <br /><br />I don't have children and if I did I have no idea how I would try to handle their education. I believe in public, neighborhood schools but here in Hartford they seem to be constantly converting to magnets and seem to focus on teaching to a test. Josh LaPortehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16772883862662679235noreply@blogger.com