Here are three kids 'left behind'

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/728730,CST-EDT-edit07.article

January 7, 2008
President Bush arrives in town today, primed to spread the gospel on one of his key policy initiatives, the No Child Left Behind Law.

The sweeping law expects all children, regardless of race, income or disability, to perform at grade level by 2014.

The goals are lofty, but the reality is jarring. We thought the president should meet some of the children in Chicago who are left behind every day, especially in our high schools.

Meet Denise Ferrusquia, a junior at Kelly High School on the Southwest Side. Many of her classes have 35 students or more.

"There are so many kids that you can't really ask questions or express your opinion so you can learn," said Denise, who hopes to be the first in her family to go to college. "I feel I have to do learning on my own."

The hallways are so packed at Kelly that it's hard to move. "It's a very hostile setting," she said. "Everyone is just angry and trying to get to class."

Denise takes mostly honors classes and is on the student council and debate team. But she fears she can't compete.

"It's not fair to compare us to other schools where it's not overcrowded," she said. "There, the teachers can focus on them more."

[Squatch]

1. "I feel I have to do learning on my own."

Umm...that's usually how it works, sweetheart.

[Tyler Durden]

2. NO it DOESN'T.

Try researching primary education in Canada.

And while you're at it, the "Social Darwinism" practiced in our massively overcrowded inner city is immoral even if it isn't illegal...

Sweetheart.

[Squatch]

3. You can lead a horse to water and all that....

A student can sit in a classroom, overcrowded or not, every day of his or her life, but the actual act of learning is and must be undertaken individually.

[Tyler Durden]

8. And if the stream is DRY and all that.

SMALL classrooms DEMAND participation because the teacher is not busy being a census taker or a referee.

Make the classrooms SMALL, the buildings and learning OPPORTUNITIES equal, then show me a similar failure rate as now.

Again, I point you to Canada.

[Squatch]

10. The method of implementation is only peripheral.

Given, my point is a superfluous one, albeit central to the argument that teachers can only attempt to do just that: teach. It takes individual students to make and act on the decision to learn.

Now, small classrooms, highly qualified teachers, non-threatening environments, etc. all contribute to students making the decision to learn, but when it comes to the actual act of learning, a student must, on his or her own individual level, decide to do so.

Therefore, her statement that "I feel I have to do learning on my own" is pointless, prima facie, since her "feeling" is confirmed by the central tenet of learning that I posted, above.

Man, I'm all hopped up on NyQuil from a shitty cold I have. What were we talking about again? :crazy:

[Tyler Durden]

11. I still feel shitty, too.

But all through history from Homer to Socrates to Plato to Archimedes to Virgil ad infinitum the concept of the MENTOR and the learning ENVIRONMENT have been essential to the proper assimilation of knowledge.

To make the "decision" to learn is individual; to learn in a vacuum, ie, alone without assistance/materials/mentoring was imposed by society through neglect of the ENVIRONMENT of learning.

Now I'm dizzy too.

[NNN0LHI]

5. Self educated, eh?

Thats pretty good.

Don

[Squatch]

6. See re #3

[midnight]

4. Take all this money away from this program-ASAP. Build

classroom sizes that do not go over 15. If their are students with any challenges, reduce the class size to a smaller size. Provide space for sudents to have physical fun a couple times a day. Provide nutritious meals. Reduce homework. Just a thought. One more thing, if you do pass all your classes and graduate from high school you get a four year free tuition paid college education.

[trotsky]

7. I like your plan.

Hope I live to see the day.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

9. great for teachers too!!!

utopia

but do we have enough teachers?

the problem is also space in the schools. Many many schools are overflowing into classroom trailers.

and the big problem is redirecting the cash to fund the changes.