Two of my students are in psych wards

[proud2BlibKansan]

I teach elementary special ed. One of my kids threatened to kill his mother a couple weeks ago and he is in a pediatric psych ward. Another one killed 3 kittens over the weekend and he is in another pediatric psych ward. And a third kid I teach has been acting really odd all week so I halfway expect him to be hospitalized soon.

Next week is THE TEST. We can leave no child behind or UNTESTED. So we have been trying to figure out all week how to get these hospitalized kids tested. Looks like I may have to leave school and go to the hospital and test them myself. THEY HAVE TO BE TESTED. Delusions don't matter, trying to kill your mother won't exempt you either.

When we called on Monday to report these kids in the hospital, we innocently assumed they would be exempted from testing. Our district testing coordinator told us that last year one of our schools had a kid who was TERMINALLY ILL and couldn't possibly take the test. Because he did not take the test, his school got an LND (Level Not Determined) score for him. That is BAD. An LND is just like a zero. It counts against the school and we have always been told no LNDs are acceptable. So I have a funny feeling that even one LND wipes out all your scores for the entire school.

So let me run this by you again. A kid was fucking DYING and his school was penalized because he couldn't take the test.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE write your reps and tell them how AWFUL this damn No Child Left Behind legislation is. They have to renew it this year and hearings are to be held this fall. Send them this post. How fucking insane is it to make a kid who is DYING take a test to see if his school is teaching him anything??????

This just gets more insane every year. How can we do this to children in this country?

NCLB MUST GO!!

[shance]

1. Bless your heart Proud and bless those families.

Glad you posted. We need to know more of what is happening due to No Child Left Behind.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Please don't feel sorry for me; it is my job to deal with this crap

I freely chose this career. But I get really angry when my kids get screwed. This is just so damned unfair I can't believe it. I am so angry right now I am crying. How can we allow our kids to be treated like this?

[truedelphi]

40. Okay we won't offer you pity - but admiration is called for! n/t

[KoKo]

52. Geeze I'm wondering what happened to these kids that they are in a Psych ward....

What is going on with them. ????

[proud2BlibKansan]

61. It's called mental illness

It's not just for grownups.

[Horse with no Name]

2. Sadly these kids have already been left behind

But not by the school.
Bless you. This is a travesty.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. They are being left behind, and run over

:grr:

[shance]

130. I think that's why it's important to confront the 'incompetence excuse'. Its not incompetence

it's, however hard to accept, their agenda.

[ThomCat]

3. I wish there was a penalty that legislators had to face

every time they pass a really fucked up piece of legislation that has results this bad. x(

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. No citizen left behind

Inspired by the unprecedented success of No Child Left Behind, it is high time we expanded the approach to government itself. After all, who can deny the simple premise that all governments can govern well?

We therefore call on our national leaders to drop this nonsense regarding social security and tax reform in favor of a massive new program, with a proven ideological track record, that we can all support without trepidation: No Citizen Left Behind.

The goals of this bold new initiative will be simple. Within five years:

1. All American citizens will earn an average income or better.
2. All citizens will gain access to adequate health care and medical services.
3. All communities must fall below the national average for air and water pollution, crime and unemployment.
4. All communities must climb above the national average on independent measures of living standards and quality of life.
5. The nation as a whole must exceed international standards of developed nations for education, quality of life, clean air and water, medical and health care, civil liberties and human rights.

more . . .
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/2-6-2005-65396.asp

[ThomCat]

12. "All communities must fall below the national average..."

:rofl:

I love your proposal. :)

[KamaAina]

44. ...starting, of course, with Lake Wobegon.

"Where all the children are above average."

[mconvente]

85. ahh, social psychology, how i love thee! n/t

[Clark2008]

6. First - how asinine!!

Testing children when they are too ill to possibly be able to lift their heads, much less a pencil? :wtf:

Secondly, how sad is it that so many children are exhibiting so many psychosises at such young ages? Killing kittens? Threatening to kill their parents? How old are these children? What is happening to our kids that so many are getting so bad that they have to be hospitalized for psychotic behavior?

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. The stress we place on them at school certainly doesn't help.

One of these kids is 12, the other is 9. The 12 year old is seriously mentally ill with a family history of serious mental illness. It's genetic in his case. The 9 year old was badly abused as a toddler and has never recovered. His problems could have been prevented, sadly.

But really, hospitalizing kids for psychotic behavior is not a new phenomenon. We just don't talk about it much. If it wasn't for this stupid law, I wouldn't even have posted about these children.

[Clark2008]

14. Oh, I never surmised that it never happened and was new.

I was speaking to the number of kids who seem to be dealing with it, now. It seems like more children - two in your class alone! - are having to deal with these psychosis than before. So sad.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. I teach special ed

I have LOTS of mentally ill kids. I don't have a traditional classroom.

[cmd]

36. Thanks for bring mental illness to the front

Too many people think that children cannot have a mental illness. Too many children go untreated. What a screwed up world we live in.

[Clark2008]

55. Ahhh.. I see. I didn't realize that.

[maggiegault]

87. As A Bipolar Adult, Those Were My Thoughts Exactly

Testing causes unthinkable stress for "regular" kids. Mentally ill kids should not be subjected to that kind of pressure.

Those poor kittens.:cry:

[ananda]

106. undue stress and lack of good attn

Kids needs lots of play and attention.. not testing.

Two of the major sicknesses of this entire society
can be defiined by stress and cancer.

Sue

[truedelphi]

42. Warren Porter PhD professor at Univ of Wisc states

that various toxic insults adversely affect the developping child's endocrine system. Toxics affect the thyroid and can affect mood swings, cause depression and anxiety, and unadulterated rage.

He has specialized in studying RoundUp and other chems in terms of their producing a genertion of farm worker children that are learning impaired. He also saw a correlation between the time of year that a community fertilized and pesticed their farms and lawns and the mass-killing psychoses exhibited across the country. Killings in Northern Arkansas - late February when it was spring there.
Killings in COlumbine - Denver CO early May in their first weeks of Rocky Mountain spring.


Now that no longer holds up because over the last five years people are napalming their living quarters and their schools with air fresheners, air deoderizers, air sanitizers, etc.

No chemical plant in America is allowed to put benzene in gasoline - but "personal care" products are unregulated - so this toxic waste is implanted in these aeresol cans. Then TV ads convey the idea that we should spray them, hither and yon. Toluene and formaldehyde are also in these products.

And before you say to yourself "I'm an adult living alone without vchildren - so no need for me to hold back on these air perfumes - well, pulmonary diseases of all sorts are reaching epidemic levels. Industry and government alike are getting out the idea that if you ever experienced even the smallest amount of cig smoke - that's why you now have pulmonary fibrosis.

But why this sudden epidemic now? We have had second hand cig smoke for a long time. My guess is that it really is the air fresheners et al.

[raccoon]

99. Let's be glad we're catching it now.

Like date rape, wife beating, husband beating, child beating, these things have always happened but in the past were just ignored.

Some years ago, somebody did a famous study of mass murderers. They all had 3 things in common: as children, they all wet the bed, played with fire, and tortured animals.

[MadHound]

8. Yep, it's absolutely nuts

And I've been telling, urging and begging everybody I meet and know to write their reps about NCLB. I'm hearing some favorable knews, but mostly in the vein of some sort of "compromise" rather than just killing the damn thing. We'll see. Good luck, it's that crazy time of the year.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Several reps have told me they expect more special ed kids to be exempt

That is certainly a step in the right direction, but we need to get rid of the whole damn law, IMO.

[texastoast]

11. Keep posting this stuff

The teachers have to speak out. I have a long list of parents that I send stuff like this to.

This is just dreadful. What a world. Try to keep your strength up--the kids really need you.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. Yes send it on

You can take out the cuss words if you think the recipients will be offended. :)

[texastoast]

128. God love ya

I did and it got passed on by my contacts. They were outraged. And they are repubs. Rock on.

[proud2BlibKansan]

129. Thank You!!

[cassiepriam]

13. Psychotic children will not give you good data on an achievement test.

This doesn't make any sense from a psychometric standpoint.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. That's a duh

We used to give annual achievement tests in special ed that were individualized and we got prescriptive info from them. I could literally use those test results to plan instruction for a year. But we don't give those tests anymore. Now our kids have to take the stupid fill in the bubble standardized tests that they can't pass anyway, since they are disabled. It's friggin nuts.

[cassiepriam]

21. It should be a duh to the people who made the new regulations.

But apparently it is not.
I would not be an educator today for love or money.
As I just wrote in an other post about violence in the classroom.
Hang in there.

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. LOL The only one in my classroom at risk for violence

is ME. But not against the kids. :)

[cassiepriam]

38. LOL I hear you..... the idiots who make your life miserable?

[proud2BlibKansan]

62. Yes several politicians, most school administrators

and a few parents.

[cassiepriam]

90. Don't forget to include the superintendent. Where I live there are the

slimiest of crooks. :(

[proud2BlibKansan]

91. Ours is the pits

Can't stand him. :puke:

[progressoid]

15. EvenTexas is getting sick of NCLB.

http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070318/OPINION01/703180313/1014/OPINION

Bush's home state of Texas — also home to Margaret Spellings — has had it with NCLB. The attorney general of Connecticut has sued the federal government over the unfunded mandate aspects of NCLB. Similar lawsuits have been filed by the largest teachers' union in the nation, the National Education Association, as well as school districts in Michigan, Texas and Vermont. Earlier this year, the entire Virginia House of Delegates — including our local legislators, Del. Steve Landes, R-Weyers Cave, Del. Chris Saxman, R-Staunton, and Del. Ben Cline, R-Lexington — unanimously signed onto a bill asking to have Virginia waived from some of the requirements of NCLB.

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. Our district refused all Title I funding for its high schools

so they would not be penalized for poor test scores.

[ryanmuegge]

20. I'm about a semester away from student teaching and totally agree.

This is nothing more than a trojan horse for privatization.

The emphasis on punishment makes it pretty obvious that this is the case.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. My congressman had a town meeting last week on NCLB

There was a superintendent there who said "We need to face facts that there are people in this country who want to DESTROY public education and implement a voucher system."

I was stunned! This is a VERY republican district and this was a SUPERINTENDENT making this statement at a PUBLIC FORUM. It still just blows me away.

[raccoon]

100. I agree with the superintendent.

"..."there are people in this country who want to DESTROY public education and implement a voucher system."

I think that statement needed to be repeated.

About 5 years ago, a woman said to me that she thought there was a conspiracy to destroy the public schools. I thought then that she was a tin foil hatter. I don't think so any more.

[ieoeja]

112. King George III's first ministry tried this.

In the 1750s King George IIIs first ministry tried to shut down all public schools** in the colonies. The ministry claimed public schools were failing, etc (sound familiar?). John Adams claimed the ministry's real purpose was to keep the population largely ignorant and biddable.

Decades later, when the principals were all safely in their graves, historians combing through private records discovered letters between these ministers proving Adams correct. In private correspondance they freely discussed their true intent to keep the population less "rebellious" by shutting down the public schools.


**As a side note, given that John Adams was protesting attempts to shutdown public schools two decades before the American Revolution, then all those rightwingers today are apparently lying when they claim that all the schools were private when this country was founded. Not only did public schools already exist in the colonies, but the attempt to shut them down was one of the many causes of the American Revolution.

[raccoon]

113. Same shit, different century. Thanks for posting. nt

[Divernan]

23. If I were you, I would advise these children's parents that they have the right

to refuse access to these children for such testing. I would suggest each parent confer with the psychiatrist in charge of their respective children's care as to whether participating in such a test could possibly exacerbate the child's mental problems. The parents could also ask whether any psychotropic medication which the children may be receiving would render the tests inaccurate.

If the schools won't protect their most vulnerable students, the least you can do is let the parents know they have the right to block the tests and protect their child.

On edit: if any of the parents are not competent/aggressive enough to take such actions to protect their child, what about you asking the psychiatrist for written permission to administer the tests? If some licensed medical professional has to be put on record in this matter, and they follow the "medical decision rule" (when in doubt, take no action which could harm a patient), chances are very high that you will not receive permission.

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. Already looked into that

Our school gets an LND for every kid who is not tested. Doesn't matter if the parents refuse. So it doesn't matter if the school protects them; we get screwed if they don't take the test.

[Divernan]

29. Better the school district "gets screwed" than that these children are further damaged.

nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. We lose federal funding if we don't make AYP

So the kids get screwed either way.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

25. Can a parent list their child(ren) as 'home-schooled' and still send them to school?

:shrug:

Or, in the cases you presented, can those children be listed as 'home-schooled' to be exempted from the NCLB?

[proud2BlibKansan]

30. No if they are enrolled, they have to take the test

Under the law, a district can exempt 2% of their kids. So the very seriously impaired kids (mainly brain damaged and very mentally retarded) can take an alternate test. BUT there is a deadline in October for submitting these names to the state and the state looks at each kid, case by case, and they can refuse to exempt them. At this late date, one week before the test, we can't exempt anyone.

We can drop these hospitalized kids from our school rolls and then WE don't have to test them and their scores don't count against OUR school. BUT they still have to take the test or the district is penalized for their LND scores. Either way, we risk losing federal funding and we get screwed.

[WA98296]

27. Are they also on prescription drugs. Thom Hartmann discussed violence a side effect.

Of some sort of drugs that are commonly prescribed for ADHD, as I recall.

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. Yes we do think one of them is reacting to a med he is on

But I am not a doctor so I can't say for sure.

[Ilsa]

53. That's a very tricky issue to speculate on.

As the mother of a child on several meds, I can attest to their being side effects and issues, like titrating to the right dosage and drug interactions. But when the drugs work, they usually work very well to help with concentration, sleep, mood, and subduing violent reactions. There are lots of different ADD, ADHD, and psych drugs on the market, affecting different serotonin receptors, etc.

[proud2BlibKansan]

63. Both of my own kids are ADHD

Both took meds all through childhood and we never had any serious side effects.

I have taught special ed for 14 years and most years at least half my kids are on some sort of meds and about half of them are usually ADHD. And very few have problems with meds.

The benefits FAR outweigh the risks, in my experience.

[roody]

28. How about some civil disobedience? Don't test them.

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. Oh how I wish!!

We lose money - lots of it - if we don't make AYP. So my whole school suffers if I refuse to test these kids.

[KittyWampus]

102. Suppose you just went to visit them, with the "test" in your hands? If you get my drift///

[proud2BlibKansan]

109. LOL yeah I get it

:)

[demigoddess]

119. how about losing their records for the amount of time they are in the

hospital?? Heck, I recommend losing their records frequently.

[proud2BlibKansan]

127. My school would be penalized

Everything is computerized now, so it's pretty hard, if not impossible, to lose a kid.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

34. At our school, we test students who have the cognitive ability to fill

in the bubbles, but that's about it. Wrong answer/right answer? They just like filling in the bubbles. These scores are factored in with the whole. NCLB is Bush's way of setting the public school system for failure, thereby paving the way for vouchers and breaking the teacher's union. The sad part is, that private schools can't or won't accommodate many of these students who qualify for special education.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

45. I shouldn't be flippant about t children with special needs "taking" NCLB mandated testing

Many of these children know they do not know the answers, they know they are "failing" this test. They feel stupid. They feel like failures. The tests are outside their ability level. This is one of the cruel parts of NCLB.

[proud2BlibKansan]

65. I wrote my rep last week and told him it was cruel

that I now have to spend valuable teaching time teaching my kids with disabilities to take a fill in the bubble test they can never pass.

[cmd]

35. I just forwarded your e-mail to my rep

I'll PM you when I hear back. (Yes, I do believe I will hear from him.)

[proud2BlibKansan]

64. Awesome!

Yes please let me know what he says.

[midnight]

37. NCLB has to go. No doubt about that. It is a tool used to wield

all kinds of trouble for those who get in the way. But your post begs another point. Why so many children being committed to psychiatric hospitals. I know two does not seem like alot. But I never went to school with anyone that was committed. Does any one else think that this institutionalization of children scary. First they test them, drug them, then incarcerate them.

[proud2BlibKansan]

67. I TEACH SPECIAL ED

This is not a regular classroom.

You did not go to school with kids like this because we used to have institutions we put these kids in. Now they are fully integrated into regular school programs.

[seabeyond]

39. my 3rd grader hs had 4 hour math classes for three weeks. some kids

have math tutoring on top of that now 4 days a week after school instead of two.

it is bad

[proud2BlibKansan]

68. Tell me about it

We no longer teach Science or Social Studies. They aren't tested.

[jillan]

41. Wait a minute

I have a child in Special Ed, she is exempt from taking
standardized testing. I had no problem, no argument getting this done.
We discussed it years ago at an IEP meeting and it never came up again.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

43. A lot of things have changed in the last couple of years as school

district try to come to grips with the requirements set forth in NCLB. It is very difficult to "opt out" of standardized testing. This goes for second language learners and children in Sp.Ed. Accommodations can be made, but the need must be established. There is a section on the IEP that addresses standardized testing. Children with severe handicaps, such as very low cognitive abilities, are tested with an alternative version of the State test. Children with mild to moderate handicaps often have to take the same test as regular ed students.

[proud2BlibKansan]

70. Most special ed kids take the same test all the non-disabled kids take

And it is inappropriate for about 90% of them.

[proud2BlibKansan]

69. You are lucky

School districts can only exempt 2% of all their kids.

[jillan]

86. I guess we have been lucky that way

I can't say I am thrilled with her education tho.

[KamaAina]

46. This is why Randi calls it "No Child's Behind Left".

although I don't think even she meant it literally! :grr: :banghead:

[maggiegault]

88. My Sister, An Educator, Calls It "No Child Left Anything But Debt"

[proud2BlibKansan]

92. No Child Left a Dime

That's the bumper sticker I want.

[blondeatlast]

47. Amen. A-fucking-MEN. NCLB is just another way of pushing education that can discriminate

against anyone who doesn't fit the criteria--as in white, religious, upper middle class, "normally" functioning, etc.

That's twice today I've dropped the F-bomb (the other was regarding the stem-cell vote, where they veto-proofed the legislation that FURTHER restricts SCR, rather than expands it).

Bless you for a tough job I got out of knowing full well I wasn't up to it. You are a courageous soul--and thank you too, for speaking for the students and parents. :patriot:

[Ilsa]

56. Yep, discrimination against their idea of perfection is the goal with

public schools losing or giving up funding, or schools trying to shift the academic "dead weight", per their test, to another school so their school can get the big bonuses for good scores.

[proud2BlibKansan]

71. You are welcome

I used to really love it. Now I can't wait to retire. It really sucks. You were smart to get out.

[lonestarnot]

48. I despise this testing shit. I despise the person who thought of it.

So what if all the kids just stayed home every damn time the fucking tests were scheduled?

[proud2BlibKansan]

72. That would cause the schools to fail

Because starting last year, there is an attendance quota as part of AYP. If your school doesn't meet the attendance quota, you fail, regardless of what your test scores are.

This law really sucks. BAD.

[specimenfred1984]

49. NCLB is a complete fraud and has been since its beginning.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/06/60II/main591676.shtml

[proud2BlibKansan]

73. Yes and Rod Paige should be in jail for fraud.

[Ilsa]

50. K&R from this mom of an elementary special ed child with psych issues. nt

[AnotherMother4Peace]

54. Bless you. Parents of children w/special needs are Saints in my book.

[Ilsa]

58. Thanks. I wish I'd had a choice in being a saint. I'd rather have been

a marginal mom with two healthy children that find a way to overcome bad parenting. Dumbya won't know what "hard work" is unless he takes my job for a week or two, especially when husband is working in another state or country.

[proud2BlibKansan]

75. Amen to that. I get to spend all day with these kids

I can't even imagine having to raise them.

[proud2BlibKansan]

74. Bless you

I am fighting for your kid. And his dignity.

[Heywood J]

51. I have a question for you, then.

What would happen if someone were to just pencil the tests in for them, leave them with a partial answer key, or tell them what to write in? I don't mean make them aces, but maybe a fifty percent or something like that. What would happen in that case, best and worst, if you don't mind? Thanks!

[Ilsa]

57. People have been caught and lost their jobs over cheating.

I'm in Texas where some desperate teachers and or administrators have tried to cheat to keep their schools from losing more funding. The motivation to cheat and deceive, or throw away the kids that don't cut it, is pretty high, from what I can see.

[Heywood J]

60. Thanks

The stakes seem to be so high that the temptation to alter scores must be just as high. It's probably even more when the kids can't even take the test to begin with.

[proud2BlibKansan]

77. I'd lose my job

That's called cheating. :)

[kath]

59. A terminally ill kid had to take the test?!?! Are you SERIES?!?!

Jeebus H. Christ on a trailer hitch.

Testing mania is one of the dozens of reasons I'm glad my kids don't go to school...

[proud2BlibKansan]

78. No the terminally ill kid was too sick to take the test

and his school was penalized for it. EVERY kid has to take it. EVERY kid, even the ones who are dying.

[windbreeze]

66. An interesting experience with this testing business

my g.kid is in 5th grade...last year, the child did not quite make the math part of the test...fell a little short..one or two points...this year...last week, we had to have a conference with the teacher...we think since it's the third trimester, that the kid is in trouble of some sort....noooo, it's because you have to be advised to get extra schooling...OUTSIDE SCHOOL...IF your kid doesn't pass the test...but, because the kid only missed by a couple points, the teacher was not overly concerned...I was kinda pissed about the whole thing, so on the way out, I asked the teacher...tell me...if you have a particular amount of kids who fail a test or the test...does it cause a problem for the school federally....I got a particular look from the teacher...and I had my answer...yes, it does...I would assume, most likely with Federal funding...I told her, not to worry...I know what you're up against...but I was amazed that they insist you get the kid extra schooling, if they fail the test....that is the part that got me...what the hell is the world coming too???

So this must be Nationwide that they are taking this test next week...?? Just curious...(I know they take it nationwide...but what I meant was...does every school nationwide, take it the same week?)
wb

[proud2BlibKansan]

79. No each state sets their own testing window

But most seem to do it in the spring.

[windbreeze]

84. Thanks...ours will next week...n/t

[IsItJustMe]

76. Stupidity and insanity have found true homes under Republican rule.

[uppityperson]

80. k&r, NCLB must go.

[mzmolly]

81. I feel horrible about the test requirements, but can't help but ask what is happening

to our children? Why are our children going insane in such numbers?

[proud2BlibKansan]

93. Already addressed this point

I teach special ed. So yes, many of my kids have mental illnesses. Nothing new at all about mentally ill kids. We used to lock them up in institutions so out of sight, out of mind. Now they are rarely institutionalized. Most are in traditional public schools and get special ed services from teachers like me.

[mzmolly]

105. Sorry, given I know many parents with kids who qualify for special ed

I don't buy the "they were all institutionalized" mantra. Sure that accounts for some, but we'd be hard pressed to build all the "institutions" we would need today to accomodate these children in such a fashion.

BTW, I have a cousin in Texas who is a special ed teacher as well. He feels we are over medicating many of these children. :hi: Thanks for dedicating your life to these children. I can't think of many more important contributions.

[proud2BlibKansan]

107. I was referring to kids with mental illnesses

Not ALL kids with disabilities.

[Irishonly]

82. I emailed

I taught special education for 22 years before I became disabled. I never had to deal with the nonsense although after talking to teachers I have been horrified at the asinine benchmarks our kids have to endure. A third grade teacher showed me a language arts test. The one that failed demonstrated excellent sentence structure and creativity. Unfortunately, there was a misspelled word and the student failed. The passing test read more like a first grader had written the sentences. As far as I am concerned, very little learning was measured.

As a parent I am frustrated at how much my daughter isn't learning because certain material has to be covered. I especially find it irritating when I ask if she has learned about different incidents in American History that relate to today. No, they must finish the book and take the stupid canned tests.

I have written to Boxer, Feinstein, Napolitano and Kennedy often about the ills of NCLB. I will continue to do so and if you don't mind I would like to use your students as examples of how very wrong it is.

[proud2BlibKansan]

94. No I don't mind at all

Might want to take my cuss words out though. :)

[Critters2]

83. Is there any way you could list thse kids as homeschooled or

for someother reason no longer enrolled in your school?...Ya know, until they're able to return (if they are), but after the test. There must be some sane way around these ridiculous rules.

It must be terribly stressful for you to be dealing with kids in these circumstances. Take care of yourself, too!

[proud2BlibKansan]

95. No.

We can drop them from our school but they are still enrolled in the district and both are supposedly getting 'school' in the hospital. We have looked into every possible scenario. But they have to be tested, delusions and all. Like I said, even kids who are dying have to be tested.

Thanks for the kind words. Kids generally don't stress me out but the adults do :)

[epppie]

89. NCLB

Beaurocracy gone mad.

[proud2BlibKansan]

96. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[LWolf]

97. Up for renewal, and:

What I hear in my state and district is a certainty that it will be renewed, and a big push to move the NCLB agenda forward.

What I hear from reps, including Democrats, is that we need to "modify" NCLB. I don't hear them admitting that the high-stakes testing mandates are bad policy, and planning to get rid of them. I hear "tweaking."

I'd like to hear our reps stand up, admit error, and get rid of the mess. Maybe then we could focus on things that would really close achievement gaps.

I don't hear outrage from voters. I don't see or hear anyone lobbying for REAL change. It's nice that people will say, "yeah, that's terrible," when NCLB is brought up. It would be a hell of a lot nicer if people would actually put it high on the priority list of needed changes.

[EFerrari]

103. I got a notice to attend a NCLB protest in the next week or so

and it conflicts with two others that are happening at the same time. We have to get more efficient and just protest the whole evil stinking mess.

Nearly every week on BookTv there is a segment with some shill hawking a piece of propaganda against "government schools". They are obviously BushCo employees of some kind and they keep pounding in the message that these schools are BAD.

When I think of what's happened to the public school system, I want to cry. Proud graduate of the Cupertino School District here. Even in those days, parents wanted that district because it was extremely "white" but as kids, we didn't know that. We had great teachers who seemed to enjoy teaching -- the faculty was diverse, which is interesting -- we had books and paper and a school nurse and a psychologist. Parents, mostly moms, volunteered for us and the school was one of the hubs of our community. Our life at school didn't revolve around testing and there was no constant battle to get even the most minimal resources we needed.


Sometimes it seems as though any form of community that can't be manipulated is the real target of these sociopaths.

[proud2BlibKansan]

110. The need worker bees for their economy

No critical thinking and no out of the box thinkers.

Makes me ill just to think about it.

[EFerrari]

116. Yeah. They don't want to turn out any more people like US.

lol

[lapislzi]

98. Welcome to the war on public education

This is one war they have a great chance of winning. This particular strategy involves undermining confidence in public education to the point where no parents (read: no well-to-do white christian parents) would want their children to attend such institutions.

This accomplishes several objectives: maintaining a large percentage of the population poorly educated and with few opportunities for economic advancement; eventual elimination of taxpayer-funded public education; preservation of privilege (in the form of superior education) for the few.

It is the gravest of mistakes to insert people into government whose stated objective is the elimination of government.

[KittyWampus]

101. You should be testifying to Congress about this.

[proud2BlibKansan]

108. I called my congressman

I would have no problem testifying.

[Scriptor Ignotus]

104. I find it preposterous that the Bush Administration

would back legislation that is counter-productive to its stated purpose. Shocked, shocked I tell you!

[orleans]

111. kick! n/t

[bdamomma]

114. kick

[NEOBuckeye]

115. You all know that none other than NEIL BUSH (yes, W's BROTHER) profits from NCLB, right?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/8/125556/7027

More than this horrific law, I am sick of the entire profiteering Bush Family!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

123. Yes thanks for sharing one of the little known factoids about this

piece of shit legislation.

[mdmc]

117. NCLB must go!

Most see it as an attack on public education... Once we can get the Dems to oppose it, we will be on track.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

118. I wonder if the solution might not be massive, nationwide resistance to

NCLB.

Every teacher I know hates the damn tests. What if the next state convention passed a resolution saying that no public school teacher would cooperate with the testing program--accompanied by a massive PR campaign about the harm it was doing?

If all the teachers stuck together, it might get the public's attention.

I recall that a few years ago, Scarsdale NY tried to opt out of the program, thinking they could make it without the federal aid.

[lyonn]

120. I had no idea that this No Child thing had such strick rules and

regulations. Thank goodness it is coming up for another vote soon. Everything this president touches ends up being illogical. This damn war. Our Constitutional rights like to privacy, ability to have legal representation no matter the charge, etc. When you mess with our kids you will get peoples' attention. You would think qualifying for a govt. goodie for our kids wouldn't do more harm than good. Wrong, bush is no doubt a dummy but what is so shocking is the vicious people that he has put in high places that are making these terrible rules.

Keep posting this type of info as it truly is an important issue. This bunch is determined to dumb down our education system from daycare to college. It will be for the rich only and vouchers for the chosen (religious) schools.

Thanks, Proud2Blib

[proud2BlibKansan]

124. You are welcome

Thanks for your support!

[rumpel]

121. That system is incredibly screwed up...

thanks for posting this...

A side question: Do they know what is causing these kids to act out like that? 2 such incidents in one class over a short period of time...I wonder whether there are any studies...

[proud2BlibKansan]

125. It's a special ed class

Many of my kids have mental illnesses. That's why they are in special ed.

[rumpel]

131. I understand

but within the Special Ed - is it a common occurrence? What I immediately thought is over-medication...

[proud2BlibKansan]

132. I can't really say

All I can tell you is that 99% of the kids I have taught who take medication seem to really need the medication. You can tell by the way they act when they don't take their medication:)

[philosophie_en_rose]

122. Can these kids be temporarily "transferred" from the school.

I hate the idea of essentially expelling kids for a medical reason, but is that a way around the requirement?

Probably not. :(

NCLB is just a con to distract people from actual education and to insult the teaching profession.

"See! See! These kids aren't learning, because this test they took while in open heart surgery aren't as high as some random person thinks they should be. Teacher unions keep these bad teachers employed. Let's introduce creation science and moral edumacation to teach these kids good." :sarcasm:

I feel so much for you. What the hell is a test going to show? These kids deserve an education - an IEP like they're legally entitled to have. I can't stand how NCLB is interfering with the IDEA.

[proud2BlibKansan]

126. It's messed up, that's for sure

Reminds me of the deseg days when we promoted the ridiculous notion that black kids did better in school when they sat next to a white kid. Now we are making kids with disabilities take the same tests as kids without disabilities, like that is going to cure them of their disabilities.