Entry #12 - Nov. 23, 1998
"I think of 'Marco,' one of my students from last year, who
will graduate with barely a beginning Grade 3 level of literacy -- and he
had to sweat blood for that. This is a boy with a real gift for mechanics
and practical problem solving. . . Now that we have eliminated 'vocational'
and 'shop' type programs, what is there for Marco?"
We had our high-school information night for Grade 8 students this week.
Local schools make their pitch, describing the programs they offer to assist
kids in making their selections . This year, however, I found the occasion
clouded by mendacity. The entire secondary program is in total upheaval,
with all the old courses, credits and levels being thrown out and the "new"
curriculum not finalized yet. What we know for sure is that it looks ominous
for special-needs students of all sorts.
We've always had a "track" system here (currently, Advanced, General
and Basic levels) but the new program will offer several "streams"
that are supposed to be focused on "outcomes" rather than entry-level
skills or aptitudes. Students will be heading towards university, community
college or the workplace and will select accordingly. However, in the drive
to make the new curriculum more rigorous, material that was previously taught
to advanced-level Grade 12 students will now be expected in Grade 10. The
"streams" will require the same grade-level academic proficiency
(e.g. literacy and numeracy) -- at least in theory. Special Education and
remedial support programs are already scarcer than Button Gwinnett's autograph,
as are programs for second-language learners. Where are our struggling Grade
8 students going to go?
I think of "Marco," one of my students from last year, who will
graduate with barely a beginning Grade 3 level of literacy -- and he had
to sweat blood for that. Yet, this is a boy with a real gift for mechanics
and practical problem solving. He enjoys philosophical discussions and even
fairly abstract debates about time, infinity and paradox: he just mulls
things over a lot longer than the average student and keeps coming back
to revisit ideas. Testing showed him to be borderline normal in "intelligence"
but it did not reveal his strengths: persistence, curiosity, ability to
follow through, visual and visual-motor synthesis and analysis skills. It
only revealed his very real and pressing language and memory deficiencies.
Now that we have eliminated "vocational" and "shop"
type programs, what is there for Marco?
I've put this to officials and government personnel, and they admit the
answer is "Nothing." We are not going to provide a secondary education
for below-average students. We've gotta be world-class! Competitive! Muscling
our way into the global marketplace! No money and resources to "waste"
on those who will not advance our "competitive edge."
Of course this brilliant initiative comes from the same source as the late
lamented school-funding debacle that had tractors massing in protest in
farm towns and moms and dads of all income groups marching on government
buildings. Seems to me the slow learners aren't in our classrooms! But the
sheer stupidity, not to mention the human costs, of failing to provide meaningful
choices for all students is breathtaking. What possible "savings"
will be realized by pushing these kids out of school at 14 and 15 years
of age? All the more tragic because we know that, as maturity kicks in,
many underachievers DO pick up steam and develop a sense of purpose and
start to apply themselves systematically. But we won't get them to that
point by throwing them into a shark-infested pool!
I am so incensed about the whole issue that I volunteered to be on a committee
to meet with government officials about some of the initiatives and their
implications. I doubt we'll have much effect, but better to speak up and
fail than allow this injustice to pass unchallenged.
We're supposed to send home the much-ballyhooed new electronic report cards
on Monday. After all this disproportionate expenditure of time and money,
it will be interesting to see if parents find them a great improvement over
the old ones. My prediction is, NO. They substitute a new, homogenized menu
of computerized jargon for the old! This is progress?
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose!
So we have parent interviews to look forward to this week, and I'm hoping
the insurance company will straighten out the business of getting my stolen
and recovered car fixed. The little rental car makes me uneasy -- I feel
like I'm driving a lawn mower among the transport trucks (my regular vehicle
is a minivan), and there's no room for me, my boxes of "teacher stuff"
and my quadrupeds!
I had to postpone my novel study unit till I can do the notes over (they
were among the papers stolen), but am looking forward to some geography
activities this week. I bought a nifty little volcano kit with models of
the 5 different types of volcanoes, and directions for making a dramatic
(and messy) eruption! I think I will have more fun than the kids. Shhh!
Some people never grow up.....
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