I don’t know what to take of this except once again our government is racially grouping our children. I would like other parent’s thoughts on this.
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I can understand the tracking by special needs,limited English; and possibly, economically-disadvantages. By grouping anyone within 5 determined ethnic groups, for whatever reason, smacks of profiling.
ReplyDeleteAs to Wicomico County's dismal rating compared to the State of Maryland, again, I ask: Wicomico County has the highest piggyback tax rate in the state? and for what? certainly not the education system?
It's ridiculous. Can't anyone see the fact that dividing people along racial boundries is - um - uh - DIVISIVE? Believe this. The road to hell may be paved with good intentions, but the true intent is hidden in this case. The government keeps pitting one race against another in order to keep us divided. Wake up people. This must stop if we're gonna make it as a nation.
ReplyDelete9:45 B.S. The school needs to target those that are failing to make the grade. They found them (economically disadvantaged and African-american students). So cut your crap and support efforts to improve the education of these groups, or atleast get out of the school's way with you B.S.
ReplyDeleteeven if they can't read i bet they can rap
ReplyDeleteIt is the no CHILD left behind act, not the no ethnic group left behind act.
ReplyDeleteTwo societies, private schools will explode with admissions for the lucky people who can afford it.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget; NCLB was one of Bush's initiatives. How ironic (Or, should I say hypocritical?). Isn't the Republican Party all about SMALLER government?? Don't they want school issues to be under LOCAL control??
ReplyDelete125.00 shoes,free meals,free housing,free learning,and why would they want to be educated is beyond me.
ReplyDeleteLets hold the parents accountable. Maybe if the welfare and food stamps would be cut if the kids didn't attend school every day I bet we would at least get them to school. Let's also get back to the 3 r's and do away with everything else for these targeted groups. Lets hold the teachers accountable and get rid of the bad ones. My kids went to Wi middle and I can name names when it comes to poor teachers. Lets get the high paid pencil pushers out of the board of ed and into remedial instruction for those falling behind.
ReplyDeleteSo whats the surprise? The black sector in this county is behind in math and reading skills? DUH, hopefully this is just a wake up as to the corrective action needed before it's to late. Otherwise, ship them to Bennett and Parkside and just delute thier numbers. Accept the problem, and take action. Obama would be crushed, boo hoo.
ReplyDelete10:29 because many of the households that they come home to are a wreck. The family structure is a mess. As an instructor I agree with getting back to the "3 R's" but but all of these can be practiced while learning history just as easily as when learning science.
ReplyDeleteThe dumbing down of America via the No Child Left with a Mind program. Instead of raising the bar they've put it on the floor for students to jump over.
ReplyDeleteLarry the Cable Guy said it best..."if things keep going the way they are all you will need to get into college will be a pencil."
The problem is the kids now days have entitlement issues. They are taught they don't have to earn anything, they are entitled to it. What do they need an education for?
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to overthink this issue as well as oversimplify it. Unless you have taken the time to study the kids and have experience in education, chances are you don't have a clue what the REAL problem is. So don't waste your time with "entitlement this" and "$100 shoes" that. Support the efforts of your educators and hold them accountable for results.
ReplyDeleteThese scores will only end up having something else stupid implemented. You watch in the months and years to follow. There will be some other BS test that will give the gov't exactly what they are looking for. Poor me, poor me. Need money over here, poor me. Start educating our children the way it used to be. Stop all this BS testing. Stop preaching, start teaching!!
ReplyDeleteWhy are they "profiling" students by race?
ReplyDeleteTom, because as you can see, it has allowed them to pinpoint the race that is scoring the lowest. Now the school will hopefully develop a plan for targeting these kids with the proper education tools
ReplyDeleteIt comes down the learning capacity of one group/race over the other. Seems to me this is done so that those who are inferior learners can be identified, and special attention can be given. What is so wrong with that?
ReplyDeleteAnon 1:41 I am involved and visit the schools during class whenever given the chance. There are kids that have no respect or care about the education that is given them for free. They just don't care even if there is parents or whoever around. I see it first hand. I am a single parent of three kids, get no child support, and make it without handouts. I was asked by two parents "Why don't you get food stamps"? I told them I can make it by right now and I don't feel entitled unless I absolutely have to get them to feed my children.
ReplyDeleteYour a good man Ted.
ReplyDelete10:08 you're an idiot. Why should we keep lowering the bar and creating special environments for those who refuse to pay attention in class at the cost of everyone else. Don't think for a minute that most of these kids who are "special needs" aren't juvenile delinquents because they are. They are mostly from families who could give a sh*t about school and with this line of thinking everyone else must pay up. Most of these families don't even work let alone pay taxes
ReplyDelete1:08, I'm sure your view point is painted by the facts, not conjecture (sarcasm should be clear).
ReplyDelete12:50, you hit it on the head, "no respect" and don't care. They are kids. They often fail to learn both respect and the value of an education because they are being raised by adult kids (either chronologically or mentally). Or they often are being raised by a single mother who spends most of her days and nights working so that she doesn't have to rely on "handouts" to get by.
to 10:21- you are so wrong!!! This is TED KENNEDY'S bill. Oh yea, Bush supported it and in the image of bi-partisanship, they stood on the steps of the capital and smiled and all that other b.s. But when the chips started falling- Kennedy ran away from this bill quicker than Chappaquidick! Just another useless bill by the gov't.
ReplyDeleteThey (gov't) can't educate, now they want to protect your health as well. wake up America!
The problem today is the parents or lack of, most of these kids are just here so the mother usually a single parent can get more money from the government, and what you will see now is they try and force the doctors to diagnose their kids with ADHD or other special needs so they can get even more money from the government. Pretty sad that these people pretty much have kids to get more money and could careless about the kid or his or her schooling, just as long at the check keeps coming in. Also dont forget that No Child Left Behind was developed by an African American gentleman out of Texas who lied about the testing results and made everything with this program look great even though as we see now hasn't really worked out
ReplyDeleteI get what you say but the system should be there as a back-up plan not a lifestyle or way of living. You can lead a kid to education but can't make them learn. Your bleeding heart is noted but not practical or realistic. It starts at home to educate the kids.
ReplyDeleteWhen is the black community going to take charge and make education a priority? Lets get the drug and violence glorification out of the black culture. The black churchs and black professionals should take the lead. Maybe they can start up their own schools.
ReplyDeleteAs stated before in the comments, make the parents responsible or cut their benefits. Those that sit at home all day must see that the kids are always in school and have their homework done. I am tired of throwing more and more money at problems and expect them to be fixed.
The democrat party is the party always screaming about racism and yet always keep us in our separate groups through their identity politics . They wouldn't do it if they didn't profit from it .
ReplyDelete2:30 the answer is never the democrat party has convinced them that nothing if there fault and that they are owed .
ReplyDeleteReading the letter, the comments and having a little understanding of the educational system, one thing that everyone needs to be aware:
ReplyDeleteIt is the Maryland State Department of Education, using the No Child Left Behind act that are the ones that has determined the subgroups and the Wicomico County or othe local School Systems.
My views are that the act is really a No Child Gets Ahead or All Child are Equal Act. Which is bad, and this is coming from a parent with a child with Special Needs.
I really would rather see all children do the best that they can, but the system does hinder those who don't fall under one of the subgroups.
I have heard that these subgroups are being expanded to more and that one child could fall under many of these subgroups. And one child that might fall under multiple subgroups could be the one that makes them all fail. Not a good picture.
If you don't think the Health Care System will be broken by Congress then maybe you just need to take a look at how broken the education system is.
Unfortunately we in the black community have become victims of our own successes of the Civil Rights Movement. We convinced whites that we really are downtrodden, poor, uneducated individuals who need gov. aid to get by. Therefore the members of our race who ARE down trodden, poor, and uneducated are treated by the left and the right as examples of the plight of our ENTIRE race instead of being seen as exceptions to the norm. Whenever practical, the left throws up images of drug addicted, poor, single mothers to advocate for more money for some cause or another. The right use an image of gun-toting, drug selling, welfare addicted blacks to advocate for bigger jails, more cops, and less spending on education. Unfortunately these images are not representative of blacks as a whole, or even a 51% majority of blacks. So instead of inacting any policies, whether its education or welfare, that effectively tackle the problem of poverty or any of it's symptoms, we seek quick fixes (spend more, cut this) or pursue ineffective treatments altogether. All because we fail to take a hard look at the data without fear or idealogical spin.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the current health care debate. Coverage is great for most people, but health care horror stories,derived from extreme scenarios rather than normal circumstance, are used by both sides to advocate their position. The end product; more bad policy for ALL of us.
Too funny - aren't you all the people who were crying about Obama's indoctrination when he wanted to give a speech to school children? What group do you think he was trying to reach out to? And you all tried to keep Wicomico County schools from showing the speech. You don't really care about these children - you just want your children to be in different classes so they don't 'rub elbows' with them.
ReplyDeleteThe dumbing down of America is a success-Obama was elected.
ReplyDeleteAn under-educated, uninformed electorate will make all of the liberal left policies come true.
4:23
ReplyDeleteIt has always been under NCLB that a child could be categorized under several groups. For instance, a black child who is special ed and qualifies for free lunch can be in three subgroups. If that child fails on the state test, then he/she brings down all three of those subgroups' scores. There has historically been an achievement gap between white students and black, with whites scoring much higher overall. It really boils down to socio-economics and not as much race. Poor students from all races come from homes that don't know how to prepare their kids for school. Their children come to school way behind and they usually stay way behind.
I would think with the dollars spent in this county per child, we should be graduating rocket scientists. Oh, I am sorry, we just have high paid teachers.
ReplyDeleteSomeone made an excellent point with an earlier post and that is if a child is diagnosed with ADD or other related learning disorders,they have just become eligible for a nice monthly SSI check for the rest of their lives-and mother gets it until the kid turns 18.Thats guaranteed tax free income and instantly qualifies the recipient for other free "goodies".
ReplyDeleteI am involved in my childs education and go to the school regularly and sadly,alot of what is said here in these comments are true.The parents who do not work and therefore have the most time to give,are seldom involved in anything relating to their kids education.They can find time to go out to the club,or anything else that revolves around them,but the kids lose out.I am never going to be "Mother of the Year" but I do the very best I can.All children deserve a chance to excel in school and in life,and parental involvement is a must.Children who lack good parents desperately need mentors and there are good people out there who advocate for those kids.
I have no problem with the schools giving extra help to those kids who fall between the cracks but not if its solely race-based.Using race or gender or any other "difference" as an excuse to fail is a copout.
I'm so sick of this whole mess. I'm tired of paying excessive taxes to counter for people who don't attend to their kids. A teacher friend of mine told me that easily 75% or more of her Kindergarden students can't name the letters of the alphabet, count to 10 or name basic shapes and colors. My son is not yet two and can do all of this, not because he is 'gifted' but simply because he has two parents who work their butts off reading and making these things a priority for his life rather than have a tv be his babysitter, or worse, expect some teacher to try an make up for his parents'shortcomings. I don't know what the answer is for all of this mess, but I know that my wife and I will make sure that our children are ready for school long before they get there, and won't count on teachers or anyone else to make up the difference!
ReplyDelete