Post by Moses on Dec 27, 2005 21:57:36 GMT -5
Tragedy Strikes. Parents are Powerless to Protect
by Barbara Barry
As elected officials prepared for the special legislative session, an elementary school principal in Central Florida notified her faculty that the father of two students was murdered.
Concerned staff at this school and in schools across Florida wonder what the odds are that children who have experienced trauma will make academic progress following tragedy. Is a portfolio assessment or alternative assessment going to make any difference in the face of life’s tragedies? Not likely. Under the law, a third grader must be retained if she does not pass the FCAT. The grieving mother has no voice about her 3rd grader’s promotion unless legislators in the 2006 session gives her a voice through the expansion of good cause exemptions.
When tragic events occur in children’s lives, such as natural disasters, death, divorce, foster care etc., a period of healing and adjustment is needed before academic learning continues normally and society is not served by retaining children for circumstances beyond their control.
Don’t we have a responsibility as a public school system to consider trauma in children’s lives as we enforce the law on grade progression? Don’t we have a responsibility to give public school parents back their right to decide what is best for their child?
Under current laws, parents can decide what special education services they want for their child who qualifies. If a child faces retention however, parents t can’t decide to have their child taught the skills needed in a class with their peers. Parents can exempt their child from immunizations for religious reasons but, when parents know the psychological risks associated with grade retention, they are powerless to protect. Parents can do nothing about retention unless they have the financial resources to send their child to private school. This is an injustice and flies in the face of society’s rightful expectation that all parents, rich or poor, have the responsibility to protect their children from harm.
The tragic irony is the very reforms of the NCLB that are designed to improve instruction and early intervention are being undermined by the practice of retention. Retained kids are 90% more likely to drop out of the school. There were 1,115 children in third grade for the third time in 2004. Schools across Florida have 14 year olds in the fifth grade and 16 year olds in the eighth grade. The dropout rates are soaring. During this 2006 legislative session, let us restore common sense recommendations for grade progression. Give parents a say in whether or not they want retention used as an educational intervention for their child and add a good cause exemption for children who have experienced trauma.
Barrydmin@yahoo.com
— Barbara Barry, D.Min. Florida School Counselors Association
2005-12-27
by Barbara Barry
As elected officials prepared for the special legislative session, an elementary school principal in Central Florida notified her faculty that the father of two students was murdered.
Concerned staff at this school and in schools across Florida wonder what the odds are that children who have experienced trauma will make academic progress following tragedy. Is a portfolio assessment or alternative assessment going to make any difference in the face of life’s tragedies? Not likely. Under the law, a third grader must be retained if she does not pass the FCAT. The grieving mother has no voice about her 3rd grader’s promotion unless legislators in the 2006 session gives her a voice through the expansion of good cause exemptions.
When tragic events occur in children’s lives, such as natural disasters, death, divorce, foster care etc., a period of healing and adjustment is needed before academic learning continues normally and society is not served by retaining children for circumstances beyond their control.
Don’t we have a responsibility as a public school system to consider trauma in children’s lives as we enforce the law on grade progression? Don’t we have a responsibility to give public school parents back their right to decide what is best for their child?
Under current laws, parents can decide what special education services they want for their child who qualifies. If a child faces retention however, parents t can’t decide to have their child taught the skills needed in a class with their peers. Parents can exempt their child from immunizations for religious reasons but, when parents know the psychological risks associated with grade retention, they are powerless to protect. Parents can do nothing about retention unless they have the financial resources to send their child to private school. This is an injustice and flies in the face of society’s rightful expectation that all parents, rich or poor, have the responsibility to protect their children from harm.
The tragic irony is the very reforms of the NCLB that are designed to improve instruction and early intervention are being undermined by the practice of retention. Retained kids are 90% more likely to drop out of the school. There were 1,115 children in third grade for the third time in 2004. Schools across Florida have 14 year olds in the fifth grade and 16 year olds in the eighth grade. The dropout rates are soaring. During this 2006 legislative session, let us restore common sense recommendations for grade progression. Give parents a say in whether or not they want retention used as an educational intervention for their child and add a good cause exemption for children who have experienced trauma.
Barrydmin@yahoo.com
— Barbara Barry, D.Min. Florida School Counselors Association
2005-12-27