Alternative High Schools

You are right squeeze berry. Another biggie.

I've been tutoring a student after school who has been suspended for the remainder of the year. He is in Algebra I and does not know factoring, let alone his multiplication facts. I don't know how these math teachers do it. I've arranged for another tutor for math, but I have a feeling she will be at a loss as well.

I teach Shakespeare to kids with a 5th grade reading level. That's the law.

I hated statistics, but I do remember the "Bell Curve". I suppose if they pretend that doesn't exist, we can expect 100% proficiency.

"Two plus two = five."
 
An interesting piece on PJMedia today.

In many ways, our schools are very much like our federal government. They’ve taken on far too many tasks and diversions unrelated to their actual mission: providing the best opportunity for learning that their resources and abilities can manage. The more they take on, the more constituencies are created demanding that those activities continue and expand. The more testing they do, the more testing must be done to produce even more data to prove the validity of the testing. More money spent on these distractions means more political power is created, and then more money is spent.

The testing craze is not only materially contributing to the bankrupting of our states and schools, it’s killing 20% — in many places, much more — of each school year. While it’s true that local schools can’t ignore state and federal testing mandates, they do have substantial control over other matters. Ensuring that students spend the maximum amount of time in their classes is a logical, necessary first step in any “reform” scheme. Parents in each and every school district in the nation do have the power to deal with this, if they are aware and interested.

PJ Media » Wasting Time: The Hidden Public School Crisis
 
You are right squeeze berry. Another biggie.

I've been tutoring a student after school who has been suspended for the remainder of the year. He is in Algebra I and does not know factoring, let alone his multiplication facts. I don't know how these math teachers do it. I've arranged for another tutor for math, but I have a feeling she will be at a loss as well.

I teach Shakespeare to kids with a 5th grade reading level. That's the law.

I hated statistics, but I do remember the "Bell Curve". I suppose if they pretend that doesn't exist, we can expect 100% proficiency.

"Two plus two = five."

the problem is that the general public expects 100% proficiency. Many believe that every student is able to learn at the highest level of proficiency. Just read DC public school's mission statement.

Sounds like you teach special ed.

I have 10 special ed students. They are all autistic or MR and usualy with speech intelligibility issues. Thank goodness all are potty trained. It's a challenge to develop lessons that are meaningful and at their level. Their levels range form preK to 5th grade.

I teach 6 subjects
math
english
reading
science
history
community based instruction

I have no curriculum. I have to fly by the seat of my pants every day and I'm expected to cure mental retardation.

One of the parents insists that her DS child will be going to college and wants to know what am I doing to prepare the child for college,

The kid has a 1st grade comprehension level and the mother insists that the child has 4th grade level skills. Nevermind that the student is 16.5 years old and in the 9th grade.
 
Wow. God Bless You.

Although this thread has evolved, the point of the OP was that at some point, we have to put them elsewhere. For your babies, there is no other place.

I am Orton Gillingham certified in reading. I do believe that nearly every child can learn to read at some functional level. But in HS, we do not assess them at their independent reading level. We test them on where a 11th grader should be. That defies logic.
 
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Wow. God Bless You.

Although this thread has evolved, the point of the OP was that at some point, we have to put them elsewhere. For your babies, there is no other place.

I am Orton Gillingham certified in reading. I do believe that nearly every child can learn to read at some functional level. But in HS, we do not assess them at their independent reading level. We test them on where a 11th grader should be. That defies logic.

I'm certified in Phonographix and also use various other methods such as ABCeDarian and just plain whiteboard and marker to teach the sound to letter correspondence.

My "typical" student can read at about the first grade level independently. Some are lower and can only recognize safety signs and logos.

I have to be able to assess current level, so I have a few tricks up my sleeve.
IRI
code knowledge test
SanDiego Quick reading assessment. This is just a word list to give a general idea.

At the beginning of the year I use the word list and the code knowledge test first week.
Usually they can not decode more complex letter/sound combos.

eigh
ough
and even ou, ew, ow , etc.

back to the OP

I'm of the mindset that the powers that be insist that all children should take college prep courses. Not all can do it. Why not vocational?

Half the students should be on a vocational track. Maybe the incorrigibles could at least learn how to change oil in cars. Just not my car, OK . Years ago those that could not prosper in school quit and went
out to work. Now they must stay in school no matter if they want to be there or not.

Maybe lowering the drop-out rate and vocational school from 7th until 10th grade. Then out to work at age 16 or 17.
 
I HATED H.S.! I took the GED and got out as soon as I could in 1981. College was a different story all together, I loved that. 5 years of hard work, (2 Community College, 3 University) but a lot of fun as well.
 
Excellent ideas, but unfortunately we are headed in the other direction. "College for All" will be the mantra for the next decade or so.

We have an excellent vocational school in our town where many of my special ed. kids go part time. They will not let them go full time, and will not accept any students who can't pass the entrance exam. If they do not maintain a certain GPA, or get in trouble, they kick them back to the regular high school. It's kinda like a publicly funded private school.

But who can blame them? They need high test scores too.
 
That's not the way it works Samson. And that's not the way it will work in the future. Teachers can not be trusted giving their own students the assessments. That's what they tell us. And not every teacher in every school in every state will be on the same page on Week 11.

"Data" is the educational buzzword of the year. Zillions of dollars will be spent on "data collection". Will the data be used to identify students' strengths and weaknesses? Will the data be used to focus on what individual students don't know? Of course not. The "data" will be used for the sole purpose of identifying "bad teachers". And when all the "bad teachers" are gone, we will be a nation of geniuses. Or so they tell us. Zillions well spent fer sure. :confused:

And instead of sending the teachers to "remediation summer camp", how about if the kids just read a few books during those two months off? I guarantee that would raise test scores.

Ok Both.
 
I understand that there may be some bad teachers. I just have not met any that I would consider incompetent. Not every teacher can be "the best" teacher. Most teachers are "average". No where have I seen that every child is entitled to the best education. Whatever that is.

If every teacher who was criticized by a parent or student was fired or sent to " remedial classes" there would be no teachers left to teach anyone.

In any case there is a rigerous screening process for teachers unlike many other occupations. Those that can't cut it usually don't make it past year three, if they even get that far. I have worked in govenment and private industry and can state unequivocally that teaching, by far, is the most difficult endeavor I have undertaken.
 
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Excellent ideas, but unfortunately we are headed in the other direction. "College for All" will be the mantra for the next decade or so.

We have an excellent vocational school in our town where many of my special ed. kids go part time. They will not let them go full time, and will not accept any students who can't pass the entrance exam. If they do not maintain a certain GPA, or get in trouble, they kick them back to the regular high school. It's kinda like a publicly funded private school.

But who can blame them? They need high test scores too.

I've spent the past two years primarily substituting in HS spec. ed. I'm not certified for sped, but have a knack for it. I'm kind and push the kids, the way their teachers want, thus I'm highly requested.

The 'college for all' is certainly alive and well in sped department, at least where I am. Interestingly enough, at all 4 high schools I'm working in, while there certainly isn't a 'push' for kids to go to vocational training schools, the opportunities are brought up and given context too. For kids with a 1. something GPA, the advantages are made clear. So too with those having worked hard in 'remedial track' and earning 2.-2.5. College would be hard, even as dumbed down as it's become.

Students themselves are choosing to take a year or two off and work. They've read enough about those entering college without a real end goal, they hope that time will help them develop one. While it may not help them choose a major, it certainly may help them avoid the pitfalls of not focusing, while spending $40k per year.

Our community college has actually moved to the forefront of choices in the case of the 'select students.' If accepted into the honors program, HS GPA of 3.75, they can earn a free ride to U of I, including room and board, if they complete with 4. GPA for associate's degree. While the area is 'well above average in education and income,' there are those kids who want to go to more selective schools, but 3.75 won't get them a scholarship. They work, hard. They know they can do this and they go for it.
 
Excellent ideas, but unfortunately we are headed in the other direction. "College for All" will be the mantra for the next decade or so.

We have an excellent vocational school in our town where many of my special ed. kids go part time. They will not let them go full time, and will not accept any students who can't pass the entrance exam. If they do not maintain a certain GPA, or get in trouble, they kick them back to the regular high school. It's kinda like a publicly funded private school.

But who can blame them? They need high test scores too.

I've spent the past two years primarily substituting in HS spec. ed. I'm not certified for sped, but have a knack for it. I'm kind and push the kids, the way their teachers want, thus I'm highly requested.

The 'college for all' is certainly alive and well in sped department, at least where I am. Interestingly enough, at all 4 high schools I'm working in, while there certainly isn't a 'push' for kids to go to vocational training schools, the opportunities are brought up and given context too. For kids with a 1. something GPA, the advantages are made clear. So too with those having worked hard in 'remedial track' and earning 2.-2.5. College would be hard, even as dumbed down as it's become.

Students themselves are choosing to take a year or two off and work. They've read enough about those entering college without a real end goal, they hope that time will help them develop one. While it may not help them choose a major, it certainly may help them avoid the pitfalls of not focusing, while spending $40k per year.

Our community college has actually moved to the forefront of choices in the case of the 'select students.' If accepted into the honors program, HS GPA of 3.75, they can earn a free ride to U of I, including room and board, if they complete with 4. GPA for associate's degree. While the area is 'well above average in education and income,' there are those kids who want to go to more selective schools, but 3.75 won't get them a scholarship. They work, hard. They know they can do this and they go for it.

Regardless of GPA, community college is the only economic alternative for many: live at home+ take a bus to school+ get a part time job = save to transfer to a university.
 

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