tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post8106613302498484529..comments2023-05-05T03:15:17.710-05:00Comments on D181 Parents for Accountability and Transparency: CHMS Student Gets It Right, Superintendent White Gets it Wrong: A Commentary on the June 8 BOE MeetingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-71466281483742138612015-06-10T13:04:46.885-05:002015-06-10T13:04:46.885-05:00Students teaching students who are closer to them ...Students teaching students who are closer to them in their ability levels is far better for the "student teacher" than consistently teaching students at ability levels below them. When they collaborate with other high performing students, they are able to challenge and correct each other and offer a level of questioning and thought that just won't be found with students at significantly lower ability levels. And, you are able to avoid the resentment and uncomfortable issues that arise on both ends when advanced students are consistently asked to tutor other students. Occasionally is fine, but it should not be a regular occurrence. Students within the same ability levels can do this and provide the same type of reinforcement that you can achieve with this type of collaborative learning - and in this way, no one is being held back or denied an opportunity to move forward and pushed and challenged by students who are able to do so. And no one feels "dumb" either. Consistently using students as teachers of struggling students is just inappropriate. We need to stop this pattern of using some students to improve the educational experience of others. The quintile data that the administration tried to hide is conclusive proof of this and it must stop immediately in all grades and subjects. If parents don't demand it, it will continue under the socially just Learning For Some plan.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-20927918938154787152015-06-10T10:24:07.490-05:002015-06-10T10:24:07.490-05:00and they and they Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-15411652327650488522015-06-10T10:23:19.102-05:002015-06-10T10:23:19.102-05:00I'm so glad to hear somebody else mention that...I'm so glad to hear somebody else mention that their child was asked by the teacher to teach some of the struggling kids in the classroom. There is nothing wrong with that - by the process of teaching the student's mastery and knowledge of the subject gets stronger. BUT this very same action can be disastrous when a student is asked to teach one or more kids who don't want to learn from this student and then they turn against their 'student teacher'. <br />My daughter was taunted during recess by the very group that the teacher had asked her to teach. Talk about SELAS in this case for both the 'student teacher' and the group of students being taught. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-19402358835439733602015-06-10T09:01:25.285-05:002015-06-10T09:01:25.285-05:00Since they are using our children as free child la...Since they are using our children as free child labor, why don't they start asking children to begin pulling weeds or sweeping up the lunchroom? (Kidding - I find this horrifying.)<br /><br />Isn't it discrimination to only target the high ability children for free labor? If d181 truly wanted to be inclusive, they would use all children as laborers, not just the use learners. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-68019702578036321272015-06-10T06:57:51.673-05:002015-06-10T06:57:51.673-05:00Great post, bloggers. I, too, just listened to th...Great post, bloggers. I, too, just listened to the very lengthy podcast (I hope the BOE will work to shorten the meetings wherever possible, they are beginning to be just too long!). In looking at the data that begins on page 103 of the "all slides" presentation on Board Docs http://www.boarddocs.com/il/hccsdil/Board.nsf/files/9X6EKS394BA5/$file/2015_06_08_MAP_Fall_to_Spring_Report_to_BOE_All_Slides.pdf) it is clear that our top students are in trouble. Does anyone know how many students comprise a quintile? 250? 300? A lot of kids. <br /><br />And Dr. White's non-explanataion of this data was really weak. He said something to the effect that he would need to check to see what the data from other district's show about growth of this quintile. Dr. White, our district should perform significantly better than other districts in this area because we have been focusing on it and devoting resources to "raising the ceiling" for 3 years now. The question isn't what other districts are doing but who failed in their job to increase the educational experience of these students? It seems that several other quintiles have done well. Could it be the the Department of Learning decreased achievement from one group of students to improve it in another? THAT IS NOT TRUE PROGRESS but a mere shifting of resources. ALL STUDENTS IN THIS DISTRICT MATTER. Anyone can achieve "success" like this in a resource rich district such as ours. A true expert would be able to increase performance across the board.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com