I teach high school at the largest High School in Texas. Why are we held accountable for the fact that there are students that are advanced to us that have NEVER ever passed a grade of school?
So there is this school thing in Rhode Island.
Schools are low performing if their students cannot 1)graduate with their cohort (graduate in four years) or if they cannot pass the exit tests.
HOW can WE be held accountable for students that are advanced without mastery? HOW can WE be held accountable for students who enter High School on a THIRD grade reading level?
I'm sorry, if a kid is only at "Skippy ran out in the street and got hit by a car and died" level then WHY should High School Teachers take the hit because they can't bring them up SIX grade levels in one year, SEVEN in two years, EIGHT in three years and NINE in four years????
I am happy to work with all the children I get. I'm FURIOUS that there are kids that are being passed on even though they didn't pass ANY middle school grade but they are passed on to HIGH School because of their age.
That tells me that High School teachers are set up for failure. They are delivered with substandard students that are more than six years behind and THEY are held accountable. That's not cute.
Who is responsible? I am responsible for teaching children that get to me in the high school. Should I be responsible for their performance if they come to me on a THIRD grade reading level. Should I be up for being FIRED because I can't raise these Young ADULTS fast enough?
You have to know how frustrating & scary it is for elementary teachers to go through the same thing. Students aren't retained to keep numbers down. The backlog would start in 3rd grade where students are moved on without necessary skills. As long as administration has final say ( although it should be a committee decision, at my campus it really isn't ) on retaining students, they will be promoted even if they fail a "must-pass" test. I generally start the school year with at least a third of my students unable to do grade level work. Even in the 4th grade, a lot of students are at 2nd grade level, if that.
ReplyDeleteThat's horrible. Teacher will be accountable for the children future though in fact they aren't. Parents should at least try discovery what are their children's potential. Teach the child the way he should be and he will not depart from it. Labor law Posters
ReplyDelete