Re: [Phys-l] Time Outside of Class

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

The main streaming of students who have problems was done because they
tended to be put into dead end classes and in general were not given the
services they needed.  This attitude persists to today where administrators
will tell you that your child should not take advanced courses because she
is LD.  My daughter feels like she should go back to her high school and
throw her chemistry diploma at them, because we encountered this attitude.
This was at one of the top ranked HS in the nation.

As to the "mentally handicapped" needing a special curriculum, they need
cognitive enhancement.  At one time the truism was that Down's syndrome
children would never be educable, but now a significant number can make it
through school, even in regular classes.  There certainly are some students
who can not handle regular classes, but the rest need the special services
to equip them to handle education.

Reuven Feuerstein has for years been raising students to normal IQ from
subnormal.  While his techniques do not work for all, they are successful
enough to make a big difference for many.

Separate but equal education may work for the LD students, but only if it is
taken seriously and funded.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

> B.C., like many 'leftys' is quite willing to spend OTHER PEOPLE'S money
> wastefully to supposedly serve a few individuals.  The problem is that
> common sense might well tell us that there are more effective (and
> cheaper)
> ways to accomplish more for the very people they purport to serve.
>
> Example (based on my wife's life-long career in special education having
> been in private facilities, public schools, and even a stint at
> administration).  The current trend of throwing all students into the same
> classrooms where teachers are often faced with a mixture of bright,
> normal,
> slow, learning-disabled, mentally handicapped, emotionally handicapped,
> and
> physically handicapped students all in the same classroom is producing
> chaos--both for the teachers and students.  Some of these students,
> especially the mentally and emotionally handicapped need much more
> individual attention than can be provided in these classrooms (even with
> aides and grossly misused special-ed teachers).  This is especially true
> of
> the mentally handicapped who need a completely different curriculum than
> the
> regular students if they are really to become marginally self-sufficient
> in
> the society.  Most will not, but still need much more in terms of daily
> living skills than to be sitting in a pre-algebra class.
>
> The situation above, and the one Michael outlines are why, IMO, we can
> point
> to the lawyers and psychologists as having royally screwed up our
> society.!
> ;-