Extended Learning Time

Rather than typing an entire entry, I have decided to copy and paste an excerpt from an email that I sent to Mass 2020, the governor, and the Department of Education.

I have been researching through the Mass 2020 website, as well as other resources the many benefits of expanding learning time for our school children. Overall, the idea seems like a good one to me. I can definitely see how providing more time to learn, as well as differentiated instruction and cultural enrichment opportunities would benefit our children and better prepare them for their future. One of the areas in which I have found little to no research on is how this expanded learning time has affected (in those school systems that have already initiated ELT programs) activities out side of school such as sports, Girl Scouts, or any other extra curricular activities students may be involved in. Have students still been able to participate in these activities? I was also curious regarding how this affected homework. If the students are in school for more time, do they have less homework? On a personal level, as a parent of three school age children, I am having a hard time imagining fitting it all in (an extended school day, outside activities, homework, dinner, showers etc.) and still having the kids in bed at a normal hour. Perhaps my biggest question is in regard to how this is all funded. I am assuming expanding learning time would involve spending money above and beyond what is spent in a non-ELT school to pay for additional supplies, salaries for teachers, building maintenance and other related costs. Do towns that have an ELT schedule receive more state and federal funds to help offset these costs or, is the town expected to come up with the money? As it stands in Middleboro right now, our school budget was cut drastically last year, and this year it is not looking like it will be any better.

I am not completely convinced that extending learning time is the way to go yet but, there certainly seems to be some benefit from it. I am anxious to hear back and will post here when I do.

Julia: She's In

As mentioned previously, I was expecting to receive notice of Julia's meeting regarding her eligibility for classroom instruction at the integrated preschool. I had that meeting today. As indicated by the title, she is still eligible! YAY! Mostly, I was happy with this result, but there is always that small part of me that hopes that she will have made enough progress to test out. So it's sort of a catch 22.

Anyway, here is what the report says:

Julia was evaluated on several occasions during her school day. Initially, she was very quiet and did not speak to the examiner but she soon warmed up and was able to participate in the testing tasks. Julia did not always process information accurately and sometimes answered questions based on only part of the information. She had difficulty understanding some of the directions and one subtest was not completed because of this.

It said of course, much more than that but that about sums it up. The main concern with everyone involved seems to be in the area on language processing. The gross motor skills seem also to be still at the forefront, but she really has made remarkable progress in this area.

Her IEP will remain basically the same with the added goal of increasing independence and an additional day of school (Wednesday to go along with her usual Tuesday and Thursday).

Changing Direction

It was my intent, when I started this blog to feature more commentary on the benefits and problems I see with public education. I have kind of strayed from that to a degree, and while the personal stories are fine, I am hoping to change the direction back to the original idea of the whole endeavor.

I subscribe to various educational related websites (most of which are linked on the sidebar) and will be using those, as well as other resources to come up with ideas, as well as comment on articles written at those sites and others.

There will still be stories personal in nature, but expect to see more as well.

IEP Review/Determination

Julia's will be coming up any day now. The teachers and special service providers (OT, PT and Speech Pathologist) had until October 23rd to complete their evaluations. I am assuming I will get the meeting date in the mail this week or next.

As happy as I am of course, that she is making huge amounts of progress in all areas (most especially speech), I really, really hope she is still eligible. Preschool has done wonderful things for Julia. The social aspect of the whole thing alone has been fantastic for her, and believe me, with parents like Ryun and I, it's amazing to me that we have any kids at all that enjoy being social (hello Emily). Ryun would always prefer to be alone and me? I am sure I have some form of social anxiety disorder...more on that in another entry at the personal blog.

I will update here when the decision has been made.

All I Ever Really Needed To Know

It occurs to me that I have never really expressed my views regarding how "unnecessary" school seems to me after a certain point. A somewhat heated conversation regarding educational funding at the Halloween party got me thinking about this again. The argument someone had was, in a nut shell, beyond the early years of learning to read, write, and do basic math, what did you really learn in middle and high school? Not much, or at least not much of relevance to "real life" is my guess.

"Well roundedness", it seems to me is the reason behind some of the classes you are required to take in later years. Foreign Language comes to mind, specifically. Aside from the fact that I have high doubts (and even did at the time) that I will ever use Spanish in my life, from my perspective, taking the class was a waste of 4 years time, given the fact that I barely remember how to say "hello", let alone anything else. While I enjoyed my American History class, aside from maybe being able to answer a few Trivial Pursuit questions that I otherwise might not have, I don't see it's relevance in my day to day life.

What do you think? Just how necessary is school after, say 5th grade?

All I Ever Really Needed to Know
I Learned in Kindergarten"
Robert Fulgham

Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.

These are the things I learned..

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life.

Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup - they all die. So do we.

And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and sane living.

Think of what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

Being A Parent Volunteer

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to speak at the volunteer meetings being held at the MECC. I did so eagerly, even if I was asked the first time 5 minutes before the meeting started. I am a fairly confident speaker and how could I possibly be nervous speaking about one of my favorite things in the world?

I did well, at least from my perspective. Talking about being a parent volunteer, my love of the Middleboro School System, and being an active member of the PTA, even off the cuff, is something I never have trouble with.

I focussed mostly on what it meant to me personally, but also pointed out what a positive effect I think it has on the kids. I also discussed how being a parent volunteer keeps you "in the know." I love feeling like I have an inside track on what is going on.

I am always happy to speak on what it means to be a part of the Middleboro Schools family, even if I feel that words can't always adequately describe.

Homework: Outlawed

You know, I find it contradicting that so much emphasis is put on spending quality family time together when most of that time is spent fighting (or getting aggravated with) your kid about how to do homework. Just how "quality" is that?

While I am on the subject, I was thinking the other day about how much homework Katherine has in 2nd grade. She usually has two papers, one math and one reading, spelling or English paper. On top of that, her teacher sends home a book bag with two to three books in it, which she is expected to read, record and re-read each night. Then, because she is receiving extra help with reading through Title I, she has a book that she brings home each night to read and record. I am a big advocate for literacy and am a big reader myself, but this seems just a little over the top. She gets home at 4, is in bed by 7-7:30 and has to squeeze in dinner and occasionally and extra curricular activity or two, on top of the homework load. Never mind if she wants a little free time to, you know, just be a kid. There have been a number of occasions in which I have gotten her up a little early in the morning to read one of the books, or finish her spelling or math. Thank God she is the "easy" kid when it comes to homework, and the above mentioned fighting really doesn't happen with her.

Anyway....homework...what are your feelings on the subject?