[email protected]

In a message dated 8/15/99 7:19:40 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
Marbleface@... writes:

<< Different ability levels exist. All measured by humans and
therefore not measured perfectly. But the system is not able, imo, to deal
adequately with the high-level academic needs of some kids and kills them
off
in the process.

If a child "levels off" or "evens out" from neglect, this child has been
misserved. >>

Friends of mine have a 12-year-old daughter. When she entered first grade,
she could already do long division. At the first parent-teacher conference,
the teacher told my friends, "Your daughter is very advanced compared to the
other children in the class. But don't worry, she'll level off with them by
the end of the year."

Needless to say, they were furious and she's been in private schools ever
since. I guess sometimes it's not neglect - it's an intention to level kids
off.

Elizabeth

[email protected]

In a message dated 08/15/1999 1:57:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
Evalsquid@... writes:

<< "Your daughter is very advanced compared to the
other children in the class. But don't worry, she'll level off with them by
the end of the year." >>


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (or maybe not!)
WHAT was this teacher thinking??? Was she trying to make the parents feel
GOOD about this? Did she consider the child's advanced skills to be a
DISadvantage???
Unbelievable!!!!

Sam

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/16/99 4:40:04 AM Pacific Daylight Time, Sam926@...
writes:

> Evalsquid@... writes:
>
> << "Your daughter is very advanced compared to the
> other children in the class. But don't worry, she'll level off with them
> by
> the end of the year." >>
>
>
> !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (or maybe not!)
> WHAT was this teacher thinking??? Was she trying to make the parents feel
> GOOD about this? Did she consider the child's advanced skills to be a
> DISadvantage???
> Unbelievable!!!!

I have no idea what she was thinking. This particular friend of mine is in
my art class with me and I have a whole list of unbelievable ps stories from
her and other friends there (though for some reason she's the only person in
our group who actually pulled her child from ps). Somehow the others treat
it as some sort of necessary evil. I mean, they can relate the stories with
the appropriate level of disbelief and horror, but figure it's just a bad
teacher and their child will just have to deal with it until next year, when
hopefully they get a better teacher. It's an interesting example of "learned
helplessness."

Elizabeth