Filepro-list Digest, Vol 86, Issue 21

[Boaz Bezborodko]

On 3/8/2011 3:26 PM, Richard Kreiss wrote:
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: filepro-list-bounces+rkreiss=verizon.net at lists.celestial.com
>> [mailto:filepro-list-bounces+rkreiss=verizon.net at lists.celestial.com] On
>> Behalf Of Boaz Bezborodko
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 3:14 PM
>> To: filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
>> Subject: Re: Filepro-list Digest, Vol 86, Issue 21
>>
>>> Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2011 14:23:56 -0500 From: "Richard Kreiss"
>>> <rkreiss at gccconsulting.net>  Subject: RE: OT; Corning technology To:
>>> "'Kenneth Brody'"<kenbrody at spamcop.net>,
>>> <filepro-list at lists.celestial.com>  Message-ID:
>>> <004201cbddc6$5e7fd490$1b7f7db0$@gccconsulting.net>  Content-Type:
>>> text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>>>
>>> Reminds me of what happens on the Mike Holmes show on HGTV.
>>>
>>> Walls are removed to make a more open layout.  A few months later the
>>> floors start to sag and water leaks begin and floor crack.
>>>
>>> Everyone wonders why until Mike comes in and opens the walls and
>>> points out that the support for the upper floor have been removed or
>>> incorrectly strengthened.
>>>
>>> This is what has happened to our educational system.  Bring everyone
>>> down the lowest common denominator so no one's feelings are hurt.
>>> Don't allow anyone to excel as this will make those less able feel bad.
>>>
>>> Then we wonder why the rest of the world is passing us by.
>>>
>>> Do you really want a doctor or a mechanic who can't do math or can
>>> barely read and understand what is being read?
>>>
>>> Richard
>> This can even occur in private schools.  My nephew once yelled at a teacher because she praised him very highly for what was really a mediocre accomplishment of the task at hand.  "You're lying.  This wasn't that great so why are you lying to me."
>>
>> My 8-year-old daughter (2nd grade) is a bit behind in reading and math (so
>> was her father).  They modified her spelling exams to include only 5 words
>> instead of the usual 10 fro the rest of the class.  At first she had problems and was getting only 1 out 5, but she improved..  After about 2 months of getting 5 out of 5 right I insisted that the teachers increase the number of words. "How is she going to know if she's getting better if she is constantly getting them all right?  Don't you think she knows that she is being given only half the words that the rest of the class is getting?"
>>
>> They increased the number of words to 7.  Her first exam she got 6 out of 7and then 7 out of 7 for the next 4.  My wife and I insisted that she be given the same as the rest of the class.  Her first test she got 10 out of 10.  She was beaming because she knew exactly what that meant. But she did give me a face when I suggested she ask the teachers for even more words on her next exam.
>>
>> The kids know the difference.
> Kudos to your daughter and whomever worked with her on her spelling.
>
> Kudos to the school for accepting your suggestion to keep increasing the
> number of words to actually test her improvement.
>
> I just hope she doesn't learn about a spell checker and revert back. :)
>
> Richard

The credit goes mostly to my wife although we did get her a great tutor 
who works in a nearby school district.  My wife is like a pitbull when 
it comes to working the system for her children.  Once she sinks her 
teeth into an issue a bureaucrat can see that she isn't the one to 
trifle with.

We did move to one of the best school districts in the area, but it's 
costing us a pretty penny in real estate taxes.  (About $18K/yr)  She 
does have some good teachers, but they can't do everything.  When it 
comes to a kid who needs to learn in a slightly different way it helps 
them a lot if those methods are spelled out for them.  But in a less 
caring system they could still decide to ignore it.

I don't know if anyone here saw "Waiting for Superman", but it was an 
excellent movie.  That it didn't even get a nomination at the Academy 
Awards tells you just how anti-union the movie is.