Re: Public comment on education bill

[Guest guest]

Done and done!!!

Public comment on education bill

  Join advocates for students with disabilities for the markup of the House of

Representative's bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

The markup is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 28th at 10 AM in Room 2175

of the Rayburn House Office Building (see

http://www.visitingdc.com/map/capitol-hill-map.htm). Check the committee's

website at http://edworkforce.house.gov/ for final information.

Advocates are encouraged to actively OPPOSE the ESEA bill (Student Success Act

(H.R. 3989)). The bill eliminates the current limitations on the use of

alternate assessments for students with disabilities, resulting in most students

being taken off regular assessments and regular diploma tracks.

You can voice your opposition to HR 3989 via the Action Alert at:

http://www.ncld.org/on-capitol-hill/policy-agenda/action-alert-center/help-fix-n\

clb-house

[Guest guest]

Here is a curmudgeon view on high school graduation for students with

down syndrome.

If the high school graduation is to have any value beyond completion of

12 years, it must reflect some educational and knowledge achievement

level. Relatively few of our children actually achieve that academic

level, even if they have taken all the courses with modifications.

While the grades handed out to our children are often very good and

sometimes they are even invited into things like the National Honor

Society because of their grades.

The truth is that, unless standards a nationally diminished to allow

under preforming students to graduate in an effort to boost percentages

graduating, only a few of our children will achieve the levels required

for graduation. If the standards are significantly reduced, then the

value of the diploma for all is diminished.

We should be celebrating how much our children achieve and not whether

they hit the standards expected of people without any developmental

disability. Special Olympics isn't about finding the best athlete in

the world, but rather about providing an environment where our children

(and adults) can take part in sports and experience both winning and

losing in real competition. This brings with it a real sense of

achievement and builds self image.

One way out of the diploma issue is to have multiple grades of diploma.

It is possible to have a general education diploma and an honors

diploma. One can dream up many more including just one for hanging

through in school for the required number of years.

When Jan graduated from high school, she had the gown and walked with

everyone. That was in the time that many schools simply didn't invite

students involved with special education to graduation and didn't give

them diplomas. Jan's diploma is a special education diploma and doesn't

imply the same thing as the regents diploma which is reserved for

children in NY who do well in the final testing.

We are proud of her, but the diploma isn't what gave her self image. It

was being in the school musicals, being awarded a sports letter in high

school the year she worked out with the girls gymnastics team and went

to meets where she performed the vault as a demonstration at the meets

rather than in regular competition. It was at Special Olympics that she

got the biggest boost by being able to compete at the state level and

bring home medals, often gold.

We are proud of what she has achieved in life, even though her life

isn't the standard one of: grow up, go to college if you can, get a

job, find a mate, own and drive a car, settle down in a house of

apartment, raise kids, etc. Her life is different and she worked

extremely hard to achieve the levels of independence she currently has.

None of this was associated with whether or not she had a drivers

license or a high school diploma. There are lots of other ways to

achieve in life.

If in your particular family, you expect your child to graduate from

high school, it is OK to go for that. On the other hand, I'm personally

not impressed that the diploma is such a big thing in life. I'm more

impressed by who people are based upon things other than education or

money. Whether they are kind, honest, caring, and helpful is more

important than their education. That, however is me and not necessarily

the whole world.

Rick .. dad to 39 year old Jan

[Guest guest]

Well said Rick and I agree 100%.

re: public comment on education bill

  Here is a curmudgeon view on high school graduation for students with

down syndrome.

If the high school graduation is to have any value beyond completion of

12 years, it must reflect some educational and knowledge achievement

level. Relatively few of our children actually achieve that academic

level, even if they have taken all the courses with modifications.

While the grades handed out to our children are often very good and

sometimes they are even invited into things like the National Honor

Society because of their grades.

The truth is that, unless standards a nationally diminished to allow

under preforming students to graduate in an effort to boost percentages

graduating, only a few of our children will achieve the levels required

for graduation. If the standards are significantly reduced, then the

value of the diploma for all is diminished.

We should be celebrating how much our children achieve and not whether

they hit the standards expected of people without any developmental

disability. Special Olympics isn't about finding the best athlete in

the world, but rather about providing an environment where our children

(and adults) can take part in sports and experience both winning and

losing in real competition. This brings with it a real sense of

achievement and builds self image.

One way out of the diploma issue is to have multiple grades of diploma.

It is possible to have a general education diploma and an honors

diploma. One can dream up many more including just one for hanging

through in school for the required number of years.

When Jan graduated from high school, she had the gown and walked with

everyone. That was in the time that many schools simply didn't invite

students involved with special education to graduation and didn't give

them diplomas. Jan's diploma is a special education diploma and doesn't

imply the same thing as the regents diploma which is reserved for

children in NY who do well in the final testing.

We are proud of her, but the diploma isn't what gave her self image. It

was being in the school musicals, being awarded a sports letter in high

school the year she worked out with the girls gymnastics team and went

to meets where she performed the vault as a demonstration at the meets

rather than in regular competition. It was at Special Olympics that she

got the biggest boost by being able to compete at the state level and

bring home medals, often gold.

We are proud of what she has achieved in life, even though her life

isn't the standard one of: grow up, go to college if you can, get a

job, find a mate, own and drive a car, settle down in a house of

apartment, raise kids, etc. Her life is different and she worked

extremely hard to achieve the levels of independence she currently has.

None of this was associated with whether or not she had a drivers

license or a high school diploma. There are lots of other ways to

achieve in life.

If in your particular family, you expect your child to graduate from

high school, it is OK to go for that. On the other hand, I'm personally

not impressed that the diploma is such a big thing in life. I'm more

impressed by who people are based upon things other than education or

money. Whether they are kind, honest, caring, and helpful is more

important than their education. That, however is me and not necessarily

the whole world.

Rick .. dad to 39 year old Jan

[Guest guest]

I agree 100% with Rick.  While and Jan took different paths, the end is

the same.  They were both educated and are living good lives.  The journey is

different now than when Jan went to school and I am very happy with my decision

to have included throughout her school  years.  She learned both

academically and socially.  But at some point (probably middle school) I came to

realize that would not realistically be able to get a job that would

require a high school diploma and honestly that took a lot of stress off of me! 

I always pushed for her to learn to the best of her abilities.  She is very

happy and content and works a competitive job (bagging at Publix-a grocery

store).  Diplomas have to have meaning and standards and did not meet

thsoe standards.  I wouldn't want a doctor to do surgery on me who got his

diploma thru modified curriculum or lowered standards. 

 

Kathy Everett

678 230-6985

Kathy Everett Consulting

www.KathyEverett.com