Spelling Bee Cancelled

[JohnRich 4]

In the news:

Spelling bee nixed because it 'leaves child behind'

A school district in Rhode Island canceled its annual spelling bee this year because administrators decided the crowning of only one winner violates the main principle of the federal No Child Left Behind Act – that all children should succeed.

Linda Newman, assistant superintendent of schools in Lincoln, R.I., said it's her understanding that President Bush's education initiative says all children must reach high standards, which conflicts with the spelling bee.

"It's about one kid winning, several making it to the top and leaving all others behind," Newman said of the competition." A spelling bee, she continued, is about "some kids being winners, some kids being losers," which "sends a message that this isn't an all-kids movement."

She argues that professional organizations now encourage elementary school children to participate in activities that avoid winners and losers, which is why sports teams have been eliminated for that age group.

Building self-esteem is the emphasis.

"You have to build positive self-esteem for all kids, so they believe they're all winners," Newman said.

Source: World Net Daily

Question: What happens when one of these kids with good self-esteem grows up thinking everything is just fine with his education, and then enters the real world, whereupon he bluntly finds out that he really doesn't know enough to get by? Doh!

[mnealtx 0]

And people wonder why the US is falling behind, academically????????

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[BikerBabe 0]

This is outlandish enough for me to think that perhaps this school is making a statement. Right? Right?

It's the sort of thing I would do, just to show how stupid the whole "self-esteem", no child left behind thing is. We'll show you, President Bush!

Seriously, that's how I first read it. Anyone else? Am I just that evil?

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[justinb138 0]

So instead of "Leave no child behind" it has become "Leave all children behind"?

[skydyvr 0]

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It's the sort of thing I would do, just to show how stupid the whole "self-esteem", no child left behind thing is. We'll show you, President Bush!

That's nice -- let's deprive kids of a good life lesson just so we can say FU to President Bush.

. . =(_8^(1)

[Muenkel 0]

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This is outlandish enough for me to think that perhaps this school is making a statement. Right? Right?

It's the sort of thing I would do, just to show how stupid the whole "self-esteem", no child left behind thing is. We'll show you, President Bush!

Seriously, that's how I first read it. Anyone else? Am I just that evil?

This is exactly how I read that also. It's sad.

Chris

_________________________________________
Chris

[AggieDave 6]

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This is exactly how I read that also. It's sad.

Isn't that on level with someone shooting a kid in the head to prove pro-life?

People are fucked in the head...gee, lets make a political statement and start fucking with our children's education to prove it...


Wow!

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

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So instead of "Leave no child behind" it has become "Leave all children behind"?

Ask ANY teacher in a public school what they think about no child behind. You will get a resounding majority that find it to be a joke. It's nothing but paperwork pushing that was created by an administration that didn't spend any time in a classroom anywhere in this country to see what was happening.

"No child behind" sounds really good when Bush is pounding his fist about education in front of the media. But the truth is that its just a smokescreen - just like "tons of WMDs" "fixing social security in my first term" "lowering the budget, trade deficit, pollution" "keeping jobs in America" etc. They are all jokes. Nothing but politcal bullshit rhetoric.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[skycop 0]

Hmmm......
I'm glad you can speak for ALL teachers out there! I'm sure they all agree with you.
Also, wasn't Laura Bush a real live teacher?
And the tons of WMD remark, well heck ask the Kurds, I'm sure they would agree with you too.

If you read between the lines of the article, it sounds to me like this is some sort of veiled political statement, at the kids expense.

"Just 'cause I'm simple, don't mean I'm stewpid!"

[shropshire 0]

Sorry, it's not my fight but.... Did you read the same post as me? I believe that he said

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Ask ANY teacher in a public school what they think about no child behind. You will get a resounding majority

.
Don't see an ALL in there at all, do you?

Maybe it's just indicative of a number of the posts in this forum ...some people see what they want to see ... not me (obviously)

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[skycop 0]

Nah, seeing what I want to see makes the world easier to live in.................
Kinda like Mr. Blue sky

"Just 'cause I'm simple, don't mean I'm stewpid!"

[shropshire 0]

Hi, Nice answer. It is SC afterall!

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Trent 0]

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Ask ANY teacher in a public school what they think about no child behind. You will get a resounding majority that find it to be a joke.

Actually, a lot of teachers I know think it is a good idea, but needs work on how it is implemented.

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It's nothing but paperwork pushing that was created by an administration that didn't spend any time in a classroom anywhere in this country to see what was happening.

That's funny, I guess Laura Bush being a teacher and all those accusations that the Michael Moore-ites made about President Bush spending TOO MUCH time in a school on September 11th is all some kinda wierd dream. Come on... you usually do better than that. Your attacks are getting weaker, man.

Oh, hello again!

[penniless 0]

Spelling Bees should be canceled, but not for the reason stated.

Asking kids to memorize a long list of words that no-one ever uses in conversation or normal writing is an absurd waste of time. I'd rather they spent the time learning to use common words properly (like there/their/they're and infer/imply), and learning the meanings of words.

I see no value in having grade school kids that know how to spell "epideictic", "kymograph" and "paraheliotropism" when they have no clue what the words mean.

[happythoughts 0]

Cancelling the spelling bee is just another step backwards into underacheivement.

"Social promotions" are where under-skilled students are promoted into the next grade without the skills to be successful.

I cannot believe that anyone ever thought that promoting under-skilled students to the next grade was a good idea. What did they believe that students would do when the graduated from high school and could not read?

No child left behind

Has anyone actually been to the website and read it?

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Under the act's accountability provisions, states must describe how they will close the achievement gap and make sure all students, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve academic proficiency.

Accountability. First, the success of a program has to be measured. Of course, this information has to get back to the govt, hence the additional paperwork. I can't see an alternative method of tracking progress.

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They must produce annual state and school district report cards that inform parents and communities about state and school progress. Schools that do not make progress must provide supplemental services, such as free tutoring or after-school assistance; take corrective actions; and, if still not making adequate yearly progress after five years, make dramatic changes to the way the school is run.

If schools are not successful, they must take corrective actions, not just "declare everybody winners". Sometimes, people fail. They need to be told that they failed and how they are going to be helped to succeed.

There is a restaurant called "Winners", without basic reading/writing skills, they will be mopping the floors there.

[JohnMitchell 16]

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Spelling Bees should be canceled, but not for the reason stated.

Asking kids to memorize a long list of words that no-one ever uses in conversation or normal writing is an absurd waste of time. I'd rather they spent the time learning to use common words properly (like there/their/they're and infer/imply), and learning the meanings of words.

I see no value in having grade school kids that know how to spell "epideictic", "kymograph" and "paraheliotropism" when they have no clue what the words mean.

I disagree. The brain is a muscle, not a bucket. Our schools are suffering from low expectations, not too high of expectations. I've heard some parents lament to the teachers that they don't want their children to have to do any "hard work or memorization." I'd prefer not to have my childred dumbed down to that level. I was lucky enough to go to a school with a classical curriculum including Latin. Yes, a lot of memorization, but it made English and other languages much simpler to study in the future. I don't feel a moment of it was wasted (until they invented the internet chat room).

As far as whether the tongue was in cheek or not with the administrator, all I can say is, it seems the higher you go in any organization, the more likely the people are out of touch with what's happening at the level where the job gets done, whether it's a classroom, factory, or coal mine.

Last, but not least, there is a lot of "self-esteem" boosting done in the schools today. Some believe that self-esteem can be handed out with one cheap award or another. My wife and I have seen much of that in our four childrens' schools. Self-esteem can't been given to someone. It comes from trying to do the difficult, and accomplishing those goals, not from being handed a warm, fuzzy teddy bear.

[peregrinerose 0]

Damn. Isn't it just as important for kids to learn how to fail as well as to succeed? If they can deal with failure, learning from mistakes instead of deflating ego-wise from them, wouldn't it make their 'real lives' after school much more psychologically sound? Doesn't everyone fuck up at some point? If we don't know how to deal with our own flaws, it would probably cause some pretty adverse effects.

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[penniless 0]

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Spelling Bees should be canceled, but not for the reason stated.

Asking kids to memorize a long list of words that no-one ever uses in conversation or normal writing is an absurd waste of time. I'd rather they spent the time learning to use common words properly (like there/their/they're and infer/imply), and learning the meanings of words.

I see no value in having grade school kids that know how to spell "epideictic", "kymograph" and "paraheliotropism" when they have no clue what the words mean.

I disagree. The brain is a muscle, not a bucket. Our schools are suffering from low expectations, not too high of expectations. I've heard some parents lament to the teachers that they don't want their children to have to do any "hard work or memorization." I'd prefer not to have my childred dumbed down to that level. I was lucky enough to go to a school with a classical curriculum including Latin. Yes, a lot of memorization, but it made English and other languages much simpler to study in the future. I don't feel a moment of it was wasted (until they invented the internet chat room).

.

I didn't say anything AT ALL about making things easier, just commenting on our priorities. I too took Latin in HS (for 4 years).

There are a finite number of hours available in childhood. They should be used for the maximum benefit. Learning long spelling lists of esoteric words that no-one uses is a useless waste of that time. Latin would be better, at least it teaches good grammar and sentence construction. (Not so sure about "ablative absolutes" and "datives of possession").

On the whole I'd like to see better math and science education in schools. USA is falling behind Europe and Asia in math and science.

[skydyvr 0]

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Learning long spelling lists of esoteric words that no-one uses is a useless waste of that time.

Sitting at a Playstation for hours on end is a useless waste of time. Increasing one's vocabulary is a fabulous thing to do.

. . =(_8^(1)

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

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Actually, a lot of teachers I know think it is a good idea, but needs work on how it is implemented.

I cannot think of one teacher that I know (and I know quite a few) that has anything positive to say about it. I work in the education field and have the same opinion of it.

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That's funny, I guess Laura Bush being a teacher and all those accusations that the Michael Moore-ites made about President Bush spending TOO MUCH time in a school on September 11th is all some kinda wierd dream.

NOW that is funny. A publicity stunt shows that Bush knows what is happening in a classroom? He wasn't even holding the book the right way! Laura was a teacher when? In what part of town? What was the drop out rate, what was the failure rate, etc? How relevant is her experience to what happens in classrooms right now?

They have made a cookie cutter solution that won't work. For example the schools around 14th and Kedzie in Chicago and the schools in the very well off area of Hoffman Estates are a world apart. How do I know that? I've done volunteer work at inner city schools and at suburban schools. Kids in the inner city are often passed to the next grade by default. Why? If they fail a level they tend to drop out of school or get pulled out - then they become a statistic. I've tutored children in 6th grade that didn't even come close to have 1st grade math skills. But school kept them off the streets and gave them other options in life.

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Come on... you usually do better than that. Your attacks are getting weaker, man.

This is a contest now?

Education is something I believe in. It pisses me off to see it get overlooked as a real concern because Bush came up with a phrase that sounds like a real plan.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[skydyvr 0]

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He wasn't even holding the book the right way!

Do you believe everything you hear? I thought everyone knew that wasn't true.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/bushbook.asp

. . =(_8^(1)

[freakbrother 0]

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Learning long spelling lists of esoteric words that no-one uses is a useless waste of that time.

Sitting at a Playstation for hours on end is a useless waste of time. Increasing one's vocabulary is a fabulous thing to do.

If kids had to learn the meaning of the words they spell, it would be. Unfortunately that does NOT form part of the typical Spelling Bee.

I can still remember how to spell "syzygy" but I'm damned if I can recall what it means.

.
.
www.freak-brother.com

[Trent 0]

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I cannot think of one teacher that I know (and I know quite a few) that has anything positive to say about it. I work in the education field and have the same opinion of it.

What exactly don't you like about it? That it requires schools to meet minimum test results or provide supplemental education to those needing it? That schools with repeatedly poor performance can lose students since they weren't doing a good job educating them? Or maybe you don't like that it places some kind accountability on schools and teachers. I don't get it... where does it say that we have to promote kids even if they're failing just because it'd hurt feelings?

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NOW that is funny. A publicity stunt shows that Bush knows what is happening in a classroom? He wasn't even holding the book the right way!

Guess you get the oops on that one. But at least he was visiting a school. But you're right, we can just pretend he hates education and wants a completely retarded USA.

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Laura was a teacher when? In what part of town? What was the drop out rate, what was the failure rate, etc? How relevant is her experience to what happens in classrooms right now?

Well, I guess being a teacher isn't relevant at all in setting education policies. Would it be better to have someone who only had experience in bad schools so that policies could be set to take away from good schools to make bad schools better? Or is her experience just not worthy since she's the First Lady?

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They have made a cookie cutter solution that won't work. For example the schools around 14th and Kedzie in Chicago and the schools in the very well off area of Hoffman Estates are a world apart. How do I know that? I've done volunteer work at inner city schools and at suburban schools. Kids in the inner city are often passed to the next grade by default. Why? If they fail a level they tend to drop out of school or get pulled out - then they become a statistic. I've tutored children in 6th grade that didn't even come close to have 1st grade math skills. But school kept them off the streets and gave them other options in life.

Why are the schools better in nice parts of town? Why won't putting the pressure on schools to educate students to a minimum level be better? As long as the resources are provided to let these schools get the job done, what's the problem?

What would you say is a better solution? (not that NCLB is the best, but I'm interested)

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This is a contest now?

Seems like that sometimes, doesn't it?

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Education is something I believe in. It pisses me off to see it get overlooked as a real concern because Bush came up with a phrase that sounds like a real plan.

It's something that almost all of us beleive in. It was a pretty big point in the elections, if I recall. How is that overlooking it? I can understand that you don't agree with his plan on education, but at least they're trying to do something. Go read the website, the goals for NCLB don't seem like anything you wouldn't agree to. Now the implementation, as I have said before, needs work.

Oh, hello again!

[skydyvr 0]

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I can still remember how to spell "syzygy" but I'm damned if I can recall what it means.

I think it's the plural of "xyzzy", a very important term in the history of computer gaming.

. . =(_8^(1)

[Fast 0]

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He wasn't even holding the book the right way!

Do you believe everything you hear? I thought everyone knew that wasn't true.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/bushbook.asp

Snopes is fun. I like to respond to chain letters with snopes links.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka