[quote=sdr][eliminating wtf ramble]…Children arent placed in classes according to their abilities in EVERY school. In fact they arent in ANY school I know. Classes are mixed up to consist of a variety of ability levels in each classroom. The teacher has to teach to the lowest level and the lower that level is the less challenged the higher performers are. It is as simple as that.
As for helicopter parents, I cant say what goes on at all schools but at my kids schools there are 2 or 3 parent volunteers assisting the teacher in each class every day until at least 3rd grade. They are helping kids read, grading papers so teachers can focus on teaching, giving spelling tests, running math centers and bringing programs that the district doesnt have the funds to provide like art, music and science programs. These parent volunteers are almost without exception college educated individuals. I say individuals because its not just Mom’s. I make it a point to volunteer in the classroom a few times a year as do many of my friends.
As for the impact of friends, the kids compete with each other, work together on projects both inside and outside of school. My son is currently programming video games with 3 of his friends from school on a daily basis. They are already doing things far beyond what I or their teachers are capable of.[/quote]
As I remember, my kid(s) school in CVESD had the students switching classes beginning in 4th grade. Although the teachers were certified to teach all subjects at the elementary level, each teacher also had a single-subject “specialty” (ie math, history, English, etc.) Each teacher had some accelerated classes and some had “mainstream” or “ESL” classes in their specialty. Some classes would have grade 4/5 students and some classes had grade 5/6 students, depending on ability. Students participating in GATE were segregated on a slightly different project under the same teacher during the same time as the regular class. The “homeroom” (4th per) teachers took turns picking out their students one at a time until none were left.
I asked my kid tonite if parents were present in the classroom when they attended elementary school. Here’s how they responded.
“The teacher tried to call a parent on the list in to help one day a week. The parent graded papers and then left to make copies of assignments for us for the next week. The parent was usually done with their work before lunch.”
I specifically asked if the parent ever talked to the students, tutored, ran programs, read books, gave spelling tests, etc, and it was an emphatic NO, the parent was not allowed to do any of this.
It appears a parent was occasionally used for clerical duties to free up teachers between classes and after school to better assist students.
It may be useful to note here that my kid(s) elem school, at the times they were attending it, had many VERY high-seniority teachers teaching there. Some had previously taught in nearly every school in the district. These teachers were all highly competent and some won district and state awards. Almost all are retired now and two retired after 38 and 40 years service, respectively, teaching in the same district their entire careers.
Occasionally, one of these teachers would take a student teacher from National University under their wing for a semester.
Is your son’s video game programming part of school or a school project? If not, how does this have anything to do with his school? Are you trying to state here that since your kid is attending a particular “high-scoring” school where he met other kids interested in video game programming that he would have not met these types of kids if he was attending a “lower-scoring” school or a school outside of areas where “quality” children reside?
