How a Good School Can Fail On Paper

[drfemoe]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/08/education/08EDUC.html

October 8, 2003
ON EDUCATION
How a Good School Can Fail on Paper
By MICHAEL WINERIP

INE LEVEL, N.C.

KIM WELLONS, principal of Micro-Pine Level Elementary School, knows it takes special patience to teach special education children. Before Ms. Wellons became the principal in this farm community, she was a special education teacher for 15 years. And she was inspired to do this work because two of her cousins, now middle-aged and both borderline retarded, never learned the skills in school they needed to live independently.

<snip>
At Ms. Wellons's school, special education classrooms are bright and inviting, their walls full of posters and learning tips.

Though it is costly, she keeps classes small. Elizabeth Lawhon, a teacher, and Kim Hicks, an aide, have just six children in their class. All six were thoroughly assessed; they do not have learning disabilities, they are slow learners, six borderline retarded fourth and fifth graders with I.Q.'s in the 60 to 70 range.

Each day they get several hours of reading and math help. For teacher and students alike, it is grinding work. "Now, let's try spelling a new word, `dip,' " Ms. Lawhon said. A fourth grader wrote, "bop." A fifth grader, who has the beginnings of a mustache, wrote "di--" but could not get "p."

[Bozita]

1. This article ties in nicely with tonight's Nightline on ABC.

It's about "No Child Left Behind;"

link to the Nightline thread in GD:

http://democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=500611