RTR wants state out of NCLB
By Robert Wolfington IIIThe Russell-Tyler-Ruthton School District has its concerns with the No Child Left Behind initiative and is doing something about it.
The RTR School Board voted Nov. 17 on a resolution to encourage the state of Minnesota to pull out of the No Child Left Behind program.
Bruce Houck, RTR superintendent, said Monday the board wants the state to pull out of the program because of unrealistic expectations and its unfunded status.
"The board has had a lot of discussion about student achievement and trying to make sure that all the students do achieve to their abilities," said Houck. "No Child Left Behind in our discussions is unrealistic - expecting 100 percent of the kids to achieve 100 percent."
Jerry Bly, RTR School Board member, said Monday the board has been discussing its concerns about the program for a while.
"This discussion has been going on for several months and maybe even a few years," said Bly. "The question that we always have is the effectiveness and the funding."
Houck said RTR has been working on improving on reading, writing and math - the programs covered in NCLB - but the expectation of 100 percent proficiency isn't realistic.
"Every year the state raises the bar in relation to reading, writing and math," said Houck. "One of the issues when we look at the state math test, only 36 percent of the students across the state pass that test. We're right in there with the rest of them."
Houck said faults in the NCLB program are apparent following one student's experience taking the math exam.
"Last spring we had a student who took the ACT test and scored a 27. He took the math test this spring and didn't pass it. There is no relationship between the two.
"When the average (ACT math score) is 19 and he scores a 27 in the math and then doesn't pass the math test in school - there is something wrong with one of those two tests, and the ACT has been around for a long time, the tendency is to look at the state test."
Houck said the district will continue to work on improving its proficiency beyond NCLB, but said it's important to keep the needs of each student in mind.
"We have been working diligently to improve those scores and we still want to achieve the state expectations," said Houck.
"Special education students who take those tests are expected to score the same as anyone else," added Houck.
Houck said funding for NCLB has been difficult to come across and is exceeding the district's capabilities.
"The cost of the program to the district is excessive with no money coming in for it," said Houck. "Like the majority of the districts in southwest Minnesota, the money we've been getting through Title 1 and Ttitle 2 has gone down every year. They are expecting us to do more with less."
Houck said the district will be sending letters to state and federal representatives to discuss the issue further.
"We're going to send our resolutions to all our state senators and representatives and also to our federal representatives and senators," said Houck. "We're going to request a meeting with them after they get into session."
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Mbutterfly
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11-26-08 3:52 PM
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I also have to laugh at the fact that my daughter ordered a school yearbook and she wasn't in the book and her brother was listed in the wrong grade. RTR is not that big a school that they can't remember who attended one year to the next. RTR has some wonderful teachers. It is unfortunate that Sports seem to overate education.
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rangeral
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11-25-08 10:21 PM
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My wife ran into one of his earlier - and poorer - special ed teachers recently and asked how our son was doing - she seemed taken aback when my wife said our son had graducated from community college with a B average and was now a junior at one of the better - and much bigger - state major colleges. Quite frankly, he did have a great teacher for his last two years of high school, the community college support was fantastic for him and other students with disabilities and now the big college is proving every bit as supportive. Thank God for teachers, administrators and support staff that really care to make a difference!
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rangeral
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11-25-08 10:18 PM
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Time for the Independent to do some research, analysis and reporting. It is always of interest when a small school district says they are going to buck a federal mandate, especially when it appears they don't have their house in order - or do they? We need to hear from a good cross section of the district - parents, teachers, administrator and taxpayers - before we know what is really going on. I'm not saying that this is the case, but it is difficult to provide special education to everyone who needs it and it is always easier to let someone else do it. Take the problems you have with a regular student and his or her parents, and then multiply that by a thousand when you are dealing with the needs of special ed students. Our youngest son did not attend this school district but one that sometimes had problems with the proper treatment of special ed, had rampant bullying that seemed to be condoned or at least ignored by teachers and admistrators, and said "kids will be kids"
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leansleftinarightleaningtown
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11-25-08 8:31 PM
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Addressing all of the different needs of today's children seems a daunting task indeed. I cannot speak to the quality of education the students at RTR receive, although if the things Mbutterfly lists are true, I am sorry that anything like that happened to students there or anywhere. However, I don't think the assertion that RTR is attempting to avoid dealing with the families has merit based on their desire to drop NCLB from Minnesota's vocabulary. NCLB is a federal education law that has very little to do with the communication and relationships that schools have with their constituents. The district's reasoning (unfunded mandates, unrealistic goals) seems logical and is at least worth further discussion.
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Mbutterfly
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11-25-08 8:48 AM
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Removing the No Child Left Behind program will leave more students just that LEFT BEHIND. RTR has never been able to address students with special needs effectively in the last few years. During the years 1994-99 they did well in this area. Now, it seems that students with special needs are encouraged or forced to attend Online school or MECLA. I do not feel the same expectations should be expected of a child with Learning disabilities but I also feel that those families should not be shunned by the school. My son had special needs and could not walk for graduation. He now attends college and recieves services RTR didn't offer. My daughter attends online school because RTR chose a Principle that most kids dislike. My daughter always sat on the bench and was picked on terribly. My son had used tampons thrown on him on the bus. RTR is just trying to avoid dealing with the families.
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