Anything but Standard

Here is what you should know.

The public school system in this country is NOT concerned about encouraging your child to succeed to the best of their abilities.

They do not care how brilliant your child may actually be.
They are not concerned about what he might know.
About what he is capable of becoming.

This is what you should know.

They do care about their set standards.
They are worried about meeting their goal of where ALL children should be.
The are concerned with their school's test scores.

You need to know.
That if your child has a learning disability that prevents them from processing the information they need in order to soar,
and learn
and grow....
IF they have a "disorder" that prevents them from processing the information in the exact way other children do...
IF your child learns in a different way...
IF they see the world in a slightly different eyes...

but IF your child is just about at that set state grade standard...
the standard that is not your child's,
the standard that the school system has deemed to be a high enough bar to reach for...
THAT standard...
well then,
you should know...

Your child will not be helped to rise to what is THEIR potential.
They will not be encouraged to soar.

Because they might just be a little too smart,
a little too able,
a little too standard.

And because they are smart enough to work with this world that doesn't make sense to them, because they have the ability to work and work at a problem that should hardly take thought at all, because they use ALL they have to figure it out..
and they do...
They will not be helped.

They will have to continue to struggle,
to work as hard as they can,
to exhaust themselves daily just to keep up.

They will get to the point where they don't enjoy school...
they don't want to learn...
they don't like it anymore.

They will get to the point where they feel inadequate,
they second guess themselves,
they
start
to
lose
their
confidence.

If SOMEONE would just help them find a way to figure it out faster...
to unlock the way they learn....
it would all be easier for them.
But it's not necessary, because you see...
they are at the grade level standard.

2nd meeting.

Nothing accomplished.

NOTHING to show for the meeting, except frustration.
Too many hoops to jump through...
So many tests here.

"Back home they just taught Colten the way that he needed to be taught in order to learn.
The first grade teacher talked with the second grade teacher, they worked it out. They wanted him to succeed. They saw his potential.
If you could just try this....
if you'd just explain it to him this way....
if you could just .....but..... I know that it works."

"We will continue testing.
He's just about at the standard for his grade level.
I'm not sure why we're even talking about this."

"His teacher is asking for help, she wants to know what to do. She sees how hard he works. She knows it shouldn't be so hard."

"We will continue testing him, we will meet again in a month."

"So are we content with children meeting state standards, or are we concerned with them achieving the standards they are capable of achieving?"

"We want children to be at the state standard"

"So my older son that is in the gifted program, once he was identified as gifted, he was encourage to rise and work up to a higher potential, but other children, all the other children, they are only encourage to work toward the same standard..the same exact level...is that right?"

"Yes".

From the Ohio Department of Education : These standards let teachers know what they are expected to teach and students know what they are expected to learn. Standards also help educators identify and measure what students know and can do.

To the teachers back home that identified Colten as dyslexic, that worked with him, encouraged him, gave him the ability to learn and showed him the joy that is associated with that accomplishment... that wanted what was best for him.
Thank you.
You never made him stand out in the classroom, you didn't circle all of his writing in red,
you got my child.

I appreciated them then,
I appreciate them now.....
I miss them like you would not believe.

I thought maybe it would be harder here.
But when you move into the "best school system in the state"...
you assume that your child's needs will be met.
NEVER assume.

Advocate for your child. Tell the school exactly what you want for your child.
And if they won't provide it.
Come up with other options.

I'm working on that now.

His second grade teacher in Greenville said to me one day when I was picking him up...

"I love your son!
He's going to be president one day you know, and I'm just going to be happy I knew him".


***btw...I'm sure you know, but I'll remind you....that glorious photo of my sweet boy is by Nisa.