Foolishness
Foolishness
If your elementary age child complains that he/she is not getting much physical exercise during gym class, that is because he/she is not getting much exercise.
New Superintendent Nick Gledich has issued a decree that rather than focus on physical fitness during gym class, gym teachers are to spend class time EVERY DAY conducting literacy instruction. Students are now required to write in a journal during their limited physical education time.
The reason for this, of course, is because D11 is failing to properly teach its students how to read, write, or spell. While it is a given that kids today do not get enough physical activity, Gledich is under the mistaken notion that by not giving students the opportunity to enjoy any physical activity in their school day, they will suddenly become expert readers and spellers.
The problem with D11 English instruction, of course, is not that kids are not spending enough time in gym class constructing journals. First of all, who is going to grade these journals? English teachers in the district do not even take the time to correct spelling or grammar, or even logic, errors on student papers. I had en elementary teacher tell me that if teachers were actually expected to correct student mistakes, they would spend all of their time reviewing student papers. Oh, really? And how are students expected to know that their papers were full of spelling and grammar errors if these errors are not pointed out to them? By having students waste gym periods writing in journals that are likely not even going to be corrected, Gledich is simply requiring a futile exercise that might look good on his annual review, but one that will have no positive impact at all on student learning or achievement.
If D11 leaders are really serious about improving student performance in English literacy, there are real options available to them that will actually make an impact. D11 uses what it calls a “Balanced literacy” approach to teaching reading and spelling. This failed approach used to be called “Whole Language” instruction. Rather than move back to a phonics based instruction method, which works wherever it is used, education “specialists” told school districts to begin using the “Balanced literacy” term to fool parents into believing that districts were actually taking steps to address poor English instruction in the nation’s schools.
D11’s will not improve its performance in English by taking physical education away from its students. This short-sited and non-sensical move to address the literacy crisis in the district does not bode well for the direction that Gledich will lead this district. Unless he gets serious about the district’s curriculum choices (and there is no evidence that he is open to adopting the proven phonics instruction), then D11 students will continue to suffer, and D11 families will continue to flee the district, as they should.
Journals and vocabulary words in gym class. Gledich is being paid how much to come up with that foolhardy solution?
If your elementary age child complains that he/she is not getting much physical exercise during gym class, that is because he/she is not getting much exercise.
New Superintendent Nick Gledich has issued a decree that rather than focus on physical fitness during gym class, gym teachers are to spend class time EVERY DAY conducting literacy instruction. Students are now required to write in a journal during their limited physical education time.
The reason for this, of course, is because D11 is failing to properly teach its students how to read, write, or spell. While it is a given that kids today do not get enough physical activity, Gledich is under the mistaken notion that by not giving students the opportunity to enjoy any physical activity in their school day, they will suddenly become expert readers and spellers.
The problem with D11 English instruction, of course, is not that kids are not spending enough time in gym class constructing journals. First of all, who is going to grade these journals? English teachers in the district do not even take the time to correct spelling or grammar, or even logic, errors on student papers. I had en elementary teacher tell me that if teachers were actually expected to correct student mistakes, they would spend all of their time reviewing student papers. Oh, really? And how are students expected to know that their papers were full of spelling and grammar errors if these errors are not pointed out to them? By having students waste gym periods writing in journals that are likely not even going to be corrected, Gledich is simply requiring a futile exercise that might look good on his annual review, but one that will have no positive impact at all on student learning or achievement.
If D11 leaders are really serious about improving student performance in English literacy, there are real options available to them that will actually make an impact. D11 uses what it calls a “Balanced literacy” approach to teaching reading and spelling. This failed approach used to be called “Whole Language” instruction. Rather than move back to a phonics based instruction method, which works wherever it is used, education “specialists” told school districts to begin using the “Balanced literacy” term to fool parents into believing that districts were actually taking steps to address poor English instruction in the nation’s schools.
D11’s will not improve its performance in English by taking physical education away from its students. This short-sited and non-sensical move to address the literacy crisis in the district does not bode well for the direction that Gledich will lead this district. Unless he gets serious about the district’s curriculum choices (and there is no evidence that he is open to adopting the proven phonics instruction), then D11 students will continue to suffer, and D11 families will continue to flee the district, as they should.
Journals and vocabulary words in gym class. Gledich is being paid how much to come up with that foolhardy solution?
posted by Craig Cox | 7:13 PM
1 Comments:
Craig, google "Cheezar's" & "Inflated Dough" both owned by the Tanner family. They earned each $1,000 a week last year from D11. Check out D11's new financial transperency on-line. No other pizza vendors, except for Dominoes (also owned by Tanner). Accounts payable normally once a month. To Tanner, once a week. Tell us what you think.
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