Retarded

In keeping with my new theme of writing about what I know best, which is not US education policy, but about my direct experience, I am writing about an IEP meeting this past week.

For those fortunate enough to have never attended an IEP meeting, it's a meeting to discuss the eligibility and/or progress of a student with a disability. Most of my students have "Specific Learning Disabilities." This usually manifests as difficultly reading and, oddly enough, as difficulty maintaining relationships.

My IEP this week was horrible. We had to tell the kid he was "Mentally Retarded." He cried. His IQ is high enough to allow him self-knowledge of this situation. Actually, he seems just as intelligent as my students with Learning Disabilities.

I thought the label "retarded" was scientific, definitive. But, it turns out to be very subjective. I think he was tested a long time ago, scored quite low, and has kept the label. Psychologists are unwilling to retest students mostly because it is difficult work, and the only thing that changes is the label, not the underlying problem. But, I think it's worth it, because the label is so damaging.

Note: IQ tests for African American students (like this one), have been found to be, at the very least, "controversial." In Los Angeles schools, psychologists must use more than one test to prove MR eligibility.

Gone

One of my students died last night. He had a bad heart. Several transplants didn't seem to help. He seemed fine all year, a little weak, but I didn't think much of it. He had been out of school for several weeks. I heard the absence was due to a ruptured appendix, so I was shocked to get the email the morning.

That family has it rough. I heard they are about to lose their house, and they have another teenage son who suffers from traumatic brain injury after a recent car accident.

The funeral is on Monday, if they raise enough money.

Arne

In a last ditch effort to blog this month (on the very last day), I'm posting a recent profile of Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education . Although he was never a teacher, or even a principle, he manages to intuitively know what is best for America's public schools. As a charter school teacher, It's good to hear that he supports charters and even "merit pay". I am also happy to hear that, while states are going broke, federal funding is available for schools as part of the Race to the Top fund.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/02/01/100201fa_fact_rotella