Remedial Classes vs. Electives

(or It's My Blog so I'll Rant if I Want To #2)

On February 12, an editorial ran in the Albuquerque Journal. This paragraph, from the article, is in reference to Albuquerque Public Schools (APS):

“Last year 6,250 ninth- and 11th-graders tested as not proficient in English, 5,343 in math. This fall, high schoolers who don't test proficient in those core subjects will have to take remedial courses to get them up to speed. And unless schedules change, that remedial course will be in lieu of an elective.”

The editor goes on to express his opinion that this move is “vital . . . if all APS grads are going to become productive members of society.” His recommendation is for schools to switch to block schedules that would accommodate both remedial coursework and an elective of the student's choosing.

In today’s Journal there are eight student responses, from a social studies class at a local middle school. I understand these are middle school students, so I would not expect perfection in spelling, grammar, or logic. However, when I read their responses today, I was actually embarrassed for them, especially considering that they wrote these letters knowing that they would be published in the newspaper.

Their own letters to the editor, which were intended to dispute the proposed APS policy, are, instead, prime evidence for the policy’s necessity, in my opinion. Below are a few excerpts from the letters, with all spelling and grammar exactly as it was written. Of the eight letters, there were two that were well-written for middle-schoolers (one of which was the only one in favor of the new policy). Of the other six letters, the following excerpts are typical.

“Are teacher read this article on Monday and I and other kids in are class wasn’t very happy about it.”

“I didn’t like that they toke out are elective because I heard that there was really good electives in High School.”

“I think thats not fair to the kids that are chalened in those euents because what if they dont get a good score? What if you were that kid would you wont to have your eletive tooken away.”

“The “ALL WORK, NO PLAY” artical was a pice of crap.”

“If we have to do even more we are in trouble and so will our grades . . . Comeing from a kid myself belive me this wont help us, if anything it will get us more confused haveing to do like two math clases if we dont get such a good grade on that part of the test.”

Well . . .

What do you think? Might remedial coursework be in order?

Whine On, Santa Fe

Abutting Albuquerque on the northwest is the city of Rio Rancho. Most people here just think of it as a suburb of Albuquerque, but it is an incorporated city of its own. And it's a growing city. Recent estimates by the US Census Bureau indicate that it is now the third largest city in New Mexico, having bumped Santa Fe to fourth. (Albuquerque and Las Cruces are numbers one and two.)

I heard on the radio this morning that Santa Fe is whining that the numbers aren't fair. Why? Because the estimates didn't include the 13,000 undocumented (that's P.C. for illegal) immigrants who live in Santa Fe.

She Didn't Hear the "Beep"

Recently our favorite Albuquerque grocery store chain, Raley's, was bought out by another supermarket chain that Dan and I are not very fond of. So I have been trying out other stores in the area, in the hope of finding one I really like.

Friday, I went to this store that's not far from our house, for just a few items. As I watched the clerk ring up my purchases, I noticed her scanning one thing over and over, and on the screen I could see that I was, indeed, being charged over and over. I called it to her attention. "Well," she said, "I couldn't hear the beep." She deleted all but one of the charges for that item. Once those items were removed, and the screen scrolled a bit, I could see another item showing up multiple times. I mentioned it to her, as well. "Well, I can't hear the beep!" she said again, this time as if it was my fault. Finally she finished, and my total was $60 and some change. I'm pretty good at estimating the cost of my groceries, and I thought the charge should have been more like $40, but she shoved the slip at me to sign, and it wasn't itemized; she was holding the itemized receipt in her hand until I signed the charge slip. I signed it, but told her that I wasn't sure it was right, and that I wanted to stay there and look over the receipt to make sure. She shrugged, handed me the receipt and began helping the gentleman behind me.

When I reviewed the charges, I saw that there were two other purchases that had been rung up multiple times. In my head I calculated about $17 of overcharges, in addition to the ones she had deleted in "round one." I thought it was pretty funny that the two scrawny chicken legs I had purchased from the deli, for my lunch, ended up costing $9.48! I stood and waited until she was between customers, showed her the errors, and waited for her to ring up a refund slip (as she mumbled something under her breath, again, about not hearing the beep).

When she was done, she handed me $13 and some change, in cash. I knew the erroneous charges came to more like $17, so I asked to see the itemized refund slip. The refunds each had a negative sign in front of them; all but one of them. That one "refund" had mistakenly been rung up as a charge. So now, I explained (I could see the bewilderment in her eyes) she would need to first refund the amount of the new charge, and then refund it again, since it was supposed to have been a refund all along. I felt bad that we were holding up the progress of the express lane. When the clerk finally figured how much more she owed me, and handed me the additional $3.58, the next person in line grumbled, loud enough for me to hear, "I would have given her $4 if I'd have known that was all that was holding up the line." I told him I was sorry, but that it wasn't $4, but $17. "Well," he said, "I guess that's a little different."

I left the store with my cart of groceries and $17 in cash, grieving over the demise of Raley's in Albuquerque.

Tag, You're (not) It!

(Or, "It's My Blog, So I'll Rant if I Want To!")

I heard on the radio, the other morning, that a growing number of school districts around the country have banned kids from playing tag on the playground. Their reasons? First, the kids could get hurt; and second, "it causes self-esteem issues among the weaker and slower children." (FOXNews)

Now, I'm the first to be there, scooping up some kiddo who has fallen and hurt herself, wiping tears, plastering band-aids and offering kisses. Who doesn't hate to see a child get hurt?! On the other hand, scraped knees are as much a part of childhood as runny noses. And isn't tag a pretty benign introduction to the concept of winning and losing? ABC News did an unscientific poll of youngsters: Should tag be banned at school? Their response was a resounding "no." One kid summed it up this way: "You'll have nothing to do if they ban tag, because it's just not fun without tag." (ABC News)

I don't think anyone invented tag. No one has to teach it to a child. Running and chasing are instinctive activities to human children. Playing a game like tag helps kids learn to resolve disputes and to problem-solve on their own, not to mention the physical activity it encourages. I remember, for instance, all the rules that evolved on the playground because we, the kids, saw a need, agreed upon a solution and, then, enforced "our" rules. And if a child really is stressed out over tag, won't he/she naturally gravitate away from that game and on to the monkey bars, jump rope, or some other playground activity?

I feel sorry for kids today, in many ways. The "carefree days of childhood" are becoming a thing of the past (I know this is a generality, and not applicable to every mother's child). Their days, now, are over-scheduled, over-managed, over-analyzed and over-tested (don't get me going on that last one). Their days are lacking in free time, down time, spontaneity, and adventure.

Some of this reduced freedom is unavoidable and even prudent, because of dangers in today's society; I certainly understand that. But, as the adage goes, let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. Teach the kids about stranger danger. Be diligent in supervision. Know where your children are. Know their teacher, their friends and their friends' parents. But, for goodness sake (no, for their sake), let them play tag!