Thoughts On Teaching

We the sudents should not have to take this CAHSEE test . Or maybe at lease our freshman year but not or sophmore itz hard enoughh trying to keep your grades up and playing sports, and trying to graduate high school
AMS

Ok, well, try this on from a parent’s perspective. I am a parent of 2 kids, ages 16 and 9. Both are Special Ed kids. My 16 year old - despite constant encouragement from me - has not been able to pass either part of the CAHSEE. And she probably never will either. And her 9 year old brother is in the same boat. The problem is with the test, not with the schools. The exam is based on what is taught in REGULAR EDUCATION ONLY!!! NOT what is taught in Special Education, because what is taught in Special Education is MODIFIED!!! Jack O’Connell - the State Superintendent of Public Instruction - was the fool that developed the CAHSEE, completely ignoring Special Education students. While I do agree that there will be some in Special Education that will actually be able to pass the CAHSEE, there greater number of Special Ed students will not be able to pass it for the reason I just cited. In order for Special Education students to learn exactly what is taught on the exam would be to completely do away with Special Education classes, and place them all in Regular Education classes. If that were to happen, the lawsuits that would fly because of that would be just as bad if not worse that what CA is facing right now.

The CAHSEE is illegal because it discriminates against the disabled. It wasn’t until I educated myself that I found out just how wrong Jack O’Connell and Arnie really are. They need to get their heads out of the sand and get real. I have even had to take on the local school board, which is another story in itself. School boards and the state can not realistically say that they are providing a ‘free and appropriate education’ when the approriate part is thrown out the windo like this. They’d rather encourage immigrants to not use English to get by on a daily basis as opposed to helping the disabled. Better hope they don’t become disabled themselves.

SPECIAL ED…. LETS TALK ABOUT SPECIAL ED…

WUT THE FUCK. FUCK THIS TEST IIS RACIST DO UR RESEARCH U IDIOTS DONT TALK W/O KNOWING SCHOOLS SUCH AS RICHMOND HIGH IN CALIFORNIA DONT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO PASS THIS TEST AND OUR SCHOOL AINT IN PHYSICAL CONDITION SCREW CRACKERS BROWN IS TAKING OVER AND LATINOS ARE NOT THE MINORITY THEY ARE THE MAJORITY BY ALOT

Todd…

Special Ed students should either have alternative assessment testing or be exempted from the CAHSEE altogether. And, no, they should not be held accountable for what is never taught to them. Jack O’Connell refused to give any alternative assessment testing to the CAHSEE for Special Ed students.

As for receiving the ’same diploma that mainstream and AP students receive…’ I say yes. Yes, based on my above answer. It is not lessening anyone’s diploma. It is not a Special Ed student’s fault that Jack O’Connell is so elitist and discriminatory.

Jenny…I am not an idiot. I have done my research. My comments have nothing to do with racism. It has to do with Special Ed students and the CAHSEE. I live in California, and BOTH of my kids attend schools IN CALIFORNIA. I happen to be one of those ‘crackers.’ Meaning, I am white. But, that’s not what’s being discussed here. The physical condition of Richmond High or any other high school has nothing to do with a test, outside of the physical conditions being a distraction daily. The high school my oldest attends has been in grave disrepair for 20 plus years, which goes back to when I attended there. As far as browns and Latinos being the majority and taking over…perhaps the neighborhood you reside in looks like your high school student body…more browns and Latinos than ‘crackers.’ Some towns/cities all across the US have higher percentages of people of color other than white. Perhaps Richmond (City of) is that way. If you don’t like it, move. If you don’t like the way your high school looks, complain to the school board about it. You won’t effect change if you just sit there and keep your mouth shut. And name calling, along with racial slurs most certainly will get you nowhere, let alone respect.

Todd…handing out a diploma for progress (applies to Special Ed only) and for achievement of standards (Regular AND Special Ed)works here, since both apply. Special Ed students are achieving standards that the school districts have set forth - passing required courses and getting required credits. Regular Ed students that don’t pass the CAHSEE perhaps have some issue going on (possibly being lazy might apply here). But, I would like you to further explain your point of the 2 being mutually exclusive. I think I understand what you mean by it. But an explanation would be most helpful to make sure I am correctly understanding you.

Thanks…

If for some reason, you can’t access the above link, I will repost entire article here:

Taken from The Press-Enterprise, Sunday, April 23, 2006:

“California tests remain too rigorous

01:04Am PDT on Sunday April 23, 2006

By DEWAYNE MASON and GREGG NELSEN

That spring ritual is back — California standards tests measuring student learning under the State Testing and Reporting (STAR) program. Recent studies show that STAR’s language arts tests are unfair and innaccurate, leading to lower scores and unwarranted sanctions for hundreds of schools.

For nearly a decade, educators have complained about state testing in language arts. So we decided to examine writing assessment and language arts passages from the Department of Education Web site. We analyzed proficiency levels, used the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Scale on 50 California reading test passages and studied test passages from the Web sited of 35 other states.

We were amazed by the flaws we found last year. Thus we began our own spring ritual — warning the public about the pitfalls of these tests (”State exams flunk readability test,” May 1, 2005).

Until these tests are improved we’ll perform annual analyses, share our findings and urge state officials to do their jobs better.

Examination of this year’s reading passages (grades 2-6) found 71 percent with reading levels above grade. Moreover, 42 percent were beyond grade level by more than one year, and a staggering 29 percent exceeded grade by more than three years. California’s passages averaged 1.2 years above grade, higher than that of every other state studied — and almost half a year over passages from 2004.

Our findings from a writing test analysis were equally appaling. Fourth-grade California writing scores declined from 14 percent proficient in 2001 to less than 2 percent proficient in 2005. This logic-defying decline came as fourth-graders posted double-digit gains on their language arts scores - from 33 percent proficient in 2001 to 47 percent proficient in 2005.

Officials dropped California’s flawed writing results from their 2004-2005 Web site postings. Clearly, California students are not as low-achieving as the test suggests.

Most educators feel California’s standards need periodic revision — a process promised when standards were first adopted. Such a process would likely lead to refinement of language arts tests.

DeWayne Namson, a former UCR professor and Jurupa Unified School District assistant superintendent, is an art teacher and co-principal investigator of Mathematical ACTS, a National Science Foundation Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant. Gregg Nelsen, a former teacher and administrator at JUSD, is an educational consultant.”

End of article…

So, if I understand this right, either the STAR (I’ll include all other state madated tests here, CAHSEE included) test is seriously lacking in how it tests, or it shows students test scores to be so low so that the district can apply for more state and federal aid, or posts such high scores, that it manages to keep state and federal hands out of each individual district’s affairs and coffers. It also seems to imply that such testing is slanted to favor one group of kids over another. That generally tends to be a given with state mandated testing.

Since the STAR is so seriously flawed, then it would be a given that the CAHSEE is just as flawed, if not more so. Especially since Jack O’Connell devised the CAHSEE. The heat needs to continue to be applied to him, and people need to educate themselves about this. Jack O’Connell and the like need to get it that they will not continue to draw a nice cushy paycheck at the expense of my kids. While there should always be a set of standards to adhere to and acheive, thre should be considerations given to those that will never be able to reach goals that were never meant for them to reach in the first place.

Ok, I found some more articles from The Press-Enterprise, which I will post one at a time to make the reading easier…

First article -

‘Testing Tensions

Seniors should support their classmates’ quest to graduate
10:00PM PST on Saturday, April 1, 2006

By TOBIN BRINKER

Seniors at Colton High School are beginning to make waves about the Colton Joint Unified SChool District board’s decision to offer certificates of completiong to students who fail to pass the California High School Exit Exam.

The seniors’ primary concern seems to be that students will be allowed to participate in commencement activities without anything to distinguish true graduates from those who will receive a certificate of completion.

I wish some of those seniors were more politically engaged. I was a school board member last year when the board voted to offer certificates of completion and to allow nongraduates to participate in the commencement ceremony. It was a difficult decision, but the school board made the right decision for the following reasons:

First, according to CJUSD officials, the class of 2005 — tracking students across all four years of high school — has a 31 percent dropout rate.

With the added requirements of passign algebra and the exit exam, Colton is faced with an even larger number of potention dropouts.

Second, at a recent school board meeting the district reported that of the 1,413 enrolled seniors in the district, only 7776 non-special ed students have met the graduation requirements (credits and passing the exit exam).

Additionally, it was reported that about 110 students can still graduate if they pass the exit exam in May. Unfortunately, these students’ test results will not be available until after graduation. If the district prevented them from participating in graduation and learned later that they had met graduation requirements, it would be a tragedy.

Finally, it was reported that 183 students had passed the exit exam but did not have enough credits to graduate. To some degree, the Colton school distrcit has failed these students.

If a student can pass the high school exit exam, the student should have been able to pass his or her courses. The fact that 183 students don’t have enough credits to finish high school suggests that the district dropped the ball.

The last issue that needs to be clarified is that only students who successfully complete all of the graduation requirements except passing the exit exam will be allowed to participate in the commencement ceremony. These students will ahve met every requirement that last year’s graduates had to meet, in addition to passing algebra.

To make these students ineligible to participate in the commencement ceremony seemed cruel. And to allow them to participate in the ceremony but to single them out seemed equally harsh.

These students should be encouraged to continue. They are so close, and we must provide incentives and opportunities for them to achieve that final step — a high school diploma. That is what this year’s senior class should be fighting for; they should be fighting for their classmates to succeed.

Tobin Brinker is a former member of the Colton JOint Unified School District Board of Education.

http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/localviews/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_D_op_0402_brinker_iv_loc.318f2da.html

End of this article

Next article…

“Degree of doubt

Plenty of employers and colleges will accept students who fail the test and lack a diploma

12:42 AM PDT on Sunday, April 9, 2006

By STEVE FETBRANDT
The Press-Enterprise

Inland seniors who have yet to pass the California High School Exit Exam and are concerned about their future without a diploma might have little to worry about, a Press-Enterprise survey suggests.

Representatives at a sampling of Inland businesses, corporartion, universities and other public institutions said nongraduates can land unskilled, entry-level jobs, continue to higher education or join the military. Employers from small retailers to major department store chains, said they don’t require a high school diploma for nonprofessional positions.

Respondents said the diploma is one factor in their hiring and that they must balance their applicants’ education with manpower needs and the worker pool.

‘On our application, it’s optional to fill in the education section,’ Wal-Mart spokesman Dan Fogelman said. ‘They (nongraduates) certainly would have opportunities to work for our stores, and many do.’

Riverside County employs about 17,000 workers, and nearly all of the nonprofessional positions do not require a high school diploma.

‘Basically, we have de-emphasized diplomas and degrees as indicators of skill position for some time,’ said Ron Komers, the county’s director of human resources.

‘For most of our jobs, we focus on what the jobs require in terms of skills, knowledge and ability, and we test those directly,’ he said.

Komers said the county determined many years ago it was better off testing directly for English, math and spelling skills rather than relying on a piece of paper from high school that does not prove ability.

California schools Superintendent Jack O’COnnell said in a February interview that high school diplomas are still valuable. O’Connell has talked to many employers and they have told him that a diploma is still important to them in their hiring, his spokeswoman, Tina Jung, said by phone.

UNNECESSARY STRESS?

The California School Boards Association originally estimated that nearly 100,000 seniors statewide would not receive a diploma this June for failing the test and consequently would not be considered graduates. That number has dropped by about 25,000 because Gov. Schwarzenegger signed a law in January exempting special-education students for one year.

For the rest, many Inland school districts will issue certificates of competion or achievement - not diplomas - to seniors who otherwise meet graduation requirements. The consolation prize doesn’t cut it though, with many young people who’ve grown up equating a diploma with the Holy Grail.

Tiffany Smith, an 18-year-old senior at Banning High School in Riverside County, has not passed the math portion of the exit test. Tiffany said she does not want to be left behind in the job market.

‘It would be a struggle for me my whole life,’ she said.

Likewise, classmate Diana Felix, 18, a senior who recently passed the state test after taking a special preparation class offered by the school, said getting a sdiploma translates to a better career and better pay.

O’Connell agrees. The schools chief said he introduced the exit exam to restor value to the diploma. Requiring students to pass the test to earn their diplomas ensures employers that today’s seniors can read, write, and solve basic math problems, he said.

‘The diploma should not simply be a certificate of seat time,’ he said in an interview. ‘Having a diploma should mena that students have a higher level of communication skills and better math skills.’

O’Connell, who as a legislator drafted the bill creating the test, said graduates could expect to earn a decent living from a high school diploma only a few decades ago.

‘Letting students graduate today without even basic skills leaves them defenseless and unable to survive in the world of tomorrow…,’ he said in a recent speech. ‘And that is not just costly, it is immoral.’

COLLEGE OPTION

Officials at Inland colleges and universities said they would not rule out admitting someone lacking a high school diploma.

Bill Marchese, spokesman for Mt. San Jacinto College, which serves southwestern Riverside COunty, the San Jacinto Valley and San Gorgonio Pass areas, said the only requirement to enroll in any California community college is that the student be 18 or older. Community college graduates can transfer to a university.

While UC Riverside and Cal State San Bernardino applicants typically must have a diploma or equivalent and meet grade-point-average and standardized-test requirements to enroll, those institutions say they have flexibility to set local policy.

“It’s possible that even though a student has not passed the California High School Exit Exam, they may be accepted on the strength of their application,” UCR spokesman Ricardo Duran said.

Duran said the university is developing new criteria, recognizing this as a transition yeat. The California State University system also is looking into a new policy to deal with students who’ve failed the exam.

TRAINING IS TOPS

U.S. Department of Labor data lists very few blue-collar, unskilled jobs that require a high-school diploma. Many employers offer on-the-job training.

Jack Brown, president and chief executive officer of Stater Bros. Markets, said many of his employees start as part-timers, while still in school. Nearly 40 applicants a week go through the store’s checker-training program.

“We’re basically an up-from-within company, so we very seldom hire people who have not come up through our entry-level ranks,” said Brown, whose company employs 13,300 of its 17,000 workers in the Inland area. “We evaluate their ability to perform on the job.”

At U.S. Rubber Recycling Inc. in Riverside, which manufactures high-tech rubber-flooring products for sports use and employs more than 30 people, the marketplace determines the value of an educational certificate.

In the Inland area it is difficult to find qualified workers for entry-level jobs, said Rick Snyder, president and chief executive officer.

“It would be tough to reject applicants just because they lack a diploma,” he said.

Jack Joned Trucking Inc. in Chino has more than 100 employees. {resident Valerie Liese said while drivers must be at least 21 years old, she would have no problem hiring an applicant with a certificate of completion, especially because drivers are in short supply.

“We like to see at least a high-school diploma, but as long as they can read street signs and map books, I’d be thrilled,” Liese said.

A recent survey by the Yucaipa Chamber of COmmerce of 400 members found that larger businesses and corporations with their own training programs are more likely than smaller businesses to hire high school seniors who have less than a diploma or General Educational Development certificate.

Some employers, such as The Home Depot, ask for the number of years of education completed and the types of degrees or certificates earned, but few inquire specifically about the diploma.

Even when a job applicant does ask, such as Sears’ online form, employers say they often hire nongraduates anyways.

UNCLE SAM AND THE EXAM

In the past, the armed forces accepted only diplomas or GED certificates. Today, they also consider certificates of completion.

The U.S. Department of DEfense started studying the issue nearly five years ago as exit exams took hold across the nation. Nearly half the states now use some form of the testing, said Terry Backstrom, education-service specialist for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.

Under updated Army recruiting rules, applicants who complete all graduation credits but fail the state test must be at least six months beyond their high school completion date and present a school official’s letter verifying they met all requirements except for passing the state exam.

Janice Hagar, spokeswoman for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, said individuals are evaluated on a case-by-case basis for enlistment, and failing the exit exam does not automatically disqualify an applicant.

Those who failed the exam and lack a diploma can enlist six months after their class’ graduation date if the applicant has attended class through the last day of his senior year and completed all classroom requirements to graduate.

Hagar said the Corps does not expect that California’s exit exam will affect its recruiting efforts.

TIME WILL TELL

Employers and educators say time will determine the exit exam’s value.

“I’d say there is value in having completed four years of high school,” Riverside COunty ’s Kormer said. “I would say there is further value demonstrated by being a graduate or passing the high school proficiency test.”

Mike Chavez, spokesman for Californians for Justice, which opposes the exit exam, said the high school diploma remains a worthwhile goal.

“Our larger concerns are whether all students have access to a quality education, good teachers and enough textbooks,” he said.

Jim Lanich, president of Sacramento-based California Business for Education Excellence, which supports the exam, said that before the California High School Exit Exam, the diploma only proved that a student sat in a classroom for 13 years.

With the state test, it now shows that its owner can add and subtract at a seventh-grade level and read and write at least at a 10th-grade level.

“It’s the absolute minimum,” he said.

Staff writer Jim Miller contributed to this report.

Reach Steve Fetbrandt at (951) 763-3473 or sfetbrandt@PE.com

http://www.pe.com/localnews/pass/stories/PE_News_Local_S_diplomas09.3d9db31.html

End of this story…

Lol, Todd. I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at myself, because after I just posted #13…which took forever to type out…I thought the same thing you just mentioned…post the link only…easier for sure…

‘Second Lawsuit filed agains California’s exit exam’

I tried to find the link in the PE for this one, and came up empty. But at least the title is there, if you can find the link in the PE, the please paste it here. Thanks. That articale was published on April 18, 2006.

‘Multiple-choice Education’
http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/localviews/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_D_op_0423_james_iv_loc.3c027b3.html

And hopefully, sometime Monday, when I have had enough rest and such, I will be able to respond to your comments as well, Todd. Sometimes when I post my thoughts on something, it makes sense at the moment. Then when someone else posts a differing viewpoint, their makes more sense to me. And it ends up being that what they said what what I meant to say, but worded it so completely wrong.

I say that the CAHSEE is poorly constructed because ethically, morally, consciously, legally it is. To a point it does measure a student’s ability in math and ELA. But, it tests ONLY Regular Ed students, NOT Special Ed. Therefore, it is poorly constructed, because this is clearly a test that is flawed, and poorly designed, and does not take into consideration Special Ed whatsoever. The CAHSEE is based on what is taught in Regular Ed classes ONLY. Special Ed courses are MODIFIED. So, tell me how Special Ed kids can pass a test that is not based on what they are taught? As a teacher, I’d think you’d see this. Even if a student passes all required courses and earns all required credits, and yet fails the CAHSEE, said student is never given a diploma, no matter how many attempts to pass are given. Students are given ONLY 6 attempts, period, no matter what O’Connell may say otherwise. The man can’t count to 6, and it shows.

A diploma would mean one and the same for students who pass vs. those (primarily Special Ed) who don’t. As long as both have done everything the district has asked of them (passing course/credit requirement), then the only thing separating them would be passing the CAHSEE. Why should a Special Ed student be expected to pass an exam that was not designed with them in mind? There are no alternatives to the CAHSEE for Special Ed, period. O’Connell refuses to devise any. Simply because he refuses to admit he screwed up huge. And that he doesn’t have a heart.

Special Ed students - many of them - have learning levels far below their current grade level. My 16 year old is in 11th grade, and her math and reading grades are MORE than 2 grades below 11th. She is passing all district required courses (she gets an A/B average in ALL courses) and getting all district required credits. Only thing preventing her from getting her diploma is the CAHSEE, despite all our best efforts to help her. Her diploma would not be ‘just a piece of paper showing nothing more than 13 years of seat time.’ So, tell me how in the world she would even begin to pass an exam knowing this? And it’s not just my 16 year old that was born like this. Yet O’Connell wants to punish her and her sibling and all others like them simply for the way they were born. HELLO!!! They didn’t have a choice. O’Connall has a choice. Yet he chooses to continue to be the arrogant, ignorant, unsympathetic, uncaring, insensitive fool that he shows himself to be.

Yet, the flip side is that a diploma does NOT prove ability or skills. Just because someone can do simple 10th grade math and read at an 8th grade level, doesn’t mean they have the ability or skill to do construction work. Not everyone knows how to use a Skilsaw. So, the math/reading levels wouldn’t mean jack in construction. How many illiterate people are out there that wing wing their way through such jobs? Illiterate being someone my age (I’m 40) or older who has a diploma but can’t spell diploma, yet alone read the word. Now, that’s an outrage right there.

Amber mentions sports in her post on here about the CAHSEE…sports are not a necessity as it directly relates to education…they are called ‘extra-curricular’ for a reason…I say we should completely do away with all of the extra-curricular foo foo stuff like after school sports - football, volleyball, tennis, etc…until we master the reading writing and arithmetic portion which makes up the meat and bones of an education. As for all of these state and federally madated tests - STAR, CAPA, CAHSEE - completely do away with those as well, because kids are spending far too much class time prepping for such tests alone, that they aren’t learning what they really ned to learn…which is what some - if not all - of such tests seek to test. As for AP tests, that’s completely different, because AP tests are based on actual class subjects, and students taking such classes are college and university bound. Thus the AP tests.

hi, i go to a private school, This is just a kid’s perspective. So I’ve never really felt stressed about taking a test, especially something like the CAHSEE compared to the SAT. Honestly, the CAHSEE tests only up to 8th grade math and 10th grade english, which isn’t as horrible as you guys make it sound. I think we should have the CAHSEE. I actually think they should make it harder, because only knowing up to eighth grade math and tenth grade math isn’t that good if you have been to school up to 12th grade. I don’t think the test is discriminating anyone other than special ed people. It’s up to the student to learn and the teacher to teach (which I’ll admit not all teachers do).
Also, about the special ed thing, it would be quite difficult to make a test that would be fair to both special ed and regular ed kids. All we can do about that is make 2 tests. One for regular ed kids, one for special ed kids. I don’t know. This is just my opinion.

Also, I don’t love tests, but anyone who writes with all capital letters about how much they hate the test is just plain weird. =)

As a senior in high school whom passed the test her first time, i must say the test is not very difficult. There is no reason why anyone should not pass the test if they truly understand it. Many students complain that they don’t remeber the material , they freeze on tests and that the test is bias. i am latina living in avery low income neighborhood attending a school that is at risk at being taken over by the gevernment because our score aren’t high enough. i am not a straight “A” student and i struggle in math. the way i see it is, if you can’t pass and 8th/ 10th grade level test, how are you supposed to survive in the real world? i know i don’t wnat someone who can not do his/her 12 times tables to be trying to give me change after i purchase somehting. i know i don’t someone who can not comprehend a tenth grade level of reading/ gramatical structure reading my job application. There are alternatives. every school is required to give extra help to those who do not pass the test. i know my school emphasises on every student passing the test(thanks to our new pricipal). I understand there are studnets who struggle and feel it is not fair, but there is help. all you have to do is want it.

The help is not easily accessible for Special Ed. As for it being easy to pass…based on what exactly? NOt every school district provides help, even when constantly asked for. Special Ed is midified in every form from Regular Ed. Those of you that are students and say it’s easy to pass or whatever, you don’t have the first clue as to how Special Ed really is. Many people survive in the real world with less than an 8th grade math level. Being Latina has nothing to do with any of this. Jack O’Connell is ignorant and has no heart. Do your research before you make another post on here. I have done mine.

I don’t know… One thing about special ed is that, while I’m all for using alternative approaches for kids with different learning needs, I don’t know that they should be exempted from basic adacemic requirements. Certainly they should get the resources they need to learn more effectively(smaller classes, physical accomodations, more structured environment, etc.). Is a learning disabled student more deserving of a diploma than one with no learning disabilities but a low-normal IQ and identical academic skills and level of motivation?

I’m all for awarding certificates of completion, allowing graduation ceremony participation, etc., but if someone with 2nd grade level academic skills has a diploma, it DOES lessen the value for everyone else.

My cousin is chronologically 21 but mentally about 12 years old. CAHSEE did not affect her. She has a diploma but is not qualified for any job that would require a high school diploma. There is no way that she would pass a GED. She is also either minimally emplyable or unemployable. Some of this comes from her poor reading and very poor math skills(she would have trouble counting what coins could make up 73 cents), but more of it comes from social and emotional immaturity, which the test doesn’t measure.

Her high school diploma helps her get interviews, but the only jobs she has ever received were through a job coaching program. Of these, she was either fired for flakiness/mouthing off or quit because they told her to do something she didn’t want to do. Even if she was more motivated and mature though, she couldn’t maintain a job that involved any kind of unexpected situations or required critical thinking.

Her diploma hasn’t helped her, and it has hurt those who are able to complete a regular ed high school program but who aren’t able to get a college degree, because if anyone can get a diploma, it is no longer a meaningful signal. One thing that I dislike about some(not all) special ed programs is that they presume that the students are incapable of learning rather than merely requiring a different approach. My cousin started in regular ed but was a poor student. In 6th grade, she had 3rd grade level skills and transferred to special ed. In the next 6 years, her skills did not significantly improve(unlike earlier when they were improving, but more slowly than normal), which makes me wonder if she would have been better off just dropping out of regular ed.

Heck, ok I give up. I NEVER said that having less than an 8th grade level in anything was/is something to aspire to or brag about. I mention it as an acknowledgment that there are many who have gone before with that level or less of an education and are holding down jobs they shouldn’t be. While others will use ethinicity as a ‘reason’ to use for why they are having difficulty in passing this exam.

As for jumping all over O’Connell, show me how/where/why he doesn’t deserve it? He refuses to even devise alternatives to the CAHSEE for Special Ed students. There are those - Regular AND Special Ed - that are truly lazy, and don’t care about their education, and won’t even put in the effort to try to learn and get somewhere.

Dropping out isn’t the answer either. It means that one didn’t finish the task assigned to them. Maybe what everyone would like to see happen is have kids like mine just institutionalized once they finish the required ‘13 years of seat time’ so that they are no longer an embarassment to any of you. Enjoy having your taxes continue to skyrocket because of it. And keep voting Jackie baby into office, because he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about anyone other than himself and the paycheck he receives at the expense of everyone else. Cold hearted fool he is.

My point is that I am tired of people making blanket statements, instead of being more specific. Statements along the lines of that the CASHEE isn’t so hard, how tough it is to learn let alone test in a school that is literally falling apart, being Latin/African American/etc to use as an excuse for not passing the CAHSEE, etc. You get the idea I’m sure. If I am not expected to ‘just to such extreme conclusions’ then none else should either. Yet, other have and continue to do so. And mine wasn’t even a ‘leap of logic/ or a ‘jump to conclusions.’ By discriminating against the disabled like the CAHSEE does, then, they (the disabled)will drop out of school get pregnant, go ont Welfare, be institutionalized, and the like. Which drives up the cost of everything. Personally, I am tired of having my taxes go up because people refues to have a heart for the disabled. And Jack O’Connell refuses to devise any alternative assessments for the disabled, and refuses to exempt the disabled from the CAHSEE. What makes him so dang special? The same thing that makes Arnie special. NOTHING!!! I take responsibility for my kids’ education, and have tried every damn thing possible to help them pass. I can do only so much, especially when I have asked my kids’ teachers for extra help, tutoring etc all to no avail. It falls on deaf ears. Even the school board here is continuing to sit on their hands and not help either.

I’m sorry, but we can’t change everything just because you want it that way. Not to be mean, but Special Ed is called special ed for a reason. That means they are different from regular ed. I’ll admit that our school system is absolutely horrifying (at least in my opinion) which you can disagree if you’d like, but if that were the only reason, that would mean that everybody in one school would all fail the CAHSEE because the teachers don’t teach. Why are there students that pass and fail from the same school? Because some might work harder than others. Not everybody deserves to do well in the future when they slack off like that in high school. If the students are lazy in high school, too bad. I don’t care about them because being lazy is their choice.

I never said to change things because I want it that way. Duh, lil, I know why Special Ed is called Special Ed, ok? I know they are different. What is your point on either one of those? The school system being horrifying is not the only reason, and I have never said it was. The are other things that factor into why some kids pass a test or fail a test. Why are there students from the same school that pass/fail? Because the ones that pass apply themselves, whereas the ones that fail tend to be lazy and slackers. Does this apply to Special Ed students as well? You bet it does. But, those in Special Ed that fail are far and few between than are Regular Ed. I know this for a fact to be true. I agree that not everyone deserves to do well post high school when they slack off in school. Because my eldest is unable to pass the CAHSEE (she’s in Special Ed), does that mean she’s slacking of fin school? Hell no!!! NOr does it mean that her 13 years of schooling are nothing more than ’seat time.’ SHe busts her butt to get ALL required credits AND pass ALL required classes. I do my level best and then some to help her pass the CAHSEE. You have to realize that Special Ed classes are MODIFIED from the Regular Ed curricula, therefore Special Ed students are NOT taught what is on the CAHSEE. And my kids are not lazy either, and I don’t care about the lazy, slacker students either.

Hey i think the cahsee is not cool because what if you pass your classes like math and english and you still dont pass the cahsee so i think that we should be taking that test.

And the CAHSEE is yet another in a series of tests/exams that takes up precious actual learning time. Teachers and students time are both wasted because the teachers are now forced to ‘teach to the test’ and students are forced to ‘learn to the test.’ Which again reinforced the ‘13 years of seat time’ remark from Jack. If he doesn’t want ‘13 years of seat time,’ then either devise alternative assessment testing for Special Ed students like mine, or exempt them outright from taking the CAHSEE. The ONLY Special Ed students that should not be exeempted from the CAHSEE are the lazy, slacker, troublemaking ones. There are other ways, I’m sure, of holding schools, students, teachers and parents (ones that don’t care etc)accountable. Devising more and more tests is NOT the way to do it, because kids are not learning a thing. Subjects such as music appreciation, history, art appreciation, etc now have no value, and are falling to the wayside, because of tests like the CAHSEE. I can understand having AP classes, and testing for those classes. Those are necessary.

Fuck the CAHSEE!!!! I Just got the note back that I Failed The Math section of the CAHSEE. I got a 336 out of 350. Fucking Test is a crap of garbage.

Could be worse Joh. Try being my 16 year old, whom has yet to break the 300 point barrier of EITHER portion of the CAHSEE. And, come to find out, the CAHSEE prep class here where we live, is being done ONLY as a summer school class. Why should my daughter have to give up a big chunk of her summer because the school district doesn’t want to yank her out of 1 class per day during the regular school year to tutor her? The district is going to be spending far more money than is necessary to have the prep class, as well as transport her to/from summer school. And that is despite the fact they more than bellyached over the fact that their new $50 million high school has gone $10 million OVER BUDGET, and they are bellyaching about how to fund the extra $10 million. AND, they want to have the city share the cost of putting in a $2 million swimming pool at the new high school. The city said no, citing the fact that the school district poorly planned to have additional funds in reserve in the event things came up with the construction of the high school itself. So, I don’t feel sorry for the school district. They have plenty of property that they own that can be sold to help cover the costs. I know this because I have attended enough board meetings where such things have been discussed. And they’re going to pull this prep class thing? How are they paying for it? I’d love to see what their ‘reasoning’ will be now.

I think CAHSEE should not count as getting a High School Diploma. It should be only be a test how teachers teach students the entire year.Specially for 9, 10, and 11th graders they shouldn’t be taking the CAHSEE.They get depressed more than then Seniors.Also,Seniors get depresses and there’s where they start dropping-off of school.I think you should really think about this,and what harm and depression were putting our kids on.My 16 year old daugther doesn’t even eat nomore of just thinking about the CAHSEE and always blaming her self she’ll forget everything during the test.Us as parents should make a diferrence seeing our child in this situation.

No kidding, Silent. Make the teachers take the CAHSEE, and see what their scores end up being. Then, maybe they will see how tough it is for kids. Especially when you’re talking specifically about Special Ed kids like mine. Don’t make my kids responsible for being born with a disability. It is not their fault that their schools, some teachers, and the district as a whole fail these kids miserably on a daily basis. As for us parents making a difference seeing our kids in this situation…what do you think I am doing? I am doing that very thing. Why else would all of my posts here and elsewhere prove abundantly clear that I am fighting FOR my kids and I AM making a difference.

Ok, Todd, you win. Apparently, I was born last night. And I don’t know a damn thing. Yet again, and this being implied by someone that doesn’t know 2 monkeys about me. Or how I feel/think. Just reads into my posts and makes more out of them that what the real actual intent was/is. You can take my posts however you want to. You will anyways. Who am I to stop you from doing so? I have NEVER been against mainstream kids taking the CAHSEE. So where you jumped in logic on that one is beyond me.

So, in closing, I say fine whatever. Y’all are right. Have it your way. Which in turn means I fail my kids every damn day and that all I do is pass the buck. As soon as y’all live in my household 24/7, stop making posts as though you do when you don’t. None of you know the first thing that goes on in my household. I am not passing the buck nor faillng my kids. Why else would I have asked for specific CAHSEE-related courses be provided for my 16 year old when I did her annual IEP earlier this spring? Was it so that I could pass the buck? Why make her give up 6 weeks of her summer to take the CAHSEE prep course and exam? Summer school should be only for those whom have failed a class or lacking a credit for them to get that taken care of. NOT to have to be punished for meeting everything the district has required, because they don’t want to give the extra CAHSEE tutoring DURING the actual school year. NO, they’d rather spend extra $$$ on this during the summer, and spend extra $$$ to bus these kids for it. So, yeah, that makes a buttload of sense to do. Especially when their newly built high school ran $10 million over budget due to poor planning by the school board, and they want the City to fund half of the cost of a new swimming pool at the high school. City turned them down cold.

‘Their schools, some teachers, and the district as a whole fail these kids miserably on a daily basis’ is just that. School in grave disrepair, SOME teachers (obviously NOT all) don’t give 2 monkeys - and I can think of several teachers that either one of my kids have had over the years that clearly are in - and still are - the wrong line of work because of their obvious lack of patience and telling me that I’m the stubborn and hard headed one because I don’t want my kids at a certain school at the time because it was year round and I kept hearing the broken record of it going to traditional calendar. One such teacher gave me grief, to which I said ‘Fine, ok, let’s put my child there, have him go year round, constantly passing out from heat exhaustion, missing school because of it. Now what? Are you going to do his homework for him? Are you going to pay the related medical bills? I didn’t think so. So, I suggest you either put up or shutup.’ That teacher chose to shutup. Don’t presume to tell me how to parent my child or call into question my doing what is in his medically best interests, unless you intend on paying the medical bills, which is the basic gist of what I told that teacher, and will tell any other teacher my children get if they pull that on me again.

Granted, yes the public education system could use a good insulting now and then. For the most part, it is a good system. It’s the bad parts of it - especially where I live - that get the constant stream of insults from me. Because they deserve it more often than not. When they stop insulting my kids and I, especially when we are standing up for what is the right thing, and they stop treating me as though I was born last night simply because I don’t have one (sarcasm intended here) of their precious little degrees behind my name.

I am sure there is some good in the CAHSEE, I am only ‘anti’ CAHSEE as there is currently no alternative for Special Ed. And Mr. O’Connell refuses to devise any. I don’t think a permanent amnesty for Special Ed is the answer, Todd. I think your point that you make about adding/subtracting standards according to the student’s IEP is the first step in the right direction. And I couldn’t have said that one better myself, Todd. That is the very thing I was trying and still am trying to say all along. Diplomas would obviously be different. But, at least it is a diploma that a child EARNED based on the standards they learned, and were actually taught, and were tested on.

Mr. O’Connell and all of his following need to realize that Special Ed curricula is NOT Regular Ed curricula. Therefore, Special Ed in is no way, and can never be held accountable for learning standards they are never taught. That is not the fault of Special Ed, but yet they are being punished for it. It would be no skin off of my nose if either one of my kids were given a diploma and were exempted from the CAHSEE requirement. I feel that it does not devalue my diploma by giving my kids diplomas purely based on that they fulfilled every requirement (passing required courses and getting all required credits) that their district of attendance required of them. I have a friend whom is severely learning disabled, and deaf, and he was given a diploma when we graduated from high school 23 years ago. Does that mean that my diploma has lost its value? No, not at all. He worked for his diploma perhaps harder than some, if not most of our classmates did for theirs. And this was obviously long before the CAHSEE was even a thought.

Thank you for the kind words about the back and forth idea posting thing. Just saying what needs to be said, with all of the posts, what I have been trying all along to say, ends up being put into words the right way. Generally by you, Tood. Thanks for the help. I don’t always say what I want to say the right way because I can’t think of the right way to say it or the right words to use. But, I always know that the basic point is understood. Thanks again, Todd.

it sucks

in san clemente high school the topic for the wirtten portion of the CAHSEE was to write about something you obsurved very closely and discrive it and i failed it.

it was so hard on both parts of the CAHSEE the english and math. A teacher told me to try hard even though it wasnt going to help me cause i was a loser. i felt really bad when she said that it isn’t my fault that i got straight F’s on all of my classes. i told the principal but he said he couldn’t do anything without prof of what she said. if there is anyone out there that can help me sue my school holla at my at my space.com

any help will be helpful thank you!

WHAT I THINK ABOUT THE CAHSEE IS THAT PEOPLE DONT REALLY NEED IT BEACAUSE IT’S STUPID AND IT’S FUCKEN LAME . SO PEOPLE THAT DO IT ARE FUCKEN STUPID O.K. ! SO KEEP THE TROUBLE UP AND FUCK SCHOOL K ALRATO PEROS !!!!!!

I agree with Todd. And comment #42 and #43 have nothing to do with this thread. Patty Gomez shows just how juvenile she is by posting that nonsense.

So, Rolando, what you are telling me is that my 16 year old is stupid because she taking the CAHSEE because the State demands that she takes it? I am here to tell you that my 16 year old is in no way stupid. Granted, she was born with a learning disability, but that by no means is in any way to be taken as that she is stupid. The ones that are stupid are ones whom have access to what is taught on the CAHSEE, which my daughter does not have access to, as she is in Special Ed classes, which are modified. She had to give up most of her summer to take the CAHSEE prep classes, which was not fair to her nor to me because we had to give up 6 weeks of our summer for something that should be done during the normal 9 month school year. So, who is the stupid one there? It’s the school district because they are spending more money for this, especially in my district when the new high school ran $10 million OVER BUDGET and the school board is bellyaching about it. Don’t punish my kids like this for a school board’s screw up. Which is precisely what that amounted to.

Here’s a teacher’s perspective:
First, a bit of background. I have taught at an inner-city urban school (L.A.), and an upper-middle-class suburban school (San Diego). I have taught grades 9-12, college prep, Honors, AP, yearbook, SAT prep, English Language Development, and CAHSEE prep. I have a Master’s degree in Education, I am nationally Board Certified, and also teach an Education methods class at the local university.
I believe in teacher and student accountability. I believe in a fair and equitable education for all students. And I believe in teaching my students to be critical readers, writers, and thinkers.
There should be ways to hold students and teachers accountable, but I don’t think the CAHSEE is the best way to do it.
Fair and equitable does not necessarily mean the CAHSEE or “no child left behind,” as Bush defines it. While I think his intentions are good, the literal practicality of NCLB is flawed. To me, leaving no child behind means to treat each of my students as human beings, to personalize and differentiate my teaching for each student, and to facilitate their educational progress as best as I can. However, this seems not to be NCLB’s aims in practical terms.
Many students come from homes and neighborhoods with scarce resources; these families have neither the money nor the time to give their children educational experiences before sending them to kindergarten and beyond. In addition, since schools receive much of their funding from the property taxes of homes in the area, these same students often attend schools with the same paucity of resources. If all students, teachers, and schools are to be evaluated with the same assessment tool (such as the STAR and the CAHSEE), shouldn’t all the students, teachers, and schools have the same opportunities, monetary support, and educational ability level?
The CAHSEE and NCLB does not take into account that every student is different, with different needs, successes, and challenges. The government says, “give those children more support” but then does not give enough monetary support to create programs and hire professionals to help them. To require students who have been in this country less than a year, some who cannot read or write in their native language, to pass the CAHSEE in English to graduate is preposterous. To require students who have learning disabilities to pass the CAHSEE at the same level as a student with no disabilities is cruel. It is not fair or equitable. These students do not come to school with equal abilities or knowledge, yet they are required to test at an equal level.
And yes, some school districts are poorly run, and some school boards would rather fight than work for our students. But in the end, who suffers for the mistakes of the adults? The students.
As a reaction to these tests, what is happening in many classrooms and school districts is not education. Education is being thrown out the window in favor of mere test preparation, of packaged skill-and-drill programs, of clean and neat ways to “teach” students how to read and write. Soon we will have a nation of people who will know how to pass multiple-choice tests and on-demand essays, but will not know how to think creatively and critically.
And, as you may have seen in the students’ comments, tests reduce students to numbers. They take away all humanity, and many students are left feeling hurt, angry, and dumb. So, instead of showing the achievement of students, oftentimes the tests compound the students’ issues with school, and create blocks to the students’ receptivity to learn new material.
The state requires districts to give extra support for students who have not been successful on the CAHSEE; as such, I am the teacher of what is deemed as a CAHSEE prep course. I have organized the course as a reading, writing, thinking course instead of a test-prep workbook course. Many of the students in my class are limited English proficient and/or have learning disabilities. These students work very hard, they try to be patient, and they try to learn the material. However, many of these students just cannot process the information, or they cannot sit still for the test, or they don’t know the English language well enough for the test. I see that this test is leaving them behind despite their best efforts.

Kids in an English class less than a year is a moot point here. They know enough English to take the test. Dump them into a total English immersion class. They choose to play stupid as though they don’t In many of the countries that these kids come from, English is a mandatory subject. So, their not knowing the language doesn’t wash with me nor with most people. And their parents choose to not learn the language of this country because they want to not only be lazy, but they alse expect us as Americans to cater to them. Or they know the language, yet refuse to address any American in English. I have had both happen to me.

As I have stated before, Special Ed kids do not and never will have access to what is actually taught on the CAHSEE, because their curriculum is nodified from the mainstream. Mr. O’Connell still refuses to devise an alternate version of the CAHSEE. He will never have a heart or compassion. He only cares about his bottom line - that fat cushy paycheck at the expense of kids like mine. Well, once my kids finish their required ‘13 years of seat time’ they will leave high school never to return. Really sad that that is what my kids are reduced to - nothing more than chair warmers. Mr. O’Connell needs to go back to school.

About sending the wrong message, Todd. If you mean that to apply ONLY to Regular Ed kids, then, I have no problem with that. Simply because far more of them than Special Ed don’t put in the effort required to pass classes, earn required credits, and don’t give 2 monkeys about a test that won’t mean squat in the real world.

Now, if you want to apply that same statment to Special Ed kids, then I strongly disagree. Because the simple fact is that Special Ed kids have so many negatives working against them from day one out of the womb. Special Ed kids on a 504 plan are generally ones that are behavior problem kids. IEP kids are vastly different. Behavior can be controlled with medicine and such. Why send such a megative message to an IEP Special Ed kid like either one of mine, when they have enough negative in their lives to begin with? It just shoots down even further any self esteem, self respect, self worth, etc that they may have had right on down into the rain drain. ANd I for one will NOT tolerate such negative messages being sent to my kids.

And, my kids know that they can do anything they set their minds and hearts to. If they want to be brain surgeons, well, then that’s what they will be. Although, that is not something that interests either one of them. And they could care less about that line of work to begin with. My kids want to help other, but not in that fashios, because you have to have a brain before a surgeon can fix it. So, there you go.

Todd, Shut the hell up. These tests are the worst thing to ever happen to education. Stats show that over 47000 students were unable to graduate because of this gay ass test. Do your research. Why all of a sudden did the stupid government have to initiate the cahsee. before 2005, student’s were able to graduate on course work alone. Now they just made it twice as hard if not more, for us students to even consider graduating. Thanks a pant load, State board of education, you shure did us a favor.

Also

ALGEBRA SUCKS!!!!!

If students really wanted to learn it, there should be a college course for it. It’s not like any of us average people will ever use it. Education is overrated. The CAHSEE is just another way for the state to make money. ITS ALL CORRUPTED.

ITS ALL GREED!!!!!

Gee, Jason, you should take your own words to heart there dude and do your reasearch. Todd happens to be a teacher and knows enough of what he is talking about to post valid opinions. Besides, this is HIS blog, NOT yours. Take your sorry little name calling elsehwere. I already was taken to task for it - given mine was directed right where it was/is supposed to be directed to - Mr. O’Connell, whom is the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. As for students prior to 2005 being able to graduate on course work alone - nice try there. You can pass the course work, but that does NOT mean you earned all of the required credits. And vice versa - earning all required credits yet failed a semester of English.

You should also pay attention to your spelling and punctuation, Jason. Your post #49 makes it clear why the CAHSEE was devised. It is one thing for Special Ed kids to not be able to pass the CAHSEE - they have valid reasons. Students like yourself and ELL students do not have any valid reason whatsoever for failing, other than not taking your education seriously.

Education is overrated ONLY when it comes to churning out fools like Mr. O’Connell. That is where the REAL greed exists. I can’t think of one teacher EVER that got rich by teaching. Mr. O’Connell wants to further line his pockets off of the backs of kids like mine by keeping them in school as long as possible because of the CAHSEE alone.

As for the algebra comment, I agree with you on that one. I have always said that unless algebra, biology, etc, were going to have any real world/real life application to me, then I’d gladly take those courses. So, unless I am going to become some sort of scientist, engineer, architect or go into some related field, then those subjects have no real life meaning to me. Algebra has no real life application to a stay at home mom.

Good job, Todd!!! Also, Jason, as an additional FYI, the CAHSEE was/is not ‘all of a sudden.’ Mr. O’Connell was a State senator/legislator when he wrote the law in 1999 devising the CAHSEE. It was supposed to go into effect with the Class of 2004, which means the Class of 2004 would have been the first class required to pass it to get diplomas. The legal wrangling ensued, thus causing the CAHSEE to be postponed for 2 years. Which means that the Class of 2006 were now the first class required to pass the CAHSEE to get diplomas to graduate, in addition to meeting all other school district requirements.

So, how does that information, which you can find by doing your own research, make the CAHSEE ‘all of a sudden?’ It clearly was NOT a last minute thing, as you are trying to make us believe it to be.

All these opinions are very interesting…yet I think that some students are very pressured because of this exam. I myself feel that way. I work hard during school to keep my grades up and study hard for tests. I might be a freshman and bearly experiencing high school,but I feel as if I will not be able to pass the exam because I get nervous when I am taking a test. I do agree with Todd not everybody should get the same degree as an AP student or other kind of advanced students but some students are up to their level and should recieve what they deserve.

I’m sure you all know by now, that State Senate Bill 297 (or it’s 5 something; I can’t find it right now)was signed into law, which means that seniors in the Class of 2007 that has an IEP or 504 in place, AND are meeting ALL other graduation requirements minus the CAHSEE, are now eligible for receiving a DIPLOMA!!!! Yay!!! I know it only applies to the Class of 2007, but my 17 year old is directly impacted by this, because she has an IEP, and is fulfilling all other graduation requirements, short of passing the CAHSEE. I will continue to fight for Special Ed kids as long as some people continue to be elitist, ignorant, arrogant, and refuse to either devise an alternative CASHEE for Special Ed kids, or exempt them outright. We all know that Special Ed kids are NOT taught the standards that Regular Ed kids are taught. This has been and continues to be proven time and again. Special Ed kids work just as hard - if not harder than - most if not all of the Regular Ed kids, because learning is twice as hard for Special Ed than Regular Ed.

As for the ELL students - unless you are also a Special Ed student - you have no right to cry foul over the CAHSEE. Stop being whining, lazy people and learn English. You came to America for a better life. Having a better life includes learning the language, as well as addressing ALL Americans IN ENGLISH. Since I have to work hard to have a good life here - and I was born in America - then ALL immigrants must do the same. I am tired of having my taxes continue to skyrocket because immigrants - primarily ILLEGAL - break AAmerica’s laws without fear of reprisal. If I did the same in Mexico, I would be deported/extradited so fast, y’all’s heads would spin.

Ok, enough of my rant, hahaha.

Todd, I said it because the majority of the ELL students I mention/refer to are ones that are in Regular Ed classes. And there are several of them that have been in this country long enough to KNOW the language, yet chose to address others outside of their physical homes in languages OTHER THAN ENGLISH. Last time I checked, Spanish/Russian/Thai/et al languages were/are not the main language of the US. So, how does that make what I said an “ethnocentric rant”? And I have heard enough of such students and/or their parents whining about this, as well as other things. I can NOT begin to point out how many different agencies provide translating services in the various languages, and I am tired of catering to such laziness. This isn’t being ‘ethnocentric’, Todd. It is the truth. Sorry that you seem to see it for something other than the truth. If that were the case, then I would despise myself AND my own kids, ok? ANd I would despise my newest sister in law. So, do NOT go there with me.

Ok, and I also believe I have mentioned to either DEVISE AN ALTERNATIVE for Special Ed kids OR exempt them altogether. YOu see it as ‘hollow’, because you are looking at it from the eyes of a teacher. Do you teach Special Ed kids? Do you have a relative/immediate family member that is disabled? If you teach Special Ed, I can shoot that one down in a heartbeat, Todd. I shot it down many times with a recent boyfriend, all because his mother taught Special Ed. Just because she taught Special Ed, does NOT mean she knows more about it that I as a parent of disabled kids knows. She got to leave at 5PM every day, whereas I deal with this 24/7, no break, no vacation, no paycheck at the end of the week, etc. So, since you know more than me, tell me I am stupid and I will tell you simply that one of us is wrong, and I can guarantee you it is NOT me.

Ok, Todd. You win, you’re right, I’m wrong and stupid. Because you’re a teacher, you clearly know more than me. Being emotionally attached because of being a parent of 2 Special Ed kids is now something of a sin. Look, my kids did NOT ask to be born disabled. Genetics decided that for them. Or hadn’t you as a teacher thought of that one? People who come to the US and refuse to address/learn/use the native tongue and expect legal citizens of the US to cater to them by providing translating services, providing free medical care, and providing public assistance to them without them having and fear of reprisal is what ticks off many legal citizens of this country, myself included. I am tired of seeing my taxes continue to skyrocket because of this.

It’s all about choices, Tood. Such individuals CHOOSE to not address me in English. I have had this happen to me more often than not, and I guess that’s my fault since I never learned Spanish/Russian/French/German etc. Last I checked, this is America, NOT any of the Spanish speaking countries, Russia, France, Germany, etc.

As for my ’sister-in-law’ argument, any sister in law I might have mentioned in this blog is now and has been an EX sister in law for many years, and my brother has custody of the 2 disabled boys in quiestion. This same brother of mine is also disabled. So, I have been dealing with the disabled for perhaps far longer than you have been a teacher.

For this being a hollow victory, not even. I already know about Senate Bill 297 still requiring that Special Ed students in the Class of 2007 having to take remedial classes/tutoring, taking the exam, etc. Bottom line, and my point on this one is that they now are not required to pass the CAHSEE. It takes that stress off of them. These kids already feel like failures as it is because of being disabled. Why continue to insult them by demanding they pass an exam that was NEVER designed for them from the get go? It is a bit late in the game to be providing tutoring and such, but better late than never. And, these students according to Senate Bill 297 are only required to take the CAHSEE one time as seniors. MY oldest has already fulfilled ALL of the requirements of Senate Bill 297, as well as all District requirements. So, she will be getting her diploma in June, 2007. And, yes, Tood, she is a senior.

In the school district where I live, bills such as 297, force the school board to address the CAHSEE issue mor ein depth than perhaps they would have done. While part of it doesn’t help my daughter, it will help my son, because they (school board) find out what students might potentially not pass the CAHSEE on the first try, address that by getting the help to such students while they are still in middle school/junior high. This will help my son, as he is only in 4th grade currently.

So, what I have had to fight hard to get for my daughter - and the state has had plenty of time to devise an alternative/exempt her completely, and school board has more than enough time as well to help her and kids like her - is now in place for kids like my son. Mr. O’Connell will have to do one of 2 things to avoid continuing litigation on this: either devise an alternative for Special Ed kids, OR exempt them outright. Is it going to hurt you or your teaching degrees if any Special Ed kid gets their diploma without being required to pass the CAHSEE? No, it won’t. That I can guarantee you. It will harm them MORe psychologially, mentally, emotionally if they are continued to be required to pass the CAHSEE.

I should try looking at this from a teacher’s perspective? Ok, look, I might not have any degrees behind my name, but I teach my kids every day, things above and beyond what their schools do/don’t teach them. If I wasn’t emotionally involved, then that would mean I don’t give a damn about my kids. And because I am emotionally involved, that means I am the best damn parent my kids have, than some teachers I know. That whole thing tells me that you are emotionally devoid when it comes to teaching.

And where in ANY of my previous posts, do I even mention any of my in-laws? Outside of this post, nowhere. So, yeah, go figure