When DS9 was in fourth grade, they offered participation in a pilot program to the high achieving kids in the class. His teacher was very surprised when I refused, after all I had been the one pushing for SSA and more differentiation for him - so why refuse?
I tried to explain that
a) I did not want him to spend more time in front of a screen than he already did, which was hard enough to limit as it was, that
b) I wanted him to interact with people in school, being taught or discussing, that c) there wasn't much value in his being offered the regular 5th grade math curriculum in fourth grade since while it would have been better than nothing to be able to go to a fifth grade classroom, truly customised math instruction for him would have been way beyond the fifth grade curriculum, that
d) if I desperately wanted fifth grade instruction for him, I could have opted for another grade skip, that
e) I did not see why one ought to sign up for an online fifth grade instructor based in another state if there were loads of perfectly fine fifth grade math teachers in the middle school right next door, and one excellent one who happens to be his own father, and
f) I did not want my kid to be a guinea pig for a movement to take control over curricula and modes of instruction away from a (generally excellent) state system and from teachers and put it in the hand of corporations.
I do not think she got it.
They are trying to put one over on us - as if the only solution to kid needing differentiated instruction, or readiness grouping, or "working at their own pace" is having one huge corporation deliver instruction via screens.
For instance - not a huge Montessori fan here, but it does work, has worked for a hundred years, with actual people, manipulatives and books. Go figure.
Last edited by Tigerle; 10/05/16 12:28 AM.
