Hello my name is Angie Hancock. I
attended the School Board Study Session last week and listened to the discussion
about the Task Force’s recommendation on Challenge. During this discussion, I
heard several concerns voiced by the school board members, and I want to
address those concerns this afternoon.
The first concern was whether mixed
ability classroom would help lessen the achievement
gap. One Director stated that since the achievement gap really starts in
elementary school where we have mixed ability classrooms, how would implementing
the same mixed ability classroom model in middle school fix that problem? Shouldn’t
we be looking at how to prevent the achievement gap in the mixed ability
elementary schools rather than changing a program that has been successful according
to the district’s own success metrics. Data
analyzed from NSD shows that
since Challenge was instituted, there has been a 117% increase in students
taking Algebra 1 from the free and reduced lunch population. That
kind of positive change in the free and reduced lunch students can only help the
achievement gap in time; it may have helped already.
Another concern I heard was about equity and struggling learners, but I
think once again the word Equity is misinterpreted. In the mixed ability classroom,
we’re being told every student will get the Challenge curriculum and Challenge pace.
But that’s not equity. Equity is giving every student what they need. Not every
student needs challenge curriculum and challenge pace, that’s why 40% of the
students in the district today choose NOT to self-select into Challenge classes.
If those students are forced into challenge curriculum and pace, some students
will struggle. Right now our students who struggle have to give up an elective
to take a support class. Do we really want to have MORE students giving up electives
in order to keep up in Challenge for All classes? That doesn’t sound very
Equitable to me.
Lastly, I heard a concern for the kids. The students have
not been asked by the district what they think about this recommendation to
remove self select challenge. Students haven’t been on any task force or subcommittee.
This decision primarily impacts Students, and the only way they can be heard is
to appeal to the school board. When some students have tried to survey their schoolmates,
the district has wrapped them in red tape telling them they need to fill out forms
that will take weeks or months to be approved. You’ll hear more about their story
tonight. The students are TRYING to be heard and TRYING to voice their opinions
but adults seem to feel that the students aren’t capable of making decisions for
themselves, that they must be protected from their own choices.
I disagree with that notion. I
believe that middle school students can and do make good academic choices. I
think that in many cases, the tweens and teens standing up here testifying are
making a lot more sense than some of the adults.
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