Big Changes: More Homework but Less Stressed Out

Note: My boys have been blessed with a lot of wonderful teachers – who have mentored, poured heart, care, and knowledge, who cheered them on, forgave their exuberance – and did what teachers were designed to do – teach holisticly – adding something of value to their souls as well as their minds. However, this is post is a journey out of not only a failing curriculum but administrations failing under the weight of an education program mandating individuals be evaluated by scores instead of in-class performance and work ethic. When knowledge of the individual is taken out of the equation, so, too, is the moral responsibility to the individual. I commend each teacher whose work is done as though it’s a gift to God – I commend you more for doing it in the situation our government has created. I commend each administration who looks past the scores – and looks to the individual, looks into their heart – and sees their potential – not their lack.

Lots of changes at the Blue Cotton House – what came first – the change in the conversation or did the changes cause the changes in the conversation.

Private Catholic School girl married public school boy. After a few years, we jumped on a moving van that took us to the middle of Tennessee where education options initially were public school, home-schooling – and private schools slowly creeping in.

We’d moved when God said, “Go” – and we homeschooled  – when God said, “Do.”

One of the benefits, in my estimation, of having large families, is vision of change. When our oldest son entered first grade (kindergarten wasn’t mandatory – and in 1991, schools really didn’t know what to do with a child who could read. In my kindergarten interview (Yes, I was that mom – I interviewed the schools and their kindergarten) – teachers looked askance – reading in kindergarten wasn’t expected at that time.

In some ways – really might have been a good thing. Some children are late bloomers – some early bloomers. A late bloomer myself, held back in first grade – found myself in second grade in advanced reading – but no way to catch up to my peer group that was a year older.

Today, public school seems intolerant of late bloomers, starting in kindergarten.

I digress, though,

My oldest son benefited from honors classes in middle school. His eighth grade year was the last year they had official honors classes. In his pre-calculus class his senior year, his teacher was a guardsman who was called up suddenly – and the teacher for the remainder of the year didn’t know the subject. She couldn’t explain how to solve many of the problems but they still had to get the right answer on the tests.

Our second son is 6 years younger than our oldest. By the time he got to high school, math tutors were a hot commodity. They were often teachers. I couldn’t figure out how these boys who were so much more capable than me needed math tutors.

Maybe that’s what happens when state curriculum requires teaching to the test instead of teaching the processes, repeatedly building that process.

When we moved to Kentucky, the schools implemented a math program that left engineer parents out in the cold – even they couldn’t help their kids with math.

It left me questioning: if you are teaching math that isn’t used in real world experience, why are you teaching that kind of math?

I wanted an alternative, a solution. I realized that this time around, I needed my husband to be the leader on whether to home school or put in private school. I’m a slow learner, but  in 30 years of marriage, I am learning to let him lead – there’s more blessing in our lives when I do.

So I prayed – over 2 years ago, maybe 3 – that if that’s what God wanted us to do – then He would work on my husband’s heart to be on fire to make any changes God thought we needed.

1)  Our youngest,  one time had a history of advanced math scores (gifted we were told in 2010) but was low reading scores. Because of the low reading scores, he was placed in 6th without our knowledge as a regular student in an inclusion class. He made straight As. At the end of the year, the teacher said, “He doesn’t need to be in here.” Our eyes widened – because we were hands-on parents in school and out – and we didn’t know. We made great efforts to assure he was placed in a regular class.  We had to fight for it. I asked, “How is putting a child who doesn’t like reading in with a classroom of ESL (English as a Second Language) students going to improve his scores. In any classroom, he always rises to the challenge – making As and Bs. As a result, his math scores went down because he wasn’t getting the math he needed. Really, he wasn’t getting the level he needed at all. (Note: In 6th grade, he won the district science fair on a project about series and parallel circuits organized and completed on his own. I loved the mini-engineer talking shop about it with his engineer dad).

The dirty little secret is that students are grouped according to their reading scores until 7^th or 8^th grade – after which they are placed according to their math scores.

2)  At the beginning of my 4^th son’s 8^th grade year (last year), we noticed he was placed with a different group of students. Though honors classes had been officially disbanded – students were still ability grouped – and his scores, grades and teacher support always put him in the advanced group. Some years, his reading scores were practically perfect, though his math scores hung just a little below advanced – yet he was a straight A student, a student leader, too.

I asked the principal and the counselor – is he in the same level? They assured me all the classes contained high, medium and low – they did NOT ability group except for math. My son was frustrated all year. Students in his class were sent to inner-school suspension. Class was continually disrupted. Teachers started saying things like, “He doesn’t need to be here.” He was asking the science teacher for the extra work his friends were being given – and sometimes, he was the only one who got the right answer.

After my boys had a repeat bout chicken pox over Spring Break, I went in to collect some work because they missed 2 days. The science teacher informed me that he had 2 advanced classes; my son was in one of his average classes.

When I heard that, I visited the principal. I asked him 2  things:

1) Do you have more right to my son that I do that you can lie to me repeatedly about his placement?

His reply, “We don’t know these students. We just looked at test scores.”

I responded, “You lied to me twice? You assured me he was placed according to test scores, grades and teacher referrals (Note: He was one of 3 students recommended to attend a Congressional Leadership conference for 7^th graders).

2) This led to the second question: How is taking a student making straight As in advanced classes  and putting them in an average class going to help them improve their test scores?

The principal responded that the teachers would have recommend he be moved if they thought he was wrongly placed.

Some had told me all year-long, he was in the wrong group. I told the principal I didn’t realize I could advocate the teachers.

When I called the superintendent of curriculum, she said, “You should have called me.” I didn’t realize I could call her either.

Trust in the school system had been irrevocably broken.

And so, though my son was recommended for honors classes at the high school – the straw had broken the proverbial camel’s back.

The math straw, a bunch of math straws for the dad with the physics and engineering degree – and the total disregard of a system focusing more on test scores than ability – created a heart and mind for change.

And God moved my husband to a decision that has changed our conversations. In the last 5 years, a Latin School started growing in our community –the literature is enough to make a mom of boys swoon with delight:

There aren’t saccharine stories of Jose growing a garden in the city or anti-American stories that equates World War II Japanese internment to German Concentration camps.  It is classical literature filled nobleness – shown through battles with ignobleness. It allows the Judeo-Christian values prevalent in American Literature and American history to be discussed, not silenced and ignored.

7^th grade – Gilgamesh, The Code of Hammurabi, The Odyssey, Narnia – the entire series – and that was just in the first quarter

9^th – Pilgrim’s Progress, Plymouth Plantation, Pride and Prejudice and A Tale of Two Cities – all in the first quarter.

They are both in the same Latin class for first years – and learning to be successful with harder, more thorough testing methods. They know what the word conjugate means – and I love hearing it done – in Latin.

Science and biology are taught by a veterinarian. Math is taught by an engineer.

My boys are revitalized and building confidence and an educational foundation Noah Webster encouraged:

“The bringing up, as of a child, instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties”

 And we have peace – still chaos – but peace – knowing that amazing things are happening inside and outside of them.

“The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you” (Psalm 32:8).

Thank you, Father – for teaching me to come to you, for using my frustration and confusion like written signs beckoning me to come to you, ask you to use your influence to change our circumstances – and change our conversation.

Thank you for giving us choice – for not running rough-shod over our lives – because of that choice, you and I, we have the opportunity for real relationship – not a relationship coerced through frightening, abusive, manipulative power, a love-less relationship– but a relationship where you woo us, walk with us, invite us to know you better, to know you are worthy of our love, virtuous, estimable, a knight in shining armor who protects and saves, a God closer than a brother – a Father who wisely waits to be asked and then moves heaven and earth to answer.

Thank you for leading us into this life-changing decision.