Literacy requirements debated
Board questions the promotion of students who lack reading skills
By Diette Courrégé
The Charleston County School Board's policy committee debated Wednesday the merits of requiring students to be able to read before promoting them to the next grade.
The committee didn't reach a conclusion, but its spirited discussion marked the beginning of what appears to be a serious effort by board members to clearly state that reading is the district's top priority.
"If we don't stake out what is most important, then this simply becomes one of many important things," said Gregg Meyers, who drafted the policy proposals. Other committee members are Chairwoman Ruth Jordan, Elizabeth Kandrac and Ann Oplinger.
Meyers promised to return to the next meeting in July with a new draft of the policy, and board members plan to seek district staff's input before making a decision.
Previous stories
To read more stories in the literacy series, Failing our Children, go to the literacy special report
The policy included a statement about literacy at no less than a ninth-grade level being the "greatest imperative and the highest priority" for the school district. The school board never has clearly stated what its expectations are for students and their reading ability, although district officials have worked to address this issue for years.
A series of Post and Courier stories highlighting the illiteracy problem has pushed the issue into the spotlight and onto the board's agenda. An analysis prompted by questions from the newspaper showed that more than 20 percent of the county's rising ninth-graders read on a fourth-grade level or worse.
Meyers drafted two versions of a policy — one that ties the ability to read to being promoted to the next grade and another that does not. Some board members said they were hesitant to tie promotion with reading ability for reasons such as some students have learning disabilities, high schools already have certain requirements for students to earn a diploma, and teacher quality varies vastly among district schools.
The committee allowed Jon Butzon, chairman of the Charleston Education Network, to contribute to its informal discussion, and Butzon insisted that not linking promotion and reading ability essentially was the board saying it's OK for students to be promoted to ninth grade who can't read.
Children who have reached high school reading on a fourth-grade level or worse either were promoted by people who didn't know they couldn't read, by those who knew they couldn't read but didn't know how to fix the problem, or by those who didn't care whether they could read, he said.
"As long as the board is OK with children showing up to ninth grade not reading, that is going to happen," he said. "I wish it wouldn't. ... At some point, the board has to take a position on the outcome."
Jordan said it's not acceptable for students to be so far behind when they reach ninth grade, but she said some district teachers are ineffective. Tying promotion to reading ability would penalize students for their teachers' ineptitude, she said. Butzon said this new policy would force the board to take action against its worst teachers. Oplinger suggested incorporating students' reading progress with teacher evaluations.
Board members talked about how this policy would apply to students with disabilities or those who don't speak English as their first language, and Meyers said he'd try to address that in the next version.
The proposed policy would require the superintendent to identify third- through ninth-graders not reading on grade level and propose individualized ways to raise their reading skills. The policy stated that the board's goal was that none of its children would be functionally illiterate, defined as reading below an eighth-grade level, and that the superintendent would be required to annually report the percentage of ninth-, sixth- and third-grade students reading below grade level.
Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.
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watchdog (anonymous) says...
Well it's a start in the right direction, Lets keep moving forward SC. Also vote the bums out of the statehouse.....The future is in our hands.
June 11, 2009 at 7:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
Bull, of those students that could not read, probably all of their teachers knew that they could not read. The management, however, did not want to hear that, had no solutions, and were content to allow the promotion of the students to keep the problem buried. I'm pretty much sick of that lie. The teachers knew but were pretty much bullied into promoting them. I wish the teachers would just band together and not take that treatment anymore. You teachers know what the administration has done and will continue to do...say you are a poor teacher because so and so cannot read...they'll continue to silence you as long as only a few stand here and there. You knew, admit it, but someone has to stand and say no more. I, for one, have no faith that the administrators or the school boards have the backbone either to admit their knowledge or to do what is needed to fix the problem. Do you?
June 11, 2009 at 7:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
cappy (anonymous) says...
Can't hold back students, it hurts their self respect. Hasn't that been the policy for years now? What about math and social studies and ENGLISH just for starters! Until they bring back some sort of learning standards to teach kids to function in our society instead of being politically correct and allowing them to continue not to learn we will always have these problems.
June 11, 2009 at 7:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wm123 (anonymous) says...
Had two students this year that could not read. I did everything to help them--and they did improve a lot, but not enough to be able to do the work at the next grade level. Recommended retention--did all of the required paperwork (hours) and had all required documentation. Both were promoted to the next grade by administration. This happens ALL of the time . . .
June 11, 2009 at 8:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
majorjohnson (anonymous) says...
Well hold on a minute. Didn't these same folks just throw a snit fit over the words minimally adequate in the constitution regarding education? Remember, all we had to do was change those words and shovel boatloads of money at the education system and the world would be right and every SC child would be a rocket scientist. Now you tell us these kids graduate and can't even read their Cocoa Puffs box? What good was changing the verbiage in the constitution when the schools aren't even attempting to meet the high standard of minimally adequate?
And 20% of kids are get through 12 grades unable to read anything more challenging than Dick and Jane. Didn't we just have a big fight over $700 million so we could afford to pay teachers? How many teachers who aren't even teaching kids to read are being paid for with this money? Oh wait, this is being addressed right now. Just yesterday I saw that the education professionals were cranking up a new program that teaches every child to swim, with free bathing suits even! Now we're talking about a real education.
June 11, 2009 at 8:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mb300sl (anonymous) says...
Not able to read? There should be no question about retention!
June 11, 2009 at 8:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
They don't talk about the parents not knowing they can't read nor doing anything about it. If my 14-year old is going into 9th grade, better yet my 9-year old is going into 4th grade and can't read a lick, I am going to notice it. I am going to be determined to teach my child. I'm not gonna let my kid grow up dumb and then blame it on the school district. What's that gonna solve. If my child can't read in high school, I would hope that my upbringing of him would make him want to try harder himself.
Too much reliance on the government!!! No responsibility for self. I'm tired of hearing that "but it's for the children" crap.
If they can't cut it, hold them back. If you push them through to the next grade that is only going to hold the children that move forward back. Pushing them through only lowers overall standards and incentive to learn.
June 11, 2009 at 8:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
maeko (anonymous) says...
what BS! isn't there a reading grade or AKA the subject of English in every grade? if you fail English, you don't go to the next grade. when i was in school special needs students and ESL (English as a Second Language)were in a different class and evaluated as appropriate.
how the heck are kids supposed to learn any other subject if they can't read! i'm sorry, but this is the most b***ackwards approach ever. they must get more $$$$ from doing it this way.
June 11, 2009 at 9:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
issuetaker (anonymous) says...
Does this mean that those who fought against political correctness and the enlightened intelligencia with their progressive educational theories were, in fact, correct about the impact of those flawed positions afterall?
Could it possibly be they weren't capable of implementing a program for such a basic skill as reading with all those D.Ed.'s out there!
OH MY! PLEASE SAY IT ISN'T SO.
June 11, 2009 at 9:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tc1 (anonymous) says...
"Tying promotion to reading ability would penalize students for their teachers' ineptitude, she said."
So instead you will penalize students to failure and misery for the rest of their lives? Good God this statement is from the "Chairwoman Ruth Jordan".
June 11, 2009 at 9:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TEACHER311 (anonymous) says...
Am I the only one who finds it a bit odd that there is any consideration of a debate? Elementary students need to be taught to read - period. Those who are struggling or unable to master basic decoding and understanding skills need a careful and close look to see if they have a difficulty in any area and then receive differentiated instruction to help them learn any way that they can - if phonics doesn't work find out whether visual, kinesthetic or other means of teaching a child to read would be effective - and do it. How dare the CCSD employ teachers whose ability to do their jobs "varies vastly among district schools" or to tolerate "inneffective" teachers?
June 11, 2009 at 9:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AFWally (anonymous) says...
Fire all Administrators, faculty and staff. Farm out the entire Educational process to either Japan or Taiwan, give them full control.
Non performing kids, those that don't care, gang bangers etc. are put into work camps to learn a trade craft. Kids 16 and under caught with guns or drugs go to reform school, all others go to jail.
Parents that allow their kids to be F up's go to jail.
NEA and ACLU members that come to town to protest are considered "Domestic Terrorists" and are turned over ot the Marines for processing into one of our waterboarding facilities.
June 11, 2009 at 9:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
OMG! If a child can't read, how will they be able to do anything else in school. Being able to read should be a BASIC requirement at the very LEAST. I can't believe we are even having this debate.
June 11, 2009 at 10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tc1 (anonymous) says...
"OMG! If a child can't read, how will they be able to do anything else in school"
+1
Like tying a cinder block to a child and then try teaching him/her to swim. If board members have the above attitude there is no need to debate TEACHER311. I am absolutely floored by boardmember statements.
June 11, 2009 at 10:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
TEACHER311, c'mon now, differentiated instruction would lead to cries of "my child is being singled out for being 'stupid'!" We would want to stir that pot now would we? I am being facetious here, but we all know that there is truth in what I am saying. I, personally love the idea of teaching a child in a way that they will be able to learn. I do that with my kids all the time.
This brings me to the point that parents need to take more responsibility for their children's education. I make it a point to teach my children to read and write before I send them to rely on a stranger to do it. I can proudly proclaim that I had my children spelling their names at the age of 2 and writing it by 3.
Starting them early and keeping an active role in their lives (at home and at school) will make all the difference!
June 11, 2009 at 10:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bones (anonymous) says...
This is absolutely insane! If a child cannot read, do math and speak proper english, they are doomed to failure! Anytime that the child cannot perform at that grade level (from 1st to 12th grade), they should repeat the grade. Period, end of discussion, fini. Anything else will doom them to the lowest level of society and we then still allow them to vote without the mental acuity to make a thoughtful and rational decision about the direction of the country and ....oh, now I understand how we got where we are.
June 11, 2009 at 11:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Teesa (anonymous) says...
This is just the icing on the cake. One comment said if a child can't read, how can they do anything else in school? THEY CAN'T! They will never be able to understand English, Math, Science or Social Studies because they have to READ to learn it! This should not even be debated. Each teacher in our school system needs to be held accountable for teaching....its their JOB! There are policies in place to deal with the children that have learning disabilities. It is sad enough the rest of the country laughs at us for our stupid scoring system. We need to go back to basics....A(90-100),B(80-89),C(70-79) you pass. Anything else you fail! As parents, we need to stop this and demand the school board stand up for our children!!!!! They need to stop being politically correct. We need to do something NOW!
June 11, 2009 at 11:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Teesa (anonymous) says...
Lovely_One you are correct. Parental involvement is mandatory. My children could each read because I took the time to teach them. There are no excuses. I work 45 hours a week and so does my husband. Dinnertime, homework and family time each day is a absolute must!
June 11, 2009 at 11:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Numba10 (anonymous) says...
What a novel idea! That you must be proficient at a grade level before moving on. Now if the feel gooders can accept it maybe change will occur in the schools.
June 11, 2009 at 11:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drp7773 (anonymous) says...
They debated whether or not the kids should be able to read before moving onto the next grade....If the school board has to debate this, what chance do these kids have and what does this say about the education in this state. Again this is the SCHOOL board debating this, not the fine people in Cola or even Washington. I wonder if they can read !!!!!!!
June 11, 2009 at 11:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CHRISJIII (anonymous) says...
If they can't read how in the world do you justify sending them onto a higher grade? Is this so-called "adequately educated"? By just passing these young people along shows a lack of caring and a desire to keep them illiterate. How can this state possibly compete with an illiterate workforce?
June 11, 2009 at 12:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shoelaces (anonymous) says...
As a teacher, I am required to teach the state standards in all subject areas. I am expected to teach to each child at his/her ability level. I basically have a "one room school house" in my classroom. I am also expected to single out anyone that I feel may have a learning disability or some other reason for referring for special ed testing.
Great. To go through this process takes months. All the while said child is struggling to keep up or just can't keep up.
So much time is lost BEFORE a child even reaches 3rd grade!! If a child is not reading on grade level by the end of 3rd grade, chances that child will NEVER read or be able to perform on grade level. Period.
Differentiation works if we, as teachers, are properly trained or informed on varieties of techniques and are properly supplied with the tools and methods to carry out said techniques.
June 11, 2009 at 12:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Squidward (anonymous) says...
My wife is a teacher too, shoelaces. Do you also find that you wind up teaching to the slowest child, and that only slows down the kids who "get it" and are ready to move on? I hear about this sort of thing so much that it kills me! NCLB has created monsters.
June 11, 2009 at 12:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
PoliGadfly (anonymous) says...
Reading? Press one for English to be spoken and understood.
June 11, 2009 at 12:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fred_durst1 (anonymous) says...
If these knunkleheads have to "debate the merits" about whether a student needs to be able to read to be promoted then thats where we have the problem.
Can't read = Can't go to next grade level. End of story.
June 11, 2009 at 12:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CombatCoastie (anonymous) says...
Shoelaces: Exactly! But, the problem isn't completely on the teachers' shoulders in terms of training. Specialized training pertaining to the literacy of youths can, in some cases, come from specialists. CCSD should provide more specialized classes specifically for those students below grade three that are identified by hard-working teachers as showing signs of literary slowness. Those are 'some' cases, though.
My wife is a school teacher in N. Charleston. The vast majority of her pupils are from low-income families. The ones who get labeled as having learning disabilities or literacy issues by counselors or the administration really don't deserve to be placed in those categories. Most have the potential to be "normal" students and rise through the grades with decent or excellent outcomes. The REAL problem is at home. These students have absolutely no drive from their parents (or, parent - in most situations.)
Every day I listen to my wife's phone conversations with parents of her students. Many honestly do not give a rat's behind about educating their children. They claim that they never learned how to read, so why should their children? Some call her a racist because she is singling out their black child over others. This past year, her class was made up of 24 black students and 4 hispanic students. Not really sure how she could be considered a racist. Many times, the only way to get through to the children is to talk to grandma. Even though the single mothers don't care about their kid's schooling, the grandparents tend to be the driving force.
Maybe we need to recruit some grandmothers into a sort of literacy task force within CCSD. My wife's sister just took a teaching position in Union, NJ (I think...) and this is actually the norm. They have hundreds of volunteers, mostly retirees, from all walks of life who come into the grammar schools and read the children, honing in on ones who need special attention. We certainly have enough retirees here in Charleston County. Can't this be an option?
June 11, 2009 at 1 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Teesa (anonymous) says...
Bottom line is our school board is accountable for our children. They are elected officials. Is there a law that says they either do it or we can ask for their resignations immediately??? I am just sooo fed up.
June 11, 2009 at 1:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
postman01 (anonymous) says...
Face it, people. PUBLIC EDUCATION IS INFERIOR AND MASSIVELY CHEATS PEOPLE AND OUR ENTIRE SOCIETY FOR LIFE. The fact that this is considered debatable proves this fact beyond a reasonable doubt. This debate would never occur in far superior PRIVATE EDUCATION, which is why I have to resist a temptation to body slam any parent who lectures me about public education and how much they care. They are self conscious liars who do not care!!!!! If they did, they would NEVER EVER tolerate their children attending INFERIOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS for one second because they would not accept their children being cheated for life. Period.
June 11, 2009 at 1:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
commonsence (anonymous) says...
Meyers is so full of ****. How long has he been sitting on the CCSD board and only NOW decides it's important that kids be able to read? He and all the others who been on the board longer than one term are disingenguous at best and need to be voted out the next election.
June 11, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
Wow, postman, that is a very serious charge you just put out there about us parents of children who attend public schools. I show that I care about my children's education by beginning it long before they enter the 4 walls of any school, private or public. And after they enter those walls, I am still there teaching them and making sure they grasp what is being taught to them at school. I also teach them things that NO school, public or private, would teach them. Things that they will actually use in life. Things that will get them farther than William Shakespeare or Henry Wadsworth Longfellow will ever get them.
June 11, 2009 at 1:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Takebackurcountry (anonymous) says...
Need to attend a CCSD board meeting before you cast too many judgements on who has their s*** together. Meyers is one of the few bright spots. Some of the others appear to struggle to meet basic education standards themselves.
One of the biggest issues in teaching all kids to read effectively is the size of some of our schools. They are just too big and students don't get the attention they need. They also are not forced to read. By that I mean there is too much conversion to using the internet and videos for teaching. While I am a huge believer in using a variety of methods for teaching so that each student can grasp material, there is no substitute for reading. As a college instructor, I am amazed when kids don't know how to use the library for researching papers. They always ask if they can just use internet sources. My answer is always "no", get a book first.
Education will never be corrected in SC until the issue becomes important to parents. Many of these social promotions come from parental pressure. With lawyers waiting for another lawsuit to pursue, administrators find it easier to give in than to face a potential legal battle.
June 11, 2009 at 1:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCdeacinNYC (anonymous) says...
Lovely, I don't know why you are even paying attention to Postman. His(or her) post was beyond idiotic. When I went to undergrad I encountered kids who went to the best private schools (and public schools in the country) and some who came from schools where only a handful kids even went to college. My point here is that we can argue all day along about private and public schools on this board (we have many times...I've been a part of the discussion), but whether or not you go to a school where you pay 30K a year to go to shouldn't matter if you have the right set of parental support and drive to succeed. In other words attending private schools do not guarantee success any more than going to a public school guarantees failure. My parents certainly did NOT pay for my education, they made sure I was at a decent middle and high school, worked hard and was actively involved in my education and progress. And somehow (gasp) I ended up at the same school with kids whose parents went the private school route. Private school is great and if a parent can afford it, good for them...that's their choice. But private schools will often outperform the "average" public schools because they can be selective about who they have attend, they don't have a mandate to educate the masses. (I know this has been said many times but it's worth pointing out yet again). So any effort to compare the two just rings false to me as does any effort to call public schools "inferior". Many private schools are essentially paid magnet schools, take the best students and voila..success. (Even though I'd argue that some private schools are mediocre at best and barely worth paying anything for, but I don't even want to go down THAT road)
On a side note, I'm so sick of hearing about this school board and school boards in general for reasons like this. Why are they even in charge of this? What qualifies these people to write or even debate this policy? I swear school boards should remain nothing more than a glorified PTA and let the real policy work be left to people who actually know what in the world they are talking about. This is ridiculous...I HATE the idea of school boards...The CCSB is way too political and has never been able to get anything right since I can remember.
Social promotion is the most idiotic thing I've ever heard of..yet it was actively practiced when I was in school. If a child soon becomes too "old" or "mature" for his grade than special programs need to be implemented to help him catch up...but under no circumstances should a child be allowed to pass on to another grade not knowing how to read. That should be a first grade requirement people, come on!
--Rant Over--
June 11, 2009 at 1:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lovely_One (anonymous) says...
SCdea, i asked myself the same thing. I have no clue why I even responded to postman. You are absolutely right about the selection process of private schools. Thanks for pointing that out. The rest of your post is spot on. I often wonder what makes a person qualified to be on a school board, especially having encountered many of the people on the BCSB. Some real geniuses, that bunch!
June 11, 2009 at 2:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
guidedbystewart (anonymous) says...
GREAT POST deacin!
June 11, 2009 at 2:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCdeacinNYC (anonymous) says...
Ugh don't get me started on the BCSB..I went to school in Berkeley County so I'm well-acquainted with their incompetence. But I've always thought of them as at least (yes, at LEAST) a bit less havoc-creating than CCSB. So they're a quarter of a step above CCSB for that reason and that reason alone.
June 11, 2009 at 2:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
How about tying the privilege of attending to performance of the student. Don't you thing the kid and the parent would become engaged then.
June 11, 2009 at 3:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bunting (anonymous) says...
To Ruth Jordan: Here's a novel concept. GET RID of the "ineffective teachers!" You have got to be kidding me! Just get rid of them. How hard is this?
June 11, 2009 at 7:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shoelaces (anonymous) says...
Squidward...(love that name)...I find that we spend more time on the high and low readers and sort of forget about the middle readers. Unfortunately, when you look at where the schools receive more "points" it is from moving the middle students to the higher levels, not moving the lower readers to the middle level. WE ARE MISSING IT!!
Combat....I have NO specialized training in ANYTHING!1 My certificate covers me from 2nd to 6th grades (used to be 1-8, but the "rules" changed).
You are so right when you hear the "racist" card played.
Special Education changed. I used to be able to refer a child for testing based on the data I gathered. It didn't take long before a child would be tested and possibly identified as needing "special ed."
Since so many BLACK students were being "singled" out, the process has changed. It takes MUCH longer to go through the process so we can be PC and not be perceived as being RACIST. Meanwhile, the child still suffers while "they" play the waiting game.
We, as teachers, cannot win for losing!!!! And it's only going to get worse for those of us in the trenches. It will all fall upon us to be parent, teacher, and do part of the student's work as well.
Any solutions????
June 11, 2009 at 7:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shoelaces (anonymous) says...
THERONCE....I keep posting that we should cut off ALL government assistance to "parents" whose children are either academically behind or are criminals. Cut off the money until the child performs on or above grade level. THAT might make the parents tune in.
BUNTING....What are your standards for identifying a teacher as "ineffective"?
If I have children coming to me who are 2-3 years below grade level YET I move them at least one grade level in one year, am I ineffective? Am I supposed to move them 2 or 3 grades in one 180 day cycle?
The waters are a bit murky, are they not?
June 11, 2009 at 7:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tatiasc1 (anonymous) says...
NCLB mandates that the students are not held back.
Many of k-5s could not pass the get out of K test yet are being promoted.
In the old days you stayed in K-5 until you met certain standards.
It is a huge domino effect.
1st grade teachers are getting 50% of their students already behind 1 to 2 years.
Many of the students cannot stay seated or act like 3 year olds.
This carries over into 2nd grade. By this point the teachers are trying to work with students on the pre-K, K, 1st and 2nd grade level.
It was not like this before NCLB.
This carries over and those 2 or more grade levels behind never catch up.
Many teachers are great and get some up 2 grade levels but at what cost to themselves and to the students that are on grade level?
By 3rd grade it is impossible for most schools to pass testing as 40% or more are 1 to 4 years behind!
NCLB needs to go. Next reinstate a K test that they must pass to enter 1st grade.
When I was in school we had ages 6 to 9 in 1st grade.
Many left k_5 at age 7.
June 12, 2009 at 9:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
majorjohnson (anonymous) says...
We even have pre-k now. Unlucky me, I didn't get my Ks because there wasn't such a thing where I went to school. My first 8 years was 4 classrooms and 4 teachers, 2 classes to the room. All I got out of it was a chemical engineering degree and a 20 year and going computer programming career.
Heck, I've been slighted! Just imagine what I could have achieved if I'd gotten my Ks in, and if we had air conditioning at our school, and if we learned diverseness and empathy and how to swim!
June 12, 2009 at 5:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
educationboost (anonymous) says...
www.myeducationboost.com Our administration should be held accountable for our lack of performance, along with our school board members. Principals will approve Athletic Directors spending thousands of dollars for football uniforms and basketball jerseys, but would not invest in professional staff development. Teaching is a very tough job but with support it can be done effectively. A lot of people aren't aware of challenges faced with teaching but an important challenge that a lot of kids face is poor grammar. When you speak broken english all day the text in a Reading book appears incorrect to them. I know Principals in Charleston County that use poor grammar; so what do you expect from students. It's sad.
June 15, 2009 at 8:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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