David and Anne, two children Mr. Shoemaker knows very well, come from the same home but have different sets of abilities. Unfortunately, the schools do not seem to be able to accommodate both. By David Shoemaker THIS IS THE story of two children and their experiences in the public school system in Georgia. Their experiences are vastly different. For one, it was the best of times; for the other, the worst of times. This is the story of my children. Let me begin by saying that I am currently in my 33rd year as a professional educator. I have been a community college biology professor; a principal of elementary, middle, and high schools; and a university professor and department chair. My wife is also an educator. She has been a public school teacher for 22 years. Ten years ago, I would have considered the demand for higher standards, with its emphasis on testing, to be a perfectly logical approach to raising the achievement of students in our schools. At this stage of my life and career, however, I have very serious reservations. Let me explain my dilemma by describing the experiences of my two children in the public schools. David's Story David's experience in the public schools was for the most part very positive, despite the fact that he, like many boys, was not ready for the first grade. He was simply too young to start school. His birthday is in October, and he was very immature. He struggled, and I was told that his performance was mediocre. When he started school, he was still lagging behind his peers. But David was lucky. His fourth-grade teacher was very interested in science and mathematics and stimulated his interest in these subjects. David matured socially and began to test well. In middle school, he recorded the highest score in his school system on the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test. David was a success in his studies from that time on. He attended a high school that was one of the very best in Georgia. It operated very much like a private school. He was recognized as an outstanding student and was placed in a gifted program. David participated in athletics and was on the swimming and tennis teams. Along with his friends, he competed in academic competitions. He would have been a parent's dream of a model child, except he occasionally exhibited reckless behavior and had a knack for getting himself into trouble in creative ways. At times we wondered whether he would survive to finish high school. But he did. David earned an academic scholarship to an outstanding engineering school. He has since completed a Ph.D. program and is now a professor of genetics. I did not know how fortunate David was to be academically gifted until his sister Anne came along. Even though I worked with other people's children every day, I didn't really understand what it takes just to enable some children to negotiate the public schools. I had freely given advice to parents on ways to provide more support at home. But, until I worked with Anne, I never knew how much effort -- parental and otherwise -- is required for some students to succeed. Anne's Story We adopted Anne as a newborn. She is now 13 years old and is blossoming into a beautiful young lady who is extremely active and has a very short attention span. Anne has experienced a great deal of difficulty in a traditional school setting. The school she attends is a recently opened middle school that serves middle-class suburban students, and the expectations of her teachers appear to be quite high. Almost every day Anne comes home with homework from her four academic teachers. Although this homework might have required little time from David, it takes Anne much longer. Her mother is very conscientious and wants Anne to do well in her studies. And so she and I both put in much time and effort (including scolding, cajoling, bribing, and praising) to ensure that Anne completes her assignments. …
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Jul 18, 2008
Leah Tolosa + 1
