Mr. Educational Scientist Strikes Again (Or At Least He Tries To)

Mr. Educational Scientist posts a comment:

Yes, I agree, some kids need more time to finish school. In some schools it is called YABC. It is a night school type of program that meets alternate days four days a week. It functioned to some respect as "college" environment. Partnered with SBOs, students has jobs arranged for them. They worked during the day and studied at night. Since I know intimately on how this operated and moved many kids into this program, I must say it really was an excellent program for those students who had fallen behind. The target population is overage and undercredited students and basically students had until they were 21 to graduate. The classes started at 5 PM. Kids who had been very difficult seemed to become more focused. They would do maximum 3 classes a night, 1 1/2 hours and depending on what they can take up to 6 classes a week.

I didn't know the city was still funding these programs. These programs are very different from credit recovery programs and they can and do work for lots of kids. One of my closest friends worked at Queens Outreach for years. I know his program was a huge success and I almost left Packemin HS to join the staff there. (This would have made Suit very happy.) At one point they even considered a calculus class but instead sent the young man to Flushing HS for the one course. These schools are not exactly the same as credit recovery and boot camp.

David did not belong in this program. David was the type of kid who was bored with school simply because it did not challenge him. Trust me when I tell you David devoured books, understood complex math, and simply needed someone to point him in a direction. David had we decided to keep him any longer may have just disappeared. People forget how dangerous parts of our city are and what difficult lives our students live because of it. Hence the explosion of Gang culture in NYC. There parts of the city that young people can't walk in if they aren't wearing a specific color of flashing a certain sign.

Trust me, I know how dangerous parts of the city are. I grew up in the projects of the Bronx. I went to CCNY when Harlem was not a safe place for a young woman to be.

There are other places David could have gotten an education. How about a GED program in a community college? He could have done his high school diploma while working on a college degree. David might have done well with credit recovery but, he is the exception not the rule.

In addition, I would like to separate as much as possible, 19 & 20 year olds from 14 & 15 year olds.

No argument here, except that at Packemin, I know of a little tenth grader being forced to attend late afternoon school to make up a course she failed. She is very young, a little immature and an extra year in high school would not hurt her in the least. Her mom agrees. The extra class at night is taking away from her studies.

So do I agree with your argument for credit recovery, one word - YES!

So, you are against credit recovery? I am totally against it.

However, do I believe a student having to retake a class because they failed all over again when they may have misunderstood a few topics. Are the material they were given was not appropriate for their reading level.
(Differentiated Instruction.)

I've got to strongly disagree with you here. First off, no one fails because they misunderstand a few topics. Failure comes because multiple topics are not understood. Reteaching a few topics is teaching the minimum to pass the exam. Did it ever occur to you that if a child can't read maybe that child should not get a high school diploma?

Mr. Educational Scientist, you and I are on opposite sides of that spring above. As soon as we start to agree on something, we will get pushed far apart.