Why Johnny can’t read any more

[PeteS in CA]

Why Johnny can’t read any more

https://www.joannejacobs.com/2021/01/little-help-for-struggling-readers/

Struggling readers have lost specialized help for dyslexia and other disabilities, reports Sarah Carr in the Boston Globe. As a result, students are losing literacy skills, parent say.

She talks to affluent parents who pay for a twice-weekly tutor trained in Orton-Gillingham techniques to keep their child on track. A private school that specializes in teaching dyslexic students has strengthened services to reach kids online.

But for parents who rely on public schools to teach reading, the Covid lockdown has been a “wrecking ball,” writes Carr.  “Most children with severe reading difficulties need individual or small-group instruction to improve.” Few parents have the specialized training to teach dyslexic children at home.

A little background, Joanne Jacobs is not conservative. She was long a contributor to the San Jose Mercury News. Were I to characterize her I'd say she's in the classic-liberal to libertarian range. So this is not a conservablog article.

One need not be a classroom teacher to know that individualized student-teacher interaction is essential. The union-driven shutdown of schools is as wrong as could be - whether for special-needs students or all students.

[mountaineer]

But for parents who rely on public schools to teach reading, the Covid lockdown has been a “wrecking ball,” writes Carr.

From what I hear from parents, children are losing ground dramatically in all subjects, thanks to the lockdown and the absence of in-person teaching. We may have thought public education was inadequate in 2019, but that was nothing compared to now!

[Wingnut]

From what I hear from parents, children are losing ground dramatically in all subjects, thanks to the lockdown and the absence of in-person teaching. We may have thought public education was inadequate in 2019, but that was nothing compared to now!

Another generation of takers about to be unleashed into the world with no learning skills, no job skills, no life skills and No common sense.

[mikezpen]

However, they will be well-versed in the history and evils of Whiteness and White Privilege.

[mountaineer]

However, they will be well-versed in the history and evils of Whiteness and White Privilege.

The evils of whiteness are part of every subject now, from English to math to what passes for history.

[mountaineer]

Just saw some interesting posts on Twitter from a mom. I have no idea whether she's liberal or conservative, but she's concerned about the schools. Here are excerpts:

Ann Bauer   @annbauerwriter
I listened in on a zoom parents' mtg with a MN (DFL) senator tonight. The topic was schools. I'm not going to name the district or the legislator; I was a guest and that's their business. The thing I will tell you: However bad/sad/depressing I thought it would be, it was worse
10:02 PM · Feb 4, 2021

Let me start by saying, this is a wealthy district. Maybe one of the top 5 in the state. The parents are almost all white professionals. To be honest, I almost discounted it. I thought, They're fine! I should be worrying about the families in real need.

Well, they're not fine.

There were parents who said they'd never seen their kids dark or hopeless or unhappy - and I believe it, their suburb is the Shangri-La of Minnesota - til last year. They described girls who hid in their rooms and cried and boys falling so far behind they might never catch up.

Over and over, because these were nice people, they acknowledged how lucky they are. They said they have money for tutors and electronics and they're worried about families that don't.

I believed them. They were measuring their situation against people with less. With nothing.

Still. What surprised me is how money didn't make this OK. These parents looked terrified. Two of the fathers cried; one turned off his video because he could not keep it together. Two of the mom had outbursts, and I couldn't blame them. Everything they said was true.

They said our state is way behind not just the world but the country, that we've denied children a decent education for a full year. They said their kids are not at risk for Covid; they pointed out that teachers are less likely to be infected in the classroom than the community.

They talked about suicidal kids, their own and others. They talked about promising athletes who couldn't play sports. They said their kids are being sacrificed.  Which is 100% true.  ...

I really feel, tonight, like there is no way to get the train of public education going again. Like we're just deciding to throw away this generation of kids, like burned toast. There will be virtual committees and task forces assembled while they sit in their bedrooms alone.

My advice to every parent in MN tonight -- and remember I'm raw and on edge and probably not in my calmest state -- MOVE. Kids are going to in-person school in FL and TX and PA and MA. We're one of the few places that is this broken. Go. I would. But tell @GovTimWalz
 when you do. ...

Entire thread at Twitter