Sup Teach?

As a product of the UC system, I see the Regents as faceless entities who nonchalantly hike up tuition without concern for students who can barely afford a college education as it is.  (I apologize for that run-on.  And, I don’t want to shortchange the Regents; I’m sure they do much more than make higher education expensive…)

Here in NYC, the Regents are dreaded standardized tests that high school students must pass in every core content area (English, history, science, math…) in order to advance to the next class and ultimately graduate.  In fact, the number of Regents passed and the scores received determine the type of high school diploma that a student earns.  There are three tiers: the local diploma, the Regents diploma, and the advanced Regents diploma.

During the summer I had the privilege of completing my training in my future high school.  I really value the time I had with my students; it felt great to help them become more confident in their knowledge of living environment (NYC’s version of watered down biology).  Though, the pressure to get these students to pass was a heavy weight on my new teacher shoulders.

When Regents rolled around last week I proctored the math test for two students whose IEPs (individualized education plans) required someone to read the test to them.  It was so difficult to read each question and answer choice without providing these young men with guidance.  (It was tough, but I made sure to not give anything away with voice inflections or pauses.)  My heart broke every time the incorrect answer was written down.  These young men finished a three hour math test in just over an hour, many answers were chosen at random, and most free responses were left blank.  I know that there are many reasons why these students were unable to pass the Regents the third time around, but this whole situation just got me thinking.

Currently I’m reading City Schools and the American Dream: Reclaiming the Promise of Public Education by Pedro Noguera (thank you 13+).  It’s a very good read, especially for someone new to the education scene. Noguera discusses the expectations placed on inner city schools and students, then reproaches the feds/state/city/school district for their lack of support of inner city schools and students.  Word.

Would it be fair to require my students to ride a bike in order to pass my class without giving them a chance at training wheels?