Katrina's Kids

The article that I have chosen to comment on is Educating the Children of Katrina. I did not realize that there was such a controversy as to where the displaced kids from Katrina should/could go to school. In my mind, I assumed that the location that their family ended up living in would dictate the school that they would attend (which for many was the case). If I understand the information correctly, to some extent Katrina victims were able to choose the school that they attended after the displacement.

I have come to find out that many schools/districts held resentments toward the children of Katrina because they felt as though the kids would have a negative impact on their schools. The federal funding that each school ultimately received on behalf of each Katrina student seems to have lessened the pain. Allowing school districts to compete for students was actually a great idea. Although high achieving schools may not want the negative impact that a student from a lower achieving school may bring, the extra funds enable the schools to provide the appropriate resources. (The Houston Chronicle even noted that there were no negative effects on the tests scores of the affected schools most effected. They compare it to a natural experiment where low achieving students are thrust into the learning environment of high achieving students).

As a teacher, one aspect that I do believe is a hard reality to deal with in the classroom is a homeless student. I lived in northern Illinois during the Katrina hurricane – we had several displaced students at the school where I worked. The students themselves were not a problem, but many of them came with troubled lives and were now suddenly homeless as well. School was not really a priority for them. I believe as a teacher it is my responsibility to ensure that my students feel safe and secure; if they do learning will come naturally. As I said, we only had a few Katrina students; I can not imagine the impact that a school with several hundred displaced students would have.

~Melissa

References
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/Katrina_effect_on_students_studied.html Houston Chronicle
https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/orgTools/ouHome/ouHome.asp?ou=1154729 Educating the Children of Katrina

Centrist Curriculum

One of the most effective means of social control that I have seen used in a school is our system of marks. We give a mark for various things such as being off task (OT), responsibility (R), talking (T), gum (G), and many more. The students get special rewards such as an ice cream party every six weeks that they may attend if they have had less than three marks. They are also able to lose a mark if they receive a good job card. Good job cards are given out if a student is caught helping another student, turning in money that was found, or anything that shows they are trying to be a good citizen. Our principal is very stern, yet all of the students cling to her because she is also a shining light to them - they respect her. It is wild but they really respond to the mark system :).

As far as the articles go, I would first to say that the ESL teacher’s board has a lot of useful information. As with any board that anyone can post to, you have to watch for your occasional nut, but from what I have seen it appears to be very beneficial. I am a little weary about commenting on the Melting Pot link, mainly because I think that has a lot to do with political views. BUT, I would like to say that my main goal is to help the children that are here to become productive members of society – which leads me to the final article :).

When I first started reading the article “Toward a Centrist Curriculum: Two Kinds of Multiculturalism in Elementary Schools,” I was unsure of where he was going. After reading the essays of immigrant teenagers I was confused as to why some of them held so much resentment for not having experienced their “own culture.” Hirsch said that cosmopolitanism is a friend to diversity - that kind of reaffirmed what I was feeling, but afraid to say. After I thought about his ideas it does make sense that we need social fairness, but I do feel strongly that each person is unique and deserves to know their heritage.