Return-Path: <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f57EnXf02224; Thu, 7 Jun 2001 10:49:33 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 10:49:33 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <3B1F93B8.B5C14C00@ellijay.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Art LaChance <arthur@ellijay.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-LD:3487] Re: FW: Humiliating Awards Ceremony at Sc X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en] (Win98; I) Status: O Content-Length: 2742 Lines: 61 Cindi, I've been able to turn it around for many of those kids who are able to pass the GED now. After confirming they are able to take the GED, I make them promise me they'll at least apply for Tech School, or college if the skill levels are high enough, after getting the GED and then they'll be a couple of years ahead of their peers. Takers number in the 50% range. Has a tendency to take the focus off the garbage they received. I think we need real counselors in those positions. And more than one per school house. And I think we need to require true counseling skills of our teachers. And we need to prove their skills through performance testing. etc etc Art Cindi Riley wrote: > I know of at least 4 situations here locally where students were told to > just drop out and get a GED. One did, took the GED without studying for it > and passed it. He was 17, very bright, but in trouble a lot. His counselor > was tired of dealing with him. I think that any high school counselor that > tells a student to just drop out should be drawn and quartered! :) > > ******************** > Cindi Riley > Assistant Director > Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry > 1403 Prince St. > Beaufort, SC 29902 > phone 843-525-6658 > fax 843-521-1945 > lvl@hargray.com > > -----Original Message----- > From: nifl-ld@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-ld@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Woods > Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001 11:55 PM > To: Multiple recipients of list > Subject: [NIFL-LD:3480] Re: FW: Humiliating Awards Ceremony at Sc > > Art, > You have eloquently expressed you distaste for public awards. Thank you. You > draw a distinction between "minor awards" (bad) and major awards such as a > high school commencement (ok). I'm curious about your reasons why a > commencement would be ok. If I understand all your points correctly, I can > see a similar danger in making a big to do about those who earn their > diploma. I wonder what the kids who flunked might think about it. What about > the kids who had to quit school because they had to support a family? > > While we're all griping about horrendous actions on the part of some > schools, I just want to share that I talked with two new students today who > told me their high schools advised them to drop out. Of course, many of my > students have a very skewed perception when it comes to interpreting what > people tell them, and maybe the message they received was different than the > one that was sent. I have heard so many similar stories from others that I > have to wonder what can be done to stem the tide of dropouts. If public > awards create feelings of despair among those who do not succeed, I wonder > what just coming out and telling the kid that s/he's not wanted does. > > Tom
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