Juneau and HCC Grouping
A thoughtful reader sent me a couple of links around the issue of grouping for highly capable students.
I first want to say - as I have said all along - if the district wants to return all HCC kids to their attendance area schools, that's fine. As long as they do/understand several things:
- This will NOT work without extensive professional development for all teachers and principals.
- That means money and resources. Nearly every school would need some kind of area in the building with resources that teachers could read from and examine in order to do the differentiation that is needed. What money do they have for this work?
- I can almost guarantee they will need to bring back "Walk to Math." Again, money and space.
- The district would have to make crystal-clear to all teachers and principals - you WILL do this work, no exceptions. Because this is a legal obligation and no extra worksheet or reading an higher-level book will do to meet that obligation. I have absolutely no doubt that if the district does not carry out this new way of services for HCC with fidelity, that they will get sued (and the parent will win).
- From the district's own way of thinking, there is likely to be at least two self-contained cohorts, one north and one south, for the true outliers in HCC. Question is, what will be the standards to be in CONTINUE READING: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Juneau and HCC Grouping
