Title I cut in my school

[muddrunner17]

I found out today that my Title I Reading Specialist position will likely get cut and I'll be a classroom teacher next year. Our school just made AYP this year after not making it the previous two years. I work with our upper elementary students. Now they will have less access to the support they really need. All of our RS have about a 35 student case load. None of us are hurting for students that are significantly below grade level. It's incredibly frustrating, but I hope it'll end up being a great opportunity for me.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. I am sorry to hear that

It seems to be a pattern. Every time we get a program going it gets cut. Doesn't seem to matter if it works or not.

Title I funding is the worst. They keep increasing the budget at the federal level but less money reaches the schools. The bureaucracy grows while the kids get less and less.

[Catshrink]

2. I would think that reading specialists are uncuttable.

When I think of all the kids with reading problems I see in HS, I wonder how a solid foundation in reading would have prevented the shortcomings we see. When we identify learning disabilities at the HS level, we know the kids have had these for years. No wonder the kids are turned off by school and frustrated.

Someone upstairs isn't thinking.

[muddrunner17]

3. You're right

The longer we wait to give these kids support, the harder it is to catch them up and the more resistant they become. It's ludicrous how students needs are often the least considered factor in education. Kids have just become the sum of their test scores. We are going to see major problems in our education level and the quality of our workforce because of this. NCLB has failed our schools, teachers, and most importantly our students.