What do you think of this law?

yo'ma

Wed, May 10 2017, 7:55 am

We started school in March. One of my children is in 2nd grade. He is the youngest in the class and right before the cut off. He's also the smallest in the class. I was concerned he wasn't up to par with the rest of the students, so I went to talk to the school. I first mentioned about maybe keeping him there another year.

We got to talking more and it's all good, but I was told that a new law, no idea how long is new, was passed that any child 3rd grade and below cannot repeat a grade. I'm not sure if pre-school is counted. Anyway, the only way to go around this law is to have an evaluation with whatever place decided to push this law and the parents written permission. When I asked why, she said something like to make sure that he's the right age for the grade.

I think this is such a silly law. Why can't the parents and teachers decide if the child should repeat a grade without having to have a third party and to make it a law? Why would a parent want their child to repeat a grade unless it's really necessary? What do you think?

relish

Wed, May 10 2017, 7:57 am

yo'ma wrote:

From reading your post, it sounds like the ones who pushed the law, did it for monetary gain.

FranticFrummie

Wed, May 10 2017, 8:04 am

Apparently, the government knows your child better than you do. All hail the Nanny State! Mad

Meanwhile, in higher grades, kids are put up a grade each year regardless if they are failing every subject or not. I think it has something to do with the "No Child Left Behind" thing, or how the budgets are allocated.

Teachers are judged based on how many kids graduate, and not on pure teaching merit. If more kids are left back, the school gets a lower rating, and the next year they get less money - which makes no sense! The schools with the most struggling students need MORE resources! Teachers are afraid of getting fired or laid off if they don't have a 100% graduation record.

A lot of this is tied to the new emphasis on "teaching to the test", meaning that the idea isn't to teach kids HOW to learn, but just getting them to memorize enough to pass the test materials that are mandatory. The teachers' hands are tied, and the kids never learn to love learning.

It is so contradictory, counter-intuitive, and just plain confusing. Don't ask me to explain it all, it's like trying to do Common Core math. Mad

PAMOM

Wed, May 10 2017, 8:43 am

I think the explanation you got is a bit garbled. Some states have laws that say students who can't pass a reading at grade level test can't move from third grade to fourth grade. There's a critical change in necessary reading schools as students move into fourth grade. I'm fairly familiar with the end of year discussions about retention and you definitely can meet with the appropriate school team to determine what's in his best interests. And the previous poster was also right--part of the law's purpose is to insure that you can't just override a school recommendation to repeat a grade. However, there's usually flexibility.

water_bear88

Wed, May 10 2017, 9:48 am

I wonder if there was a problem with red-shirting that the law was meant to combat. I don't know what the cut-off date is in your country, but say it's Dec 31- so most of the December kids get held back because that's genuinely best for many of them, and then the following year many November kids' parents want to do the same because they don't want their kids to be the youngest, especially since their class will include December kids form the previous year. Continue this trend long enough and nobody will be starting kindergarten before age 7.

That said, I don't know if this law is necessarily the best solution- but I do understand its having a certain logic. Maybe a better solution would be half-year classes, as in January-June birthdays in one class and July-December in another.

SixOfWands

Wed, May 10 2017, 2:36 pm

I assume this is an Argentine law?

First off, its early in the year. See how it goes.

Second, without more, I think the law could be fabulous.

Schools hold back kids for a lot of reasons. But in general, except for maturity issues, it only works if there are supports and accommodations and whatever else in place to make it better the second time around. So yes, I like the idea of an evaluation, to see what it going on, before holding a kid back, and hopefully, figuring out how to help the kid get back on track.