Too Much Education; Not Enough Learning

Re “Left Far, Far Behind,” editorial, Oct. 23: As an elementary school teacher I have to agree with almost everything stated in your editorial. California has set some standards in its curriculum that make it impossible to teach, not because they’re difficult, but because there is no time to reach mastery.

Teachers have known this and tried to spend additional time in the day to cover areas they would otherwise be unable to reach. Many districts, including my own, have pacing plans that tell you what and when to teach. Their belief is that this way all the curriculum will be presented.

Unfortunately, kids don’t learn in uniform patterns. Nevertheless, standards are benchmarked throughout the year to keep tabs on students and teachers. The result: Everyone was taught the curriculum, but no one learned. I’m sure you will get many letters from other teachers on this editorial. It’s a problem we’re all facing, and it seems that no one is listening.

Edie Irwin

Apple Valley

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Thank you for shedding some light on the serious defects of the No Child Left Behind Act. For further examples of the narrow-minded bureaucratic insanity this and other legislation have created, take a look at El Oro Way Elementary School in Granada Hills. Because of the shortage of three students for four hours on one arbitrary “norm day” (the day Los Angeles Unified School District decides how many teachers a school may retain), the school was forced to reorganize its classes six weeks into the school year.

A kindergarten teacher was let go, upper-grade classes were cut from six to five, creating classes of 36 and 37 students (up from 28 and 29), and a split class with 18 fourth-graders and 18 fifth-graders was created. Special-education students in a class of 10 were yanked from their teacher to accommodate the numbers game the district is forcing the school to play. Three teachers changed grade levels, despite the fact that this student shortage was resolved within four hours.

The district tells us we must wait two months and can reorganize again if we maintain our “numbers” (I think it means students). Sadly, education legislation is rarely about the needs of the children.

Shelley Gelber

Second-grade teacher

Studio City