A blended class- room was not what Linda Miller thought wouldwork for her child. So she did some research, recruiting sympathetic parents and went to work to enlighten the school district that the blending idea was short- changing many students. What is blending? The methodology involves taking students from two grade levels and combining them into one classroom with one teacher. Children usually remain with the same instructor for two years, and while this has proven to be a big money saver it doesn't mean that its right for your child. Blending may work for some students, but it can be damaging to others. Consistency in curriculum is currently a problem. And, depending on the instructor, having the same teacher for two years can prove to be counterproductive, causing students to miss out on different teaching styles. Educating children, especially in their earlier years, when one year can make a big difference in reading and writing levels, is an arduous task. Obviously, combining grades increases class size, which augments existing problems such as discipline and it reduces individual attention from teacher to student. Some parents who have children in blending programs are concerned about social growth. Even though younger children may be able to keep up academically, they can find themselves being ostracized by older children in social settings like recess. "The wider age range makes it much more difficult for ateacher to meet the needs of all students" says Linda Miller, the former university teacher and mother of three daughters who started Citizens Against Blends" Younger students may be taught at a level beyond their ability and be intimidated by the older children while older students may feel hamstrung by the younger children,” she told the Oregonian newspaper. However, a Lake Oswego School District administrator says that state and national test scores by her students from blended classrooms either held even or improved.But perhaps the mostalarming problem with blending programs is children who slip through the cracks without parents even knowing it until it is too late. One Oregon mother, whose son transferred midway from one school into another's second/third grade blended program, studied mostly second grade subjects. The following year, when the child moved into a four/five grade blended class, the curriculum offered mostly fifth grade subjects. It wasn't until the student took a state science test that his mother realized her child had bypassed third and fourth grade subject matter. "He came home. He was so upset," the mom told the Lake Oswego Review, a community newspaper. "He said, 'Mom, I've never had any of this.'" Had the child been in a non-blended fourth grade class, he would have received instruction in life sciences, physics, oceans, electricity and magnetism. In third grade, the curriculum would have included subjects like metric units and the solar system. "He was not ready to go from second grade to fifth." the mom said. "It was a bigger chal- lenge all at once. He was not properly prepared for the leap." "Parents are turning toward tutoring," Linda Miller explained. "And children with special needs do the worst" in blended programs, she said. Whether blending is a good approach or not may depend on the school, the teacher and even the child. With increasing pressure on schools to perform, parents will notice new approaches popping up more and more. The chal- lenge is to make sure the school offers some choice for those parents who are not comfortable with the approach. Even more impor- tant, choice of schools in general is becoming an increasingly important reform to allow parents to make deci- sions about the kind of school best for their child. As long as children are assigned to public schools based on where they live, it’s acceptable for schools to offer all sorts of new programs, but not in the absence of other options. Know what programs your schools are using and band with other parents to convince your leaders they must offer choices to ensure that all children are being well-served. To ensure a healthy acad- emic environment for your child, nothing works better than Parent Power!Parent Power!Helping You Make Senseof Schooling TodayContributing EditorsChristian Braunlich Sean Kelly Mary Beth Klee1001 Connecticut Ave., NWSuite 204Washington, DC 20036202-822-9000800-521-2118Fax: 202-822-5077parentpower@edreform.comwww.edreform.comPublished monthly by The Center for Education ReformJeanne Allen, PresidentBringParent Power!to your home.To subscribe, sendyour tax deductibledonation of $7.00 tothe address above,or call us at ourtoll free number.Citizens Against Blends — One mother’s crusade against a school fad Consistency in curriculumis a problem.
