Author: Sharman Burson Ramsey: DOTHAN, ALABAMA CONTINUES TO FAIL TO TEACH STUDENTS TO READ! ONLY 41% ARE PROFICIENT READERS?

For years I have been pointing out to you the problems with the curriculum of our schools. At what point will you realize that your "support" makes you complicit with this failure!

Can you believe that only 41% of Dothan City Students children are proficient in reading? That means that 59% are not. That is okay with you?

Since hiring your State of Alabama Chief Academic Officer, Barbara Cooper, your reading scores on the National Assessment of Academic Progress have dropped in Reading from the 26th percentile TO THE 50TH PERCENTILE.

READ HER MOTIVATING BOOK:

Or the review on my blog

https://sharmanbursonramsey.blogspot.com/2017/11/radical-possibilities-your-children.html

In Dothan, this sad situation is with a student teacher ratio of 18 to 1. Not bad. That used to be the goal they told us would produce perfect schools as they demanded more money.

You mean that didn't work? Need more money, right?

As usual with the bigotry of low expectations and the cruelty of condescension your superintendent blames the children.

"Ledbetter said about 66 percent of students in the city school system qualify for free or reduced lunch meals, which the federal government uses as an indicator of poverty. Ledbetter said the Dothan City Schools low-income students performed significantly better than the statewide average for students living in poverty. Ledbetter said that shows that the system’s efforts to support children from low-income homes are bearing fruit."

HOGWASH!

Years ago a group of parents, concerned citizens, brought Black educator, John Winston, to speak to the very rude Dothan School Board. He brought these minority children living in housing projects from the 25th percentile to the 80th, saw reading disabilities fall from 40 to about one and saw discipline problems disappear. This is the same group of children the administration CONTINUES TO BLAME for the schools' failure! How can you afford not to get your teachers trained in this and give those children A CHANCE!

Dothan Eagle once again you have managed to put lipstick on a pig. You are partly to blame for this tragedy.

Say what?

"Ledbetter said drop-offs in performance between elementary and middle school remain a problem and will likely always be a problem because of how children develop."

I will tell you what I saw. They memorize a rolodex of words with whole word/look say (oh, forgive me, they're now using an eclectic approach, which means they're using whole language because it is so much fun! and Much easier!) And then since they have been able to read only books with vocabularies limited to those words, the opportunity for broad reading is then limited because they CANNOT DECODE UNFAMILIAR WORDS and so obviously their vocabulary is limited!

NOW, thirty years after we first brought this to the attention of the Dothan School Board, they continue the precipitous slide into becoming Chicago where only 1 in 4 can read! Keep on following that crowd and with those wonderful good intentions and you know exactly where that will lead.

Oh, but that is the life those children our schools have failed are actually living.

This book remains relevant.

Do you see these "attack skills" in your classrooms? Then they are not learning to read phonetically and they are not really teaching those children to read!

How many more children can you afford to lose? Where are your elected representatives? How can they just sit by and continue to support this ridiculous pretense at education?

I am outraged. I thank God my own Dothan grandchildren are able to attend a private school. But what a shame that the others must accept this excuse for an education and continue to have the public support it!

Go participate with a Cat in the Hat parade. That will teach them to read. No, what it really does is discourage them. There's a lot of fun to be had with reading. Got that. So why can some do it and I can't? Do you really think they DON'T WANT TO READ? How cruel to lead them to water and not let them drink! TEACH THEM!

Join in a Yes We Can March. Throw more money at it. Made you feel good, didn't it? Let's have an awards ceremony. That has worked so well in the past.

And by the way, the best answer for the homeless, hopeless, helpless and hungry is to GIVE THEM A REAL EDUCATION AND A CHANCE!

Too cheap I guess.

Though this is sold on a Christian website for home schoolers, it is not a religious document, it merely enables children to actually read the Bible as did many, many children BEFORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.