Note from cgfg's teacher - I said I was staying out of it, but...

[Shari]

I just can't sit back and watch her fail and not make some attempt to help her. Obviously, its going to have to be something that doesn't involve cooperation from parents. I get that now...

So I emailed the teacher, and this is her reply.

"Thank you so much for your email. I have her in academic support right now and she and I just had a long talk. I don't think she is refusing; but I do think it is a combination of struggling and lack of motivation. She did turn in the essay this morning ( the one you and I had talked about and that I had modified for her). However, she is not current with the reading and is still missing assignments. I showed her today how to read chapter summaries online through a notes website (I would like her to use this to help her with the reading, not instead of reading). She told me her mom won't let her use the internet ,though. I wrote a note home to her mother to ask if she can use it tonight to help her study. Is she with you tomorrow night? The final test over the book is Thursday. If she does well, she can definitely bring her grade up. I hope this information helps. Let me know what I can do to help."

Problem is, she never tests well. She has passed all of her math tests/quizzes with a high C/low B, though her classroom work and homework is usually A/high B. She has only even PASSED 3 out of the 14 tests and quizzes given in the other classes (science, goverment, etc). I wish I'd have fought harder when we had her evaluation'ed for an IEP way back when...

 

[InsaneCdn]

As you seem to have a working relationship with this teacher...

I'm wondering if the point of the testing is to validate test-taking skills, or to validate her knowledge and understanding? (you and I both know the theoretical answer here, but teachers don't always stop to think about it.) If it is the latter, is there some way to provide her with an alternative to the written test, even on a trial basis? For example, can she do an oral exam with the teacher, and see what the results are like?

As in, is there some way to separate the learning issues from the testing issues, so you all can really see where she stands?

 

[Shari]

I think this teacher will do that if we need to. She's already modified the essay for her...I don't want to push too hard too fast, especially with a meeting with the attorney coming up that may change the whole landscape. But teacher and I have exchanged a few possible solutions for the next assignments, including a smart phone with internet access and audio books (Wee qualifies for them, so we could probably get most for Cgfg, also).

This teacher also asked about other classes, and I pointed out the others she is failing. She verified that they are reading-intensive classes, and she is not surprised. And I suspect she'll be talking to those teachers soon. This district can be a royal PITA - with Wee, most of them don't have a clue what to do to help him - though we're making progress. Cgfg has some sort of Learning Disability (LD), I have no doubt, and that sort of problem, this district is good about dealing with, if someone will let them. difficult child 1 made it all the way through school without a formal IEP - just close contact with teachers and working together with them independantly to provide what he needed (and sometimes it was an empty room to do his work in!). And at the high school level, once the teacher found out he had a parent willing to work with them, they were happy to call and work on solutions. Sometimes I wish we could have taken the same route with Wee.

 

[svengandhi]

This teacher sounds like a keeper.

Perhaps on essays you can take her dictation to make it easier for her.

Have you used audio books or books on tape with her?

Good luck.

 

[Shari]

This teacher sounds like a keeper.

Perhaps on essays you can take her dictation to make it easier for her.

Have you used audio books or books on tape with her?

Good luck.

We have not, but Wee has them available to him, so I don't know why we couldn't use them for cgfg as well. I had stepped back because her mom kept just yelling at me any time I would bring up cgfg's reading problems or grades. But I'm back in the game for now. I tossed out these suggestions to the teacher today.