{"id":8273,"date":"2012-09-07T10:09:28","date_gmt":"2012-09-07T14:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/?p=8273"},"modified":"2012-09-07T10:09:28","modified_gmt":"2012-09-07T14:09:28","slug":"stand-with-us-and-say-no-to-low-expectations-for-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/stand-with-us-and-say-no-to-low-expectations-for-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Stand with Us and Say \u201cNo\u201d to low expectations for students!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_pop\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/gallery\/share-button-gray.png\" style=\"border:0px\" alt=\"Share\" \/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_icon_type = \"labels\";var hupso_background=\"#FFFFFF\";var hupso_border=\"#FFFFFF\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_twitter_via=\"wrightslaw\";var hupso_url=\"\";var hupso_title=\"Stand%20with%20Us%20and%20Say%20%E2%80%9CNo%E2%80%9D%20to%20low%20expectations%20for%20students%21\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.change.org\/petitions\/president-virginia-board-of-education-tell-virginia-to-resist-separate-and-unequal-expectations-for-our-students\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" style=\"margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; float: right;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/nltr\/img\/take.action3.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"147\" height=\"37\" \/><\/a><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><strong>Stand with Us and Say \u201cNo\u201d to low expectations for students with disabilities and minority students <\/strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong>by Cheryl Poe, Guest Blogger<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>I am an African-American mother of two children in Virginia public schools. Both children have learning disabilities.<\/p>\n<p>My husband and I have high expectations for our children. It has been a struggle to make sure that their schools share our high expectations.<\/p>\n<p>One day my son&#8217;s speech pathologist said she was not sure if my son had a &#8220;real&#8221; speech delay, or if my husband and I were speaking &#8220;Black English&#8221; at home, and that was causing my son&#8217;s speech delays. I guess she forgot that my husband, and proud father of my children, is White.<\/p>\n<p>At that moment, I knew that it would take more than teaching our children to believe that if they work hard, they can and will achieve great things. I would also have to convince their schools and teachers to look beyond their race and their disabilities. I would have to persuade their schools that they could be successful in school and in life.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia is sending a different message to parents like me\u2014and to our schools.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia adopted new achievement targets for schools that differ according to children\u2019s race, socioeconomic status, disability, and language proficiency status. The targets for Black and Hispanic children are much lower than for White and Asian children. The goals for students with disabilities, low-income students, and English language learners are even lower.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong>Achievement Targets in Math<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Asian Students: 82%<\/p>\n<p>White students: 68%<\/p>\n<p>Hispanic students: 52%<\/p>\n<p>Black students: 45%<\/p>\n<p>Next year\u2019s goal for students with disabilities, only about 10% of whom have severe cognitive deficits, is a gut-wrenchingly awful 33%.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.change.org\/petitions\/president-virginia-board-of-education-tell-virginia-to-resist-separate-and-unequal-expectations-for-our-students\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" style=\"margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; float: right;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/nltr\/img\/take.action3.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"147\" height=\"37\" \/><\/a><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong>Say &#8220;No&#8221; to low expectations for students with disabilities and minority students.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Virginia\u2019s plan will lock in existing disparities for another six years and ensure that the achievement gap between black and white students will increase.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the facts. On the 2010-2011 math tests, the black-white achievement gap was 13 points. Under the new objectives, the black-white achievement gap will increase to 21 points by the 2016-2017 school year.<\/p>\n<p>History tells us what happens when we provide students with separate educational experiences. Before <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/law\/caselaw\/ussupct.brown.bd.ed.htm\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Brown v. Board of Education<\/span><\/a><\/em>, millions of black students were locked out of white schools and denied educational opportunities. In <em>Brown<\/em>, the Supreme Court held that:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society \u2026 It is the very foundation of good citizenship \u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/law\/caselaw\/ussupct.brown.bd.ed.htm\"><em><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Brown v. Board of Education (347 U.S. 483)<\/span><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Before the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, millions of students with disabilities did not receive an appropriate education and millions more did not receive any educational services.<\/p>\n<p>How many times do we have to learn that treating people differently \u2013 sometimes because we believe they need this to succeed \u2013 is the best way to ensure that they fail?<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that advocates are taking a stand. I ask you to stand with us by signing this petition.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.change.org\/petitions\/president-virginia-board-of-education-tell-virginia-to-resist-separate-and-unequal-expectations-for-our-students\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" style=\"margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/nltr\/img\/take.action3.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"147\" height=\"37\" \/><\/a><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong>Say \u201cNo\u201d to low expectations for students with disabilities and minority students.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>We need to send a message to federal and state policymakers that separate and unequal test targets are not acceptable.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of test goals that lock in disparities, Virginia should have high expectations for all students. Schools need to provide more educational assistance to children in subgroups that are lagging behind. Schools and school divisions that are behind need to make greater rates of annual progress.<\/p>\n<p>On August 29, in a surprise news release, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.protestvirginiaamos.org\/USEDltrVAamos.pdf\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">US Dept. of Education and the VDOE announced that they reached an agreement<\/span><\/a>. VDOE would revise their Annual Measurable Objectives and submit them to the USED for approval.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.protestvirginiaamos.org\/USEDltrVAamos.pdf\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">http:\/\/www.protestvirginiaamos.org\/USEDltrVAamos.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Friends, this battle isn\u2019t over. We need to remain vigilant.<\/p>\n<p>Please sign the petition. It\u2019s one way to ensure that state and federal officials know we are watching and will hold them accountable for the decisions they make.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.change.org\/petitions\/president-virginia-board-of-education-tell-virginia-to-resist-separate-and-unequal-expectations-for-our-students\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/nltr\/img\/take.action3.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"147\" height=\"37\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.quickanded.com\/2012\/08\/do-over.html\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Kris Amundson&#8217;s post on the Virginia waiver DO-OVER<\/span><\/a> asks several questions that you need to consider, regardless of the state you live in.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.quickanded.com\/2012\/08\/do-over.html\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">http:\/\/www.quickanded.com\/2012\/08\/do-over.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How did the Virginia application get approved in the first place?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>What other states have the same problem, but fewer rabble-rousers to sound the alarm?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>How are we going to close the achievement gaps that we all know exist?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For more information about Virginia\u2019s problems and waivers, please see:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.advocacyinstitute.org\/blog\/?m=201207\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">\u201cYes, Virginia, You are a Swing State\u201d<\/span><\/a> on Our Kids Count Blog<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.advocacyinstitute.org\/blog\/?m=201207\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">http:\/\/www.advocacyinstitute.org\/blog\/?m=201207<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/virginias-together-and-unequal-school-standards\/2012\/08\/24\/ad0d3e06-ed4e-11e1-b09d-07d971dee30a_story.html\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Virginia\u2019s \u2018Together and Unequal\u2019 School Standards<\/span><\/a>, an op-ed by Andy Rotherham, published in the Washington Post on August 24, 2012 about serious flaws in Virginia\u2019s accountability system:<\/p>\n<p>\u201c96 percent of all Virginia schools are fully accredited at the same time that only 18 percent of black eighth-graders, 18 percent of low-income eighth-graders and 27 percent of Hispanic eighth-graders are proficient in math in the benchmark National Assessment of Educational Progress.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/virginias-together-and-unequal-school-standards\/2012\/08\/24\/ad0d3e06-ed4e-11e1-b09d-07d971dee30a_story.html\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">\u2028http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/virginias-together-and-unequal-school-standards\/2012\/08\/24\/ad0d3e06-ed4e-11e1-b09d-07d971dee30a_story.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.timesdispatch.com\/news\/oped\/2012\/aug\/25\/tdopin02-amundson-new-education-standards-wont-clo-ar-2152190\/\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">New education standards won\u2019t close achievement gap<\/span><\/a> by Kris Amundson, published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on August 25, 2012.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\u2028http:\/\/www2.timesdispatch.com\/news\/oped\/2012\/aug\/25\/tdopin02-amundson-new-education-standards-wont-clo-ar-2152190\/\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">\u2028<\/span><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.timesdispatch.com\/news\/oped\/2012\/aug\/25\/tdopin02-amundson-new-education-standards-wont-clo-ar-2152190\/\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">http:\/\/www2.timesdispatch.com\/news\/oped\/2012\/aug\/25\/tdopin02-amundson-new-education-standards-wont-clo-ar-2152190\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/08\/23\/virginia-new-achievement-based-on-race_n_1826624.html\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Virginia\u2019s new standards based on race and background<\/span><\/a> by Samreen Hooda, published in the Huffington Post on August 30, 2012:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/08\/23\/virginia-new-achievement-based-on-race_n_1826624.html\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/08\/23\/virginia-new-achievement-based-on-race_n_1826624.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/education\/virginia-to-revise-student-achievement-goals\/2012\/08\/29\/e8b4ed6e-f21c-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_story.html\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Virginia to Revise Student Achievement Goals<\/span><\/a> by Lyndsey Layton, published in the Washington Post on August 30, 2012.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/education\/virginia-to-revise-student-achievement-goals\/2012\/08\/29\/e8b4ed6e-f21c-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_story.html\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/education\/virginia-to-revise-student-achievement-goals\/2012\/08\/29\/e8b4ed6e-f21c-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_story.html<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stand with Us and Say \u201cNo\u201d to low expectations for students with disabilities and minority students by Cheryl Poe, Guest Blogger I am an African-American mother of two children in <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/stand-with-us-and-say-no-to-low-expectations-for-students\/\">Continue Reading \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1363,224,157],"tags":[988,998,731,997,259],"class_list":["post-8273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-discrimination-section-504-adaa","category-education-policy","category-no-child-left-behind","tag-amos","tag-annual-measurable-objectives","tag-brown-v-bd-of-education","tag-change-org","tag-idea"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8273"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8322,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8273\/revisions\/8322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}