Comments about ‘A different kind of learning model: Grouping kids to succeed’

This is not a new concept, its just one that won't work in public education and its bureaucracy.

This kind of education which can benefit small classes can, if not handled correctly, create peer persecution and inferiority complexes on the lesser students.

This style also requires that teachers be allowed to make decisions and public education won't allow that, not without 6 months negotiations and 6 months testing.

There are many options available to families and most especially to students in Utah. Would love to see some balanced writing like this and the article on mainstreaming about some of the charter schools in the state that likewise provide many quality options. Note: I said some, not all just as not all traditional public or private schools are hitting out of the park, not all charters do either. But the real issue is about the kids. The more quality options we have available, public and private, the better served our students will be for long-term success. Quality education for every student should be the highest objective of everyone even those that pay taxes but don't have children. Until education is made a true priority and not merely a political football, we will see thing continue to slide. But, as these articles showed, great work is being done all over on low funding (and in the case of the private schools, no public funding at all).

DBeck, I was with you until your last statement. While private schools don't have public funding, they typically charge a large tuition and can take or reject any student they choose. You are correct though, we need more options in public education and until parents speak up, we just won't get it.

I took several courses from Ethna Reid to learn her system, and I was bored to death using the methods, as well as most of the students I taught when I did. Her system may work for some students, but it is profoundly repetitious and uses very few higher level thinking skills. I think current research- based practice shows there are better ways to achieve the same or better results. The Reid School also has a fairly high turnover of students each year as well. I've had a number of Reid School students come back to their neighborhood schools.

Thank you Utahprincipal801 for sharing your actual experience with the Reid system of teaching. I learn the most from hearing comments made by those in the trenches. I hope we can hear from more teachers and principals on these subjects.

On a personal note, I have a grandson who just entered Kindergarten who has a combination of ADD and developmental delay syndrome, making it very difficult for him to learn. He doesn't know colors, letters of the alphabet, numbers, etc. with little ability to focus on what a teacher is saying to him. He went to a special Head Start program for learning disabled children, but worry he is headed for failure in a mainstream class. Can these children be taken out of their regular class for part of each day for individual help? Any advice from those in the public school system would be appreciated.

To "alwaysthinking | 8:53 a.m" the best advice is to get out of the traditional neighborhood public schools. They are dumbing them down year after year. Find a good charter school or else homeschool.

Grouping kids by putting them in collectives hasn't worked for the past thirty years. It makes students dependent on others and hinders creative thinking. As Obama has admitted, our country now ranks in the twenties with math and science. We also spend the most money per student and get less bang for the buck. Grouping attached to standardized testing is destroying our country.

Ms. Gallegher-Fishbaugh's negative opinion of this successful private school is irrelevent and should not have been sought after in this article. She is the president of the UEA which is the union for public school teachers. She has nothing to do with the private sector. And should mind her own business which is living off of teachers' union dues and telling them how to vote.

But she has plenty to say about privatization. She is militantly anti-privatization and parents' choice for a better education for their children. It really makes me wonder why she is so bitter and bullies our elected officials.

I thought public school teachers had bigger fish to fry than picking on parents who choose to homeschool or send their children to charter schools or private schools. And picking on methods that have proven highly successful implemented in private schools. Thus wanting to drag private schools down into the mired mediocrity of public bureaucratic "education"?

Doesn't NEA/UEA have anything better to do?

"People like Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, president of the Utah Education Association, feels (sic) that students should be together with their own grade level as they are emotionally and socially not ready to be with students who are two and three years older than them. In this type of setting, the teacher than should group the kids when studying certain subjects and individualize instruction within the grade level, Gallagher-Fishbaugh said."

In many families, the younger children benefit and academically from spending time with older siblings (and parents). For example, some 4 year olds learn to read from being around older siblings and even friends. They have the desire to be like them and pick up reading early/ and or math and other interests. And they become more mature emotionally and socially.

Gallegher-Fishbaugh has blogged that "Others may think parenting public school students or teaching youth on Sundays gives them 'expert' insight into the role of a public educator."

Of course she would take her shots at parents' choice and LDS Church.

But why limit the progression of children? She doesn't sound like an expert to me. Just sarcastic.

Go West,
What did you read? First of all, Sharon spent 33 years of her life in public schools as a special education teacher and a second grade teacher. What business is it of hers? Are you kidding me?

Nothing to do with the private sector? Give her a call. A graduate of Judge Memorial whose father told her that he had a choice to send her to a parochial school and an obligation to the public schools for the greater good of society.

Bitter and bully? As a special education teacher she knows that social and emotional needs of students are important. I did not sense any bitterness on her part but certainly bitterness in your comments.

Lastly, Sharon is a Utah Teacher of the Year, a National Board Certified teacher (only 166 in Utah) and a National Teacher of the Year. She is exactly the kind of teacher we need to be listening to! Or perhaps you feel that Judy Clark, from Parents for Choice, a non-educator and pro-charter and voucher proponent is a more credible source? Really???

With all due respect, I think Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh is wrong.

Public schools group children strictly according to age because it is easier, not because it is better for the children.

I tried to make public school work for my kid, but it wasn't. Finally this year I realized that the question wasn't whether I could afford to send to Reid school, but whether I could afford NOT to. My child was miserable and not performing to potential. My child had received some instruction from Dr. Reid over the summer, and the results were phenomenal.

Dr. Reid does it the way I always figured would be best. ( I graduated high school with a 4.0 - yet was in danger of being kicked out for truancy and driving my parents crazy... to give you an idea where I'm coming from. ) It just MAKES SENSE to teach the same subject at the same time across a school and place children according to ability so the educational environment is strong. And, IT WORKS. My child is learning and thrilled to be at Reid school. Dr. Reid absolutely loves what she does and it shows. We couldn't be happier with the Reid School.