Having a career in an urban district that is comprised of students of different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds meant that I was not the least bit surprised by what I was reading and viewing in this module of study. I began to question the solutions presented as a way to address the problem. In our text the Office of Civil Rights along with the Department of Education stated they have been concerned with this problem since 1965. The problem is real but the solution may not be that easy.
RTI or Response to Intervention has become a means for addressing the problem. The system relies on a number of factors aligning in order to be effective. This is where as a professional I have seen the break down first hand. The first step is solid classroom instruction. The classroom teacher is responsible for differentiating within apply interventions and tracking their success. I am not sure that all teachers are able to do this effectively. The process is time consuming and requires that you do not teach whole group, that you have met each student where they are. Last year teaching 4th grade I had a class where almost all of my students read below grade level. I ran 5 reading groups, 4 spelling groups, 5 math group, and differentiated for science and social studies because I had inclusion students as well. The time I spent naming, assessing, analyzing, and working was not measurable. I had students that waited months to be discussed at an SST (Student Support Team) meeting. The need in our school was just that great that it took years for students to have real action taken.
Additional support for students in the Tiers has been an issue in every school I have worked in. Often times an administrator is telling a classroom teacher that they need to supply the addition 30 minutes of reading instruction to students, which is not possible because it is to come in addition to their regular reading instruction. We have tried to add instruction time without adding time to the school day. The steps to this process seem to be modeled for what a district can provide and what they can pat for and that is not the intention of RTI. When changes are made to the process results will be compromised as well.
I feel like my role as a Literacy Coach has brought me also to the role of teacher advocate. I worked with so many educators who wanted training, and knew they needed it. They felt like they were not doing enough for their students. They felt uneducated and ill prepared for all the demands and mandates. I wish that I had more answers. Moving to the state of TN where they are just beginning the RTI process I seem the same issues occurring again. Highly trained teachers, skilled professionals, solid professional development systems are discussed when talking about RTI, but I feel that this conversation needs to be expanded and not just mentioned. What do these programs look and feel like for teachers. Sitting in a day of professional development may not be the answer. In the end I think a number of issues falls back to funding of education. The resources and staff needed often just are not in a district's budget. Here is where I find the business of education does not meet the needs of the clients.
I loved your post. It's so true, many educators really want to better themselves and feel inadequate to do the job they love. The demands are so high and little resources and time available. I feel as though I am there with you as an advocate for the teachers:) We need to really start banding together and getting our voice out there.
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