The article published below is further reinforcement of the EleMental Learning philosophy that the mass marketed curriculums (typically comprised of worksheets and repetition) offered by national tutoring chains cannot possibly be applied universally to a broad cross section of students.  This is why EleMental Learning has stayed out of the NCLB tutoring scene.  We refuse to mass produce "a program" that will be generically fed to students.  We think the students deserve individual attention, a customized program, and recognition that not all students think and operate in the same way.  In short, they deserve better than what NCLB and the national 'tutoring chains" that staff the NCLB after school programs can offer.

If you or somebody you know has a child who has participated in a No Child Left Behind after school program, please add a comment below with your thoughts on the eff ...

Perspectives From An Educator:  Building Literacy Skills in Children

By Lori Skurka, M. Ed.

As an educator I have always recognized the importance and benefit of building a solid literacy foundation for our young children.  In my years as ...

What do you think makes sense?  Let's hear your rationale.  Please try to keep it civil...no hitting below the belt! 

Today IPSD District 204 announced that it has selected a site located near the intersection of Diehl and Book Roads in the far northwest corner of the district to be the new location for Metea Valley high school.  The selection comes after the district's/school board's preferred site at 75th and Commons Drive (better known as the Brach-Brodie estate) was abandoned due to ongoing legal battles regarding the land acquisition cost.

Along with the selection of the new site, the District 204 school boundary lines will now need to be re-worked.  This is sure to cause controversy, as boundary line discussions always do.

Whether or not the district/board has the legal right to apply the funding secured in the most recent referendum towards a new site which will require changing the boundary lines put forth prior to the referendum is one thing.  But whether it is good policy is certainly open for debate. 

Let's hea ...

The U.S. Dept. of Education thinks so!

Click here for their take on it

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This article on the other hand shows that there are serious problems with implementation of the program.  And although it is well documented elsewhere that the tutoring companies providing NCLB services do not provide highly qualified tutors and a personal touch (the way EleMental Learning, which has not pursued participation in the NCLB program at this point, DOES), this article interestingly focuses on the problem of parental apathy towards the program.  In other words, parents who can obtain free tutoring for their children if their school qualifies for remediation ...

Here is an eye opening article regarding the training (or lack thereof) undergone by new CPS teachers:

Click here for Sun Times Article