You've Got to be Kidding

[33girl]

This is bullshit. I doubt if it would have been some 8 year old boy drenching himself in his older brother's AXE that the teacher would have removed him to another classroom.

I seriously doubt if the teacher even has allergies at all. Also, why was the girl immediately transferred to a classroom with mostly African-American children? Are there only two rooms for each grade? If so, why are homerooms in an elementary school determined by the kids' intelligence level? That's a really good way to make a division between the groups.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by 33girl

If so, why are homerooms in an elementary school determined by the kids' intelligence level? That's a really good way to make a division between the groups.

I don't recall having homerooms in elementary school. Maybe that's just my bad memory.

The general answer to your question: Tracking. Yes, it is a good and very intentional way to make a division between groups based on grades, race, learning capabiliites, etc.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I don't recall having homerooms in elementary school. Maybe that's just my bad memory.

The general answer to your question: Tracking. Yes, it is a good and very intentional way to make a division between groups based on grades, race, learning capabiliites, etc.

I guess homeroom was a bad way to put it. We had 2 classrooms full of students in my elementary school. These were chosen by random (everyone from the smartest to the slowest student could be in the same room) but we were "tracked" into ability-appropriate math and reading classes. I hope that makes more sense as to what I was saying.

I'm sure it makes it easier for the teacher but I know when I got into junior high and everything was tracked, I was sick and tired of the same old assholes in my classes by halfway through 7th grade.