School district cancels spelling bee (Check out the reason why they canceled it)

Woonsocket (RI) Call ^ | January 27, 2005 | Ronald R. Blais

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

LINCOLN -- Karen Adams always enjoyed receiving her invitation. The WPRI-TV news anchorwoman and Lincoln resident looked forward to penciling in the school district’s spelling bee in her appointment calendar.

 

But there’s no note in her calendar this year. The Lincoln district has decided to eliminate this year’s spelling bee -- a competition involving pupils in grades 4 through 8, with each school district winner advancing to the state competition and a chance to proceed to the national spelling bee in Washington, D.C.

Through the years, it had become a tradition for Adams to pronounce and define spelling words used in the bee.

"It was just fun," she said last Monday from her office at the television studio.

Assistant Superintendent of Schools Linda Newman said the decision to scuttle the event was reached shortly after the January 2004 bee in a unanimous decision by herself and the district’s elementary school principals.

The administrators decided to eliminate the spelling bee, because they feel it runs afoul of the mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

"No Child Left Behind says all kids must reach high standards," Newman said. "It’s our responsibility to find as many ways as possible to accomplish this."

The administrators agreed, Newman said, that a spelling bee doesn’t meet the criteria of all children reaching high standards -- because there can only be one winner, leaving all other students behind.

"It’s about one kid winning, several making it to the top and leaving all others behind. That’s contrary to No Child Left Behind," Newman said.

A spelling bee, she continued, is about "some kids being winners, some kids being losers."

As a result, the spelling bee "sends a message that this isn’t an all-kids movement," Newman said.

Furthermore, professional organizations now frown on competition at the elementary school level and are urging participation in activities that avoid winners, Newman said. That’s why there are no sports teams at the elementary level, she said as an example.

The emphasis today, she said, is on building self-esteem in all students.

"You have to build positive self-esteem for all kids, so they believe they’re all winners," she said. "You want to build positive self-esteem so that all kids can get to where they want to go."

A spelling bee only benefits a few, not all, students, the elementary principals and Newman agreed, so it was canceled.

While she concedes she’s not familiar with the specifics of No Child Left Behind, Adams, nevertheless, is befuddled by the school department’s decision.

"I don’t see where that (No Child Left Behind) has anything to do with a spelling bee. It was just a fun time," Adams said.

Winning a spelling bee, she added, "just meant you were a good speller."

One aspect she enjoyed about participating in her hometown spelling bee was the openness of the competition.

"It’s not always the straight "A" student who wins the spelling bee," she said.

A spelling bee also is a chance for children to shine before their peers, family and friends, Adams points out.

"It’s a big deal for the kids. It’s a nice recognition for them," she said.

Competing in a spelling bee is also a learning experience, the anchorwoman believes. "It was fun for the kids because it gave them poise and confidence to stand in front of a crowd."

Adams admits she’ll miss the bee.

"I just loved the kids. They were so cute. My heart broke every time a kid missed," she said. "I really enjoyed it."

Adams wasn’t the only one caught off guard by the spelling bee’s cancellation.

"I had no idea this (spelling bee) was called off," School Committee Chairman Jeff Weiss said last Friday.

The chairman reserved further comment until he could get more information. "I have no comment because I don’t know what’s going on," the chairman said.

Canceling the spelling bee is an administrative decision that doesn’t require School Committee approval, Newman said.

Karen Martin, whose daughter, Brianna, won last year’s bee, said she was surprised the bee had been eliminated, describing its cancellation as "strange."

Although her daughter was nervous, Martin believes it was a good experience for Brianna. "It was exciting to go to the state competition," the mother said.

Like Adams, Martin said she’ll miss the bee.

"I’m disappointed. I thought it was a fun activity," she said.

The administrators’ decision to eliminate the bee wasn’t a difficult one, Newman said.

"There was no debate at all. It was one of the easiest decisions," the assistant superintendent said because "there was no question among the administrators" that a spelling bee was "contrary to the expectations" of No Child Left Behind.

 

[TheBigB]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1330555/posts

[Bahbah]

I think I'm going to throw up.

[Brilliant]

I wonder if these school administrators ever graduated from elementary school themselves?

[mewzilla]

"No Child Left Behind says all kids must reach high standards," Newman said. "It’s our responsibility to find as many ways as possible to accomplish this."

Why do I doubt that this was what the president had in mind...?

[Verginius Rufus]

By the same logic they should give all kids A's in every subject...doing anything else might hurt their self-esteem.

[planekT]

Main reason to homeschool. Idiots are in charge of public education. Not saying they all are, just that many of them are, and anyone who reads this or the article the other day about the two boys being arrested for drawing stick figures can come to their own conclusions.

[Indy Pendance]

Better cancel all sports, music, plays, and tests to name a few. Heck, just shut down all the public schools.

[steveo]

We're doomed.

[Texas_Jarhead]

what a bunch of nut balls

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Stupid, stupid Democrat NEA brain dead teachers. My brother WAS a principal and he thought this very thing. He's a great guy but is so gullible he really believed it.

[SuzanneC]

I was going to say that the real reason has more to do with the fact that homeschoolers usually win these contests and show up the government school 'educators.'

[B4Ranch]

No Child Left Behind = No Competition in life = Socialism

Not quite the Plan that American Patriots were wanting for our country but quite in line with the Homeland line of thinking.

[TommyDale]

Next, they plan to eliminate all recesses and blame that on the "No Child Left Behind" program.

[steveo]

Heck, just shut down all the public schools.

One of our district's financial people said the other day "The only way we could balance next year's budget is if we closed all of the schools." The news report ran in the morning and by noon, that quote was removed from the story.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

What's next? All kids will be given 'A's in school because they can't leave anyone behind?

[You Dirty Rats]

Just a bunch of publicity-hungry Leftist educators scoring (they think) cheap political points against the President. Cancel all competitions and then claim it's George W. Bush's fault. Never mind that it actually hurts the kids -- the kids are secondary to the political exercise.

Next we'll here how John Kerry has a plan to restart spelling bees.

[CAluvdubya]

IMO, the schools today are not teaching children how to deal with not always being the "winner". You must learn how to be a gracious loser. One can not always win, be picked first at a recess game, be included in every "popular" group, etc. It is this lack of teaching that contributes to horrible tragedies at schools and, later in life, at workplaces.

[Indy Pendance]

I'm all for it. No more NEA, Dept of Ed, taxes, etc. Schools should be strictly private, or opt to homeschool.

[OldFriend]

These are the idiots in charge of educating children???????????