Tradewinds, Romoland, CA

It is unfair to judge the performance of over twenty teachers based on the comments of one. The teachers at Romoland work very hard and put in long hours in order to provide a quality education for their students. Also, I would suggest there's nothing wrong with a fifth grade teacher wanting to teach 5th graders fifth grade skills. The truth is the majority of 5th graders at Romoland are a SOLID two years behind their peers across California. A REAL fifth grade class is one where 21 out of 25 students are reading at a 4th/5th grade level, NOT one where 2 out of 25 are reading at grade level while 11 are reading/comprehending at a 1st/2nd grade level and 12 are reading at a third grade level! A REAL fifth grade class is one where 21 out of 25 students know their multiplication tables (a 3rd grade skill), NOT 2 out of 25. A REAL fifth grade class is one where the majority of students practice the skill of responsibility by completing and returning homework everyday, understanding that practice is necessary in order to move forward. Students don't get to fifth grade knowing how to read but being unable to read because they haven't been taught, but because once the bell rings at the end of the day many of them don't give another thought to school until the following morning when the bell rings to enter the classroom. A teacher can listen to every single student read every single day, but unless a student practices reading at home his/her progress will be painfully slow. While all students want to do well, those who do well are those who take responsibility for their learning by practicing at home the skills they learn during the day, and they should be able to move forward at a 5th grade level, not be held back because the majority of students do not practice at home!!!! The summer before last the school library was open all summer so students could go and read and check out books to take home to read. Nine families out of over 300 took advantage of this. NINE!!! Teachers become teachers because they care about learning and they care about children. It's frustrating for them when students don't do what they need to do in order to move forward. I don't see telling students that a teacher wants to teach REAL fifth graders as bullying, I see it as, "You're as smart as every other 5th grader in California. PROVE IT!!"