As I write report card comments, upload final grades, and tick the IEP (Individual Education Plan) box on the report card for approximately 10-13% of my students, I noticed something that bothers me.
There are exceptionally bright students from wealthy families, and there are exceptionally bright students from poor families. There are average problem-solvers with iphones, and there are average math students who struggle to afford a calculator. But when I look at the group of students in my classes who are struggling to pass my course, there is an uncomfortable gap.
My struggling students from poor families come to my class with the sometimes unspoken, but painfully clear label: "dumb". They are often unconsciously dismissed, with the not-thought-through assumption that they are just not cut out for math.
On the other hand, my struggling students from wealthy families often come to my class with the label: "learning disability", and they receive the appropriate accommodations, modifications, targeted instructional strategies, preferential seating, photocopied notes, and extra after-school tutoring that will enable them to work with their disability and succeed.
Timely testing for learning disabilities appears to be hard to obtain without paying out of pocket. Wealthy families have the means to make this happen and get their children the support they need, but what about poor families? How many of my students are mislabelled as "dumb"?
