Desks are arranged in groups. Students cannot see the teacher and so students distract one another. Children are passed on to the next grade without learning to read. Discipline is sometimes lax and supervision is casual. Some schools have abolished recess altogether.
Children are more sensitive to stimuli than adults, more easily distracted.
Insisting that they fend for themselves in a noisy, chaotic, confusing, classroom can do them a disservice. It is not my intention to judge parents, counselors, and doctors, or to dismiss the genuinely hard cases. My only motivation is to provide information that could help schools and parents make sound decisions about the health and welfare of their children. While most of the responses agreed with Patti Johnson, there were some critical responses. To read Ms. Day's analysis, click here.