Скачать или смотреть Teaching Grade Level Content Despite "Deficits" | Dr. Paul Gothold | Shattering Inequities

Sometimes doing right by students means challenging the system's low expectations head-on. In this powerful clip from the Shattering Inequities Podcast, Dr. Paul Gothold shares a pivotal moment early in his teaching career that would shape his entire approach to educational equity.

Assigned to teach algebra to ninth-grade probation students, Dr. Gothold was confronted by an administrator who questioned why he was teaching grade-level content to students who tested at third and fourth-grade levels. His response was both simple and revolutionary: "They've been doing that for eight years." Instead of continuing the cycle of remediation that had already failed these students, he chose to teach them what they actually needed to succeed.

The results spoke for themselves. Students who had been written off as incapable were not only learning algebra but getting excited about it. Where there were gaps in their foundational knowledge, Dr. Gothold worked to fill them while maintaining high academic standards. This wasn't rebellion for rebellion's sake - it was recognizing that continuing failed approaches would only perpetuate failure.

This moment illustrates a fundamental truth in education: when we expect less from students based on their backgrounds or previous academic performance, we guarantee they'll achieve less. But when we refuse to accept low expectations and provide the support needed to reach high standards, students rise to meet them.

Dr. Gothold's experience demonstrates that acceleration, not remediation, is often the key to helping struggling students catch up and succeed. This principle would later guide his transformational work in districts across California, consistently producing dramatic improvements in student outcomes.

Essential viewing for educators who want to challenge deficit thinking and implement practices that truly serve all students.

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