So How Do We Really Know?

Today a student labeled "Special Ed," and told to me by a specialist that "she is peddling as fast as she can," interpreted a poem perfectly, according to the test analysis in my hand. She did this among her peers, many of them 'Advanced Placement Students.' "It's simple, Mrs. Christensen," she said. "The author wrote the poem in two different directions to represent the choices he's writing about. If you read the poem in its entirety, it's a nice poem about choices. But if you read one column at a time, one choice is good, while the other is bad. Kind of like that Robert Frost guy who traveled many roads." The lesson went on and she continued to decipher the poem , while myself, along with several 'Advanced' scratched our heads, and nodded them in awe.

When class was dismissed, I noticed a folded paper left on the floor. I knew better, but I opened it anyway. As it happened, the 'Spec-ed' was trying to convince her well-bred friend, "that it is wrong to steal perfume and condoms from the store. I can't go shopping with u anymore, but I will be your friend at school." Miss well-bred thought it all right to remain friends, but defended herself writing that her mother preferred that she use condoms, but that since she wouldn't pay for them, she(miss well-bred) just took them from the store, "but always a different store so I don't get cot." The note responded from 'Spec-ed' that well-bred was lying about the mom, and with banter of why you shouldn't, to why I do, and finally ended with the 'Spec-ed' writing, "I lov u, u r my friend my very best friend but I can't be friends with you anymore not even at school, until u stop stealing. Good-buy my friend.

How is it that a child who has little to no support at home, and is labeled deficient in one form or another, develops skills so sophisticated that she can sever a relationship in order to uphold her own principles? Most adults could not do what she did. And what about the young lady; a straight A student with parents who call, write notes concerning homework, check on her grades over the computer, and volunteer to chaperon field trips, be so inconsistent with what is obviously in line with her parents' views?
I contacted our school councilor who read the note. Her comment? "This information is most likely accurate..."

So how do we really know who is spec-ed with emotionally handicapped tendencies? When asked I was told, "All we can do is follow the rubric and rely on the observations of other professionals and do our best." Have we done our best, or does the little wise poet observe the world in such a way that following a rubric to identify her 'deficiency' just doesn't fit? How do we really know?

So What's Next? Do we continue to label people according to rubrics? past failures? And if we do, are we squashing future success and creativity?