Posted on 05/26/2008 3:14:56 PM PDT by abt87
I have every right to claim that any teacher who resists having special ed kids in their classroom is lazy or uncaring, or stupid. Teachers work for the public. They are paid to teach everyone. They are lucky that the schools have special education classes.
My husband used to be a special ed teacher, and I had a child who was in special education, who was not a discipline problem in school, ever. She was abused by the teachers, and the administration who actually reinforced the mistreatment by the students. There is no excuse for abusing a child. If a teacher doesn’t like his or her job, she should quit.
The quality of public school education is inversely proportionate to the growth of the NEA. Far too many teachers have bought into the union work ethic.
How many times do I have to repeat that this was KINDERGARTEN. The parents and the school district were in the process of classifying the child. It is a long process of testing and evaluations with doctors and other experts. It cannot be done over night. This woman was not capable of doing her job. She should have been fired.
Interesting point. I didn’t think of that, but it seems reasoned that he wouldn’t have a say. How fair would that be? LOL I’m sure his teacher wouldn’t think it was.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Ha!
Actually judging by the arch impressions, the kid had nicely arranged teeth. Strong too!
You’re right. Your special ed kid is the only one who really deserves any consideration. Who cares what some of those kids do in a classroom. Who cares about the kids who sit by while a teacher struggles with a child whose own parents can’t even manage him? Your kid is all that matters. I understand now. Thank you for really showing me the mentality of the parent of a special ed child. Till now, I really didn’t understand what you guys were like.
No, I’m talking about teachers who enabled abuse of a child by other students. One teacher who allowed the kids to knock her books on the floor, and kick them across the room, and then yelled at my daughter for the commotion. The kids would pull on her chair, turning her desk around backwards and the teacher would yell at her. They would steal her books and she would have to pay for them, unless the custodian found them in the trash can, which happened often. She was punched by older boys that she didn’t even know, just because they could get away with it. She had her coat and books removed from her locker, that was shared with another girl, and when she complained, the principal told her that the other girl would never do something like that because she was one of the most popular girls in the school.
No, teachers can be very self centered and unfeeling toward kids who require a little extra effort.
Oh, by the way, my daughter’s biggest problem is dyscalclia, do you know what that is? She also is dyslexic, but she has mastered that problem and can read better than many of the students with whom she graduated, no thanks to the mainstream teachers.
A LITTLE extra effort? You think all special ed kids are like your daughter? Grow up.
I don’t think that all special ed kids are like my daughter but I think that some teachers teach abuse of kids who are different. Teachers need to either conform to their job responsibilities or be fired. Claiming that teaching special ed kids is not in their contract won’t cut it. Now, the district may be responsible to send this kindergarten kid to a private school, where he will receive a decent education, better suited to his abilities, but that won’t upset the teacher because it won’t come out of her pocket.
I also think that a kindergarten teacher, like the one in the article should understand the system, and the fact that classifying a special needs kid takes time. Most districts don’t have special ed kindergarten for this very reason.
Like I said, the quality of public school education is inversely proportionate to the growth of the NEA. I once read a definition of a professional in an article in the LA Times, that I never forgot. The writer said that a professional was a person who pursued a career that required a university education and put public service above financial remuneration. That’s not a teacher, not any more.
Till you've been in a room with 32 inner city adolescents, up to 7 of whom are special ed, some of whom cannot even stay in their chair, whose own parents cannot control them, who mess with the other kids, who cannot be sent out, who cannot be disciplined legally in anyway, who make sure that you spend all your time dealing with them, you have no idea what you are talking about.
But then, the loudest ones usually don't.
The “teacher” should be fired - unless her job is to teach sadism to small children...
I told you, my husband used to be a special ed teacher.
I don’t think Port St. Lucie qualifies as an inner-city school - you sound like you are reliving your past and probably did something similar if you feel this strongly about defending this dispicable act of “Lord of the Flies” socialization.
I have a son who is “challenged”. He has never lacked for discipline and his brother is an ‘A’ student working on becoming an Eagle Scout. So don’t be throwing around the “lazy parent” argument simply because a child is difficult in school. You are undoubtedly right that there are some parents who will look for any excuse for their child’s behaviour. I am not one of those and I’ll hold off on judging this parent until there is something to say otherwise.
For one thing, having gone through the process, I can tell you that it takes, literally, years to get a diagnosis and it isn’t always right the first, second, or even third time. We started seeing a therapist when my son was 2 because he wasn’t bonding with the family. He had problems in preschool, kindergarten, elementary school and still does now in middle school. During that time he was diagnosed with ODD, PDD/NOS, ADD, ADHD, depression, anxiety, and finally with Aspergers. He doesn’t neatly fit into any of the “boxes” they like to stick children with challenges into. No medication has worked as well as they had hoped and they suspect he has “co-morbid” conditions. A condescending way of saying that he may have more than one thing causing his developmental delays but they don’t know how to figure out what exactly is wrong so they don’t know who to fix it with medication, therapy, etc. I have tried group socialization therapy, individual behavioral therapy, congnative development therapy, diet changes, supplements, prescribed medications, rewards programs, teacher meetings, principal meetings...
I have tried everything, and I mean everything, to help him make up for the social delays (almost stagnation) that he has suffered. The most discouraging part has been the constant battle with his teachers to just accept that he is not capable of silently enduring the teasing and cruelty heaped upon him by the other students because he is tall, skinny, uncoordinated, and immature. He gets yelled at by his teachers for reacting when someone throws spitballs at him. Kids tease him that his father is dead and the teacher does nothing, says nothing. He is slammed into lockers during class changes, his backpack has been thrown in the toilet and in the trash can. The reason it continues is that the teachers not only tolerate it but, as shown by this article, sometimes encourage it hoping that just a little more humiliation will somehow change all the brain chemistry issues and make these kids “normal”.
Until you have watched someone you love as much as you love your child be ridiculed and abused by students and teachers you have no idea how protective you can be. I hope the woman sues and I hope she wins. Not because I’m in favor of lawsuits but because sometimes striking the pocketbook sends a very powerful message to anyone else who might think they can act like this completely incompentant person (I refuse to call her a teacher) and not be held accountable.
Being diagnosed with a neurological disorder like Autism (or ADHD or BiPolar) is not as simple as getting a swab test for strep throat. It takes time for the professional to watch the behavior, and talk to family members. We now have a diagnosis for Autism PPD-NOS for my 6 year old granddaughter after seeing the therapist one evening each week for 3 months.
Five year old kids do not judge each other like contestants on reality TV, that teacher almost certainly masterminded the whole scenario. She should have been fired, not reassigned.
We now have a diagnosis for Autism PPD-NOS...
I'm not sure what that is. I've heard of PDD-NOS. If that's what you mean, dumping her in a regular classroom might not be the best. The parents need to fight for an appropriate educational plan. The child belongs in a regular classroom only if she can function there. If not, the school district can be forced to provided an appropriate education in an appropriate setting.
Collective vs. Individual BUMP!
Special Ed teachers in my school have three aids to help handle 8 students. Doesn't exactly sound like hell.
What, only 8 students? Yes, because the other six they off-loaded onto us, who already had 26 kids.
Sorry, lady, but it sounds to me like your experience and your concern start and end with your daughter. You couldn't handle my job for four months.
No, sweetie, MY school is the inner city school I was referring to. And no, I haven't done this. I've wanted to, though, when I saw, day after day, nice students sitting patiently by while I grappled with some out-of-control monster whose parents cared only about making sure their kid got all my attention and everyone else's kids were screwed.
And it's a pity that you took so long to write a post that I didn't read. See, I got as far as your snippy assumption that I'm the Lord of the Flies teacher and I started doing just exactly what YOU are doing: making assumptions.
I figured, Oh, here's another selfish parent who only cares about making sure THEIR kid's needs are met... and I didn't read another word.
Sorry. But if you don't like me doing it to you, don't do it to me and we'll try again. Or not. I don't care. I've had enough of selfish parents.
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