Mainstreaming has been around but some schools had certain classrooms that had special teachers to deal with special needs kids. The kid might attend that school but spend a lot of time in just that class room with that teacher and helpers.
I’ve known a few special ed teachers and they have talked about how their class rooms are ran. It’s different than regular class. For instance one teacher explained to me how she had to deal with autistic kids and a fire drill. I can’t remember all she said but from what I remember it was (in my words) like trying to get a feral cat out of the room calmly.
I think what cnsmom is talking about is doing away with special ed teachers and classrooms.
I think if you mainstream.some kids need a one on one aide.
And what do we do with the kids? Shove them aside? Lock them up in a Regrets Room?
This is a huge sore spot for me. I was a teacher (until I quickly learned I could earn a lot more in the private sector) and served on the Financial Futures Committee for another school district. It was not uncommon to hear stories from teachers about how funds given for a specific purpose were diverted to other purposes.
My eldest child graduated Magna Cum Laude from college, speaks several languages, plays guitar and violin, won district and regional competitions in chess, constitutional law, history, and academic decathlon. He was named MVP of his high school choir, was also in show choir, and played football. He’s married and working at as a law clerk, earning enough to support his family in a lovely two-bedroom apartment, new car, and saving for a home. He is on the spectrum.
My middle child just graduated with his Associate’s in Science (3.95 cum GPA) while simultaneously earning an ASL certification. Aside from being a supplemental instructor through the college in Microbiology (he earned the highest marks on tests that the department chair had seen since 2019), he also works 30 hours a week at a job, pays all his bills, and pays us rent. He will be returning to college in the fall after we move and pursuing an advanced degree in Microbiology. He has won awards for engineering, art, and competitions in Taekwondo. He is on the spectrum.
My youngest just graduated high school with honors and won awards in business, computer science, leadership, and The Presidential Award for Academic Excellence. He just got engaged to his girlfriend. He will be starting college after we move. He is on the spectrum.
Not every kid on the spectrum is feral. Some of them are quite talented and brilliant, will outperform their “normal” peers, and are divergent learners. They are in good company. Other divergent learners include Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Walt Disney.
Last, but certainly not least, the federal government confiscates my hard-earned money in the form of taxes and claims part of the reason is to educate my kids. I pay outrageous property taxes to support the schools. I continue to pay whether I have kids in the school or not, because I want that same support system that helped my kids excel to be there for other parents.
These are innocent, young human beings, with lives and souls. Unless they pose a danger to themselves and others, they deserve the same privileges we afford every other child - to use the facilities, share the spaces, be part of society, and be educated.
I am more upset about the thousands of illegals taking resources than the mainstreaming of kids on the spectrum.
I have a "special-needs" child, and expect that these teachers would have to have the patience of a saint to manage these children during a fire drill (with sirens wailing).
Regards,