Teacher Forces 'the Only Friend the Five-Year-Old Boy Has Ever Made' to Denounce him Publicly

GlennSacks.com ^ | 5/27/08 | Glenn Sacks

[PercivalWalks]

"Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class.

"After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.

"By a 14 to 2 margin, the class voted him out of the class.

"Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Aspberger's, a type of high-functioning autism...

"Alex has had disciplinary issues because of his disabilities, Barton said. The school and district has met with Barton and her son to create an individual education plan, she said. His teacher, Wendy Portillo, has attended these meetings, she said.

"Barton said after the vote, Alex's teacher asked him how he felt.

"He said, 'I feel sad,' she said.

"Alex left the classroom and spent the rest of the day in the nurse's office, she said...

"Alex hasn't been back to school since then, and Barton said he won't be returning. He starts screaming when she brings him with her to drop off his sibling at school.

"Barton said Alex is reliving the incident.

"They said he was 'disgusting' and 'annoying,' Barton said.

"'He was incredibly upset,' Barton said. 'The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this.'"

As a former teacher, I certainly know the challenges that teachers often face, and I also realize how incidents which seem innocent and humorous in the classroom can sound ominous or harmful when relayed second or third or fourth hand to administrators or parents. That being said, if this news article is accurate, there's no defense of what Wendy Portillo did in humiliating this little boy (pictured).

A few thoughts:

1) Sometimes a child will act up or act very strangely in class and the teacher may get in trouble later for disciplining the child or mishandling the situation because the child, unbeknownst to the teacher, had special needs or special issues. In this case, however, Wendy Portillo knew all about the special problems this boy had-- she had attended meetings where the boy's disability was discussed and plans were made on how to help him.

2) It is true that teachers are human like anybody else and can lose their temper in a difficult situation like anybody else. However, what Wendy Portillo did went far, far beyond losing her temper. This was hardly a short, quickly regretted outburst, but instead prolonged psychological abuse of the little boy.

3) It is quite true that one disruptive student, or out-of-control student, or special needs student who is unable to control himself, can disrupt an entire classroom. While I make no excuses whatsoever for what Wendy Portillo reportedly did, it is also possible that she was supposed to receive more support services from the school and did not receive them.

For example, perhaps the boy was supposed to go to a specialist a couple hours a day for help. This is good for the boy, obviously, and also relieves some of the pressure on the teacher. It is not uncommon for schools to arrange this type of special services and then for the special services to be intermittent, or canceled due to funding cuts or personnel changes.

I experienced this once during the year I taught fourth grade. I had a boy in my class -- a very nice, good natured boy who I liked -- who did not know how to read. How he was in the fourth grade and why he was there when he did not know how to read is a good question.

Anyway, he received special services -- for an hour or two a day he would be taken out of my classroom and would go to a specialist who would help him learn how to read. It was a good arrangement -- the boy began improving, and I had at least a couple hours a day where I did not have to pacify a boy who was largely clueless as to what was going on in class because he could not read.

After about a month or six weeks of this, you can guess what happened -- the reading class was eliminated, perhaps due to budget cuts, and the boy was dumped back in my class, making things more difficult for everyone involved--the boy, the other students, and myself. It is possible that something like this occurred with Wendy Portillo.

The full article is St. Lucie teacher has students vote on whether 5-year-old can stay in class (TCPalm.com, 5/23/08)--thanks to Chris. a reader, for sending it.

Glenn Sacks, www.GlennSacks.com

[Note: If you or someone you love is faced with a divorce or needs help with child custody, child support, false accusations, Parental Alienation, or other family law or criminal law matters, ask Glenn for help by clicking here.]

[End Times Sentinel]

Bullsh!t. The parents do EXACTLY what our public school "servants" tell them to do--or else. Go outside those guidelines and CPS will come a callin'. You're on thin ice if you're going to blame the parents for a teacher mentally abusing a FIVE YEAR OLD in this way. Please tell us how this teacher's abuse translates into "criminal negligence" by the parents?

Ah, profanity, the verbal equivalent of violence, and the last respite for those who can't express themselves any other way.

Please explain:
Why the parents are excluded from private school/home schooling.
Where I linked the parental neglect to the teacher's verbal abuse.
Why your reading comprehension is so poor.

[subterfuge]

Blah, blah, blah...both of you.

YOU explain why the parents are criminally negligent, since you’re the one who said it. I happen to have an autistic nephew with special needs—and those cost $$$. Some folks need the assistance of the state and if you take that, you do what they tell you.

What the “experts” say is that these kids with issues that are not extreme need to be in regular schools, not isolated even more as it is difficult for those with autism to relate to others. That’s a fact.

It’s just so stupid for both of you to pile on the parents for reprehensible behavior by the teacher, as if they could read the mind of the government stooge. I’ll go out on a limb and guess neither of you have kids.

[subterfuge]

We are not all liberals.

I'm aware of that. Some of my In-Laws are teachers and they're conservative. But like you, because of their conservative proclivities, they aren't in the protected class.

[brytlea]

I see, you qualified it! ;)
susie

[stevio]

Wow. I’m so impressed with your wisdom, thank you.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

The homeschool crowd battles with atheists for the title of “Who’s the most self-righteous, arrogant, and ignorant crowd of people in American Life.”

Heh heh heh.

Schools Ban Peanut Butter Sandwiches
"Another reason to homeschool."

[RinaseaofDs]

You seem to have done pretty well by institutions of public learning. You graduated Annapolis, did you not?

Banning peanut butter sandwiches isn’t a bad call during an epidemic of peanut allergies.

My son goes into anaphylaxis upon contact with peanuts, egg-whites, or pistachios.

You could homeschool if you were adamant about your kid’s right to a peanut butter sandwich. You could give him Ham instead. Or you could have him eat at the ‘allergy table’ and make sure the school has an epi-pen.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

You seem to have done pretty well by institutions of public learning. You graduated Annapolis, did you not?

Yes, but only because John Kerry took pity on me, and realized that sometimes stupid kids have to go military academies and become officers, too, to serve as inspiration for other stupid kids who get sent to Iraq.

[RinaseaofDs]

As a stupid kid himself, that John Kerry, you believe he may have seen a glimpse of his younger self in you?

I don’t buy it. Those Academy grads are pretty solid products, as a general rule. Can’t be stupid to go to an Academy, or too soft too stay there and graduate.

Go Navy!

[End Times Sentinel]

It’s just so stupid for both of you to pile on the parents for reprehensible behavior by the teacher

Let me guess, you're the "autistic nephew" aren't you?

You're clearly too stupid to grasp the concept that what the teacher and parents each did are separate issues, and since this is the third time I've expressed that idea, I don't expect for you to comprehend it this time either.

Suggestion: Let loose with the profanities and whip up the winds of your Tourette's Syndrome.

[subterfuge]

Aww, I guess I struck a nerve. “whip up the winds”? what a nerd. Ha, ha!