I have an idea for how to treat the teacher.
Posted on 05/25/2008 1:36:54 AM PDT by LibWhacker
PORT ST. LUCIE — 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 Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.
By a 14 to 2 margin, the students voted Alex — who is in the process of being diagnosed with autism — out of the class.
Melissa Barton filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said.
Port St. Lucie Police no longer are investigating, but police officials are documenting the complaint, she said.
Steele said the teacher confirmed the incident took place.
Portillo could not be reached for comment Friday.
Steele said the boy had been sent to the principal's office because of disciplinary issues. When he returned, Portillo made him go to the front of the room as a form of punishment, she said.
Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex began the testing process in February at the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marcia Cully.
Children diagnosed with Asperger's often exhibit social isolation and eccentric behavior..
Alex has had disciplinary issues because of his disability, Barton said. After the family moved into the area and Alex and his sibling arrived at the school in January, Alex spent much of the time in the principal's office, she said.
He also had problems at his last school, but he did not have issues during his two years of preschool, Barton said.
School and district officials have met with Barton and her son to create an individual education plan to address his difficulties, she said. Portillo attended these meetings, Barton said.
Barton said after the vote, Portillo asked Alex how he felt.
"He said, 'I feel sad,' " Barton said.
Alex left the classroom and spent the rest of the day in the nurse's office, she said.
Barton said when she came to pick up her son at the school Wednesday, he was leaving the nurse's office.
"He was shaken up," she said.
Barton said the nurse told her to talk with Portillo, who told her what happened.
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.
Thursday night, his mother heard him saying "I'm not special" over and over.
Barton said Alex is reliving the incident.
The other students 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."
St. Lucie School's spokeswoman Janice Karst said the district is investigating the incident, but could not make any further comment.
Vern Melvin, Department of Children and Families circuit administrator, confirmed the agency is investigating an allegation of abuse at Morningside but said he could not elaborate.
“So in a perfect world, and given the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, what should this teacher have done, both to control this child Alex and the other 14 5-year olds?”
I don't know. I wasn't there.
But there are any number of “solutions” that would have resolved the behavior problem but unfortunately, also not have been appropriate. After all, the teacher could have just strangled the child to death. Or maimed or mutilated the child physically in a way to prevent further disruptive behavior.
Nonetheless, they, too, would have been wrong.
“Fair enough — what would be the ‘humane and effective’ remedy for dealing to a disruptive influence like Alex, amid 14 other 5 year olds?”
I've managed mixed age groups of children of up to a couple of dozen, with an occasional disruptive child or mixed in, including public school “rejects” (Our local public schools have been given to a new tactic, taking kids they can't control or educate and strongly “suggesting” that their parents try homeschooling. These children are different from ordinary homeschoolers, and often present troubling behavior problems, including vandalism, theft, abusive language, cheating, and physical violence. Yet, after a few months within the homeschooling community, most of these kids improve markedly, and often, their disruptive behaviors eventually disappear). Never had a problem keeping control of the kids. I've used different techniques with different children, including temporary exclusion from the group.
However, I've never held a child out for extended public ridicule from other children.
As awful as the experience must have been for this child, I wonder whether the lessons taught the other children - that wanton cruelty directed at folks who make their lives difficult is an appropriate behavior - wasn't worse.
“I place 95% of the blame squarely with the parents of Alex for ‘bucket-headed stupidity and selfishness’,”
The parents receive no blame whatsoever. They were in the midst of seeking out the answers to the problem that their son experiences. Their son had not yet been diagnosed with Asperger’s, and thus, it's not likely the school would have yet approved an alternative curriculum for him. As well, in most states, school attendance is mandatory, thus, taking the boy out of school could have resulted in truancy charges.
“...and 5% of the blame with the school system for ‘reckless disregard’.”
I don't know to what degree the school or the school system deserves blame, as the article doesn't really provide much detail as to how things were handled prior to this crime.
“Yup, the teacher gets a Pass.”
In this case, the teacher should get a pass. Right out of teaching into a career path more suited toward her. Like cleaning up elephant dung in a zoo.
“Alex did not belong in that class.”
That may turn out to be the case. But, the child was in KINDERGARTEN, for pete’s sake. It isn't as if the parents and the school had waited years to address the problems he displayed. The parents and school were working on figuring out what were the underlying causes of his behavior, and apparently acting responsibly.
The teacher, on the other hand, obviously isn't cut out for the demanding job of teaching Kindergarten.
“He was ill-equipped and he suffered as a result.”
He suffered most from the cruelty of an incompetent whore who displayed greater behavior problems than Alex, and incited a class of children to join her in her inexcusable, anti-social, evil behavior.
sitetest
I have an idea for how to treat the teacher.
Is this one of those “proper schools” that you were referring to on the FLDS thread?
Yeah thats a classic cure for Asbergers Syndrome, public humiliation!
vouchers
The behavior of this teacher is appalling. Granted, one child should never be allowed to disrupt the entire class. Furthermore, as a specialized teacher who has taught a number of Asperger’s kids, I can assure you that it takes a lot of skill to be able to successfully teach children with this disorder. Obviously, this teacher was in over her head, at the end of her rope, and lacked the skills to work with this child. That certainly doesn’t excuse her actions.
Hopefully, the parents will be able to find a private school for special needs children. This kiddo will probably never be able to function in a class of 24 kids but could handle a small class setting with teachers who know how to address his behavioral and academic needs.
Thank you...this is one of the most reasoned responses on this thread.
Maybe he's just a little ass who need his butt whipped.”
Could be, but if he does, butt whipping won't help at all. Best to finish the process, and see what the real deal is. Blind people can NOT see, deaf people can NOT hear, and no amount of whipping will change that. Same for folks with Asperger’s. There are things they don't do well, or at all, like understand instinctively how to socialize, and whipping them won't change that. My son has Asperger’s. With help, he's learned a lot, without it, he would have been another bum on welfare. Earlier it starts, the more use it is, too. For an example of how much help can do, check out a lady named Temple Grandin. She has full-fledged Autism, rather than the generally milder Asperger's Syndrome, but has managed to accomplish a lot.
...However, Alex had apparently been disrupting the entire class since January, and the teacher, parents and administration had been unable to find a solution to this problem (which seems to have also occured at Alex's last school).
Furthermore, as a specialized teacher who has taught a number of Asperger’s kids, I can assure you that it takes a lot of skill to be able to successfully teach children with this disorder. Obviously, this teacher was in over her head, at the end of her rope, and lacked the skills to work with this child. That certainly doesn’t excuse her actions.
Okay, the teacher didn't have your specialized skills, and she also had a class full of "normal" kids in addition to Alex. She shouldn't have done what she did, but what should she have done? It sounds as if she had used just about every trick in her bag...
Alex did not belong in that class. He was ill-equipped and he suffered as a result.”
Teacher doesn't get a pass. They are supposed to know how to deal with kids like that. Including starting the IEP process themselves. The only way to know if Alex belongs in that class is to follow the process. That is the law here. May be different where you live, but here we have laws that describe how to do this. I'm all for suing the teacher, and I am a teacher.
Now, if you'd said that about a teen, I'd agree with you.
Here is some info you might be able to use:
Christian, huh? Well one day you’ll get the opportunity to ask Jesus that very thing. Ready for His answer?
In kindergarten, since the DX and IEP take time to establish, the lone teacher has no help in the classroom at all. A 20 to 1 ratio is NOT sufficient with a special needs child and no aide to help.”
Until the kid is diagnosed, he's not mainstreamed. He is a regular part of the regular class. Once his diagnosis is confirmed, appropriate placement is determined. That can be anything from a regular class with only one teacher to a fully self-contained classroom with a very few students (I was offered a job in a class with 4 students, 2 aides, and me as the teacher).
As for the problem being with mainstreaming kids, think of it from this point of view for a moment: Do you want a kid in a classroom full of kids who don't behave well, learning their behaviors, or in a classroom where the other kids do behave well, to learn from them? There are pros and cons, but for most kids, it is more beneficial to the disabled child to see how how other normal kids act, and learn to imitate them.
And some will need to be pulled out of even a lab setting, and tranquilized. You've run into adults like that, in your life, I'm sure. I certainly have.
Isn’t it amazing the number of people who have the cure for autism? I’m in awe.
Mainstreaming works great for some but not all. The problem is that often the parents of the special needs child aren’t always given a voice. Even if they believe their child would function better in a special education school they often get overruled. If they would do this on a case by case basis evaluating the needs & abilities of each child, mainstreaming would work much better. But we also have unqualified teachers anxious to get these kids for the extra somethin’ somethin’ in their paychecks. Then it becomes a disaster for everyone.
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