Teacher lets Morningside students vote out classmate, 5 (berates disabled kid in front of class)

TC Palm ^ | 5/24/08 | Colleen Wixon

[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.

[television is just wrong]

another victim of childhood vaccinations. (well that is what I have read on numerous postings).

[WVKayaker]

Ready for His answer?

Already got it.

Guilty.

Forgiven!

...is not the question!

Maybe you can answer...

I would ask you why she should be the "people's" burden, rather than the family that brought her forth, AT ANY TIME OF HER LIFE?

As a Christian I believe in charity. But, charity begins at home. It comes from a heart willing to help. That is not the same as gum't confiscating a portion of your wealth, to spend on vote buying! Is this how tax money should be spent, supposed conservatives?

I don't even think we need a Dept of Education, so why should we have special needs requirements? Oh, yeah...

As Rush says so often..."follow the ..."

[John D]

Yeah thats a classic cure for Asbergers Syndrome, public humiliation!

He has not yet been diagnosed with Asbergers Syndrome, and if he does have it he will not suffer any public humiliation because he will not realize what is being done.

[Amelia]

But we also have unqualified teachers anxious to get these kids for the extra somethin’ somethin’ in their paychecks.

Teachers in your state/district get more money if special needs students are mainstreamed into their classrooms?

[Malacoda]

Supervision, Hell -- she instigated. This woman should not be allowed around children, let alone teach them, if she is so cruel and immature.

Children can often be cruel enough to others who are different -- they certainly don't need encouragement or to be given an open forum to engage in it.

[Sue Perkick]

LOL. You do know “forgiven” doesn’t mean you get to behave any way you want because you’re “forgiven”. We will all still be accountable.

Truth is there are a lot of people who don’t have kids in publik skool who don’t believe THEY should have to fund YOUR offspring either. Yet part of their paycheck gets stolen to do that very thing.

[Sue Perkick]

Yep. The one I know of did.

[CAluvdubya]

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 (singular) to see how how other normal kids (plural) act, and learn to imitate them.

So, for the benfit of a single child , the rest of the kids get to be role models, no matter the cost to their already failing education? Not for me.

As a kindergarten aide, I know first hand how much attention I have to devote to the special needs child that is being mainstreamed (dx and all!). If I turn my back to help another student...just to answer one question, I see a pencil whizz past my face in the direction of the other student. How about the child that doesn't get the teacher's attention immediately and starts banging his head against the wall? Shall the other students learn this sort of behavior from the special needs child? 5 year olds, after all, are great immitators and if the special needs child gets his way all the time doing these things, the others pick up on very quickly!

[CAluvdubya]

But we also have unqualified teachers anxious to get these kids for the extra somethin’ somethin’ in their paychecks.

I don't know what state pays a teacher more money for any special needs children in their class. In CA, there is only your regular salary. Some are not even offered an extra aide because there is no money in the coffers for an extra salary

I do believe that some individual school districts may have a higher base salary in high crime areas. But that goes for all salaries at that school.

[Smokin' Joe]

And the parents are stuck, too, if the State has compulsory attendance laws and they have not cleared whatever hoops are involved in home schooling.

Or perhaps they are a two income family up to their ears in debt and cannot give up one income...I don't pretend to know.

But the teacher could have had him removed from her class without the humiliation. That wasn't necessary.

If you can, put yourself in the shoes of a five year old kid (generally oblivious, anyway) and try to imagine what it would be like to be treated thus and banished, never to return.

If his misbehaviour is a result of an organic disorder, as I said, the treatment is obscene.

[Old Student]

“So, for the benfit of a single child , the rest of the kids get to be role models, no matter the cost to their already failing education? Not for me.

As a kindergarten aide, I know first hand how much attention I have to devote to the special needs child that is being mainstreamed (dx and all!). If I turn my back to help another student...just to answer one question, I see a pencil whizz past my face in the direction of the other student. How about the child that doesn't get the teacher's attention immediately and starts banging his head against the wall? Shall the other students learn this sort of behavior from the special needs child? 5 year olds, after all, are great immitators and if the special needs child gets his way all the time doing these things, the others pick up on very quickly!”

You must have missed the last paragraph of my post 118. I said:

“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.”

Peer pressure CAN be your friend. It isn't always. What works for one child may not, for some other child. There is NO single way to deal with children, which you know as a Kindergarten aide.

[Amelia]

I don't know what state pays a teacher more money for any special needs children in their class. In CA, there is only your regular salary. Some are not even offered an extra aide because there is no money in the coffers for an extra salary

We don't get any extra money or assistance in my state either.

[Amelia]

But the teacher could have had him removed from her class without the humiliation.

How could she have had him removed?

The article says he's spent most of the year in the principal's office for misbehavior, and had just been sent back from there when this incident occurred.

How would the teacher have gotten this child removed, and where would he have gone instead?

[Stonewall Jackson]

This type of behavior just makes me sick. I have Asperger’s, so I know it is difficult enough to deal with without having an idiot teacher pull a stunt like this.

[chiefqc]

Sounds like a repeat of Hitlers Germany, only blond hair and blue eyes are allowed.

[NittanyLion]

Out of curiousity, in what field is your career?

[NittanyLion]

Very well stated.

[Sue Perkick]

I just wish they would do it the right way. Some special needs kids just take off & excel in a regular classroom. But others just crash & burn. And often even then they refuse to change it. It’s an incredibly frustrating experience. Some kids just function better in a special education school. There’s nothing wrong with that. They claim to want to do what’s in the best interest of the child but the rules are so rigid (at least my own personal experience) they will not bend.

Many of these (mainstream) teachers don’t have the education, understanding & patience required to handle these kids. Having a teaching certificate doesn’t alway mean one is qualified to teach. As we listen to news reports lately that’s become very clear.

And yes homeschoolers are required to keep records & comply with compulsory attendance laws as well as having them complete a standardized test each year. Of course not all parents are able to do this. People have to work. Everyone can’t afford to pay for a private school. So often the system is “all there is” for most people. That system is in serious need of an overhaul.

[Old Student]

“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.”

No, I'm afraid that THE problem is that too many people still don't know what to do when a child doesn't respond to the normal ways of getting them to behave. Some kids respond well to getting smacked. Others do not. Some will do nearly anything for a hug, or a piece of candy or gum. By law, every child with a confirmed disability must have an IEP. That is “INDIVIDUALIZED education program.” The parents do have input, but sometimes it's hard to go against what the district wants to do. I've been on both sides of the table during IEP meetings, and it helps to have some prepared options. We used to go with up to four pages of things we'd like to try for our son, who has Asperger’s Syndrome. We knew we couldn't get all of it, or even much of it, but it smoothed things out considerably to have them be able to pick and choose a few of them, to try.

Here is a website that advises parents, teachers, and administrators on Special Education law. http://www.wrightslaw.com/
It tends to the adversarial, but gives good advice to all.

Part of the problem is that the law requires kids to receive a “free, appropriate, public education” or FAPE, in the LRE, or “least restrictive environment.” For some kids, that LRE is the regular classroom, and for others, a self-contained, and very restrictive environment like a hospital. The law requires, also, that you try less-restrictive environments, first. Regular class, then maybe regular class with aide, or pull-out for lab, etc., before you put someone in a class with two desks and a teacher. Least restrictive is also least costly. If they aren't doing this on an individual basis, trying to do what is best for the kid, they are breaking the law, and wasting time and $$$.

BTW, most places don't have “special education schools” for other than deaf or blind students, anymore. They have classrooms in regular schools.

[CajunConservative]