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To: WVKayaker
Everyone wants to blame situations like this on No Child Left Behind (and therefore on President Bush), but the concept of "mainstreaming" Special Education students was taking place long before NCLB,which mainly addresses academic progress. The liberals in education did not want these students to "feel different" so, instead of being in a separate classroom taught by those who were trained to deal with their particular problems, they were placed in "regular" classrooms. This left one teacher to deal with the special needs of one student (which could even include catherization for incontinent students) while trying to teach a full class of "normal" students. On its face, the idea is ridiculous, but is still practiced in some school systems.

The other point I would make is that the classroom is NOT a democracy. The teacher is in charge and is responsible for the conduct of the class. If he/she encounters a problem that can not be handled by the teacher, they have the option of seeking the advice and help of the principal or the school counselor.
58 posted on 05/25/2008 5:15:35 AM PDT by srmorton (Choose life!)
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To: srmorton
...Everyone wants to blame situations like this on No Child Left Behind (and therefore on President Bush)...

Of course it's Bush's fault! /s

NCLB is just another chink in his armor. Along with mandatory psychological testing, I think he has slipped into the dark side. Big spending and more gum't are not in my definition of conservative.

I voted for him the first time, and held my nose the second. I love the Man, but I have rally been disappointed in many of the things that have been done, or not done.At least he gave us good judges, and has prosecuted the war (though I would like to use a few nukes!). He has honored our troops, but he has screwed the taxpayers (and don't give me the crap about Congress spending, he gave them the checks)...

McCain? Hahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!

67 posted on 05/25/2008 5:36:36 AM PDT by WVKayaker ( "Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome..." I. Asimov)
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To: srmorton
The liberals in education did not want these students to "feel different" so, instead of being in a separate classroom taught by those who were trained to deal with their particular problems, they were placed in "regular" classrooms.

Sorry, it was not so much "the liberals in education" as the parents of these children - the parents did not want their children to be stigmatized with a label and segregated from the rest of the school population, but they also wanted their children to receive the services required to compensate for their disability.

This left one teacher to deal with the special needs of one student (which could even include catherization for incontinent students) while trying to teach a full class of "normal" students. On its face, the idea is ridiculous, but is still practiced in some school systems.

Actually, it's being pushed on more and more school systems, in part because of parents and in part because of No Child Left Behind.

If special education students need to pass the same standardized assessments as regular education students, it is thought that perhaps they'd better be learning the same things in the same environment.

78 posted on 05/25/2008 5:56:41 AM PDT by Amelia
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To: srmorton

> The liberals in education did not want these students to “feel different” so, instead of being in a separate classroom taught by those who were trained to deal with their particular problems, they were placed in “regular” classrooms. This left one teacher to deal with the special needs of one student (which could even include catherization for incontinent students) while trying to teach a full class of “normal” students. On its face, the idea is ridiculous, but is still practiced in some school systems.

When I was going thru school (gr 2-7) in Canada there was precisely such a classroom. Back then, in less sensitive times, it was called the “Mental Class”. All children with dyslexia, hyperactivity, autism, down’s syndrome &tc ended up in this class — all grades. It was taught by one teacher (strangely enough, a New Zealander) and the kids stayed in that class for as many years as it took for them to move on.

Was it a great way to learn? Dunno — I wasn’t a part of that. I do know that many of the kids from the “Mental Class” ended up graduating in Grade 12 with high school diplomas.

One kid in particular — whose diagnosis was described back then as being “stunned” — ended up being a brilliant artist and one of my close friends thru High School. He was quite a bit older than me, and had repeated several of the Elementary School years.

As for the people on this thread who think this teacher should lose her job, or describe her as a “whore of Satan” &tc — I’d like to see you all control a room of 5 year old kids, under similar circumstances. It would be interesting to see your teaching techniques: we could even do a TV show called “The Child Whisperer”.

Seriously, we pay elementary school teachers 5/8ths of bugger-all, and then invest with them our most important assets — our children — and expect them to work miracles with each one of them as individuals: even the disruptive ones like Alex. It makes me wonder why anybody enters the teaching profession: it would be a thankless task at best.


87 posted on 05/25/2008 6:16:30 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: srmorton

The other point I would make is that the classroom is NOT a democracy. The teacher is in charge and is responsible for the conduct of the class. If he/she encounters a problem that can not be handled by the teacher, they have the option of seeking the advice and help of the principal or the school counselor.>>>>>>>>

From what I read in the article the child had just returned from a trip to the office to see the principle. So why did the teacher take this additional step of kickind the child out of the class? Why did the principle allow this to happen? Why did the teacher send the child out for disapline then administer more when he returned? etc etc etc......


160 posted on 05/25/2008 10:46:40 AM PDT by tickles
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