Posted on 12/07/2010 1:02:22 PM PST by OldDeckHand
MIAMI (CBS/AP) The mother of a Alex Barton, a Florida boy who was kicked out of his kindergarten class after the teacher held a vote among fellow students about his disruptive behavior, has reached a $350,000 settlement with St. Lucie County education officials.
According to local station WPBF, Alex has been diagnosed with Aspberger's syndrome, a disorder on the autism spectrum.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
More information here...
Mom of St. Lucie kindergartner voted out of class to get $350,000 in settlement
"Portillo was given a one-year unpaid suspension by the School Board. She has since served the suspension and returned to teaching in St. Lucie County. Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon originally recommended Portillo be put on an annual contract — Portillo had been tenured — but the board reinstated her tenure."
The bother (on behalf of the minor child) sued both the School as well as the teacher's union. How the settlement liability is divided amongst the two is not made clear in the story beyond the fact that the teacher was personally indemnified from liability by the school board.
Then we can all, you know, vote and have a poll a stuff like that.
Put her in a pillory.
Put her to a vote...
If she loses she gets put out of teaching...
Let the punishment fit the crime...
This “teacher”...thing... is probably a union employee who will keep its job and harass many 5 year old autistic children for years to come.
I can’t believe this school is called “St. Lucie”
No schools are safe these days. Homeschool or don’t conceive.
For more details....
Dragnet 1970 Episode “D.H.Q. – Night School” #22
http://www.hulu.com/watch/55204/dragnet-dhq-—night-school
I don’t care how disruptive this kid was, for a teacher to have the class vote on removing him is beyond terrible, one of the most incredible acts I have ever heard of a teacher doing, not to mention unlawful. This woman should never teach another class.
I vote with you.
There is no low it would seem for public school teachers to sink.
I’m not excusing the actions of this teacher, but they pale in comparison to what the real issues are.
To wit. Why is a special needs child allowed in a mainstream classroom, to disrupt and interfere with the learning and studies of 20 other children.
This scene is played out day after day in YOUR child’s classroom.
Special needs kids are allowed to act out everywhere and teachers are powerless to stop it.
My guess? The teacher reached a desparate point and took the best of poor options.
Fire her if you must. But at least the other children in her class will benefit.
(Until the next screaming, biting wild child is moved in)
That teacher needs to be far away from any living thing. Maybe she can get a job setting up bowling pins.
Read more on her wonderful character:
http://zacbrowser.blogspot.com/2009/03/judge-upholds-alex-barton-teachers.html
I’d like to drop kick that teacher from the end zone 99 yards to the 1 yard line set her head up for a shot at the goal, kick it off sending it through the goal posts and then spike the damn thing on her dead body.
(I borrowed the analogy from another poster and took it to it’s maximum)
I was once made fun in the 3rd grade as stupid, even though I had straight A’s and extra credit. Apparently I got my work done too soon and too well leaving me with too much time on my hand and nothing to do but raise my hand all the time and answer questions in class.
Must have irritated the teacher and she even claimed my parents did my homework.
I have no idea what my Dad said but I was sitting in the front row when I came back to class and called on regularly.
I think they found even more work for me to do and just graded me accordingly.
No matter what else her employers may see as worthy of merit about her work, her decision, her choice to put the question of booting the child out of the class to a vote of his classmates demonstrates she lacks the character to be a teacher.
No one with her character should be left in charge of children so young, for any reason. She treated her classroom and its young members no better than a “Lord of the Flies” experiment as if adults were no longer present for either guidance or support.
The children were allowed to consider the child with a disability as a threat to their “happy classroom” while she abdicated the adult understanding and support that he deserved. Despicable.
My brother’s son has ADHD and is in a class with a teacher credentialed in helping children like him.
The school is one the top 5 in the San Francisco Bay Area and my brother wants the best education for his son, so he will be prepared for college and ultimately life.
Right. She should have kicked the little brat out on her own authority. No need to drag the other kids into it at all.
Wondering how many people who are commenting on this were educated in a classroom with “mainstreamed” special needs children.
The truth is we are experimenting with our kids education in too many ways. My child had an autistic kid who liked to throw chairs across the classroom. It took far too long to remove that kid from the class. His parents fought tooth & nail against the school, suing several times. All other students be damned!
Parents - if you have a severally disturbed, mentally ill or damaged child. News flash, putting that kid in a regular school isn’t going to fix them. If your looking for an environment to socialize your unsociable kid might I recommend you take them to a church community?
This is a shame, RC.
We have a special needs son who suffered a stroke in infancy. This stroke was, of course, the cause of his disability.
He attended regular (Catholic) school until the middle of the sixth grade. As each year went by, I asked repeatedly whether or not he was EVER a disturbance in class. In addition, I myself took a job at the school in order to keep an eye on him. One of my main concerns was that his presence in the classroom was a disruption to the other children. Fortunately, John’s problem was entirely academic, and he had no behavioral issues at all.
The school did everything in its power to help him, but as he entered sixth grade it became obvious that he was in waaaay over his head. I resigned my position at the school, removed him, and began home schooling. It was the best decision we could have made for him, and although he does see other homeschooled children with regularity, he misses his school friends terribly. We try to get him together with them as often as possible. His school friends are all aware of his difficulties, and to their credit (and their parents’), they have always been kind and considerate of him and seem genuinely happy to see him.
There are some kids, like our John, whose special needs are not a distraction to the class as a whole. That said, though...there are some whose behavior is so disruptive that they should probably be separated until such behavior can be controlled. And not all of them are “special needs!” Many of the most disruptive ones are perfectly normal in cognitive ability, but are such spoiled brats that they can turn a classroom into a zoo.
Regards,
Only took 10 posts.
I’ll dito yur remarks.
IF, and that’s a big IF, the child had an IEP, why was there no aide in the classrooom?
Most of the folks that have posted the usual “I’d sue too” have NEVER had to deal with an out-of-control student -every day, for months.
Another question, where was the school admin when this all started??
I would hardly characterize a child suffering from an incurable disease as a brat. However, they should have had a conference with the Parents and the School authorities before taking action. The kid obviously belongs in a special school.
Maybe the kid wasn’t diagnosed until this happened.
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