Who is really teaching your special education child?
- Thread starter BusynMember
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keista
New Member
DDD you are right about the $$, at least in Florida, and it doesn't go to the district, it goes directly to the school. It's one of the reasons my girls' school is the local hub for the gifted program. The IEP $ for the gifted kids that get bussed in goes to our school, not the kid's home schools. Our school also gets to "invite" higher achieving kids, who wouldn't otherwise qualify, into the gifted program to see if it will work for them.
My school works this to their advantage. DD2's best friend transferred in from another school, and the mom was fighting them for a year to get an IEP - the child had ADHD and is legally blind. Once transferred to our school, she had an IEP within a month. On the flip side, if a school has only a handful of kids on IEPs then the extra money is not always enough to cover everything, and therefore not worth the effort.
Our lottery for education? That's quite the joke. As far as I know it's only going towards higher education in the form of Bright Futures Scholarships. Averages of 3.0 or higher as well as other criteria will qualify students for a scholarship. It's all well and good, but does not benefit education as a whole at all. And of course, the scholarship fund is also pleading hardship and increasing criteria while cutting benefits. Last year they also tried adding a provision that would require recipients to work a year in FL for every year of scholarship money they received. So if you get a very narrow degree in a very narrow field on scholarship, and there are no or few jobs in FL for that field, you still have to stay and work at McDonald's for 4 years until you can move out of state and use your education - or your have to pay the money back. Last I heard this was NOT enacted but I can see them trying again.
My school works this to their advantage. DD2's best friend transferred in from another school, and the mom was fighting them for a year to get an IEP - the child had ADHD and is legally blind. Once transferred to our school, she had an IEP within a month. On the flip side, if a school has only a handful of kids on IEPs then the extra money is not always enough to cover everything, and therefore not worth the effort.
Our lottery for education? That's quite the joke. As far as I know it's only going towards higher education in the form of Bright Futures Scholarships. Averages of 3.0 or higher as well as other criteria will qualify students for a scholarship. It's all well and good, but does not benefit education as a whole at all. And of course, the scholarship fund is also pleading hardship and increasing criteria while cutting benefits. Last year they also tried adding a provision that would require recipients to work a year in FL for every year of scholarship money they received. So if you get a very narrow degree in a very narrow field on scholarship, and there are no or few jobs in FL for that field, you still have to stay and work at McDonald's for 4 years until you can move out of state and use your education - or your have to pay the money back. Last I heard this was NOT enacted but I can see them trying again.
L
Liahona
Guest
There are some very good reasons I'm homeschooling most of my kids. First, I know that even in good schools they keep things from the parents. Example, a kid gets bit by a dog and the secretaries don't want to call the parents. Its not the principal or teacher trying to hide anything. In a school each different adult has their own agenda and there are lots of adults. I've seen kids terrified of their teacher because she yells at them but if I did anything about it I'd get fired. I've seen sexual predators put in classrooms with other kids and the parents none the wiser. I've been an aide and have been told to never speak to the parents because they could sue me and the school. I've seen sp ed classes that are only babysitting. I could go on.
difficult child 1 is in public school and I would be fine with an aide teaching him. I know its not the degree the person has that makes them a good teacher its a combination of personality and experience.
difficult child 1 is in public school and I would be fine with an aide teaching him. I know its not the degree the person has that makes them a good teacher its a combination of personality and experience.
"Inclusion" is easier to pursue than accommodation. But true inclusion goes far beyond accommodation - and almost NO schools do it, or at least not at all consistently.
Schools don't differentiate according to needs. Handicaps are handicaps - period. BUT...
in my humble opinion:
1) A child who is severely physically handicapped but intellectually normal AND can be "accommodated" so as to keep up with the other students - should be mainstreamed. They need the intellectual and social connections, and the other students need to learn that kids with disabilities are kids first.
2) A child who is severely intellectually handicapped but physically able (for example, might be a klutz but can keep up with the other kids in PE) should be mainstreamed in those classes where they can actively participate and contribute. I've seen downs kids do a great job of percussion in band, join mainstream PE, and even work at their own level in English. Science labs? well, that might be tougher as they get older.
3) A child who is severely emotionally or behaviorally handicapped... even though the handicap may not be "permanent" - these cases are much harder to call. What is in the best interests of the child? of the other students in the class? If those two questions can be answered to satisfaction, it shouldn't be of any consideration whether or not the teacher "likes" it - although, to be fair, the teacher needs to have appropriate training and/or support!
Reality? I'm guessing that 95% of bad decisions about challenging kids are based on $$, and the other 5% are based on ignorance - willing or not.
Schools don't differentiate according to needs. Handicaps are handicaps - period. BUT...
in my humble opinion:
1) A child who is severely physically handicapped but intellectually normal AND can be "accommodated" so as to keep up with the other students - should be mainstreamed. They need the intellectual and social connections, and the other students need to learn that kids with disabilities are kids first.
2) A child who is severely intellectually handicapped but physically able (for example, might be a klutz but can keep up with the other kids in PE) should be mainstreamed in those classes where they can actively participate and contribute. I've seen downs kids do a great job of percussion in band, join mainstream PE, and even work at their own level in English. Science labs? well, that might be tougher as they get older.
3) A child who is severely emotionally or behaviorally handicapped... even though the handicap may not be "permanent" - these cases are much harder to call. What is in the best interests of the child? of the other students in the class? If those two questions can be answered to satisfaction, it shouldn't be of any consideration whether or not the teacher "likes" it - although, to be fair, the teacher needs to have appropriate training and/or support!
Reality? I'm guessing that 95% of bad decisions about challenging kids are based on $$, and the other 5% are based on ignorance - willing or not.
muttmeister
Well-Known Member
I don't know of any school system where the teacher has anything to say about it one way or the other. Those decisions are made by the powers that be and the teachers do what they are told. If they rock the boat very much, even to try to make things better for the child, they are out of a job.
I know LOTS of school systems where the teacher can do LESS than is requested/required, and there will be NO consequences for the teacher.
BUT - the other side of the statement is true - if a teacher tries to do MORE for a specific student, they get stomped on really quick. Its part of why so many "good" teachers have left the system.
Hound dog
Nana's are Beautiful
Well, I know for certain the aide that Travis used for several years went above and beyond for all the students she helped, and parents had a major fit when they let her go.......simply because not one of us had yet to speak to nor lay eyes on the Special Education teacher that was supposed to be doing her job.
Alex's Special Education teacher (who also taught 3rd grade) went above and beyond as well. She was simply amazing. She had no aides, she had figured out a way for the "normal" students to help with the IEP students, and it works beautifully.
Our SD seems to have dumped most of their aides, which in my opinion is a huge loss. Especially since many of our so called Special Education teachers have no business near reg students let alone those with spec needs.
Alex's Special Education teacher (who also taught 3rd grade) went above and beyond as well. She was simply amazing. She had no aides, she had figured out a way for the "normal" students to help with the IEP students, and it works beautifully.
Our SD seems to have dumped most of their aides, which in my opinion is a huge loss. Especially since many of our so called Special Education teachers have no business near reg students let alone those with spec needs.
M
Mamaof5
Guest
Mainstreaming is definitely *not* for everyone. I have one who goes to a whole different school for exceptional children. She lasted all of 5 days at a "regular" school. 5 days. Then I have my Aspie kid who is in the Special Education class but mainstreamed into Gym, Science and Art. It works for him. My ADHD\Learning Disability (LD) kid is fully mainstreamed with an IEP. Even in the same family of kids it's not always for everyone.
JJJ
Active Member
Our district finally got that there needed to be a step in between mainstreaming and a therapuetic day school for our emotionally-challenged kids. Tigger does well in gym but shivers in terror at the idea of going into a regular classroom for any academic subject (combination of being too far behind and too many kids in the room). This year his main classroom has just 3 kids in it, although they anticipate 3-5 more joining as the school year progresses. He will be "mainstreamed" into the Learning Disability (LD) math class of 11 kids plus a regular gym class.
Last year, Tigger got a bit more of his instruction from the actual teacher than the other kids because his combo of ED and Learning Disability (LD) needed the highly trained teacher. All kids were in groups that rotated between 3 of the aids and the lead teacher for instruction. I got to know some of the parents from Tigger's room last year and everyone agrees that the teacher is a miracle worker because she really puts in the work to get to know our kids, call the parents frequently and ALL of us had the same experience.
But when I was 18, I worked as an aide on summer and even then I was shocked at how lazy the lead teacher was and how much she hated the kids. It made me so sad. I think it completely depends on who the teacher and the aides are: the personalities as much as the program.
Last year, Tigger got a bit more of his instruction from the actual teacher than the other kids because his combo of ED and Learning Disability (LD) needed the highly trained teacher. All kids were in groups that rotated between 3 of the aids and the lead teacher for instruction. I got to know some of the parents from Tigger's room last year and everyone agrees that the teacher is a miracle worker because she really puts in the work to get to know our kids, call the parents frequently and ALL of us had the same experience.
But when I was 18, I worked as an aide on summer and even then I was shocked at how lazy the lead teacher was and how much she hated the kids. It made me so sad. I think it completely depends on who the teacher and the aides are: the personalities as much as the program.
I agree, it's not the same for everyone. Each child is so unique and their schedule should reflect the best way to insure success. Some may do better mainstreamed...maybe with an aide...some may not, the main goal is the success of the child. That's the only goal. Sometimes the kids get an amazing aide, sometimes they get an amazing teacher- not someone who is just there to put in the hours and get paid, but someone who really cares. When your child is the in the classroom with someone who cares, aide or teacher (and you'll know), don't worry. That person will care for your child and be their advocate when you're not there. You won't even know that they're being your advocate.
