Californiablonde
Well-Known Member
Basically difficult child got thrown under a bus. All I heard was negative, negative, negative. I am glad she wasn't there to hear any of it. The general ed reading teacher was there. She made it absolutely clear that she does not want difficult child in her class. Said she felt strongly about it. Told us it's a class of 26 kids and difficult child, who is in all self contained classes of 7 kids as of now, wouldn't do well at all. My mom and I both explained that in middle school she was in a mainstreamed English class and reading class of about twenty kids and she did just fine. As a matter of fact, difficult child was better behaved and more motivated in her mainstream classes than she was in her ED classes.
The teacher still adamantly said that she does not thing difficult child would be okay in her class. When I was asked my opinion, I said, "Well since the teacher clearly doesn't want my daughter in her class, I don't know what to say." The teacher then said that it has nothing to do with not wanting difficult child in her class. It has everything to do with difficult child being a failure. She has never even met my daughter. How can she make a blanket statement like that? How does she know my daughter would fail? She teaches kids who have a reading level of fifth to sixth grade. difficult child reads at a seventh grade level. Basically she is prejudiced against her since she is labeled "emotionally disturbed." We argued for about a half hour about the best placement for difficult child. One of the counselors suggested we give difficult child a couple other reading tests and see how she scores. We are going to meet back in a couple of weeks to discuss the results. I really don't know how the results are going to change anything. The teacher does not want difficult child there so how are the test results going to change anything.
Oh, and the case carrier was absolutely not helpful whatsoever. She did not go to bat for difficult child at all. If anything, she agreed with the reading teacher. She says that difficult child doesn't socialize well so being in a larger class wouldn't do her any good. How can she say that? difficult child had several friends in her mainstream classes last year. This year she has all Special Education classes and they are all boys. She doesn't socialize well because she feels intimidated. She is a new student to that school. It is going to take awhile for her to feel comfortable enough to socialize with her peers. And just what does socializing have to do with her being in the least restrictive environment? Right now her reading class is super easy and difficult child says the work is "baby work." All of my arguments fell on deaf ears. I felt like banging my head against a brick wall. All I heard yesterday was a bunch of negative and nothing positive. My daughter may have her disabilties but she's still a great kid. Why am I the only person who can see that?
The teacher still adamantly said that she does not thing difficult child would be okay in her class. When I was asked my opinion, I said, "Well since the teacher clearly doesn't want my daughter in her class, I don't know what to say." The teacher then said that it has nothing to do with not wanting difficult child in her class. It has everything to do with difficult child being a failure. She has never even met my daughter. How can she make a blanket statement like that? How does she know my daughter would fail? She teaches kids who have a reading level of fifth to sixth grade. difficult child reads at a seventh grade level. Basically she is prejudiced against her since she is labeled "emotionally disturbed." We argued for about a half hour about the best placement for difficult child. One of the counselors suggested we give difficult child a couple other reading tests and see how she scores. We are going to meet back in a couple of weeks to discuss the results. I really don't know how the results are going to change anything. The teacher does not want difficult child there so how are the test results going to change anything.
Oh, and the case carrier was absolutely not helpful whatsoever. She did not go to bat for difficult child at all. If anything, she agreed with the reading teacher. She says that difficult child doesn't socialize well so being in a larger class wouldn't do her any good. How can she say that? difficult child had several friends in her mainstream classes last year. This year she has all Special Education classes and they are all boys. She doesn't socialize well because she feels intimidated. She is a new student to that school. It is going to take awhile for her to feel comfortable enough to socialize with her peers. And just what does socializing have to do with her being in the least restrictive environment? Right now her reading class is super easy and difficult child says the work is "baby work." All of my arguments fell on deaf ears. I felt like banging my head against a brick wall. All I heard yesterday was a bunch of negative and nothing positive. My daughter may have her disabilties but she's still a great kid. Why am I the only person who can see that?
