Yearbook & Self Contained Classes

[Anonymous]

Is it a violation to display the kids in a self contained classroom in the school yearbook? I was shocked to see this in elementary school yearbook when I thought kids with IEPs were entitled to their privacy.

Does this happen at most schools that have yearbooks and self contained classrooms?

[Anonymous]

I teach in a high school, and our kids in the special programs are displayed alongside the rest of their grade.

Is your yearbook organized by homeroom?

[Anonymous]

The yearbook has them listed with the home room and a separate section for “Learning Support” and then they are listed by the name of the self contained classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The yearbook has them listed with the home room and a separate section for “Learning Support” and then they are listed by the name of the self contained classroom.

This absolutely should not happen.

[Anonymous]

Do these kids spend any time in general ed? If not, then I don't think it's a violation of any kind. When my DS was in the FCPS special ed preschool it was a totally self-contained classroom and the kids in it were pictured together in the yearbook.

If, though, these kids were part of a general ed home room and not pictured with it, I would immediately file a complaint.

[Anonymous]

The kids in the classes usually attend specials, recess, and lunch with the general ed. I’m just surprised this was allowed. Hopefully, they at least requested permission from the parents in the various classes. Just seems like a major violation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The yearbook has them listed with the home room and a separate section for “Learning Support” and then they are listed by the name of the self contained classroom.

I think it’s fine to list the students as Mr./Ms. Smith’s class because that’s how it’s done in elementary school, but it doesn’t seem right to specify “Learning Support.” Does the class include children of different ages? The issue may be that they normally put all of the classes for the same grade together. If there isn’t a specific grade designation for this class, then whoever put the yearbook together may have been trying to figure where to include the class, so they named it the same way they had a section for the third grade.

It’s often parent volunteers who put elementary school yearbooks together, and they’re not as well versed in FERPA. This is worth bringing to the attention of the principal so they can handle this better in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kids in the classes usually attend specials, recess, and lunch with the general ed. I’m just surprised this was allowed. Hopefully, they at least requested permission from the parents in the various classes. Just seems like a major violation.

23:20 here. It sounds like this elementary school includes a 'center' for kids who need specialized instruction for all general ed academics. It seems it's for a different population of kids with IEPs - unlike my kids who, upon entering K, had certain academic classes in self-contained CLASSROOMS but were not in a self-contained CLASS.

As I said in my PP, I had a kid in a self-contained preschool CLASS. It was mixed ages ranging from 2.5 (age my DS started) to 6 dependent using the development level of the DC. I became acquainted with a number of parents of students and know a number of them would go one to classes like you described. They don't move thru a progression of grades like kids in general ed but are grouped based on level of functioning and IEP goals.

I understand why it might give you pause that the classes is described as 'learning support' rather than grade, making it clear these kids are different. But, really, what other term would you use? They are in a grade, the are in a learning support class. Their parents also had to approve, as we all did, the use of their photos by the school.

What would you recommend the school do differently?

[Anonymous]

Our FCPS elementary school does include self contained classes, but with no designation other than “Mr/Ms. Whatever’s Class”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our FCPS elementary school does include self contained classes, but with no designation other than “Mr/Ms. Whatever’s Class”

Same, and I would be upset if he wasn’t included in the yearbook. He goes to school there and it’s no secret that he’s in a self contained class!

[Anonymous]

It absolutely should not say Learning Support and the principal, who is likely not involved in the design of the yearbook, needs to be alerted. The yearbook is usually done by teacher or parent volunteers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It absolutely should not say Learning Support and the principal, who is likely not involved in the design of the yearbook, needs to be alerted. The yearbook is usually done by teacher or parent volunteers.

What would you suggest instead of Learning Support?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It absolutely should not say Learning Support and the principal, who is likely not involved in the design of the yearbook, needs to be alerted. The yearbook is usually done by teacher or parent volunteers.

What would you suggest instead of Learning Support?

Mr/Ms Smith’s class or Room #whatever

The kids should absolutely be included in the yearbook - they attend school and are part of the community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It absolutely should not say Learning Support and the principal, who is likely not involved in the design of the yearbook, needs to be alerted. The yearbook is usually done by teacher or parent volunteers.

What would you suggest instead of Learning Support?

It depends how the other kids are listed. If the third graders are together in alphabetical order, than the ones receiving Learning Support go on the same page as the other third graders. If the classes are listed by teacher name or room number then the kids in Learning Support should either be listed under the teacher name or room number of their gen ed homeroom, which it sounds like they have, or maybe by the teacher name or room number of the learning support classroom.

[Anonymous]

My kid is always in the yearbook with his classmates. But, for 5th grade the school decided to excluded them from the 5th grade photo. That made me very upset. It's cruel to exclude them.