Team Taught Classes

[Anonymous]

Are they going away at the middle schools?

[Anonymous]

We need more information. Is this a rumor or you're wondering whether they exist?

[Anonymous]

OP where did you see this information? Maybe in the Inclusion pilot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP where did you see this information? Maybe in the Inclusion pilot?

Oh dear God. What is the “Inclusion pilot”???

[Anonymous]

FCPS Inclusion
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/curriculum/special-education/inclusive-education

This doesn't mention the pilot yet but I've heard there is one. I might have heard something on the SEPTA Facebook group or elsewhere, I can't remember.

I worry that SPED kids will not get the help they need or if a teacher is in a Gen Room working with them on basics they will be embassared.

[Anonymous]

I hate when the district goes to one size fits all policies. Not all children learn best in gen ed settings. For those that do, great. But some need a small group and the freedom to learn at their own pace from teachers who can best understand their needs. It’s also too much to expect classroom teachers to be able to teach many levels of ability in one room.

At my school a few years ago a parent insisted that her son with severe autism be included in all grade-level activities. So he was forced to come to the third-grade assembly about Ancient Egypt in an unfamiliar to him room where he had no idea what was going on, so he was stretched out on the floor sobbing because he wanted to be back in his safe, familiar special education classroom with familiar people and routines. The aide with him finally let him leave and the other kids were upset at how upset he was.

Let’s have inclusion that makes sense on a case-by-case basis, not unilaterally.

[Anonymous]

As best as I can tell, they are trying to get rid of self contained SPED rooms and make everything team taught (but only half team taught, as the sped teacher will bounce around between rooms)

It's a pipe dream and will not work in FCPS because they are using inclusion to save money (not have to hire as many SPED teachers) when doing inclusion well actually costs MORE money because they need more sped teachers to share gen ed rooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As best as I can tell, they are trying to get rid of self contained SPED rooms and make everything team taught (but only half team taught, as the sped teacher will bounce around between rooms)

It's a pipe dream and will not work in FCPS because they are using inclusion to save money (not have to hire as many SPED teachers) when doing inclusion well actually costs MORE money because they need more sped teachers to share gen ed rooms.

This is what I'm afraid of. Also, FCPS doesn't care if kids actually learn, they just want to make their inclusion numbers look good for VDOE reporting metrics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As best as I can tell, they are trying to get rid of self contained SPED rooms and make everything team taught (but only half team taught, as the sped teacher will bounce around between rooms)

It's a pipe dream and will not work in FCPS because they are using inclusion to save money (not have to hire as many SPED teachers) when doing inclusion well actually costs MORE money because they need more sped teachers to share gen ed rooms.

PWCS does that in Middle school Social Studies, and science classes, sometimes they will have a Teacher Assistant (IA) IN FCPS.
They do it in a few high school core classes.

[Anonymous]

My kid was in a team-taught English class in 8th grade. It was Honors-level, and there were Special Ed kids in the class.

I initially did not know what to think, but it ended up being a real blessing as one of the teachers had medical leave for nearly half the school year. I was thankful the class was still able to continue. They did bring in a long-term sub, but there was no hiccup in the lesson plan. The teacher ended up coming back for the last month of school.

FWIW, it was a very prescribed curriculum. They read 4 pre-selected books (whereas other classes had a selection of books 4 times) and did not do a lot of writing (the other classes did a ton of writing, and it turned out to be less writing than 7th grade). At the end of year, we determined that my kid was selected because they were identified as someone who would not bully and would be kind to every student in the class (this was characteristic of other students in her class). While I'm glad for that from a character perspective, I think the rigor was not there compared to other Honors classes.

[Anonymous]

I don’t want my honors kid stuck in an inclusion class in middle school or high school. No way! That’s why we took honors in the first place!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As best as I can tell, they are trying to get rid of self contained SPED rooms and make everything team taught (but only half team taught, as the sped teacher will bounce around between rooms)

It's a pipe dream and will not work in FCPS because they are using inclusion to save money (not have to hire as many SPED teachers) when doing inclusion well actually costs MORE money because they need more sped teachers to share gen ed rooms.

This is what's happening. It's already been a ****show at the schools piloting it but FCPS is trying to keep that part quiet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t want my honors kid stuck in an inclusion class in middle school or high school. No way! That’s why we took honors in the first place!

I assume this is a joke - the curriculum is still the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t want my honors kid stuck in an inclusion class in middle school or high school. No way! That’s why we took honors in the first place!

I assume this is a joke - the curriculum is still the same.

You can’t be serious. The pacing and peer group will be totally different and not appropriate for my honors kid to be with special needs kids. Eff that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t want my honors kid stuck in an inclusion class in middle school or high school. No way! That’s why we took honors in the first place!

You're a terrible person! TT classes don't slow down because of the "special" kids. They keep at the same pace and the Specials Teacher makes sure her IEP students are keeping pace. There's nothing bad about the model and it is inclusive and likely more legal than keeping IEP kids segregated.