Started working at an elementary school last week. Shocked and sad. AMA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Informal AMA thread. I am already shocked and saddened by the state of public elementary. This is in a wealthy suburb. There’s is a free lunch contingent but test scores are excellent and if you watch morning drop off it’s a lot of luxury vehicles.

I’m shocked at how we enroll and keep some kids who have academic and social needs we can’t possibly meet. Often a helper is assigned to one of these kids to try to keep the kid safe while 20 other 6 years old try to ignore yelling and crying and distraction to learn from their teacher. I’ve heard 7 year olds using language I’d feel guilty about even repeating! I’ve watched teacher be kicked and punched and slapped, again by 6 and 7 year olds! And the hot lunches shocked me. The other day I watched one kid eat the following for lunch: giant chocolate chip muffin, chocolate milk, sugary Dannon yogurt, low fat string cheese. This is a “balanced” meal provided by the school.

Maybe I am just out of touch, but I feel many typical parents would be surprised to hear what elementary school is like for their kids.

Yep. It is like this. Imagine in a not affluent area.

You know how people consider being in the military to being a stepping stone/asset/sort of requirement to holding elected office? I think that spending time in a public school should replace or go along side that qualification. It is in the schools where so many of the social and economic issues affecting families is apparent. It is really laid bare.

Wealthy parents are among the worst offenders when it comes to being in denial about their children's disruptive behavior. They coddle their kids and expect the schools to do the same.

It is a pretty well off suburb, actually. I grew up in a much more working class and middle class town and it was not like this from what I remember.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All you folks talking about poorly behaved special needs kids are likely NOT parents of kids with unique needs, and you should consider yourself lucky. Such holier than thou attitudes and a wholesale lack of empathy for kids.

No kid WANTS to behave that way. Behaviors like that are expressing an unmet need. Those kids are in a world a hurt and need support, possibly therapy or other tools. It is not unlike a kid with dyslexia or even a physical disability.

Schools, SN kids, and resources were barely getting by pre pandemic and now we’ve got two years of no progress and more stress on everyone, especially those kids who were left behind. And the learning loss amongst SN kids was far worse than most typical kids.

Rather than fault the kids, or the parents of those kids, start screaming at your school boards and their inane funding priorities. Raise teacher salaries, invest in more SN instructional assistants and their training, more case managers and specialists. Maybe something more than 1 BCBA for 25 schools would help…

All people are saying is that those kids don't belong in the classroom with neurotypical kids. It doesn't serve society well to help out one or two kids at the expense of 25 others.

That is the fundamental gap. They do belong in regular classrooms. Remember back in the 60’s when kids in wheelchairs were sent to special schools, away from the “regular” kids? Ruled unconstitutional. Thank god for the ADA. Same applies here hence the ‘least restrictive environment’ laws.

JUST STOP. NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS OR DYSLEXIA AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW THAT.

So freaking disingenuous.

DP- but it’s not disingenuous. There are standards for inclusion. You don’t know them (full stop. Clear from your post) don’t know the process for removal of a child from gen Ed, and so you don’t know what you are fighting against and certainly don’t have a well thought out alternative.

There are 2 completely different things here that you’re acting as if are one thing for the “standards for inclusion”. There’s the current law, and then there’s what the law should be. One is crap, the other doesn’t need to be crap because in this country, the people (that’s us) make the laws. If we don’t like a law or it’s not working for us anymore or the consequences aren’t what we expected or wanted to happen, it should be changed.

What should the law be then?

It should be removing violent kids so that all the other kids can learn! Why is this controversial?

[Anonymous]

I substituted for one day and never went back. Kids are scary!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All you folks talking about poorly behaved special needs kids are likely NOT parents of kids with unique needs, and you should consider yourself lucky. Such holier than thou attitudes and a wholesale lack of empathy for kids.

No kid WANTS to behave that way. Behaviors like that are expressing an unmet need. Those kids are in a world a hurt and need support, possibly therapy or other tools. It is not unlike a kid with dyslexia or even a physical disability.

Schools, SN kids, and resources were barely getting by pre pandemic and now we’ve got two years of no progress and more stress on everyone, especially those kids who were left behind. And the learning loss amongst SN kids was far worse than most typical kids.

Rather than fault the kids, or the parents of those kids, start screaming at your school boards and their inane funding priorities. Raise teacher salaries, invest in more SN instructional assistants and their training, more case managers and specialists. Maybe something more than 1 BCBA for 25 schools would help…

All people are saying is that those kids don't belong in the classroom with neurotypical kids. It doesn't serve society well to help out one or two kids at the expense of 25 others.

That is the fundamental gap. They do belong in regular classrooms. Remember back in the 60’s when kids in wheelchairs were sent to special schools, away from the “regular” kids? Ruled unconstitutional. Thank god for the ADA. Same applies here hence the ‘least restrictive environment’ laws.

JUST STOP. NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS OR DYSLEXIA AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW THAT.

So freaking disingenuous.

I don't think it's disingenuous. It wasn't long ago that physically disabled people could not access schools or other public resources., whether they were intellectually able or not. We can all agree that was wrong. Also, not too long ago, black people were not allowed to attend the publicly funded schools. Very wrong.

Now we are talking if kids who are disruptive/violent or special needs can attend school?

I don't want violence around my child, but where the distiction is made is impossible. Profoundly SN kids do have schools here in DC. Kids who are traumatized/on spectrum/LD probably do belong in public school. Private has been the option for people who want their kids insulated.

It’s really gross that some posters keep trying to insist that having violent or highly verbally disruptive kids in the classroom is the same thing as having a child in a wheel chair sitting there or good forbid a black child (?!!) in the classroom. There’s something really wrong with you if you honestly think that.

The distinction is clear - when the teacher has to literally stop classes to reprimand someone, try to keep them on task, chase them because they ran outside, evacuate all tye other kids in the classroom because a child is screaming or destroying things. Those kids clearly do not belong in the classroom. Kids who stop the teachers from teaching do not belong in the classroom. They are the kids we’re talking about.

YES. And god forbid you say it out loud, you will be shamed. This came up recently in a mom group and the mom posted about her daughter's learning being interrupted constantly because of chair throwing and constant evacuations. She was bullied so hard on her post... everything was "well think about the poor kid that's throwing chairs and injuring others" and "this is the most ableist post ever". She was literally shredded. I felt bad for her. What about her kid? Doesn't she deserve to learn free from fear of getting whacked in the head with a flying object? What about the other 20 kids that deserve that as well?

We went through this last year in 1st grade and it was wild. I emailed and called the principal when I found out how frequently my DD's classroom was getting evacuated. Sometimes multiple times a day. Those kids were not learning and whatever they were doing to try to keep the behavior kid calmed down was not working and I demanded more. The response was that they couldn't or wouldn't. So it was an absolute dumpster fire of a year. And guess what? My DD's teacher quit teaching after that year. We wonder why there's a teacher shortage. I wouldn't put up with the BS either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All you folks talking about poorly behaved special needs kids are likely NOT parents of kids with unique needs, and you should consider yourself lucky. Such holier than thou attitudes and a wholesale lack of empathy for kids.

No kid WANTS to behave that way. Behaviors like that are expressing an unmet need. Those kids are in a world a hurt and need support, possibly therapy or other tools. It is not unlike a kid with dyslexia or even a physical disability.

Schools, SN kids, and resources were barely getting by pre pandemic and now we’ve got two years of no progress and more stress on everyone, especially those kids who were left behind. And the learning loss amongst SN kids was far worse than most typical kids.

Rather than fault the kids, or the parents of those kids, start screaming at your school boards and their inane funding priorities. Raise teacher salaries, invest in more SN instructional assistants and their training, more case managers and specialists. Maybe something more than 1 BCBA for 25 schools would help…

All people are saying is that those kids don't belong in the classroom with neurotypical kids. It doesn't serve society well to help out one or two kids at the expense of 25 others.

That is the fundamental gap. They do belong in regular classrooms. Remember back in the 60’s when kids in wheelchairs were sent to special schools, away from the “regular” kids? Ruled unconstitutional. Thank god for the ADA. Same applies here hence the ‘least restrictive environment’ laws.

JUST STOP. NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS OR DYSLEXIA AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW THAT.

So freaking disingenuous.

DP- but it’s not disingenuous. There are standards for inclusion. You don’t know them (full stop. Clear from your post) don’t know the process for removal of a child from gen Ed, and so you don’t know what you are fighting against and certainly don’t have a well thought out alternative.

There are 2 completely different things here that you’re acting as if are one thing for the “standards for inclusion”. There’s the current law, and then there’s what the law should be. One is crap, the other doesn’t need to be crap because in this country, the people (that’s us) make the laws. If we don’t like a law or it’s not working for us anymore or the consequences aren’t what we expected or wanted to happen, it should be changed.

What should the law be then?

It should be removing violent kids so that all the other kids can learn! Why is this controversial?

PP. That’s not controversial at all. That’s actually very reasonable. In fact, that’s the one of the pillars of my classroom community. That’s also not the law. If those behaviors are occurring in a gen ed classroom, that’s because those children were either a)not placed in the least restrictive environment , or b) they were placed appropriately but without the proper and necessary support. Either way, that’s not the law’s fault.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I substituted for one day and never went back. Kids are scary!!!

Oh god

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All you folks talking about poorly behaved special needs kids are likely NOT parents of kids with unique needs, and you should consider yourself lucky. Such holier than thou attitudes and a wholesale lack of empathy for kids.

No kid WANTS to behave that way. Behaviors like that are expressing an unmet need. Those kids are in a world a hurt and need support, possibly therapy or other tools. It is not unlike a kid with dyslexia or even a physical disability.

Schools, SN kids, and resources were barely getting by pre pandemic and now we’ve got two years of no progress and more stress on everyone, especially those kids who were left behind. And the learning loss amongst SN kids was far worse than most typical kids.

Rather than fault the kids, or the parents of those kids, start screaming at your school boards and their inane funding priorities. Raise teacher salaries, invest in more SN instructional assistants and their training, more case managers and specialists. Maybe something more than 1 BCBA for 25 schools would help…

All people are saying is that those kids don't belong in the classroom with neurotypical kids. It doesn't serve society well to help out one or two kids at the expense of 25 others.

That is the fundamental gap. They do belong in regular classrooms. Remember back in the 60’s when kids in wheelchairs were sent to special schools, away from the “regular” kids? Ruled unconstitutional. Thank god for the ADA. Same applies here hence the ‘least restrictive environment’ laws.

JUST STOP. NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS OR DYSLEXIA AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW THAT.

So freaking disingenuous.

I don't think it's disingenuous. It wasn't long ago that physically disabled people could not access schools or other public resources., whether they were intellectually able or not. We can all agree that was wrong. Also, not too long ago, black people were not allowed to attend the publicly funded schools. Very wrong.

Now we are talking if kids who are disruptive/violent or special needs can attend school?

I don't want violence around my child, but where the distiction is made is impossible. Profoundly SN kids do have schools here in DC. Kids who are traumatized/on spectrum/LD probably do belong in public school. Private has been the option for people who want their kids insulated.

It’s really gross that some posters keep trying to insist that having violent or highly verbally disruptive kids in the classroom is the same thing as having a child in a wheel chair sitting there or good forbid a black child (?!!) in the classroom. There’s something really wrong with you if you honestly think that.

The distinction is clear - when the teacher has to literally stop classes to reprimand someone, try to keep them on task, chase them because they ran outside, evacuate all tye other kids in the classroom because a child is screaming or destroying things. Those kids clearly do not belong in the classroom. Kids who stop the teachers from teaching do not belong in the classroom. They are the kids we’re talking about.

YES. And god forbid you say it out loud, you will be shamed. This came up recently in a mom group and the mom posted about her daughter's learning being interrupted constantly because of chair throwing and constant evacuations. She was bullied so hard on her post... everything was "well think about the poor kid that's throwing chairs and injuring others" and "this is the most ableist post ever". She was literally shredded. I felt bad for her. What about her kid? Doesn't she deserve to learn free from fear of getting whacked in the head with a flying object? What about the other 20 kids that deserve that as well?

We went through this last year in 1st grade and it was wild. I emailed and called the principal when I found out how frequently my DD's classroom was getting evacuated. Sometimes multiple times a day. Those kids were not learning and whatever they were doing to try to keep the behavior kid calmed down was not working and I demanded more. The response was that they couldn't or wouldn't. So it was an absolute dumpster fire of a year. And guess what? My DD's teacher quit teaching after that year. We wonder why there's a teacher shortage. I wouldn't put up with the BS either.

This is when all parents in the classroom with impacted kids need to rally together and fight back as a group. Daily communications to the school and superintendents. Attending every school board meeting and making a racket. Any child injured, their parent files a police report. Your children are entitled to FAPE too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All you folks talking about poorly behaved special needs kids are likely NOT parents of kids with unique needs, and you should consider yourself lucky. Such holier than thou attitudes and a wholesale lack of empathy for kids.

No kid WANTS to behave that way. Behaviors like that are expressing an unmet need. Those kids are in a world a hurt and need support, possibly therapy or other tools. It is not unlike a kid with dyslexia or even a physical disability.

Schools, SN kids, and resources were barely getting by pre pandemic and now we’ve got two years of no progress and more stress on everyone, especially those kids who were left behind. And the learning loss amongst SN kids was far worse than most typical kids.

Rather than fault the kids, or the parents of those kids, start screaming at your school boards and their inane funding priorities. Raise teacher salaries, invest in more SN instructional assistants and their training, more case managers and specialists. Maybe something more than 1 BCBA for 25 schools would help…

All people are saying is that those kids don't belong in the classroom with neurotypical kids. It doesn't serve society well to help out one or two kids at the expense of 25 others.

That is the fundamental gap. They do belong in regular classrooms. Remember back in the 60’s when kids in wheelchairs were sent to special schools, away from the “regular” kids? Ruled unconstitutional. Thank god for the ADA. Same applies here hence the ‘least restrictive environment’ laws.

JUST STOP. NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS OR DYSLEXIA AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW THAT.

So freaking disingenuous.

DP- but it’s not disingenuous. There are standards for inclusion. You don’t know them (full stop. Clear from your post) don’t know the process for removal of a child from gen Ed, and so you don’t know what you are fighting against and certainly don’t have a well thought out alternative.

There are 2 completely different things here that you’re acting as if are one thing for the “standards for inclusion”. There’s the current law, and then there’s what the law should be. One is crap, the other doesn’t need to be crap because in this country, the people (that’s us) make the laws. If we don’t like a law or it’s not working for us anymore or the consequences aren’t what we expected or wanted to happen, it should be changed.

What should the law be then?

It should be removing violent kids so that all the other kids can learn! Why is this controversial?

Ask the Democratic Party. This is their crusade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All you folks talking about poorly behaved special needs kids are likely NOT parents of kids with unique needs, and you should consider yourself lucky. Such holier than thou attitudes and a wholesale lack of empathy for kids.

No kid WANTS to behave that way. Behaviors like that are expressing an unmet need. Those kids are in a world a hurt and need support, possibly therapy or other tools. It is not unlike a kid with dyslexia or even a physical disability.

Schools, SN kids, and resources were barely getting by pre pandemic and now we’ve got two years of no progress and more stress on everyone, especially those kids who were left behind. And the learning loss amongst SN kids was far worse than most typical kids.

Rather than fault the kids, or the parents of those kids, start screaming at your school boards and their inane funding priorities. Raise teacher salaries, invest in more SN instructional assistants and their training, more case managers and specialists. Maybe something more than 1 BCBA for 25 schools would help…

All people are saying is that those kids don't belong in the classroom with neurotypical kids. It doesn't serve society well to help out one or two kids at the expense of 25 others.

That is the fundamental gap. They do belong in regular classrooms. Remember back in the 60’s when kids in wheelchairs were sent to special schools, away from the “regular” kids? Ruled unconstitutional. Thank god for the ADA. Same applies here hence the ‘least restrictive environment’ laws.

JUST STOP. NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS OR DYSLEXIA AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW THAT.

So freaking disingenuous.

DP- but it’s not disingenuous. There are standards for inclusion. You don’t know them (full stop. Clear from your post) don’t know the process for removal of a child from gen Ed, and so you don’t know what you are fighting against and certainly don’t have a well thought out alternative.

There are 2 completely different things here that you’re acting as if are one thing for the “standards for inclusion”. There’s the current law, and then there’s what the law should be. One is crap, the other doesn’t need to be crap because in this country, the people (that’s us) make the laws. If we don’t like a law or it’s not working for us anymore or the consequences aren’t what we expected or wanted to happen, it should be changed.

What should the law be then?

It should be removing violent kids so that all the other kids can learn! Why is this controversial?

Ask the Democratic Party. This is their crusade.

I really don’t think it is. I think it’s just a very noisy minority constantly trying to defend this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All you folks talking about poorly behaved special needs kids are likely NOT parents of kids with unique needs, and you should consider yourself lucky. Such holier than thou attitudes and a wholesale lack of empathy for kids.

No kid WANTS to behave that way. Behaviors like that are expressing an unmet need. Those kids are in a world a hurt and need support, possibly therapy or other tools. It is not unlike a kid with dyslexia or even a physical disability.

Schools, SN kids, and resources were barely getting by pre pandemic and now we’ve got two years of no progress and more stress on everyone, especially those kids who were left behind. And the learning loss amongst SN kids was far worse than most typical kids.

Rather than fault the kids, or the parents of those kids, start screaming at your school boards and their inane funding priorities. Raise teacher salaries, invest in more SN instructional assistants and their training, more case managers and specialists. Maybe something more than 1 BCBA for 25 schools would help…

All people are saying is that those kids don't belong in the classroom with neurotypical kids. It doesn't serve society well to help out one or two kids at the expense of 25 others.

That is the fundamental gap. They do belong in regular classrooms. Remember back in the 60’s when kids in wheelchairs were sent to special schools, away from the “regular” kids? Ruled unconstitutional. Thank god for the ADA. Same applies here hence the ‘least restrictive environment’ laws.

JUST STOP. NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS OR DYSLEXIA AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW THAT.

So freaking disingenuous.

I don't think it's disingenuous. It wasn't long ago that physically disabled people could not access schools or other public resources., whether they were intellectually able or not. We can all agree that was wrong. Also, not too long ago, black people were not allowed to attend the publicly funded schools. Very wrong.

Now we are talking if kids who are disruptive/violent or special needs can attend school?

I don't want violence around my child, but where the distiction is made is impossible. Profoundly SN kids do have schools here in DC. Kids who are traumatized/on spectrum/LD probably do belong in public school. Private has been the option for people who want their kids insulated.

It’s really gross that some posters keep trying to insist that having violent or highly verbally disruptive kids in the classroom is the same thing as having a child in a wheel chair sitting there or good forbid a black child (?!!) in the classroom. There’s something really wrong with you if you honestly think that.

The distinction is clear - when the teacher has to literally stop classes to reprimand someone, try to keep them on task, chase them because they ran outside, evacuate all tye other kids in the classroom because a child is screaming or destroying things. Those kids clearly do not belong in the classroom. Kids who stop the teachers from teaching do not belong in the classroom. They are the kids we’re talking about.

YES. And god forbid you say it out loud, you will be shamed. This came up recently in a mom group and the mom posted about her daughter's learning being interrupted constantly because of chair throwing and constant evacuations. She was bullied so hard on her post... everything was "well think about the poor kid that's throwing chairs and injuring others" and "this is the most ableist post ever". She was literally shredded. I felt bad for her. What about her kid? Doesn't she deserve to learn free from fear of getting whacked in the head with a flying object? What about the other 20 kids that deserve that as well?

We went through this last year in 1st grade and it was wild. I emailed and called the principal when I found out how frequently my DD's classroom was getting evacuated. Sometimes multiple times a day. Those kids were not learning and whatever they were doing to try to keep the behavior kid calmed down was not working and I demanded more. The response was that they couldn't or wouldn't. So it was an absolute dumpster fire of a year. And guess what? My DD's teacher quit teaching after that year. We wonder why there's a teacher shortage. I wouldn't put up with the BS either.

More than that, they were in all likelihood traumatized.

CPS would probably get involved if there was a lot of dangerous chair throwing in a child’s home. Why not at school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you think our kids don’t tell us this stuff? We know.

What are you doing to help get troubled kids the help they need? (That the school frequently refuses to provide.)

Oh STOP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All you folks talking about poorly behaved special needs kids are likely NOT parents of kids with unique needs, and you should consider yourself lucky. Such holier than thou attitudes and a wholesale lack of empathy for kids.

No kid WANTS to behave that way. Behaviors like that are expressing an unmet need. Those kids are in a world a hurt and need support, possibly therapy or other tools. It is not unlike a kid with dyslexia or even a physical disability.

Schools, SN kids, and resources were barely getting by pre pandemic and now we’ve got two years of no progress and more stress on everyone, especially those kids who were left behind. And the learning loss amongst SN kids was far worse than most typical kids.

Rather than fault the kids, or the parents of those kids, start screaming at your school boards and their inane funding priorities. Raise teacher salaries, invest in more SN instructional assistants and their training, more case managers and specialists. Maybe something more than 1 BCBA for 25 schools would help…

All people are saying is that those kids don't belong in the classroom with neurotypical kids. It doesn't serve society well to help out one or two kids at the expense of 25 others.

That is the fundamental gap. They do belong in regular classrooms. Remember back in the 60’s when kids in wheelchairs were sent to special schools, away from the “regular” kids? Ruled unconstitutional. Thank god for the ADA. Same applies here hence the ‘least restrictive environment’ laws.

JUST STOP. NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS OR DYSLEXIA AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW THAT.

So freaking disingenuous.

DP- but it’s not disingenuous. There are standards for inclusion. You don’t know them (full stop. Clear from your post) don’t know the process for removal of a child from gen Ed, and so you don’t know what you are fighting against and certainly don’t have a well thought out alternative.

There are 2 completely different things here that you’re acting as if are one thing for the “standards for inclusion”. There’s the current law, and then there’s what the law should be. One is crap, the other doesn’t need to be crap because in this country, the people (that’s us) make the laws. If we don’t like a law or it’s not working for us anymore or the consequences aren’t what we expected or wanted to happen, it should be changed.

What should the law be then?

It should be removing violent kids so that all the other kids can learn! Why is this controversial?

Ask the Democratic Party. This is their crusade.

You do realize the Individual with Disabilities Education Act, and therefore FAPE, was signed into law by President HW Bush, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All you folks talking about poorly behaved special needs kids are likely NOT parents of kids with unique needs, and you should consider yourself lucky. Such holier than thou attitudes and a wholesale lack of empathy for kids.

No kid WANTS to behave that way. Behaviors like that are expressing an unmet need. Those kids are in a world a hurt and need support, possibly therapy or other tools. It is not unlike a kid with dyslexia or even a physical disability.

Schools, SN kids, and resources were barely getting by pre pandemic and now we’ve got two years of no progress and more stress on everyone, especially those kids who were left behind. And the learning loss amongst SN kids was far worse than most typical kids.

Rather than fault the kids, or the parents of those kids, start screaming at your school boards and their inane funding priorities. Raise teacher salaries, invest in more SN instructional assistants and their training, more case managers and specialists. Maybe something more than 1 BCBA for 25 schools would help…

All people are saying is that those kids don't belong in the classroom with neurotypical kids. It doesn't serve society well to help out one or two kids at the expense of 25 others.

That is the fundamental gap. They do belong in regular classrooms. Remember back in the 60’s when kids in wheelchairs were sent to special schools, away from the “regular” kids? Ruled unconstitutional. Thank god for the ADA. Same applies here hence the ‘least restrictive environment’ laws.

JUST STOP. NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS OR DYSLEXIA AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW THAT.

So freaking disingenuous.

I don't think it's disingenuous. It wasn't long ago that physically disabled people could not access schools or other public resources., whether they were intellectually able or not. We can all agree that was wrong. Also, not too long ago, black people were not allowed to attend the publicly funded schools. Very wrong.

Now we are talking if kids who are disruptive/violent or special needs can attend school?

I don't want violence around my child, but where the distiction is made is impossible. Profoundly SN kids do have schools here in DC. Kids who are traumatized/on spectrum/LD probably do belong in public school. Private has been the option for people who want their kids insulated.

It’s really gross that some posters keep trying to insist that having violent or highly verbally disruptive kids in the classroom is the same thing as having a child in a wheel chair sitting there or good forbid a black child (?!!) in the classroom. There’s something really wrong with you if you honestly think that.

The distinction is clear - when the teacher has to literally stop classes to reprimand someone, try to keep them on task, chase them because they ran outside, evacuate all tye other kids in the classroom because a child is screaming or destroying things. Those kids clearly do not belong in the classroom. Kids who stop the teachers from teaching do not belong in the classroom. They are the kids we’re talking about.

No one is saying they are the same. I am a PP who made an analogy to kids with physical disabilities earlier. Obviously they are not the same, but there are parallels. There are shades of gray but the FACT is disabled kids have protections, which is a good thing. And disabilities present in more ways than physical. So it is a fine line and no one size fits all approach as to which setting any particular kid should be in. What I can tell you is a parent ad hoc volunteering in a classroom is NOT the best arbiter of all kids and where they should be placed. There is an entire process for that involving the school, parents, and specialists. Is it perfect?? NO. But life is not perfect.

What’s disgusting is prior posters saying kids should be shipped off to special separate schools, and given “instruction” in their homes because god forbid (!)they be in the presence of other kids. Gues what. These kids will be adults one day and all live in a world together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All you folks talking about poorly behaved special needs kids are likely NOT parents of kids with unique needs, and you should consider yourself lucky. Such holier than thou attitudes and a wholesale lack of empathy for kids.

No kid WANTS to behave that way. Behaviors like that are expressing an unmet need. Those kids are in a world a hurt and need support, possibly therapy or other tools. It is not unlike a kid with dyslexia or even a physical disability.

Schools, SN kids, and resources were barely getting by pre pandemic and now we’ve got two years of no progress and more stress on everyone, especially those kids who were left behind. And the learning loss amongst SN kids was far worse than most typical kids.

Rather than fault the kids, or the parents of those kids, start screaming at your school boards and their inane funding priorities. Raise teacher salaries, invest in more SN instructional assistants and their training, more case managers and specialists. Maybe something more than 1 BCBA for 25 schools would help…

All people are saying is that those kids don't belong in the classroom with neurotypical kids. It doesn't serve society well to help out one or two kids at the expense of 25 others.

That is the fundamental gap. They do belong in regular classrooms. Remember back in the 60’s when kids in wheelchairs were sent to special schools, away from the “regular” kids? Ruled unconstitutional. Thank god for the ADA. Same applies here hence the ‘least restrictive environment’ laws.

JUST STOP. NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS OR DYSLEXIA AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW THAT.

So freaking disingenuous.

I don't think it's disingenuous. It wasn't long ago that physically disabled people could not access schools or other public resources., whether they were intellectually able or not. We can all agree that was wrong. Also, not too long ago, black people were not allowed to attend the publicly funded schools. Very wrong.

Now we are talking if kids who are disruptive/violent or special needs can attend school?

I don't want violence around my child, but where the distiction is made is impossible. Profoundly SN kids do have schools here in DC. Kids who are traumatized/on spectrum/LD probably do belong in public school. Private has been the option for people who want their kids insulated.

It’s really gross that some posters keep trying to insist that having violent or highly verbally disruptive kids in the classroom is the same thing as having a child in a wheel chair sitting there or good forbid a black child (?!!) in the classroom. There’s something really wrong with you if you honestly think that.

The distinction is clear - when the teacher has to literally stop classes to reprimand someone, try to keep them on task, chase them because they ran outside, evacuate all tye other kids in the classroom because a child is screaming or destroying things. Those kids clearly do not belong in the classroom. Kids who stop the teachers from teaching do not belong in the classroom. They are the kids we’re talking about.

No one is saying they are the same. I am a PP who made an analogy to kids with physical disabilities earlier. Obviously they are not the same, but there are parallels. There are shades of gray but the FACT is disabled kids have protections, which is a good thing. And disabilities present in more ways than physical. So it is a fine line and no one size fits all approach as to which setting any particular kid should be in. What I can tell you is a parent ad hoc volunteering in a classroom is NOT the best arbiter of all kids and where they should be placed. There is an entire process for that involving the school, parents, and specialists. Is it perfect?? NO. But life is not perfect.

What’s disgusting is prior posters saying kids should be shipped off to special separate schools, and given “instruction” in their homes because god forbid (!)they be in the presence of other kids. Gues what. These kids will be adults one day and all live in a world together.

But when you are an adult in the workplace, you really don't have to be around people with this behavior to such an extreme. Sure, everyone has that annoying or quirky person in their office. But someone who was so violent/disruptive they didn't allow others to work would be fired.

I'm all for special schools where they can be given the necessary attention and hopefully overcome their challenges at an earlier age than trying to catch up and be frustrated in a regular classroom, while also distracting other kid and taking away their learning opportunities.

[Anonymous]

PPs who want lots of special services or separate schools for disruptive kids who aren't diagnosed are being totally unrealistic. Educators know that a kid taken out of mainstream will have a worse outcome, so taking an action like that, if it were even possible, has serious consequences, and educators care about every kid.

It takes many years to ascertain what a kid's problems are. An evaluation requires that teachers/parents all agree and have decided to take an action for a child who is learning disabled, ADD, traumatized, or all of those, and after that, you want to see if improvements happen following interventions, and all of that takes time. Years.

You want to say that a 1st grader who threw a chair should be condemned immediately? That is not happening. Nor should it. How many infractions before a little child is sent out of mainstream? Seriously, who are you to judge how it should go?

If you want lots more money spent on special services in schools, you're going to need to be an activist for that, and vote that way. The kids at school reflect the community you live in. You want to make it better as a whole.