all seven seats in first row of classroom assigned to minority students - 3rd grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No (although my law school did). Her accommodations give her certain preferences that fit her disability. It is her obligation to take her disability package to the professor on the first day or meet with the professor with a rep. from the disability services office and say I (self-advocate) need the following (a) seating in the front; (b) copies of your notes; (c) extra time on exams, etc. (d) writing workshop coaching. All of this has to be worked out with the disability office at the college long before the school year begins. To be clear, the IEP or 504 does not apply at the postsecondary level, but you can bring it with you when you meet with disability services. Then disability services and your child figure out from their IEP history and recent testing (yes you have to show up with fresh testing - we picked one off the college's list of preferred testers) and determine what accommodations she will need to succeed in college.

It is encouraging to hear that this can be done. Can you say what college this is?

Yes, happy to do so because we've been surprisingly thrilled with how "accommodating" the whole Virginia system has been. George Mason University. Its disability office, counseling and writing centers have been so supportive and have exceeded any services we received with an IEP in public. By the way, for those of you with kids who had LDs and suffer from seemingly endless amounts of homework, if you are working with a disability office in a college, ask them if your child/young adult can take a reduced load the first term. It was my suggestion but the disability office immediately agreed so DC is taking 4 courses instead of five. That has been a Godsend. I can't speak with authority about services in other VA system colleges for kids with ADHD, LD and other issues, but am guessing being in the same VA system, the support has to be near what GMU is offering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No (although my law school did). Her accommodations give her certain preferences that fit her disability. It is her obligation to take her disability package to the professor on the first day or meet with the professor with a rep. from the disability services office and say I (self-advocate) need the following (a) seating in the front; (b) copies of your notes; (c) extra time on exams, etc. (d) writing workshop coaching. All of this has to be worked out with the disability office at the college long before the school year begins. To be clear, the IEP or 504 does not apply at the postsecondary level, but you can bring it with you when you meet with disability services. Then disability services and your child figure out from their IEP history and recent testing (yes you have to show up with fresh testing - we picked one off the college's list of preferred testers) and determine what accommodations she will need to succeed in college.

It is encouraging to hear that this can be done. Can you say what college this is?

Yes, happy to do so because we've been surprisingly thrilled with how "accommodating" the whole Virginia system has been. George Mason University. Its disability office, counseling and writing centers have been so supportive and have exceeded any services we received with an IEP in public. By the way, for those of you with kids who had LDs and suffer from seemingly endless amounts of homework, if you are working with a disability office in a college, ask them if your child/young adult can take a reduced load the first term. It was my suggestion but the disability office immediately agreed so DC is taking 4 courses instead of five. That has been a Godsend. I can't speak with authority about services in other VA system colleges for kids with ADHD, LD and other issues, but am guessing being in the same VA system, the support has to be near what GMU is offering.

I'm curious to what extent these accomodations really extend to the workforce. I know we have the ADA, but I would think asking for a reduced workload when you first start a job, e.g., would be a kiss of death for advancement.

[Anonymous]

Same poster. I have absolutely no idea. I also don't know at what stage DC will be able to file for federal disability. Guess that's the next hurdle. I have concerns she will not be able to hold down a job.

But back to colleges and universities, if you are starting the search, there is an xlnt book that evaluates the disability program offered at every postsecondary institution in the U.S. It helped us enormously to narrow down which colleges to go visit. The key is to locate a committed disability office with a big staff - then you know they are serious.

[Anonymous]

NP. Surprised at the sanguine response by so many earlier posters. There is a classroom with three rows of seven desks, and all seven desks in the front row are assigned to minority students? Unless there are only a small handful of white students in the class, this is not random and frankly, I cannot think of a single legitimate reason for it.

I would inquire about it, OP. I realize it would probably be awkward, but I would want to know the reason and challenge it if there was some appropriate rationale.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps they are ESOL students or have learning challenges that make it better for all if the teacher can keep an easy eye on their work. I remember in one of my student teaching classes, a few students who really needed attention all sat around the teacher's podium. That way she could very easily redirect or simply point to the place we were working to keep them on task.

And FWIW, I'm Hispanic but you can't "see" it. There could be several more minority students in that class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:there're three rows of seats - 7 - 8 - 8, and total of 9 (including 1 bi-racial) minority kids in the class.

what do you make of this seat arrangement?

Really, is this is best you can do. Who cares how the seating arrangement is. Maybe you should pull your kid out and send them to one of the top 3?

[Anonymous]

I think you need to back off on the helicopter parenting.

[Anonymous]

What are you considering a minority - black/brown skin?

Some of the "white" students may be European immigrants, Hispanic, half Asian kids, etc.

I don't think you can judge the first row only as minority children, esp if you claim that 9/23 or 40% of the class is a minority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:there're three rows of seats - 7 - 8 - 8, and total of 9 (including 1 bi-racial) minority kids in the class.

what do you make of this seat arrangement?

Our 3rd grade classes aren't in rows - are there even schools that have rows anymore in elementary school?

[Anonymous]

Hey OP, what does YOUR third grader think/say about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not OP.

We know that the teacher did not seat the kids randomly and yes I notice all sorts of things walking into a class. I don't think it is by last names unless there are quads in the class. I doubt it is by IEP because you would have different races and finally I doubt it was behavior because there would be others races. Ask the teacher because the kids and parents will notice and they may think it is for the wrong reasons.

Actually it might be behavior due to the make-up of this city. In my kid's school, the kids with disruptive behaviors are most likely to be black. In another city, depending on the make-up, it could be anyone. This is not to say that all black kids are disruptive and all white kids are not. I am just saying that in this city, disruptive kids are most likely black. In another city, it could very well be white depending upon the make-up. So I would not rule out that the seating arrangement might be based on behavior of those particular students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your 3rd grade classroom sits in rows? Really? That's the most shocking thing about your post.

+100

+1000. My snowflake sits facing others and keeps talking too much.He needs to sit in a row and pay attention!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps they are ESOL students or have learning challenges that make it better for all if the teacher can keep an easy eye on their work. I remember in one of my student teaching classes, a few students who really needed attention all sat around the teacher's podium. That way she could very easily redirect or simply point to the place we were working to keep them on task.

And FWIW, I'm Hispanic but you can't "see" it. There could be several more minority students in that class.

Minorities aren't the only ones with LD nor the only ESOL students. The students could be all Asians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there're three rows of seats - 7 - 8 - 8, and total of 9 (including 1 bi-racial) minority kids in the class.

what do you make of this seat arrangement?

Our 3rd grade classes aren't in rows - are there even schools that have rows anymore in elementary school?

Yes our local school has rows

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not OP.

We know that the teacher did not seat the kids randomly and yes I notice all sorts of things walking into a class. I don't think it is by last names unless there are quads in the class. I doubt it is by IEP because you would have different races and finally I doubt it was behavior because there would be others races. Ask the teacher because the kids and parents will notice and they may think it is for the wrong reasons.

Actually it might be behavior due to the make-up of this city. In my kid's school, the kids with disruptive behaviors are most likely to be black. In another city, depending on the make-up, it could be anyone. This is not to say that all black kids are disruptive and all white kids are not. I am just saying that in this city, disruptive kids are most likely black. In another city, it could very well be white depending upon the make-up. So I would not rule out that the seating arrangement might be based on behavior of those particular students.

Odds are against all! Majority perhaps all I don't think so. Also, there is a belief that similar behavior is interpreted differently depending on the person observing and exhibiting the behavior. People still see a black person in a suit and a white in jeans and will most likely interpret the black person as bad or a criminal.