I work in the department of special ed and I can tell you that the current chief and superintendent do not understand the complexities of our system. They recognize there is a problem but have done essentially zero fact finding to pinpoint what would actually help. Taylor is just shifting positions from one spot to another or two in central office, often with the same people who may or may not be competent, and expecting everything to still get done and more. Taylor seems to give deference to principals first and foremost and their cry us always to get any high needs special ed kid out of their school. They don't want help from a "cross functional team." I expect a big crash and burn next school year. We need more programs and more support for the programs we already have, this plan seems woefully inadequate to solve that

Violent kids must have their medical problems addressed before they are able to safely integrate into the public school system.

This is basic common sense. No one should want injuries at school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you educate a child who is at home in two leg casts unable to walk for three months?

You set them up at home for virtual learning.

That is different because there is a specific home medical program. Additional depending on where the guardian works they are eligible for FMLA leave in that case. A kid that needs sustained therapy and potentially long term different educational needs may require a separate facility and ratio of teacher to student interaction. This requires a special classroom/school model equipped to handle. This requires resources (funding and personnel).

To give an idea what we’re talking, many private schools that have these small classes and staff are $50k/yr per student.

No, it is not different. Any sick child can get a home medical program. You people are full of endless excuses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you educate a child who is at home in two leg casts unable to walk for three months?

You set them up at home for virtual learning.

If this is true, why can't it be done for those with behaviors that can't be handled in school? Is it due to the Dept of Education or something else? What used to happen with the out-of-control students? Because school was not like this when I went and I hate that my DD is suffering the way she has.

Violent children certainly can be barred from school in order to protect everyone else from assault.
The Dept of Education, however, has unfortunately decided to allow violent kids prevent other children from learning.
The obvious result is no one gets an education, not the classroom full of students wanting to learn, and certainly not the perpetrator of the violence.

This is how the Department of Education is spending our tax dollars.

Anonymous wrote:How do you educate a child who is at home in two leg casts unable to walk for three months?

You set them up at home for virtual learning.

That is different because there is a specific home medical program. Additional depending on where the guardian works they are eligible for FMLA leave in that case. A kid that needs sustained therapy and potentially long term different educational needs may require a separate facility and ratio of teacher to student interaction. This requires a special classroom/school model equipped to handle. This requires resources (funding and personnel).

To give an idea what we’re talking, many private schools that have these small classes and staff are $50k/yr per student.

Anonymous wrote:How do you educate a child who is at home in two leg casts unable to walk for three months?

You set them up at home for virtual learning.

If this is true, why can't it be done for those with behaviors that can't be handled in school? Is it due to the Dept of Education or something else? What used to happen with the out-of-control students? Because school was not like this when I went and I hate that my DD is suffering the way she has.

How do you educate a child who is at home in two leg casts unable to walk for three months?

You set them up at home for virtual learning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More facilities such as RICA, a partnership between the state of MD and MCPS, which provides special education and intensive therapeutic services, are badly needed. The increase of students with significant mental health needs, including serious aggression, is crippling our system’s schoolhouses.

Sick kids running a fever are not allowed to be at school. Mentally sick kids who are violent should not be at school either.

But where should they be?

I'm not being contradictory- I agree with you. But what do we do with the children who are unable to safely stay in a classroom. We have programs with smaller group sizes of 5-15, but those are really hard to get into. Do we need more of those programs? For a child needing mental health services, should social services provide the services?

No, mentally ill, violent children do not belong in the public school system at all. Schools are not medical facilities.

Maybe there’s a physician on the medical forum who can offer some insight as to what these children need.

Do they not deserve to be educated? Or just not deserve to be in public schools?

By law, they have to get an education. It is up to the school systems to figure out how. I absolutely agree that this should be joint discussions with the medical community. There needs to be more places like RICA that combine education (by MCPS) with therapeutic services (from the state of Maryland). Interestingly enough, RICA is allowed to deny any student who they feel is too much for them. How crazy is that? Public schools get no such option. Maybe in school suspension with virtual instruction? Just rambling here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More facilities such as RICA, a partnership between the state of MD and MCPS, which provides special education and intensive therapeutic services, are badly needed. The increase of students with significant mental health needs, including serious aggression, is crippling our system’s schoolhouses.

Sick kids running a fever are not allowed to be at school. Mentally sick kids who are violent should not be at school either.

But where should they be?

I'm not being contradictory- I agree with you. But what do we do with the children who are unable to safely stay in a classroom. We have programs with smaller group sizes of 5-15, but those are really hard to get into. Do we need more of those programs? For a child needing mental health services, should social services provide the services?

No, mentally ill, violent children do not belong in the public school system at all. Schools are not medical facilities.

Maybe there’s a physician on the medical forum who can offer some insight as to what these children need.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More facilities such as RICA, a partnership between the state of MD and MCPS, which provides special education and intensive therapeutic services, are badly needed. The increase of students with significant mental health needs, including serious aggression, is crippling our system’s schoolhouses.

Sick kids running a fever are not allowed to be at school. Mentally sick kids who are violent should not be at school either.

But where should they be?

I'm not being contradictory- I agree with you. But what do we do with the children who are unable to safely stay in a classroom. We have programs with smaller group sizes of 5-15, but those are really hard to get into. Do we need more of those programs? For a child needing mental health services, should social services provide the services?

Anonymous wrote:More facilities such as RICA, a partnership between the state of MD and MCPS, which provides special education and intensive therapeutic services, are badly needed. The increase of students with significant mental health needs, including serious aggression, is crippling our system’s schoolhouses.

Sick kids running a fever are not allowed to be at school. Mentally sick kids who are violent should not be at school either.

What’s crippling is the expectation that teachers should be medical professionals. The violent kids need medical care, not defenseless teachers.

More facilities such as RICA, a partnership between the state of MD and MCPS, which provides special education and intensive therapeutic services, are badly needed. The increase of students with significant mental health needs, including serious aggression, is crippling our system’s schoolhouses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Violent kids get their own bus?

There are generally 3-4 kids on a mini bus that includes the driver and an assistant. Some kids are getting bussed this way to Baltimore or NOVA daily. And those 3-4 kids can be spread out through the county. It’s expensive!

This is INSANE. The Department of Education mandating this, is crushing the public school system. And taxpayers.

How does anyone agree with this?

This entire thread is about people wanting this- or at least wanting these violent kids out the mainstream classroom. The law is that every child gets educated. There are a lot of challenges in making this happen. Besides the violent kids, we also want to educate those with significant intellectual disabilities whose goals are significantly different from mainstream education. Many kids need close to 1-1 or 2-1 adult to kid ratio. They need this to learn. This is expensive but what is needed for society.

Where does the law say that violent kids should be unleashed on nonviolent kids and teachers?

How do you educate the kids who are raging every day? You simply can’t.

They first require medical intervention.

Schools are NOT medical facilities.