http://online.wsj.com/article_email/article_print/SB118254994081445264-lMyQjAxMDE3ODIyNTUyNDU5Wj.html
I emailed this article to most that I know but I would encourage you all to read this and respond to the WSJ... As frustrating as having a special needs child is Teachers like the one telling this story make it so much worse....Am am appalled this woman is part of our country's education system...I can not imagine that she could be a mother as well!!!!!!
OK...let me calm down a bit....I agree that not all special need children are cut out for a mainstream classroom but alot of are...A teacher by no means is there to save the world and no one is expecting them too but to label and entire...Maybe I am taking this the wrong way but I feel like this means that since what is good for my child is not good for the "regular children" then my kids get screwed....sounds like a terrific public school system...Really should this be a problem that is harped on or one that a solution should be brought to the table or even suggestions...I am not trying to teacher bash, if I could do college over I would more then likely try to become one. The teachers I know would never belittle one of there students on the front page of the Wall Street Journal or any paper for that matter...I do see both side but I feel the presentation sucked!!!
3 comments:
It's really hard for me to read about this little girl, and yet I can completely see where this teacher is coming from. With a bigger class size, our kids may not get the extra attention they need, and mainstreaming in this setting seems to fail miserably indeed. It also seems that she may have been on the more severe side, as they mentioned a feeding tube, so maybe it didn't work for her when it may have worked for other WS kids, too. There are lots of factors involved here, I imagine, from the teacher's burnout level to the sensitivity of this child's classmates. I am going to take this information and use it to my advantage when we get to this point -- that lessens the sting a bit. I know it stings, though.
Sorry I missed you earlier. I was knee deep in work upstairs and now you are probably in bed!
Thanks for sharing this article.
I thougth that inclusion is only a problem in Hungary, not in the US.... sad to hear, I hoped that in a few years maybe there will be new programs in inclusion, but reading this article I feel that we have no place in the normal education. I'm thinking about alternative schools, such as Montessori or Waldorf, with small classes or some foundation-school.
The school years will be harder than I think...
Love, Kati
I dont like the way the article describes WS. The little girl seems to be badly affected yet the article portrayed it as the norm.
I do understand that the teachers are stretched beyond their capabilities and if inclusion is to work the teachers need to be trained - also trying to cope with 16 special needs kids out of a class of 20 is ridiculous. None of the children in that class could be reaching their full potential.
Jaidens EIU class has 5 students between 2 teachers( dont tell the education department or they we will deem them un needed and close them down!)
It works so well, each child is given the time they need and each child is thriving.
Next year the plan is for Jaiden to attend EIU two mornings and Regular Pre-school the other 3 mornings in preperation for "inclusion" into Kindy in 2009. At least with this method if he struggles he is still in the EIU system and can be given the extra help he needs.
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