After meeting with my friend Tim this past weekend and taking a survey among my friends that are teachers in my mind the situation Princess Bear (PB) is in at school is worse than I thought. While I understand that ultimately my daughters education is up to me I also think that we have a public school system that is supposed to be teaching the kids. Regardless of their level of understanding. When PB made the switch to middle school this year we were told that we were very lucky. That we were in fact getting an "upgrade" of sorts since the school PB is attending is in a better part of town and considered to be a better school than where she was at. Perhaps this holds true for the regular division part of the school. The special education program is no different and perhaps even worse than what we'd been dealing with at the old school. PB started the old school at the age of 3 and was there through 4th grade.
I was a bit concerned from the word go when I found out that PB would be in the same classroom for the next four years for 5th- 8th grade. I voiced my fears to the special education coordinator assigned to PB. I even said it seemed like a holding cell until the could shuttle her off to high school. There is a whole lot of difference between 5th graders and 8th graders in the best of circumstances and special education rooms can rarely be considered the best of circumstances. I am so glad that I can honestly go into the IEP this Wednesday saying I voiced my concerns before working with the teacher so I can tell the teacher it isn't her but rather it is the situation. That said I do have some concerns with the teacher. She is showing the kids Disney movies on a regular basis. Seriously? You can't find something educational and fun for them to do or watch?
PB also met with her tutor today and the tutor has her comfortably reading 30 lessons ahead of the corrective reading lesson they have her working on in school. Yes you read that right- 30 lessons ahead of what she is working on in school. The problem is that PB is in a room with 8 special needs kids that all have varying levels of comprehension and ability and there is just 1 teacher and 1 aide. Anyone else seeing how this can be a problem? There is only so much that one person can do. I do know that when Tim was teaching this program that there were 16 kids and 3 teachers. As part of their cost cutting they redesigned and fired some teachers. It really isn't supposed to be my childs problem that the school district is broke.
I'm so frustrated with constantly battling the school district to get the services my daughter needs and deserves. At this point I'm just hoping to make it through this meeting on Wednesday without completely losing my cool and going off. Wish me luck!
I was a bit concerned from the word go when I found out that PB would be in the same classroom for the next four years for 5th- 8th grade. I voiced my fears to the special education coordinator assigned to PB. I even said it seemed like a holding cell until the could shuttle her off to high school. There is a whole lot of difference between 5th graders and 8th graders in the best of circumstances and special education rooms can rarely be considered the best of circumstances. I am so glad that I can honestly go into the IEP this Wednesday saying I voiced my concerns before working with the teacher so I can tell the teacher it isn't her but rather it is the situation. That said I do have some concerns with the teacher. She is showing the kids Disney movies on a regular basis. Seriously? You can't find something educational and fun for them to do or watch?
PB also met with her tutor today and the tutor has her comfortably reading 30 lessons ahead of the corrective reading lesson they have her working on in school. Yes you read that right- 30 lessons ahead of what she is working on in school. The problem is that PB is in a room with 8 special needs kids that all have varying levels of comprehension and ability and there is just 1 teacher and 1 aide. Anyone else seeing how this can be a problem? There is only so much that one person can do. I do know that when Tim was teaching this program that there were 16 kids and 3 teachers. As part of their cost cutting they redesigned and fired some teachers. It really isn't supposed to be my childs problem that the school district is broke.
I'm so frustrated with constantly battling the school district to get the services my daughter needs and deserves. At this point I'm just hoping to make it through this meeting on Wednesday without completely losing my cool and going off. Wish me luck!
4 comments:
Unfortunately, cuts are always made so as only the bottom of the social rung is effected. I might have mentioned this before, but have you considered homeschooling?
Ugh....so sorry about this. I truly wish you luck and hope some type of changes can be made but you certainly have an uphill battle in dealing with a school district.
Leigh I have thought of home schooling. I actually do a lot of supplemental teaching since I know the district is basically useless. It's just constant headbutting when I do a lot of teaching (in summers). I'm not sure if our personalities will lend to full time homeschooling but it is something I'm thinking about more and more. PB's tutor actually suggested a homeschooling co-op and I'm wondering if parents would be interested in that. I do know that I cannot name one parent who has their child in Special Education in this district that is happy with the education their child is getting.
Staci- thanks. I've always been one of those people that liked a battle. It's just my personality. I just don't want anything to be taken out on PB at school. It shouldn't always be a fight for my child to get the education she deserves.
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