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Maybe your district hasn't yet been sued by the parents of a Special Ed student. When it is, things will change. Mark my words. I speak from experience. Again, it MUST be understood that the only students with actual legal rights in our public schools are Special Ed students.
ALL children have a legal right to a public education. As an aside, if what you say is true, why are parents routinely in trouble when they don't send their child to school? How can they be in trouble for something that isn't protected by law?
What was wrong with the collaborative classes? What did your daughter encounter?
There was nothing "wrong" with them. As I said, it was beneficial for the kids to experience the differently-abled kids among them. But reality is that things get slowed down when there are special-needs/HIP/SHIP or disruptive kids in class. Fine. That's the way it is. But when there are other classes full of only-neurotypical kids who don't have to deal with disruptions and slowdowns, they are able to participate in different activities not limited to those special-needs kids can participate in and learn in a more neurotypical way.
It is not fair that only certain NT students should get the opportunity to experience learning in an NT-only setting while other NT kids in the same school don't get that experience. My daughter wanted that chance. She heard from her friends that they did this or that in class that she wasn't getting to do. It was more than 15 years ago, I don't recall specifics. But it was important enough that she asked if we could see about getting her moved to an NT class, and since this chance was apparently given to everyone else, I wasn't going to tell her to just suck it up.
My friend with the profoundly-disabled son understood this. She planned activities and trips with just her NT daughter so that she would have the chance to be a "normal" kid sometimes without life revolving around her disabled brother's needs.
There was nothing "wrong" with them. As I said, it was beneficial for the kids to experience the differently-abled kids among them. But reality is that things get slowed down when there are special-needs or disruptive kids in class. Fine. That's the way it is. But when there are other classes full of only-neurotypical kids who don't have to deal with disruptions and slowdowns, they are able to participate in different activities not limited to those special-needs kids can participate in and learn in a more neurotypical way.
It is not fair that only certain NT students should get the opportunity to experience learning in an NT-only setting while other NT kids in the same school don't get that experience.
My friend with the profoundly-disabled son understood this. She planned activities and trips with just her NT daughter so that she would have the chance to be a "normal" kid sometimes without life revolving around her disabled brother's needs.
I see what you are saying. In my state, I think a lot of the ills of education today could be solved with pension reform and hiring assistants for teachers.
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Short of pulling a knife and attacking other students, it is close to impossible to permanently remove a disruptive child from a classroom.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magritte25
In my district, we have an alternative learning center. We also have classrooms dedicated to profoundly disabled children.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magritte25
I don't see how you believe I think violent students should be in the same room as profoundly disabled students. What did I say to make you think that?
You responded to my post about how it is close to impossible to permanently remove a disruptive child from a classroom buy posting that in your district you have ALCs and classrooms dedicated to profoundly disabled children.
I posted how that wouldn't work.
Does that clear things up?
Last edited by GotHereQuickAsICould; 01-20-2017 at 02:10 PM..
You responded to my post about how it is close to impossible to permanently remove a disruptive child from a classroom buy posting that in your district you have ALCs and classrooms dedicated to profoundly disabled children.
I posted how that wouldn't work.
Does that clear things up?
I guess I could have separated the two but I thought it would be clear that violent children weren't put together with profoundly disabled kids.
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My son has ADHD and autism. He is in a mainstream classroom. If he became overwhelmed, he was removed from the classroom by his aide - not employed by the district - and taken for a walk to calm down. When he was good again, he returned to the classroom.
The LRE clause does not take away other students' right to an education. I'm very sorry if this is happening in the schools you are familiar with but from what I've seen with my own eyes, being in my children's schools for years, their school doesn't seem to struggle with this issue.
Then you are in a unique school. You may want to ask the parents of the other students if they share your views on this matter.
I volunteered in our children's classrooms for years. This is what I've observed:
The children diagnosed with ADHD and autism often make sounds, jump up out of their seats, wave their hands around, make unusual comments while the teachers are presenting lessons... The teachers do their best to ignore or redirect this behavior.
If the student becomes overwhelmed, they try calming strategies. If that doesn't work, they call the office and an aide comes down and takes them out the classroom. A little while later, they return, and the whole process starts over again.
In the states I'm familiar with, the aides are paid out of the school district budget. The NC legislature cut back the state education budget a year or so ago, and there was a significant cut in teachers' aides.
Sounds like your son has a one-on-one aide (funded through Medicaid?) that stays with him at all times. When I've observed this, it usually means the student needs a great deal of attention and usually means lots of whispering and redirecting.
All of this is disruptive. All the noises, all the conversations with his aide, all the unrelated comments, all the motion and activity, all the meltdowns...
It's all disruptive. All the fuss and bother makes focusing and learning difficult if not impossible for the other students.
Let's put aside the demagoguery. It isn't a clear black and white case.
Yes, trying to integrate ALL students regardless of their disabilities is a noble cause. It does much to help these kids be independent and contribute to society as adults.
On the other hand, the cost of this (growing) tend over the years is staggering. The most notable point is the school taxes which went over the roof in many communities. Its one of the heaviest burdens in our area. But that is known by everyone. Some low income families and seniors simply cannot afford even a reduced form of the school tax.
But the less known fact is that the number of special needs students is constantly on the rise. School districts struggle to make ends meet. It consumes resources of all kinds, requiring a large dedicated staff (beyond teachers) and sometimes has a negative impact on the regular kids in the classroom. At times, one special needs student can impact a whole class of students with average / above average capability. School administrators are constantly struggling with legal challenges, which generate tensions and stress in the entire district.
Letting the states be in charge instead of the federal government, will impact communities all over America. It is clear that families with special needs children will move to more supportive states.
I guess I could have separated the two but I thought it would be clear that violent children weren't put together with profoundly disabled kids.
The ALC is for violent children.
The rooms are for profoundly disabled children.
Not sure how I would know from your reply that you did not intend to mean that disruptive children would not be sent to rooms for children with profound disabilities. But glad you cleared that up.
I agree that ALCs are for violent students, the ones who are a danger to themselves and others. But this is not where disruptive children are educated in public schools.
Disruptive students are mainstreamed into regular classrooms where the rest of the students and the teachers just have to deal with it.
I realize that parents of children with special needs are struggling with all sorts of problems that I, like a lot of other other parents, are totally unaware of.
But your son will likely always have supportive services, disability benefits, medical care, subsidized housing, etc. At least I pray that doesn't change in our nation.
However, other children such as mine, will not. They will need to get a decent education so that they can be competitive in a global economy. Our nation will need them all to be employable so that our economy can continue to grow and flourish.
Is it fair or even smart to diminish their education by being in classrooms year after year where it is difficult or impossible to concentrate?
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