How do teachers really feel about kids with special needs? (expensive, class)
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It's not ideal...I would make much more at a public school, but I would be much more likely to despise my job, so I gladly sacrifice pay for job satisfaction and a clean conscience.
From the parent's point of view though, we are damned no matter what we advocate for.
If we advocate for mainstreaming, we might want an aide. The schools don't want that because it costs money.
If we advocate for an appropriate self-contained class, we get classrooms that deal with behavior, but that don't give the kids academics on a regular track (and there are plenty of non-verbal or kids with behavioral problems who actually *can* do the academics). Some people get lucky, but some cannot move to the better school district to get what is needed.
If we try to get out-placement to a special school that does work well and we don't have the money for tuition, the public schools fight us because of their own budgetary constraints. I have one friend who really needs an outplacement and she cannot seem to move the powers that be to help her son.
I feel sorry for the many lower middle class people who simply have to accept what the schools offer because they have no money and often because they do not understand how to advocate or what to advocate for.
From the parent's point of view though, we are damned no matter what we advocate for.
If we advocate for mainstreaming, we might want an aide. The schools don't want that because it costs money.
If we advocate for an appropriate self-contained class, we get classrooms that deal with behavior, but that don't give the kids academics on a regular track (and there are plenty of non-verbal or kids with behavioral problems who actually *can* do the academics). Some people get lucky, but some cannot move to the better school district to get what is needed.
If we try to get out-placement to a special school that does work well and we don't have the money for tuition, the public schools fight us because of their own budgetary constraints. I have one friend who really needs an outplacement and she cannot seem to move the powers that be to help her son.
I feel sorry for the many lower middle class people who simply have to accept what the schools offer because they have no money and often because they do not understand how to advocate or what to advocate for.
People are very quick to roll their eyes and groan when educators talk about needing more money. What they don't understand is this is the type of funding being requested. Of all the teachers I know, it's never been about a larger paycheck. We want all students to receive the services they need, whether that's aides, smaller class sizes, counseling or more security. I think when people hear teachers complaining about having SPED students in their mainstream classroom, the automatic thought is that teachers don't want the extra work. The reality is, the mainstream teacher knows they don't have the resources to meet the special needs.
You're absolutely right that the powers that be won't help. I know a parent who sued the district to place her mentally ill daughter in a residential facility out of state. She won, but what it cost the district to pay for that one student, would have paid a beginning teacher's salary for each year the daughter was in placement. That means one child's placement impacted 200 other students who had to be jammed into already overcrowded classrooms. Until funding is available to support special placements, administrators are going to fight them with everything they have. I don't agree with it, but that's the reality schools are faced with.
People are very quick to roll their eyes and groan when educators talk about needing more money. What they don't understand is this is the type of funding being requested. Of all the teachers I know, it's never been about a larger paycheck. We want all students to receive the services they need, whether that's aides, smaller class sizes, counseling or more security. I think when people hear teachers complaining about having SPED students in their mainstream classroom, the automatic thought is that teachers don't want the extra work. The reality is, the mainstream teacher knows they don't have the resources to meet the special needs.
You're absolutely right that the powers that be won't help. I know a parent who sued the district to place her mentally ill daughter in a residential facility out of state. She won, but what it cost the district to pay for that one student, would have paid a beginning teacher's salary for each year the daughter was in placement. That means one child's placement impacted 200 other students who had to be jammed into already overcrowded classrooms. Until funding is available to support special placements, administrators are going to fight them with everything they have. I don't agree with it, but that's the reality schools are faced with.
Honestly, as a person working in one of those highly specialized placements, in all my years there, I have had exactly two school districts, total, in the case of only two students, ever fight the parents regarding special placement. With kids with that severe of need, they know they can't even begin to make a case for withholding access to an appropriate placement, and it's well-documented that they don't possess the appropriate supports to meet the needs of the students in question.
Honestly, as a person working in one of those highly specialized placements, in all my years there, I have had exactly two school districts, total, in the case of only two students, ever fight the parents regarding special placement. With kids with that severe of need, they know they can't even begin to make a case for withholding access to an appropriate placement, and it's well-documented that they don't possess the appropriate supports to meet the needs of the students in question.
I'm curious, do you know the per-pupil cost at your school? If so, can you give the ballpark figure?
Even though it may be a huge financial sacrifice, what about finding a small, nurturing private school (ideally, one for kids with mild communication differences)? He would then develop social skills and make friends. It would also challenge him to overcome feeling embarassed or anxious about the tics, and increase his comfort level and prepare him for being in more formal environments such as college or work. HS may inadvertently encourage him to view himself as disabled, or fear formal group interactions. What do you think? Are the tics frequently loud/disruptive to others, or are they just bothersome for him?
Poor guy. My good friend's son has Tourette Syndrome and it has been difficult for him socially and with one particular teacher. He's a great kid, very smart and engaging.
Last edited by west seattle gal; 09-05-2013 at 02:00 AM..
Honestly, as a person working in one of those highly specialized placements, in all my years there, I have had exactly two school districts, total, in the case of only two students, ever fight the parents regarding special placement. With kids with that severe of need, they know they can't even begin to make a case for withholding access to an appropriate placement, and it's well-documented that they don't possess the appropriate supports to meet the needs of the students in question.
I'm glad to hear this. My former district in So Cal really seemed twisted when it came to SPED. I remember one meeting with the director of SPED, where she said, "Let's face it, dyslexia is just a fancy term for not being able to read." With leadership like that, I guess nobody should be surprised by the mess of special ed programs districtwide.
I'm curious, do you know the per-pupil cost at your school? If so, can you give the ballpark figure?
I know some of the cost, but I don't know what a given district pays for a referral, and I have had very few, if any privately paying entities...I do know that it is quite costly, mainly because it is 100% individualized with a one-to-one ratio...that's a lot of employees, and because of the cost of insurance, given the highly aggressive and medically fragile population. The cost is high, so it's not something districts take lightly, but the students they refer are also ones that they have learned through trial and error that they are not equipped to appropriately serve without that specialized degree of support. If most schools could replicate our methods, we would not need to exist, but it isn't really possible to do in a traditional school setting, due to the high level of individualization needed. Again, these typically aren't students where an IEP team, admin team, or school board is likely to convene and say, "You know, I really don't think a specialized placement is necessary." These aren't students where it's a borderline issue, for the most part. I have had the odd student where it's questionable as to why they've been referred, and their tenure is usually short, and focused on a specific behavioral issue that is quickly dealt with to the point where transition back is speedy. Transition back to the least restrictive environment where success may be achieved is always the goal...our intent is intervention and stabilization, not to be a permanent placement. Some will attend longer than others. For some, that highly specialized environment may well BE the least restrictive environment possible.
For children who have behavior problems, a good structured SPED program can mean the difference between sucess, and going to the ulitimate restrictive environment, prison. I worked for many years at the State Prison, working wth SPED students who were there, and felt if there had been appropriate intervention, those kids could have been on a better path. And SPED programs are much less expensive, than prison. Too bad no one looks at it that way.
Totally true. The priority is that kids who go through my program gain the skills necessary to contribute to a functional society.
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