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Just playing the devil's advocate, in my state, there is not a requirement that two adults are present in public school classrooms, including in K-4 classrooms. For the first six years that my school district had K-4 classes (with up to 22 children per class) they only had the classroom teacher. Recently, they started to hire part time teacher's aides to assist the teacher, but that is not a state requirement.
I wanted to mention that because different states have different rules regarding how many adults are needed in certain situations, and it may vary dramatically if it is in a public school classroom setting vs. a day care setting vs. an after-school setting. Please do not erroneously assume that two adults are needed in a K-4 setting (double check before making a formal complaint).
However, If two adults are required, than I agree that if one is blind it does not seem appropriate.
It is not a classroom, it is an after school care program, and yes two adults are required as outlined in the program, and also since the children can never be left alone for any reason.
Is there some kind of state (or local) accrediting organization for after-school programs where you live? I would find out and contact that group first to find out what the legal requirements are before discussing it with the director. But even if what you are describing is within the law, I would be uncomfortable with the situation.
I would definitely feel uncomfortable, as I know my kid and her friends and I know what they can do when realize that nobody can see. I am pro giving work for people no matter what are they health issues, but at the same time I am an overprotective mom and it is not hard for me to imagine situation when one teacher goes to the restroom and the other stays with 25+ kids whom he or she cannot see. Especially with smaller kids, who do not pay much attention while playing.
I would talk to supervisor or somebody responsible for the program and ask about it. Maybe as somebody said, just temporarily or that person is a volunteer. Or maybe there is no possibility that the kids are left alone with only one teacher (one big room with restroom) or hurt themselves (empty room? kids glued to chairs for few hours? just kidding). Anyway, being in your shoes, I would go and ask, it is a matter of my kid's safety so I have all the rights to be anxious.
It is not a classroom, it is an after school care program, and yes two adults are required as outlined in the program, and also since the children can never be left alone for any reason.
So are you going to talk to the director or licensing agency?
To avoid too many identifying details, I'm just going to give you the basics and you tell me what you think.
At an elementary school one of the after school workers is legally blind. There are only two workers with the kids, so this blind person only has one other sighted adult with them. This person is not "thick glasses" type of legally blind, but actually uses a white cane and cannot see if someone is literally standing next to them. That means this person also cannot see if the kids are acting up, fighting, running off, cannot really help with homework other than listening to reading, and cannot identify the people who are picking up the kids (cannot see their faces and cannot verify ID). All of this falls on the only other sighted adult who is there.
This situation makes me very uncomfortable. I'm not even sure if it is legal.
What would you think about your kids being in this kind of after school situation? Would you be ok with it, or would you voice your concerns to the school/people running the program?
Yes, it actually is. What isn't legal is not giving someone a job because of their disability or firing them due to it. So you can complain all you want, but they are not legally going to be able to do anything unless you can prove she isn't fit for the job. Just your opinion that she can't do it isn't enough. Believe it or not people with disabilities are not meant to be locked away to only do menial work.
if a not-sighted person needs employment, then it seems like the school district needs to find them a job that does not compromise safety of children, such as telephone work, or office work with adults, or even in an infant setting where someone can be a walker and a rocker.
Yeah! Stick her in her place! Darn disabled people wanting to be like normal people. Makes me sick that they think they can do the same as everyone else .
I'm sorry but some of you are championing some disgusting ideas. I have a friend who has a disability and this is the type of crap she has to go through all the time.
You don't know that. At all. You would probably see things from the OP's point of view if you had a child.
No, because I don't believe in raising children in padded rooms. Chances are my opinion would not vary with my own mythical children that I likely will never had. I also am fairly sure that the risk is not any greater with one employee being blind. Now if the OP can prove that the blind person is being left in the room all the time alone or is involved with handing off kids to their parents that's a different story. As of now it's all conjecture with no proof behind it. It's still going to be almost impossible to let her go at this point in the game.
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