Some teachers just don't get it!

[mom2boys]

And I do mean some - not all. Seems every year I have to deal with ONE of the clueless ones. My son has dsylexia. He & 4 or 5 other students from his lanuage arts class spend 40 minutes per day in a special alpha-phonics based class. They all go together and cannot be held accountable for work presented while they are in the other class. THis is a district-wide mandate. The LA teacher is advised to work on the spelling, handwriting & independent work with the other students at that time. The alpha-phonics teacher does this with her students. Well, my 5th grader's LA teacher complained to the principal that MY son is missing too much of her LA class. So now we all have to have a meeting on Friday morning. The more I think about this the hotter I get. I have already contacted the district office to clarify the classrooms teachers role/responsibility for these students. I had it straight. The district is holding seminars for classroom teachers of these students. However, this is a seasoned teacher and I am certain she has had this training and these types of students before. So what gives? Why do I have to defend my son's schedule to her? And why hasn't the principal set her straight??????????? BTW this will be my 1st conversation with this teacher - she never said a word to me about this.

 

[Bojangles]

Assuming he has an IEP, the language arts teacher should have no say in the matter.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Well thanks to NO Child Left Behind, the definition of Special Needs means nothing!!! Teachers are held accountable beyond what is reasonable. Administrators begin to point fingers if test scores are not as high as they want DISPITE the fact that by its very definition, kids with special needs may need a varitey of accomodations or modifications AND may not be able to reach an an advanced or even a proficient level. NCLB wants it all. Well by definition, an IEP(INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN) means that that child's education is specialized. I know a student in grade 4 and he is still trying to learn sound/symbol relationship for the alphabet!!! Yet, he is expected to take statewide testing and score proficient. If a school does not make gains from the previous year (does not matter if all the students pass high stakes testing)they are considered failing. So for example, if all the students in a school scored proficient and the next year they did not move to advanced, then that would be a failing school.

The impact on Sped is even worse. When a child is limited and requires more than just modifications and accomodations to access curriculum and still they expect him to be proficient the task becomes impossible. I am betting the teacher is under the gun and not from you but from administration as well as Federal Government.

People need to know that an IEP means just that the child has his own personal goal but that is NOT the way it works anymore.
IF a child did not need services.... he would NOT have an IEP. understand why the teacher is upset he is missing her class but I Do not however blame her(she is responsible for teaching him as well as the Sped teacher)blame the president for setting unreachable goals that are totally unrealistic.

 

[GoofItUp]

Bella - I'm not sure I'm ready to make the OP's issues a presidential debate. There seem to be plenty of threads for that.

mom2boys - I can understand why you're frustrated. You want your son to have every opportunity to learn and excel at a pace that's good for him. Did I read your post right, though, that he's missing 40 minutes of LA class? I thought classes were only about 50 minutes total. Am I wrong? I can understand how it would be difficult to fill most of the class with handwriting/spelling/independent work when there is so much to move through in a class period. I can imagine it would be a hard job to balance the learning needs of those who excel and need more challenges with those who need special attention. Maybe you can explain how the schedule works more so that I can understand?

I hope it all works out for you!

 

[peachgirl]

Bella - I'm not sure I'm ready to make the OP's issues a presidential debate. There seem to be plenty of threads for that.

It's helpful though to know what the teacher's motivation is. Bella happens to be absolutely right. The NCLB requirements are the cause of a lot of these problems. The President pushed it through and that's a simple fact.

 

[ripleysmom]

Perhaps the alpha-phonics teacher can push into the LA teacher's class. That way the children are not missing the any class time. Plus the alpha-phonics teacher will have a better idea of the LA teacher's strategies and can supplement the children's learning.

 

[snarfer1]

Originally posted by Bella the Ball 360
Well thanks to NO Child Left Behind, the definition of Special Needs means nothing!!! Teachers are held accountable beyond what is reasonable. Administrators begin to point fingers if test scores are not as high as they want DISPITE the fact that by its very definition, kids with special needs may need a varitey of accomodations or modifications AND may not be able to reach an an advanced or even a proficient level. NCLB wants it all. Well by definition, an IEP(INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN) means that that child's education is specialized. I know a student in grade 4 and he is still trying to learn sound/symbol relationship for the alphabet!!! Yet, he is expected to take statewide testing and score proficient. If a school does not make gains from the previous year (does not matter if all the students pass high stakes testing)they are considered failing. So for example, if all the students in a school scored proficient and the next year they did not move to advanced, then that would be a failing school.

The impact on Sped is even worse. When a child is limited and requires more than just modifications and accomodations to access curriculum and still they expect him to be proficient the task becomes impossible. I am betting the teacher is under the gun and not from you but from administration as well as Federal Government.

People need to know that an IEP means just that the child has his own personal goal but that is NOT the way it works anymore.
IF a child did not need services.... he would NOT have an IEP. understand why the teacher is upset he is missing her class but I Do not however blame her(she is responsible for teaching him as well as the Sped teacher)blame the president for setting unreachable goals that are totally unrealistic.

Unfair. The sponsor of the No Child Left Behind Act was and is Ted Kennedy. Don't blame the President, he can sign or veto bills, but not create or introduce them!

Before the NCLBA, the OP clearly had a case, once a child-study team had made their findings. I honestly do not know how the NCLBA will affect her and her son's rights.

Please post and let us know the outcome, and sadly be prepared to fight the good fight!

Tony

 

[jmmom80]

Originally posted by peachgirl
It's helpful though to know what the teacher's motivation is. Bella happens to be absolutely right. The NCLB requirements are the cause of a lot of these problems. The President pushed it through and that's a simple fact.

pushed through? 381-41 in the house, 87-10 in the senate.

 

[Pinnie]

Bella nailed it. NCLB standards are what is causing the rift. The OPs child will be expected to perform at grade level on standardized testing and he could be missing an important component in the LA teacher's class. That teacher, along with her school, will be held accountable if he doesn't pass under NCLB. She has every right to expect him to BE in class.

NCLB looks good in theory, but it is going to be a nighmare in practice.

pinnie

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I understand completely. I did the IEP, teacher doesn't understand route for years. Hang in there.

And even with NCLB, if he is dyslexic and doesn't understand the class......sitting in that seat for 40 minutes will not get him any closer to passing the test than his pull-out phonics instruction.

 

[gr8tpanther]

I have an 11 year old with an IEP and she is technically a 6th grader, but is in a LIfe Skills class. She had to take a state mandated test last year, she can't even read anything more than 3 letters long, but they STILL wanted HER to take that test. Um.. who is the idiot with the theory that a child who has LEARNING ISSUES has to take a test that normal kids struggle with?

I think that the education department of the US is getting way to strict. My DD who is in regular school and does ok has more homework than my brother did in COLLEGE? What is up with that?

 

[Bojangles]

Originally posted by gr8tpanther
She had to take a state mandated test last year, she can't even read anything more than 3 letters long, but they STILL wanted HER to take that test.

Picture this...a 4th grader moved here from Mexico. He has never been to school and doesn't speak a word of English, nor do his parents. He is totally illiterate (as are his parents) in English as well as their native language. Next year this child is required to pass not only the regular standardized test but the 4th grade writing test as well. Sped aren't the only students being left behind.

Good luck to the OP. I hope things work out for your child.