Greetings everyone,
Having been employed as an educator for more than 25 years, it is overwhelming to see how far education has come and how far we still have to go to see all students with abilities that will afford them the opportunities to be productive citizens once they graduate from high school.
Can we all recall long ago that students were not placed in separte learning places for instructions unless you were severely impaired at which time, you were in a location not attached to the main building. But for the most part, all students learned in the same classroom with the same books and one teacher.
Then came the time when students who had trouble learning were then removed to another location (special education) to gain instruction that was more suited for their level of functioning. But with this separte placement came separate instruction,resources, and expectations. Then it was noticed that these students were not progressing past the third or fourth grade in skills and many were graduating from high school with less skills to handle job placement.
Therefore to remediate this problem, Pres. Bush signed into law, No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Well what this NCLB has created was yet another problems to now expect that students who for most of their educational experience have been in seclusion with separate expections and curriculums to perform as their peers or be subject to failure. And this makes what kind of sense? This does not improve the educational experience of these students let alone increase the chances that they will graduate with their enrolled grade level peer group. Now schools are overrun with over aged students and teachers are faced with students who not only have learning problems but are now having problems with behavior. Therefore, who is learning? Who is benefiting from such a ruling? How can a student who is more than three years behind their enrolled grade level peers catch up and pass a grade level state exam? What kinds of programs are most beneficial to close such a gap in achievment and who pays the cost?
I am so confused!
Ivyspecial (Janis)
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5 comments:
Janis,
It is amazing that your particular blog is very similar to that of Alphefia’s. She too blogged about special education and the difficulties it poses for teachers and students. As I said to her, I agree. Everyone struggles with the new laws in regards to special education. You mentioned including them by law but not allowing them the chance to progress enough to catch up to their peers. I completely agree. If a child is forced in a classroom due to his/her age but the class is two years above his/her learning abilities, his/her frustration level runs through the roof. The child does not learn, but merely struggles to keep his/her head above water. The school is following the law but at the expense of our children. Schools are now so afraid to go against what is written, they will place children’s needs on the back burner. Do they have a choice? No, not really, because the money carrot is held over their heads.
In addition to the problems inclusion poses for children as a whole, schools are then further penalized when they fail to meet annual yearly progress. Schools are finding it very difficult to meet their AYP under NCLB, because the special education students are not measuring up on the state tests. The reason is simple. The students were “included” in the general education class. They were not given the proper setting to learn, advance, and close their learning disability gap, because they were too busy being “included”, struggling, and completing work that does not benefit them. State testing time arrives, and the students have made no progress thus far. The school then suffers because the students suffered all year. It is a lose/lose situation for everyone. Schools then are placed in the “in need” category. It is a vicious cycle hurting everyone. I cannot wait to see how long NCLB will last under the new president. My fingers are crossed the ideas of Bush will leave in his suitcase in January.
Very interesting blog!!
Jenn
Janis,
I agree that teachers are overworked, underpaid, underappreciated, and overstressed. This cannot help but lead to teacher burnout and teachers leaving the field. But when we think about it, teaching has never been a well paid job or even a highly prized job in light of social standing (Oh so you're a doctor---engineer---teacher?)It's not been the profession that every mother aspires to see their child enter---although it has always been a respected profession. In short, teachers don't teach for the money or prestige.
The very fabric of our society today places great stressors on its workforce---whether juggling home and family, or battling inflation, or facing the loss of jobs to overseas markets---the American worker is expected to produce more for less. In education this is no different--we are called upon everyday to do more with less and take less and make more.
So, yes there will be many who will leave our profession and those who do not have the heart to stay probalbly need to leave. Leaving does not make the individual a bad person it just confirms they are not teacher material. Every job has adversity and leaving one career for another is no guarantee that the grass will be greener.
So, I for one am thankful that there are still indivduals out there who are called to teach and have heeded and will heed the call.
Now--all this heavy stuff being said--I would like to know when I am getting my raise? HA HA!
Donna
Janis,
It is rather insane to keep changing behavior programs on a group of students who by the nature of thier disability are resistant to change!
Implementing behavior plans takes a great deal of practice and experience. Typically the things we ask teachers to do on a Behavior Improvement Plan are not things they normally practice, so they need time to learn the art of implementing the new strategy----such as active listening, replacing commands with alternatives, and tracking the anecedents of a behavior. In short it takes a lot of time to learn the art of handling challenging students.
On the students part, expectations need to be consistent and conesquences need to be fair and consistent as well. Every different program has its own format and guidelines. Students who have trouble following the basic rules surely cannot be expected to keep changing with every new program.
When it comes to behavior, teachers have to pick their battles (you can't change everything) and districts have to pick a good program and stick with it in order to give both the teachers and the students the opportunity to grow and change.
Donna
Giving Thanks 2008
We can give thanks for many things this year. The election of the African- American president is a significant step toward the elemination of racism in our country. The peaceful transition of power, even in parlous times, is an enduring symbol of the strength of the American political sphere.
Still, is it possible to give thanks in such frightening times? With each passing day economists deploy ever more alarming adjectives to describe the world economic crisis. Here in the United States, we are fighting two wars, expensive in both lives and dollars, are crippled with a colossal debt and are beginning to see employee layoffs and drastic cutbacks in consumer spending. Can we be grateful in the face of so many woes? International pressure has led to a power-sharing deal between the two leaders of the new unity government, signed in mid-September.
Janis,
I truly believe that everyone has something that they need to improve. So, educators who do not understand this should change professions. Many years ago when I decided to become a professional educator (since we all have been teaching since our younger years like 7 or so)I knew it was not going to be easy. Things in education has changed drastically. Remember, children did not have labels, but they had challenges. We all pitched in and helped. Now the world has decided to mandate what should happen with our profession.
If our children were capable of maintaining the everyday routine, then they would not have to have an IEP, which gives accommodations. When is America going to allow the proessional give the solution to the education dilemina? Just think we are pushing children to do something that they may not be capable of doing.
Mildred Calhoun
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