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Message: 21
   Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 14:32:29 -0600
   From: Mimi Moorehead <groundhoggirl@...>
Subject: Re: re:.......more of an unschooling approach


On Thursday, December 27, 2001, at 12:38 PM, nanandter@... wrote:

>
>
>> Public schools "say" they accommodate ADD children, but let me tell you
> it is impossible for them to do so. 
>
> The last year that my son was in public school they put off his 504
> Accomodation Plan meeting until January. (it should have taken place no
> later
> than October). At the meeting I asked the teacher why she had not made
> the
> accomodations that were outlined in the plan ( I had asked her on an
> almost
> daily basis up to this point), she replied that she didn't have a copy
> of the
> plan. That's when the special ed director realized that this teacher
> was  a
> complete idiot, as I had been telling her. (she could've gotten a copy
> from
> me or the special ed director, but never asked) Anything the teacher
> said
> after that point in the meeting was looked upon with suspision and I
> caught
> her in an out-and-out lie  and called her on it. (she responded by
> stating
> that she "didn't remember saying that").

>I don't want to sound like I'm defending the teacher here, I'm sure if
>you felt she lied, then she probably did.  But, my question is, HOW COME
>THE SPECIAL ED ADMINISTRATORS DIDN'T MAKE SURE SHE WAS GIVEN A >COPY OF
>THE MODIFICATIONS TO KEEP IN HER FILES IN HER CLASSROOM?  I feel that
>should be part of that administrators job - to make sure all the
>teachers have their mods in their classrooms. 

The first day of school I informed the teacher that Andrew has Asperger
Syndrome and he had a 504 Accomodation plan-she said that she saw that in his
file, and she never asked for a copy so I assumed that she had one.

 

  >  I didn't feel it was right that it be eaten up by continuous
>trips to the Special Ed office, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ADMINISTRATORS >THERE
>HAVE SEVERAL SECRETARIES AND STUDENT HELPERS WHO COULD >EASILY
>HAND-DELIVER THESE VERY IMPORTANT MODIFICATIONS TO THE VERY >BUSY
>TEACHERS.

I can understand the frustration,but in our case, the teacher never even made
any attempt to get his file, and you are right about the admin staff--the
principal didn't give a rat's butt about my son's situation.


>The administrators should remember that the teachers are very busy
>serving their many students.  They should be the ones who put those mods
>in the teacher's box or deliver them to the classroom.  The teachers are
>under much more stress and are much busier than those administrators.

In this case the principal wouldn't give me the time of day. After many (15+)
attempts to get a new 504 meeting, and no one returning my calls, I finally
left a note for the principal saying that Andrew wasn't going to school until
she saw me. It took her 9 school days to call me- then they marked him as
truant for those days because I failed to date the note and had no proof of
when I left it.


>Also, was this a new teacher?  Was she new to the school?  Did she know
>how the system worked?  I remember my first year at my last high
>school.  I was totally on my own.  I didn't know who anyone was, where
>anything was, or what the policies and systems were.  All the other
>teachers are so incredibly busy, they don't have time to teach and/or
>direct you.  I didn't have a mentor teacher to help me because I was not
>a first-year teacher.  It took me almost an entire school-year before I
>felt comfortable with how things worked there.

Yes, she was a new teacher but I was there every day, trying to talk to her
and get help for whatever she needed. She resisted all my efforts and also I
stopped volunteering because she complained evey time I was there about what
I was doing and how much time I spent with my son. She made excuses for not
communicating with me and not meeting the accomodations that I asked for.


>IMO, in your son's case, the administrators should have taken some of
>the blame for not having the accommodations or modifications put into
>the hands of the teacher.  There is the possibility the teacher was
>totally overwhelmed and the administrators should have realized that.

I agree--everyone dropped the ball--but there's more to this story...
I work in a major grocery chain in our community and on 3 different occasions
I had kids from his classrom some in the store and tell me that "Mrs. Brennan
was being mean to Andrew"--lots of verbal abuse--screaming at him and
slamming her hand down on his desk. Of course when I questiond her she always
denied it, and Andrew never told me because he was too afraid. I know that he
was not a behavior problem--he just required too much of her time ......

Nancy S


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Mimi Moorehead

On Friday, December 28, 2001, at 12:36 PM, nanandter@... wrote:

> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> I can understand the frustration,but in our case, the teacher never
> even made
> any attempt to get his file, and you are right about the admin
> staff--the
> principal didn't give a rat's butt about my son's situation.
> ==================
While I was working at the schools, it was always my impression that the
majority of the administrators and teachers cared more about the
security of their jobs and their own comfort levels than they did the
kids.
> =======================
>
> In this case the principal wouldn't give me the time of day. After many
> (15+)
> attempts to get a new 504 meeting, and no one returning my calls, I
> finally
> left a note for the principal saying that Andrew wasn't going to school
> until
> she saw me. It took her 9 school days to call me- then they marked him
> as
> truant for those days because I failed to date the note and had no
> proof of
> when I left it.
> ====================
Yep. That sounds pretty typical.
>> =======================
>
> Yes, she was a new teacher but I was there every day, trying to talk to
> her
> and get help for whatever she needed. She resisted all my efforts and
> also I
> stopped volunteering because she complained evey time I was there about
> what
> I was doing and how much time I spent with my son. She made excuses for
> not
> communicating with me and not meeting the accomodations that I asked
> for.
> ====================
That would make me really angry. She obviously didn't care for her
students. I hope you complained to the principal about her. It's
unfortunate that so many (most) teachers don't want anyone around in
their classroom - not even other teachers. It's like they're trying to
hide something.

I always welcomed and encouraged parents to visit the classroom. I
found it helped with classroom management. The kids always seemed to
behave a little better and were more respectful toward me and each other
when there was someone else in the classroom. I always wanted to share
with them what was going on in my classroom.
> ==========================
> I agree--everyone dropped the ball--but there's more to this story...
> I work in a major grocery chain in our community and on 3 different
> occasions
> I had kids from his classrom some in the store and tell me that "Mrs.
> Brennan
> was being mean to Andrew"--lots of verbal abuse--screaming at him and
> slamming her hand down on his desk. Of course when I questiond her she
> always
> denied it, and Andrew never told me because he was too afraid. I know
> that he
> was not a behavior problem--he just required too much of her time ......
>
> Nancy S
=========================
> You did the right thing to pull him out. She sounds like a b_____ and
> was responsible for a very unhealthy classroom environment. Actually,
> I think schools, as a whole, are very unhealthy. They have a culture
> all their own that does not resemble real life. Schools are not good
> places for children to be. Everyone is under such tremendous stress
> that too many times they behave in ways that they would never exhibit
> in the real world. I hate to admit it, but I am guilty of it myself.
> But, it didn't happen too often, and I was aware that the stress and
> nature of the environment in the school affected my behavior in a
> negative way. I think perhaps too many teachers don't realize this and
> don't check themselves. I have a hard time believing that some of the
> behaviors I have seen out of teachers in the schools is the same
> behavior they exhibit elsewhere. I believe the same is true for many
> children. It has a lot to do with all the stress present in that
> environment. A school is the last place I would ever want my children
> to be in. These are just my opinions.

Mimi
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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Mimi
Mama of Leroy & Paul, born 01/10/94


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