tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post4160574021989731320..comments2024-03-26T17:55:50.539-04:00Comments on Cranky old man: SPECIAL EDUCATIONjoehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08520161706680568508noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-4124967096927047312012-07-05T23:17:21.262-04:002012-07-05T23:17:21.262-04:00I've only been in this parenting gig for 2 and...I've only been in this parenting gig for 2 and a half years now but I've learned very quickly to stick to your instincts. So many time in the early days, I would cave in to the opinions of the "experts". Screw that. They got it wrong, time and time again.<br />Good for you for sticking to your guns.Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903213874848295999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-60290579050398472102012-07-05T18:03:20.413-04:002012-07-05T18:03:20.413-04:00What a great post! I think we need to be aware of ...What a great post! I think we need to be aware of our children and not label them. You son is so lucky to have the parents he does. RachelRedcliffe Stylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00781939430745328713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-47098023297505884442012-07-03T16:53:37.336-04:002012-07-03T16:53:37.336-04:00One of the worst things about our public education...One of the worst things about our public educational system is the total disregard given differing lengths of "getting up to speed" for different children. If you don't fit in a box the way they wish, they will try to put you in another box, then another, then another, until they run out of boxes. Some kids just learn differently, or at different speeds, or need some individual attention. Labeling a kid as "special", when (as you rightly point out) it means "dull" or "stupid", is sometimes just an easy out for the teacher who can't teach.<br /><br />Now, that's not to say every kid who is put into a "special" class has been given the wrong diagnosis. Some kids benefit. But I shudder to think of the kids, like yours, who might end up there even though there is no good reason for it.<br /><br />God bless you for standing your ground. You were a great dad.Suldoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07778845367184916684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-6292326442062855802012-07-02T18:09:31.720-04:002012-07-02T18:09:31.720-04:00Sometimes, people get way too excited about what t...Sometimes, people get way too excited about what they think SHOULD be.<br /><br />As they say, when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail.<br /><br />PearlPearlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05261369905176088917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-64140253789538392372012-07-02T17:22:03.932-04:002012-07-02T17:22:03.932-04:00This is a post about a teacher high on her authori...This is a post about a teacher high on her authority.... not about special ed.<br />oxoxHannahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08819262159652755479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-52559974898353918572012-07-02T17:19:12.509-04:002012-07-02T17:19:12.509-04:00Amazing how one can justify their existence with t...Amazing how one can justify their existence with the support of "scientifically obtained fact(s)".<br /><br />I worked in Special Ed - with adult workers - who had literacy and numeracy problems derived from failing to finish grade school and going straight into a 'hard yakka' labour workforce where the ability to physically endure and complete physically exhausting tasks was an attribute (to a point where they 'toughened up' and assumed an ethos that hard work and not 'smarts' was what the working world demanded.)<br /><br />Then the modern workforce of rules, regulations, knowledge-based tasks and competency-based learning caught up with them and they needed 'specialists' like myself to get them through their skills assessments (written and practical) to gain accreditation.<br /><br />Maybe school-based 'special education' grew out of a sense of mass educational failure and a need to redeem itself - "Let no child pass who cannot understand E=MC2!"JohnDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00608216150220329902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-47164671309557544562012-07-02T15:34:38.340-04:002012-07-02T15:34:38.340-04:00I think Lowandslow nailed it. With 12 spec ed teac...I think Lowandslow nailed it. With 12 spec ed teachers on staff, it sounds to me like they were trying to justify and maintain their budget. Good for you for not allowing your child to become one of their statistics. They sound more like business execs than educators.Hilaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12787493532006658679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-91629884601532693262012-07-02T12:07:06.078-04:002012-07-02T12:07:06.078-04:00Good job, dad. Standing your ground and defending...Good job, dad. Standing your ground and defending yourself to a "professional" in any area can be daunting, especially when your only credentials are common sense.Joanne Noragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09834682329952369721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-77504941260802556872012-07-02T11:58:52.799-04:002012-07-02T11:58:52.799-04:00A very interesting post, Cranky, and one that touc...A very interesting post, Cranky, and one that touches me personally. I was one of those kids that almost ended up in "special class." I was rather slow when it came to math and then I had problems when the schools converted to "New Math" in the sixties. My parents refused to let them place me in special class and I went on to become a college graduate and the superior human being communicating with you now. So yes, you were definitely right!stephen Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659054447637207734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-86950708071310126162012-07-02T11:50:06.941-04:002012-07-02T11:50:06.941-04:00JH,
Hard to believe this episode happened that lon...JH,<br />Hard to believe this episode happened that long ago. I recall these discussions vividly - and they were replayed when our youngest had issues in second grade. You were right for standing your ground - but many here looked at you as a first cousin to Ted Kuzinsky based on your behavior. Glad to read about Spencer's successes this last year in a new school. Know you are proud of him and all he continues to accomplish. Thanks for sharing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-39384478519057722952012-07-02T10:32:17.249-04:002012-07-02T10:32:17.249-04:00Twelve special needs teachers for a school that go...Twelve special needs teachers for a school that goes up to 4th grade! That is ridiculous... I agree that it is probably all to do with funding. <br /><br />There is definitely a need for this kind of help -- two of my sons needed help with speech therapy and one was dyslexic. He benefited greatly from the help he received. Why oh why do things which are initially a good thing so often end up getting grossly bent out of shape?The Broadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04976467218216864644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-88297210461368891652012-07-02T10:22:29.106-04:002012-07-02T10:22:29.106-04:00Several things come to mind: First, I have heard ...Several things come to mind: First, I have heard it said and I personally believe that college Schools of Education are not turning out properly prepared teachers. I've heard this from many veteran teachers commenting on how poorly prepared the new ones are. I suspect the same goes for counselors.<br /><br />Second, I suspect the state sends more money* to the school districts based partly on how many kids are enrolled in special ed. Never rule out the monetary incentive districts have. <br />*That's how school funding works in Texas at least.<br /><br />Third, a brief story: When my oldest daughter was in middle school, making A's in advanced English, the counselor called me in to tell me they had decided to put her back into what I call "remedial English" the next year. They said her standardized test scores showed she wasn't naturally talented enough to be taking the advanced class that she was in, and that her A's were only the result of hard work. Ummm....what's wrong with hard work?? Anyway, she finally agreed to re-test her if I would get her summer tutorials. I did, and they taught her mainly "test taking skills". It worked, she aced the re-test, went on to be an honors high school grad and now has a masters in accounting degree.<br /><br />Sometimes those with the most initials after their name know the least.<br /><br />SLowandslowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08608734222483888884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-968059214758329257.post-32414372924254237402012-07-02T10:21:34.387-04:002012-07-02T10:21:34.387-04:00Wonderful post Cranky, and good on you. As someone...Wonderful post Cranky, and good on you. As someone who works in childcare, i get so upset at the ease with which some people want to label a child as having a disability or a special need. I remember one little boy in the nursery where I worked who was so bright that he really stood out from the other children. I loved to work with him. At age 2 his speech was wonderfully clear, and he used what I call math logic in everything he did. He reminded me very much of my youngest with the math logic, because he was exactly the same as a toddler. However the powers that be at the nursery kept throwing around the words autistic and aspergers, and I found the whole thing quite upsetting. One day on the quiet, I had a word with Mum and asked her what she thought. She said that she was worried that there was something wrong. I asked her if she had ever considered that her son was just exceptionally bright and needed more stimulation. She hesitated and said what do you think Lou? you spend the most time with him here at nursery. I told her I thought that her son was exceptionally bright and needed more stimulation...She told the nursery owner that she didn't want her son tested and labelled at age 2. She was going to leave him be and see what happened.....<br /><br />More parents need to be like you and the Mum from nursery.....Special Educational Needs is a nasty little label that can often cause more harm than good...<br /><br />Lou :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com