BusynMember
Well-Known Member
I don't want to give actual details about location because who knows who reads this, but I have learned something interesting about at least one school in the Midwest (and it is in a very rich school district).
There is a Special Education class for kids ages 5-8. The dynamics of the class are everything from autism to "we aren't sure." The teacher has a Masters Degree and makes over $100,000 a year and is a good teacher, but she delegates almost all of her "teaching" to her aides, most who don't even have college degrees. When she does teach, she keeps the kids who are the least behaviorally challenged and have the least trouble learning.
The teacher is always pushing "specials." Specials mean that the disabled child goes into regular classes such as science, math, art etc. She has them go more than they have to and often to classes they can't comprehend and disrupt and tries to have her children for as minimal a time as she can. When they are all at Specials, she gets a break and the aides are trying to teach the kids things that they are unable to grasp. I don't know how much of this is mandatory (it sounds rather silly...sending non-verbal, low IQ kids to do science where they often make loud noise and cry and disrupt the other kids. It gave me a new perspective on "inclusion." The aides often just put down answers for the kids or tell them what to write, if they can write, because the kids have no clue.
The parents don't know anything. The teacher doesn't allow the aids to talk to them. When the parents are coming in, always b appointment (a parent can not just walk in and demand to see what is going on), she cleans up the classroom nicely and gives them warm reports so that she looks good (the aide's view of things). They school district gets money for each disabled child, so they don't want to lose any or admit that the child would be better off in a higher needs classroom.
Do I believe this all? Pretty much. Sonic used to spend half his day in Special Education and, looking back, he talked more about his aide than the teacher. I think she did most of the work, although Sonic was THAT kid that the teacher herself liked and enjoyed working with so I'm guessing he got more teacher time than kids who were less pleasant, less able to work. So...
What do you think of this? Anyone else work as an aide in the classroom? Is it accurate? Do you feel inclusion is the answer for all kids? Would you care if your Special Education child were being taught more by the aide than the teacher? Do you believe schools cover up what they do to please the parents?
The school district quietly goes along with the teacher as if nothing is wrong. Maybe nothing is.
Things that make you go hmmmmmmm...
There is a Special Education class for kids ages 5-8. The dynamics of the class are everything from autism to "we aren't sure." The teacher has a Masters Degree and makes over $100,000 a year and is a good teacher, but she delegates almost all of her "teaching" to her aides, most who don't even have college degrees. When she does teach, she keeps the kids who are the least behaviorally challenged and have the least trouble learning.
The teacher is always pushing "specials." Specials mean that the disabled child goes into regular classes such as science, math, art etc. She has them go more than they have to and often to classes they can't comprehend and disrupt and tries to have her children for as minimal a time as she can. When they are all at Specials, she gets a break and the aides are trying to teach the kids things that they are unable to grasp. I don't know how much of this is mandatory (it sounds rather silly...sending non-verbal, low IQ kids to do science where they often make loud noise and cry and disrupt the other kids. It gave me a new perspective on "inclusion." The aides often just put down answers for the kids or tell them what to write, if they can write, because the kids have no clue.
The parents don't know anything. The teacher doesn't allow the aids to talk to them. When the parents are coming in, always b appointment (a parent can not just walk in and demand to see what is going on), she cleans up the classroom nicely and gives them warm reports so that she looks good (the aide's view of things). They school district gets money for each disabled child, so they don't want to lose any or admit that the child would be better off in a higher needs classroom.
Do I believe this all? Pretty much. Sonic used to spend half his day in Special Education and, looking back, he talked more about his aide than the teacher. I think she did most of the work, although Sonic was THAT kid that the teacher herself liked and enjoyed working with so I'm guessing he got more teacher time than kids who were less pleasant, less able to work. So...
What do you think of this? Anyone else work as an aide in the classroom? Is it accurate? Do you feel inclusion is the answer for all kids? Would you care if your Special Education child were being taught more by the aide than the teacher? Do you believe schools cover up what they do to please the parents?
The school district quietly goes along with the teacher as if nothing is wrong. Maybe nothing is.
Things that make you go hmmmmmmm...