I'm going to take some heat on this one, but, you know the drill... I don't really care. And, if I did really care, then I certainly wouldn't open myself up in a forum as public as this so that you or anyone else could comment on what I have to say. I'm going to take heat because I want to take aim at teachers and, I am one so therein lies the hypocrisy. Well, somewhat.
I want the bureaucratic nonsense to stop. I want there to be a system in place that not only eliminates the frivolous use of resources; one might argue that as of late, there is no frivolity because there are no funds, but, that is not the case. Do your research. I want that system to also include a "fine toothcomb" evaluation board that is comprised of a variety of educated individuals who have either excelled in their own teaching careers or who are currently excelling in them. I want this board or panel to represent the best of what our profession has to offer and to then take that expertise and devise a rigid, comprehensive evaluation process that leaves nothing to hide and that includes, as members, both teachers and administrators. I want evaluations to be on a regular basis with surprise "visits" to the classroom. I want classes to be offered either free or at a discount, by local Universities, to any educator who needs to stay current in his/her field. A program that encourages continued education, at a discount, with the incentive being that you keep your job and/or garner a promotion/salary increase. I want a system where the teacher, regardless of how many students he/she has, knows who my child is and what he/she is capable of and I want that teacher to admit when he/she is so overwhelmed or incapable of performance that my child ends up basically wasting a year of his/her life. I want a system that encourages homework only as a reinforcer, not as a time waster. Life is not built around the idea that the more you assign, the better a teacher you are. And, while we are at it, let's make "Draw and Label your own Island" an extra credit assignment shall we? There has to be an easier and more effective means of teaching children how to use the Legend on a map...
I sat through another IEP meeting today and I have to say that although it was standard fare, I appreciated the directness of the "specialists" and I found myself taking notes, some of which I might actually refer to in future. What I found and what I find disconcerting about Special Education in the public school is this notion that the plan is individualized to meet the child's needs. But here's the thing, those "needs" revolve around the child doing "well" and, even with the IEP goals in place, the only real yardstick that the district has is the same old totem pole that it has always used and that is, grades. A child is doing "well" if he/she demonstrates competency in the core subject areas. The other areas, such as social/emotional development or areas where "special" needs are addressed are broken down into categories and are then assigned an objective and a tangible "goal" that is supposed to be reached by a future point in time. What does this all mean? It means that the minute that you find out your child might be eligible or in need of special education services, you'd better find yourself a Child Advocate and put a Special Education Lawyer on your Rolodex if not on your Speed Dial because I'll tell you, every single time I walk into one of those meetings, I feel like I am facing a firing squad.
Maybe it isn't the teachers specifically that I'm taking aim at, I mean they are just trying to do their jobs, but it's this lack of understanding and even empathy at times that disturbs me. Yeah they have an inordinate amount of children and students to deal with and yes, there aren't enough hours in the day, but, wake up call, this is what they signed up for. They went into their respective fields because they wanted to make a difference. No one goes into teaching for the money or, especially not now, for the purported job security. People choose to teach because they are called to do it, like nuns or nurses I guess. You have to want to change lives to enter into a profession as demanding as education and if you don't, well, we've both met those who don't: burnouts in the worst sense of the word.
What I found particularly interesting about today's meeting was the presentation. Here are the services that the district provides if your son stays in public school and painted up, they all sound wonderful and many of them are. OT and Speech, sensory integration therapy and peer support. Sounds like a proverbial buffet and there I am thinking, well, maybe it's possible to receive some of these services if we bring our child to the school as part of the new plan, but still let him attend the private school where he is now? Um, how about no way in hell? See, it's about the money, show me the money and we'll meet your child's needs and that's it. Want services? Go to public school or sue the district for not providing FAPE for your kid. Acronyms - the lifeblood of special education. Keep notes, ask questions, get a dictionary and a map because apparently you are going to need to make several trips to various locations to peruse and gather the free resources that are provided by the district. SELPA (office), another important acronym.
Here's the thing, as a parent, how are you supposed to be automatically versed in Special Education; here you are dealing with a diagnosis and the daunting task of formulating a plan outside of school which will involve family, friends, coaches...
All the while, trying to rely on the school "team" to provide you with accurate, up to date, reasonable information, choices and services that your child may or may not receive depending upon said diagnosis. This should not be a situation of sink or swim. One must wade carefully into the waters of Special Education and this means, going slowly, while, sadly, your child continues to grow and try to manage his/her situation while you are trying to manage the information at the same time. Before you know it, 3 years has gone by and your child is being re-tested.
Public Education as a system is illogical. So many things that are done or not done don't make any sense. We know this. Even people who don't have children know this. I am not naive, I'm not ignorant, I'm not an idealist. I'm just a mom who wants her kid to be able to manage school in an environment that works best for him. My taxes pay for good schools in my neighborhood, but those schools cannot meet his needs no matter how many services they offer, regardless of the programs that are available. A system that tries to "manage" learning, education, students is very much like someone who "tolerates" others. If someone treated you as if they tolerated you, would that be sufficient, would that be "fair and appropriate?" To me, it wouldn't and it doesn't.
Teachers should be assessed more efficiently, programs and services offered by the district should be explained prior to parents needing to seek them out. There has to a more stringent means of hiring and firing people who are a part of this profession. When we look at ourselves and we recognize what our weaknesses are, only then can we move forward. There is no room for complacency nor mediocrity in education and the longer we tolerate it, the more damage both cause. Teachers have an overwhelming task and they should be compensated by their performance, their time, their dedication and of course, by results, measurable by some yardstick other than Standardized Test Scores. But there has to be a recognition that there are so many teachers out there who should not be teaching, who have to go. Restructure the system so that these people either live up to higher expectations or they get fired. Why do we protect people in a position to exert a tremendous amount of influence over a segment of the population that is the most vulnerable, the most innocent and who have the chance to make the most difference in the next generation?
If you tell me that I have weaknesses, I work on them, but, really, I already know what they are. I talk to my students, I consider what they say. I talk to my colleagues, I ask for help, I recognize when I am in over my head. Does any of this make me a better teacher? I don't know, but I do know that it keeps me in a Growth mindset rather than in a fixed one. And because of this, I keep trying to improve and to be better and to learn more and if that doesn't sum up what teachers do, I don't know what does. If you have a child in the public school system, start at the beginning. Find out what's available and where you need to go to get it and then GO.
Interestingly, although the "standards" have changed since I was in Kindergarten and in Elementary School, there were 28 kids in my class and I was reading before I left my K class. We even took naps back then. We had reading groups, we worked with kids who were of the same ability level and we moved at our own pace. We had one teacher and no aides in the class. We did homework that made sense and by 4th grade, I was doing 5th grade work and the more I did, the more the teacher gave me to do. There was no, "Please don't read ahead so that class can stay together." That is one of the most ridiculous statements I've ever heard come out of a teacher's mouth.
There are no real solutions here because the "problems" are like tentacles, reaching far and deep into every aspect of education. I know that. I just would like more parents to know, going into a school, that they have the right to question everything and everyone and that they don't have to take it just because a "teacher" told them that's how it is. That teacher most likely has a degree and a teaching credential. How did he/she become a sudden expert on psychological testing and emotionally disturbed children and working with autism and the social benefits of similar task grouping and... the list is endless. A teacher might do the same thing two years in a row, curriculum wise as mandated by the State of course, but I would hope, I would wish, I would pray that the teacher would adjust how he/she presents the material according to the students that he/she has THAT year. Clearly, what works for one class, doesn't work for another, even if that means, just two kids in the class.
A student told me the other night, Hey Ms. Hawley, you never stick to the syllabus, you always change everything and I agreed. I despise the syllabus. It's like a monkey on my back. It helps the students, but only if I stick to it and clearly, therein lies the problem. So I ask her, why are you taking me for the third time. She laughed and said, "Because you're a fantastic teacher." One does not have to give way for the other; I know plenty of fantastic teachers who follow the syllabus. Organization is not my strong suit; it never has been. I recognize that and I work on it. Slowly...
At the end of the day, Nick stays where he is, in a private school where the environment is slower paced, kinder if you will and less intrusive. I forfeited his services by signing them away yesterday and although I was worried about the implications of doing this, I feel, deep down, that it was the right decision at this time. A year from now, it might be different. If it is, then we'll address it then.
Ty said to his Preppie K teacher, "Hey, there's too much people in this class." She laughed and said, "Yes Ty, there are too many people in this class." She laughed and I smiled yet there was a moment when we both realized the truth in that statement and that it reflected something much deeper than either of us was willing or able to address. Hey, if the 5 year old feels it, what is there to do?
Educate yourself parents, go back to school, get resources and be prepared, because it's only going to get more difficult as the belt tightens and the expectations grow. Oh, and please, read to your children... just had to throw that in there.
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