This article is intended for parents who have children in special education. I have worked in the San Diego school district for over 13 years. I am also gifted with children, extremely intuitive, and a person who receives messages; an inner knowing.
Unfortunately, everything in life has revolved around money. First, I don’t think the district is as broke as it says, but more importantly, parents need to be more involved in their children’s education. You are your child’s advocate, so you have every right to make sure your child receives a proper education.
I have worked in all three grade levels; middle school, high school and elementary school. More children need special education, but the district cuts those services. What I have noticed is that the school district focuses more on high school because they want those kids to graduate. Unfortunately, the children who need help the most are in elementary schools, where attendance has been drastically reduced. Most children are not seen to have special needs until they enter primary school. Quite a few tests must be done for them to qualify. In addition to newly enrolled children in need of services, children already in special education are not receiving services due to lack of support. Teachers have 30 students in their classrooms, teach blended classes, and have kids struggling with reading or math without any help. Numerous i.e.P. they are out of compliance.
The public thinks that teachers have it easy and it is far from it. This whole problem stemmed from President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act. This created a mess with every school in the entire United States. He created rules that all schools were required to follow, including a large number of tests. If the children did not do well in their exams, the school lost its funding. Jobs were eliminated. Suddenly, special education is not important. Why is every person an individual and when it comes to schools suddenly children are all the same?
This created a domino effect among all the schools. The problems were hidden and not fixed, so each school didn’t look bad. Their education became teaching them how to take a test instead of learning. Most of the evidence was way above their heads. Some too difficult for me to pass. The joke at school was that President Bush would most likely fail those tests too. The rules were scandalous. Once a new student entered the school on an exam date. She was from another country and she didn’t speak English, but she was asked to take the test. Of course, she failed because she couldn’t read any English or speak the language.
Teachers are not allowed to teach children what they need because they have to follow all the guidelines of at the school district. The children get stressed because the lessons get into their heads in four days and then they are evaluated on the fifth day. They are now teaching first graders about law and algebraic concepts. Children are not cognitively prepared to learn these subjects. High school science is taught in fourth grade.
The school I just left had lost two special education students. assistants and did not replace them because they did not have enough money, however, more and more children entered the school with special needs and did not receive any services.
It’s time to change the way schools do their jobs. Parents should be aware of their children’s educational needs and advocate for them.
