June 9, 2008 4:26 PM
Alex Barton and public school inclusion
Shortly after the Alex Barton story broke, I had to interrupt my blogging for a trip to Kansas on assignment for another story. After four hours of sleep, I was tired. But also inspired by the window of opportunity that had opened by Alex's story making national headlines.
Since it's not my habit to write on planes, I had stowed my laptop in my suitcase. But when inspiration strikes, a writer doesn't want to postpone it, so I pulled out a steno pad and spent the next two hours scribbling 1250 words on the situation.
That article - now cut to a respectable op-ed word count of 800 under the guidance of a wonderful editor who gave me perfect directions - appears in tomorrow's Christian Science Monitor. In addition, there is an audio interview in which I appear to be out of breath, which is how I often sound when I'm excited to talk about something, I'm afraid.
Here's a tease to get you there:
Including special-needs children in class: Is it worth it?
Alex Barton's story is tragic. But the blessings are real.
By Barbara Curtis from the June 10, 2008 editionWaterford, Va. - Recently, a Florida teacher seeking relief from a challenging special-needs student named Alex Barton did the unthinkable: She stood him before his kindergarten peers and encouraged them to say what they didn't like about his behavior. Then she asked the students if they wanted him back in class after his reportedly disruptive actions earlier that day. By a vote of 14 to 2, they booted him.
Alex's mom was understandably outraged; she plans to sue. The resulting media sound and fury has brought to light the quiet revolution in public schools across America: the placing of special-needs students into regular classrooms.
Federal law holds that children with disabilities have a right to a "free and appropriate public education." But free for whom? Not for the taxpayers, who must foot the bill for the testing, evaluation, special therapy, and classroom support needed by the differently-abled students, who are increasingly popping up in classrooms.
That has parents everywhere asking themselves an uncomfortable yet critical question: Does the practice of inclusion detract from my child's education? Is it really worth it?
Read entire article here.
Please keep in mind that with 800 words, I cannot tell the whole story of inclusion - just pique people's interest enough to get them thinking and hopefully shifting just a bit.
But I also want to say that it is a joy to be able to publicly thank Jonny's first public school teacher - and the principal and school as well - who put all reservations aside and did their best to help Jonny reach his potential.
While Alex and his family have had the opposite experience and have suffered, I can only hope that because they shared their experience, a discussion will begin which will mean a brighter future for Alex and many other children as well.
Posted in Alex Barton, Autism, Down syndrome, Inclusion, Loudoun County, Public schools | Permalink
Comments
Barbara,
I wanted to share an award with you called Sharing the Love. It was created by Crystal of Memoirs of a Mommy to honor the donor who gave her son a new heart. You can find more info here:
http://usr-bin-mom.com/index.php?page=entry&id=2240
Posted by: Michelle Potter | June 9, 2008 5:17 PM
I just wanted to drop you a note to tell you how much I appreciate your article on inclusion. My husband and I have two biological daughters and five adopted children. Four of our adopted children have Down syndrome.
When our 11 year old daughter who has Downs started school she was put into a full inclusion situation. To be honest our daughter did not do well at all. We had some major behavioral issues. However, the teachers and aides continued to work with her through the next several school years.
This year she was in 4th grade and had a teacher one of my older daughters had when she was in school. This teacher was one of my reasons for pulling my older girls out of school to home school.
My oldest daughter had some learning difficulties and this teacher had very little tolerance for children who needed extra help. The teacher had been teaching at this same school ever since I was in 5th grade! So, she was not young and inexperienced, just not very tolerant.
When I heard she had this teacher I was horrified. I went to the school and told them I did not think it was going to work. I didn’t feel completely comfortable telling them the whole story though. I talked to the special Ed teacher and we decided to give it a try and see how things go.
The first half of the year was kind of rough. But something started to change. By the end of this year the teacher was in love with her. She said that she never understood how a person could say a child like our daughter could be a blessing.
At first she did not get why we would adopt even one child with Downs and it was totally out of her realm of thinking to adopt four. She said after having our daughter in her class she now understands.
Our daughter is a very popular girl at school and hates weekends and vacations. She wants to be at school 100% of the time! She is reading, writing, spelling, doing math. Loves to sing. Loves to visit every one in the hall way and stops by class rooms to say hello! She is very social. :)
We have 3 more children with Downs who will be going to school in the near future. I am not sure if they will do as well as their older sister has or not, but I hope they do.
Lee Ann
Posted by: Lee Ann | June 9, 2008 8:44 PM
Your voice doesn't sound like I thought it did.
I know it sounds weird, but in my head I had imagined your voice with a different sound; but I like it, it sounds good; although I had a hard time putting the face and the voice together. :-)
Posted by: LadyLovas | June 9, 2008 9:11 PM
I would not be willing to sacrifice my child's emotional well being for it but, one thing that inclusion does is expose regular ed kids to kids with special needs.
When I was growing up the only person with DS I ever met was a girl who stayed at one end of the pool where we used to swim. If you got close to her she would pinch you. She was bigger than I was (at the time) and I was terrified of her.
At least some of the kids Sissy knows will have children with disabilities. It is very likely that at least one of them will have DS child and will be better prepared because they grew up with Sissy.
Posted by: wanderingrose | June 9, 2008 9:59 PM
Great article, Barbara! And I happen to think your voice sounds like you look. :-)
I have been too busy to blog much in May, but wrote a few posts today, or rather finished a few I had started and posted them. Anyway, I linked to your article just now.
Posted by: Kathy | June 9, 2008 10:25 PM
Excellent Article Barbara, thanks for following your inspiration! You bring up the important point that education is not purely academic, and our kids have something very crucial to contribute. Johnny is a star in my book! We are struggling with the same issues of inclusion vs. special ed classes and have not decided but it helps to hear your experience.
Take care,
Ann
Posted by: Ann Robertson | June 10, 2008 9:20 AM
I am a special education teacher in Mississippi. I can relate to the frustration that is felt by general education teachers everywhere. I am confronted on a daily basis with questions from teachers who do not know what to do with children who have disabilities of some nature. My first comment to them is "Love them." In many ways, loving these students is reciprocated in the most unique of ways. Although some of these students are not academically successful in terms of how we view success, they can bring so much to a general education classroom and to the lives of those who have the privilege to call them "fellow classmates". Bravo, Barbara
Posted by: Syble Strait | June 10, 2008 12:18 PM
I read this piece over on Yahoo. Like you I had a disabled child. Her name was Rachael, and she was a very sweet nine year old when she died last year. She managed to get away from one of her teachers in a group and before anyone realized it, she had run out into a busy street and was killed by a truck. It only takes a momentary lapse. My Rachael was autistic. In addition to being entirely nonverbal, she was sweet, affectionate, expressive, pretty, and inquisitive.
One thing she was not,however, was "differently-abled." I write to tell you that I always refused to involve myself in that sort of Orwellian Liberal-speak. It is an obvious manipulation of the language, and I have no respect for it. My daughter had a disability, and she bore it with neither shame nor self consciousness, and we saw nothing shameful in the word nor in her.
R. Katz
Posted by: R. Katz | June 10, 2008 3:49 PM
Oh, R. Katz, I am so sorry for your loss. In your description of Rachael, she sounds so precious. May God comfort you in your bereavement.
Posted by: Kathy | June 10, 2008 4:52 PM
When I read your blog I thought you were my ex's mother writing with different names! She had a downs syndrome son and then adopted 3 other children with downs syndrome. Do you know her? Her last name is Kulp and they live in upstate NY.
Posted by: D | June 11, 2008 7:49 AM
Read your article in the C.S. Monitor. Inclusion can be wonderful. As a former teacher, I had the privilege of having several special needs children over the years, including a Downs' syndrome girl who in a previous school had not been allowed to enter the cafeteria with the other children. You are correct that inclusion helps develop other children's sensitivity to the needs of others.
One small disagreement, however, is that sometimes the behavioral issues are a disruption (not the case with the Downs' syndrome child or others I have had). While I disagree with the awful way the kindergarten teacher handled her disruptive special needs child, I do know that many teachers are frustrated in dealing with emotionally disturbed children who are disruptive on a daily (hourly) basis. This is not fair to the other children and does cut back on their right to have a calm and peaceful schoolday and the teacher's attention to their needs, not just to one high needs child.
Do others have comments on this aspect? How to decide who benefits from mainstreaming or inclusion and who does not.
Posted by: E.Uckele | June 11, 2008 4:49 PM
In response to E. Uckele - I understand what you are trying to say but there are certain ways to handle these issues - if there is a constant disruption, then an IEP needs to be called to determine if a FBA (Functional Behavioral Assessment) should be conducted in order to create a PBIP (Positive Behaioral Intervention Plan) that way the behaviors are addressed and all children benefit.
The case with my oldest son who had severe behavioral issues in his ESE class was just that, to great a behavioral plan just to fit his needs because a group behavioral plan as is usually the case in most classes, they do not function for everyone, especially those with special needs. Once his PBIP was in place he started to improve and once we revisited the PBIP to make some minor changes - he was doing even better! At the end of the year show which everyone thought he was not going to be able to participate in because of his behaviors - he surprised everyone!!! He was one of the best performers there! Not because he was my child but the teachers all said it and he was so proud of himself! He beamed for days!
Posted by: Krystal - momofautism | June 12, 2008 4:10 PM
One of the reasons why my husband and I took our son out of school- is because the school systems are not prepared for the various special needs children that are entitled to go to school.
My son's second grade class was over crowded with 32 students. 20 of the students spoke spanish only, then she had a AD/HD child, 1 autistic child(mine), and then the rest were "normal". Anyway, it was way toooo much for our son. He wasn't getting the education he needed. He had an IQ of 128 in second grade. The horror stories I have about the experience he had in public school would make some of you parents think twice about sending your autistic child to public school.
We have been home schooling our son, and we all enjoy this method of education a whole lot better.
As parents we will no longer subject our child to the negative, and cruelty that can occur in schools just for the sake of inclusion.
Posted by: Sharron | June 14, 2008 10:40 AM
