Never mind Haverford’s practice of enrolling fractional students.
But in this story, grandparents of students with learning exceptionalities left the impression that at the present time, Haverford fifth grade teachers do not have classroom aides to assist with their children’s special needs.
By the end of the day, online readers were asking why children with special learning needs are not placed in separate special education classrooms. Yet, no one asked why special education aides were not assigned to the fifth grade classrooms when students needed extra help.
To answer the first question, Federal law requires that children with exceptionalities be mainstreamed, to the extent that a child benefits from the broader inclusive classroom. The acronym for this requirement is FAPE: free and appropriate public education in a “least restrictive environment.”
FAPE takes some getting used to. Having cut my teachers teeth in two schools that mainstreamed all but the most behaviorally challenged children with autism, I can say that everyone benefits from inclusion – when it is implemented responsibly.
But, therein lies the rub. When children with special learning needs or emotional disturbances are mainstreamed, teachers need to have properly trained support staff right in the classroom or strategically available to provide coaching and tutoring as needed.
Too often, that support never makes it into the classroom.
I know there are thousands of parents out there struggling to obtain the right kind of support for their children. So, I ask these questions: Are the schools in your area providing enough classroom support to children with special needs? How do you track to make sure that our special education tax dollars are well spent?
Do the taxpayers owe it to their neighbor to pay for the increased staffing needs required to handle special needs students? Federal government makes mandates and then passes on to State, who pass to School Districts. Incredible.
ReplyDeleteNo one suggests they do a financial impact study and look at outcomes, they just mandate a feel good law.
Like my district is REQUIRED to bus students for a 15 mile radius. Why am I paying to send kids to private schools outside my district? If parents want their kids in private schools, get them their on your dime, too!
More proof that government mandates are stupid and costly!