Video: Special needs kid voted out of class by kindergarteners
posted at 10:55 am on May 28, 2008 by Allahpundit
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
A little ray of sunshine to get your day started right courtesy of the big A. It’s almost too bad to be true, especially the bit about the kids being encouraged to tell him what they don’t like about him, but the teacher’s been disciplined and has supposedly confessed. She’s not the only one guilty of something here, though: Watch the clip and ask yourself how the school administration could have thought this poor kid might be able to function in a general ed environment.
Special bonus feature: The most gratuitous Al Qaeda analogy evah.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: 1 2 3 4 Next »
The Kossacks are already all over this, writing letters to the school district to get the teacher fired and sending toys to the little boy.
I kind of hate it when these things become big national outrages.
MayBee on May 28, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Let’s take a vote on whether to put the teacher on a boat, send it out on the ocean, and sink it.
After we talk about what a %&$# she is.
MadisonConservative on May 28, 2008 at 11:01 AM
When did kindergarten become “Survivor?”
VikingGoneWild on May 28, 2008 at 11:03 AM
“Hang on a second. Don’t mention AQ. It runs counter to the narrative we are trying to shape here.”
NotCoach on May 28, 2008 at 11:03 AM
Teachers are just as likely to be friggin idiots as anyone else. Only in their case, they get to indoctrinate our kids with their stupidity.
Sugar Land on May 28, 2008 at 11:04 AM
I don’t care how dysfunctional the child is, that teacher was wrong to humiliate the child in that way. If she had an issue with the student, then she should have taken that up with the school administration and/or the parent.
If that teacher doesn’t understand how humiliation can damage a child, then she has no business in the classroom.
Let me ask… how many adults would like to stand before 16 of their peers and be faced with those peers making candid comments about you?
It’s just horrible.
Oink on May 28, 2008 at 11:05 AM
If everything this parent says is true and this teacher does not get fired then the voters of that community need to practice their right to vote every idiot in the school administration out of office.
NotCoach on May 28, 2008 at 11:06 AM
Gawd…how could this teacher be such a jerkoff? How could she DO that to a little kid? Oh man, I would be hard-pressed not to find her after class and have a closed door discussion.
I’m not one for unnecessary litigation but I hope the mom sues the ever-loving crap out of the school and the teacher; she shouldn’t even be teaching.
Bishop on May 28, 2008 at 11:06 AM
What was her comment about AlQueda?
This is really outrageous. He should have an IEP in place and the teacher should be fired. If he is disruptive, he should have a para assigned to him. These early years are especially important in dealing with autism.
bopbottle on May 28, 2008 at 11:06 AM
Among the many hats I’ve worn in my life, one hat was as a special needs teacher. AP, this child has every LEGAL right to be in an inclusion classroom and that teacher MUST accommodate him according to his individual education plan. The school district is following the law. Studies show that children who can be mainstreamed do MUCH better than if they are stuck in a self-contained classroom.
I am so proud of the mom for advocating for her child. More parents of special needs children need to be JUST LIKE HER.
I hate to agree with the Kos kids, but the teacher needs to be FIRED.
pullingmyhairout on May 28, 2008 at 11:06 AM
When it happens to your child, see how much you hate it when other people notice what kind of scum is occupying the NEA and the public school system.
MadisonConservative on May 28, 2008 at 11:07 AM
tyranny of the majority….
max1 on May 28, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Kids who are too “disruptive” (for whatever reason) need special environments.
You cannot apapt everyone else to a level that slows the majority to placate the popular sentimentality of a passing theory that “everyone should be taught together, no matter what“.
profitsbeard on May 28, 2008 at 11:07 AM
glad i never went to public school.
blatantblue on May 28, 2008 at 11:09 AM
More likely. Attend any graduate level education course at any college and see for yourself.
EJDolbow on May 28, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Agreed. But a para can be assigned to this child to provide one-on-one instruction.
Many school districts have inclusion classes where the teacher is specially trained to modify – the teacher usually holds a special education certification, dual or multiple certification, etc.
pullingmyhairout on May 28, 2008 at 11:11 AM
Government education, folks. That’s what we get. Guess what? The teacher is a member of union and it will take an act of God to get her fired.
As parent of a child diagnosed with autism (most likely Asperger’s syndrome but not as severe as Alex), I am enraged about this. This behavior is totally unconscionable. The teacher needs to be fired and the family needs to sue the teacher on behalf of the child for emotional distress.
Parting shot: I bet the teacher is an Obama supporter.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on May 28, 2008 at 11:11 AM
The school district should first fire this teacher, and then take steps to have her teaching credentials revoked so that she is never allowed in or anywhere near a classroom ever again.
The damage she may have done to this poor kid is beyond imaging.
What kind of heartless moron jackass is this goof to have done this to this kid?
pilamaye on May 28, 2008 at 11:11 AM
my brother has Asperger’s and life has been hell for him. I sent him the link about this story and he is just pissed.
How sad, I hope the youngster is not scarred for life. My brother was teased and tormented. People have gotten him fired from jobs because of his ‘goofiness’. Frankly, he’s the kindest person I know with a huge heart.
There are many afflictions that people can have but Asperger’s is one that leaves people unable to relate to others. Theirs is a lonely life.
Bruce Hendrix on May 28, 2008 at 11:12 AM
TYPO above-
“adapt” (although the neologism “apapt” says something equally apt).
The teacher should have explained to the principal that the child was unable to function among the class. Having the kids “vote” was absurd, and merely crudely tried to pass the buck and avoid her own responsibilities and authority.
profitsbeard on May 28, 2008 at 11:12 AM
I would like to precisely state how I feel about that teacher and that school but there would be so many vile profanities that it would be immediately erased. The behavior of that teacher was so incredibly cruel and inhuman that it defies rational analysis.
rplat on May 28, 2008 at 11:12 AM
At the last minute Alex tried to play what he believed was the Hidden Immunity Idol, but it turned out to be just an ordinary rock.
Things I learned from this video: Alex was in the wrong environment to begin with, the teacher is a walking disaster (no surprise there), and Mom kinda hot.
Blacklake on May 28, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Democracy in action.
RMC1618 on May 28, 2008 at 11:13 AM
Asperger’s children are definitely challenging – though, on the plus side, they generally grow up to live normal lives, and are usually quite intelligent. The social interaction and other issues would prove difficult in a classroom, but not normally something that would require a separate learning environment.
A teacher who chose to teach kindergarten because she was unable (or unwilling) to face the behavior challenges that teachers of older children usually deal with would find a child with Asperger’s to be unruly and uncontrollable.
For kids with Asperger’s, emotional interaction with others is a learned behavior, not something they simply pick up by interaction with other kids. They lack empathy and tend to focus on some single topic.
Sounds to me the teacher here is either incompetent or lazy and chose to force the kid out – rather than enlist his fellow students in helping him to learn to fit in.
RustMouse on May 28, 2008 at 11:14 AM
I wonder if Limbaugh will cover this story…
“He was either off the medication or he was acting.”
Rush lost all of my respect with that comment.
Yoosaion on May 28, 2008 at 11:16 AM
The vote should never have happened, but apparently the kid was extremely disruptive. Not making an excuse for the teacher’s behavior, though.
amerpundit on May 28, 2008 at 11:17 AM
I can see where some school districts think any kid who can string two words together and can go to the potty by himself 3 times out of 4 at the age of 10 belongs in a regular classroom. But if the kid was being too disruptive, the teacher should have taken it up with the administration, and found a way to demand some observers in her classroom to help make her case.
There are ways to get the paperwork in place to either get some extra help managing the child or get the child into an environment conducive to his needs without compromising those of the other students. She should never have humiliated the child like that. She has no business teaching if she can’t manage this issue without humiliating the child.
Sekhmet on May 28, 2008 at 11:19 AM
If the child is disruptive, his IEP should contain language that is appropriate to deal with the disruption. The school should be held equally accountable for not providing a para for the child.
but in typical school district fashion, they’ll probably say, “there is no funding.”
pullingmyhairout on May 28, 2008 at 11:20 AM
The child’s behavior in this instance is kind of irrelevant. This is about a teacher who should not be teaching any children anywhere under any circumstances. If she did this to him she has committed other despicable acts as well. This is a frame of mind that is totally unacceptable.
NotCoach on May 28, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Yep.
amerpundit on May 28, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Wow. It’s not that I didn’t believe you, but I really didn’t see it coming.
Still though, she’s a mother, and her child’s been hurt. I understand why the analogy makes sense to her.
Eh, I did both, and saw bad teachers at both. Though at public school I was more likely to humiliate the teachers since I was better at math than they were. At private school one teacher humiliated me with comments about how much of a tomboy I was.
Though on the plus side, my mother had the direct ear of the principle/owner of the school, whereas no one at public school really cared what she thought. They got her money whether I attended or not.
When I have children, if I can, I’ll think very seriously about homeschooling.
Esthier on May 28, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Maybe the voters simply wanted change.
Shy Guy on May 28, 2008 at 11:22 AM
If the kid was extremely disruptive, the school administrators and psychological counselors should have recognized it and recommend a different course of action. Every special needs child has an IEP (individualized education plan) that is reviewed yearly, sometimes biannually. If the boy’s behavior was such a limitation, he should have been recommended for an educational environment with a smaller class size and a teacher more experienced in special education. But since he was put into a “regular” kindergarten class, his limitations were not that severe, and the problem then lies with the (alleged) teacher.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on May 28, 2008 at 11:22 AM
I volunteer in my son’s 2nd grade classroom and there are kids, without disabilities, that are 10 times as disruptive as this little guy was on camera.
Typically, these kids spend at least half their days in special needs classes as it is. He quite possibly would have been in an exclusively special needs class by 1st grade.
SouthernDem on May 28, 2008 at 11:24 AM
This won’t happen under President Osama.
Obama.
Hate it when I do that.
Gotta stop.
Labamigo on May 28, 2008 at 11:24 AM
What a ridiculous thing for that teacher to do!
We had a young girl, 11 or so in our neighborhood with Asperger’s. Her parents were adamant about mainstreaming her and treated her like her siblings (denial?). She wandered the neighborhood unsupervised and was often found inside peoples homes. She’d set off alarms and once was even found naked in my neighbors bathtub! We’ve moved away but I sometimes worry about her coming up against some unscrupulous teenage boys or child molester. I’m very mixed about the whole mainstreaming idea. It must be so disruptive to the classroom and frustrating for the teacher. Thank God for the blessing of healthy children.
ctmom on May 28, 2008 at 11:24 AM
Please don’t take my comment as an apology for the teacher’s behavior. It was atrocious and she shouldn’t be teaching. I was simply noting he was ill-behaved, which should’ve been dealt with in another fashion.
amerpundit on May 28, 2008 at 11:24 AM
I don’t imagine you have children, AP. Are you basing your judgment of the child’s suitability for a general education classroom on his performance in the video? If so, let’s remember that the kid is five, for Pete’s sake.
My wife and I have a five year old son with autism in a gen’l ed kindergarten class. You can imagine how angry this story made us. We’re fortunate in that the school system provides for a “one on one” aide for him to better help our boy access the curriculum.
An earlier comment rightly noted how important these early years are. My son has made tremendous progress in the past three years. He works harder than anyone I know and I’m damn proud of him. We are optimistic that he will be able to attend school by himself within a couple of years.
On a side note, if his PS3 skills are any indication, I think he’s going to be the greatest Reaper pilot this country will ever see.
MikeZero on May 28, 2008 at 11:27 AM
I don’t think we’re getting the entire story. This kid is in the process of being diagnosed. I’m not sure how much the teacher was aware of his disability if he does have one. And voting him out of the class where? To the principals office? To the hallway or where ever they time out kids?
If he was disruptive to the class and a pain in the ass I don’t think everyone has to accommodate him because it is the pc thing to do and in his interest only. The other kids have rights, too.
Blake on May 28, 2008 at 11:28 AM
This assumes the school district diagnosed the kid’s level of impairment correctly, and has the motivation to spend the money (note I didn’t say the money) to provide the services special needs children need.
More often than you’d think, if the kid’s impairment won’t bring in gobs of money by itself (remember, he is in the process of being diagnosed, and the money may not come until there is a final diagnosis), it’s cheaper to toss him in with the regular students.
Sekhmet on May 28, 2008 at 11:29 AM
The teacher doesn’t have to “make a case.” In this situation, the child has already been diagnosed with Asperger’s. The case has already been made.
Several observations:
1. The teacher, special education instructor, diagnostician, curriculum specialist and school administration should have been fully aware of this child’s disability because they are a part of the ARD team that actually WRITES the IEP.
2. The mother is fully within her rights to demand that the district and the school make modifications for her child, according to his IEP.
3. The child should have been in an inclusion classroom with a teacher who is specially trained to teach children with various disabilities.
4. An emergency ARD meeting could have been called by any of the above mentioned if the child were TRULY being disruptive.
An inclusion classroom can be a great thing because it is a classroom where typical and special needs kids are mixed. A good teacher will teach to the child instead of to the group as a whole.
pullingmyhairout on May 28, 2008 at 11:30 AM
I must have grown up in another era. I was teased and tormented because of my goofiness, too, while in grade school. And I have no disability that I am aware of. You can’t sue or demand someone be fired for every perceived wrong, real or imaginary.
Blake on May 28, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Black teacher too….. cant’ attack her for what she did, that would be racism
ToddonCapeCod on May 28, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Did any of your teachers have a special “Why Blake sucks” forum?
SouthernDem on May 28, 2008 at 11:35 AM
I guess when they began the “No Child Left Behind”, they didn’t include those who have special needs.
I hope this woman sues the school district, the teacher and and maybe run for school assembly.
upinak on May 28, 2008 at 11:35 AM
All, true. But remember, he is in the process of being diagnosed. My guess is, the wallets don’t open for all of this without a final diagnosis. Call me a cyincal bastard (you won’t be the first), but it’s cheaper to stick the kid in a regular classrom with a teacher not trained to take care of him than it is to proactively work with him and hire a kindergarten teacher who does have special-needs training.
Sekhmet on May 28, 2008 at 11:36 AM
I think you are missing the point entirely here. Under what circumstance is it OK for this teacher to act in this manner?
NotCoach on May 28, 2008 at 11:36 AM
cynical (can’t type today)
Sekhmet on May 28, 2008 at 11:36 AM
I should say, I’m not saying you suck, but pointing out the teacher’s transgression in this case. It’s not a simple matter of peer teasing.
SouthernDem on May 28, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Sounds like the mother should sue and end up having the school called Alex Barton ES, plus have the teacher be the permanent janitor.
cat-scratch on May 28, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Yeah, it happened to my brother when he was at Fedex.
Bruce Hendrix on May 28, 2008 at 11:40 AM
And you are missing my point: Not every perceived wrong should result in a demand of firing or law suit.
No, but we did have a forum on why SouthernDem is an A-hole. Some teachers were not always kind but it still does not make it a crime, cause for firing, or lawsuit.
Blake on May 28, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Obviously if the teacher had a problem with the child she should have taken it up with the school and parents. By law the child has the right to an education but contrary to another poster who claimed “this child has every LEGAL right to be in an inclusion classroom” he does not have a “right” to be included with other children who don’t have learning disabilities.
If the child is too disruptive, the school can and should have placed the child in a special needs classroom with other special needs children getting the focused attention he needs.
Young children a very easily distracted and having a child climbing under tables and talking constantly would be frustrating and counter productive to a learning environment.
In most schools children with special needs are placed in a normal school setting with an aide as long as they’re not excessively disruptive. The more severly disabled children are pulled out of the normal classroom and are taught as a group.
It sounds like that little boy needed an aide and if he didn’t have one that the school is as much to blame for this situation as the teacher. If the child had an aide and was still much too disruptive, than he should have been pulled out.
In any case, attacking him for what he can’t control is cruel and inhumane.
Sensible Mom on May 28, 2008 at 11:40 AM
I don’t think her being black has anything to do with this.
lorien1973 on May 28, 2008 at 11:41 AM
There was a similar story on GMA this morning about a different young kid who’s teacher humiliated him and was suspended.
Valiant on May 28, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Why does See-BS, feel the need to put “Tag, You’re Out!” at the bottom of the screen too?
Makes them appear to be taking the story lightly, making a joke of it
ToddonCapeCod on May 28, 2008 at 11:41 AM
This “teacher” needs to be fired, she is not fit to be around children.
Maxx on May 28, 2008 at 11:43 AM
If the kid had been black and the teacher white, the teacher’s job wouldn’t have survived 5th period.
eeyore on May 28, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Oh, is it going to happen to my child?
You don’t know if this teacher is scum. You don’t know if she’s changed 1,000’s of kids lives for the better. You don’t know anything about her except this one (granted, inexcusable) instance.
My kids have had good teachers, bad teachers, and frustrated teachers. I did too, when I was growing up.
MayBee on May 28, 2008 at 11:43 AM
When did kindergarten become a democracy?
This teacher is clearly unfit to be in a classroom because, no matter what Florida says- this was emotional abuse. Friends of mine have a kid recently diagnosed with Asperger’s and I can only imagine what this exercise in emotional humiliation would do to their daughter.
The thing that really ticks me off is that this idiot teacher wasn’t fired on the spot. She’ll probably get the union to go to bat for her and she’ll be returned to the classroom to inflict more of her “methods” on unsuspecting innocent children.
highhopes on May 28, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Yes, I do. She humiliated a child who was autistic, and sees nothing wrong with what she did. She is scum. You don’t know that she has done anything good, only that she has done something utterly contemptible. Fix your logic.
MadisonConservative on May 28, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Now you are avoiding the point all together. You won’t even answer the question. I’ll make it easier for you. Under what circumstances is this teachers “alleged” behavior acceptable?
NotCoach on May 28, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Connie on May 28, 2008 at 11:48 AM
I don’t even know how to touch this comment. My Asperger brother is a blessing to my family. He has taught us compassion.
Bruce Hendrix on May 28, 2008 at 11:48 AM
In what world is it OK for teachers (whose salary we pay by the way), to insult and humiliate a kid, specifically a kindergarten kid?
I was teased and tormented too, by other students. That’s life. That’s what you expect. You do not expect a public servant to humiliate your children at the job you’re paying for.
Esthier on May 28, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Yeah! They’re five-year-olds for goodness sake! Their esteem should be sufficiently built up by that age so that they don’t whine when an authority figure leads the class in a round of personal attacks!
Seriously, you are way off the mark here. Not every case deserves a firing or a lawsuit but this is not one of those cases. If you know any family dealing with an Asperger’s child you will know that “mainstreaming” is difficult enough without a kindergarten teacher doing this kind of stuff. It shows a clear lack of sensitivity to the situation by both the teacher and the school. Stronger action is needed than just laughing it off as some sort of Survivor tactic.
highhopes on May 28, 2008 at 11:51 AM
You obviously didn’t read my clarification a couple posts down.
SouthernDem on May 28, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Another advertisement for classical education and homeschooling.
shick on May 28, 2008 at 11:51 AM
The idiot teacher needs more help than the kid, he seems like a happy little guy…
How on earth could you do that to a 5yr old?, special needs or not…
stlpatriot on May 28, 2008 at 11:51 AM
You may very well be correct although each situation must be addressed individually.
However, that decision is NOT to be decided by a teacher and her 5 and 6 year old students. That “teacher” is NOT supposed to stand a child up in front of a class and have the class list off the things they dislike about that student.
The teacher should be fired but she won’t be because she has tenure. She “feels” she did nothing wrong.
If that teacher sees nothing wrong with what she did, she is a pathetic POS.
Talon on May 28, 2008 at 11:52 AM
It’s the weakest of us that need to our help. You cannot force an Asperger individual to normalize with ‘neruo-typical’ people in social settings. They are not wired for it, that is the root of their situation. This is one of God’s children! What this teacher did was cruel, even some of the other children (at age 5!) recognized it!
Bruce Hendrix on May 28, 2008 at 11:52 AM
No teacher that would do that should be teaching, regardless of the behavior of the child. She is a moron and should be fired.
echosyst on May 28, 2008 at 11:52 AM
This is so sad. I mother f’ing HATE when people are mean to little kids.
Spectreman on May 28, 2008 at 11:52 AM
My 3 year old has several “special needs” kids in his class. They terrorize the entire classroom and wreck any learning opportunities. They are constantly flying off the wall, smashing the other kids projects as they work on them. Shout, scream, throw things when the teacher tries to teach the rest of the class something. They indiscriminately hit the other children, swear, take the other kids toys, food etc.
While dropping off my kid the other day one of the “special” kids threw a small grayco table at one of the little girls and laughed when it hit her in the head and knocked her down crying. He then ran around the room and pushed all the other kids over, some of them landing pretty hard on the floor, bouncing off tables, walls toys etc.
On one hand I can see how these kids parents want their kids to have a “normal” classrom experience, but their dreams are being realized at the expense of the other 15 kids in the class who are basically existing in this state of chaos so the 3 “special” kids can have a “normal” childhood.
It very much bothers me that my kid has a crappy classroom experience because of these kids, and has an increased risk of being injured from these fruitloops and everyone is expected to “understand” because it isn’t nice to speak out against the behavior of “special” kids.
I think “special” kids should have a “special” classroom all to themselves.
Alden Pyle on May 28, 2008 at 11:53 AM
And the child’s parent’s are without a doubt bitter.
shick on May 28, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Obviously I can’t speak for ctmom, but I didn’t take the comment the way you did. I simply took it as a remark on the fact that it is a miracle when a child is born without a problem, and even though children born with disabilities can be a blessing and often are, that doesn’t mean most wouldn’t wish their child could have a normal life instead.
Again, I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but it might not have been intended as an insult to people who have children with a disability.
Esthier on May 28, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Not at all. But I won’t allow you to imply I said something I didn’t, and then repeatedly demand that I respond to it.
Once again, let me repeat myself: I am not going to advocate that someone should be fired or sued based on a couple of blurbs in the news. You want a perfect world — good luck finding it.
Blake on May 28, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Don’t forget the Nazis. Hitler and the Nazis thought they were doing the right thing too.
My collie says:
CyberCipher on May 28, 2008 at 11:55 AM
In a good school district with an experienced teacher, this child’s disability would have been noticed immediately and a meeting would be held with the parents, teacher and administrators to decide what is best for the child and the classroom. Often these issues are identified in pre-school or in pre-screenings before kindergarten if the school district knows what it’s doing.
His disability shouldn’t have been a surprise to the teacher or school in the last month of the school year. If the teacher or child got to this point in the school year without an aide or assistant then something is disfunctional — either the parents didn’t want one or the school wasn’t paying attention.
Aides are paid for by the federal government and most school districts are very quick to insist children be diagnosed with a disability so they can be assigned an aide and prevent them from being a disruption.
Sensible Mom on May 28, 2008 at 11:56 AM
Not at all. These kids would have never done this without specific instruction from the authority figure in that classroom to do so. This had nothing to do with the majority and everything to do with bad judgment from people who are suppose to know how to run a classroom. This is the result of incompetents by the system that is suppose to educate children instead of ridicule them.
The “teacher” clearly should have know better than to pull a cruel and heartless stunt on this little kid. But I agree with Allah that the school itself shares some of the blame for putting this kid into an environment where he was not able to cope. This school needs to be looked at from top to bottom very carefully.
Maxx on May 28, 2008 at 11:57 AM
Yeah, Limbaugh sure blew that one. Turned out he overmedicated to dramatize his symptoms during his testimony.
RushBaby on May 28, 2008 at 11:59 AM
But Fox said later that he was off the medication.
Buford Gooch on May 28, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Does your 3 year old go to a public school?
SouthernDem on May 28, 2008 at 11:59 AM
The first (and overriding) characteristic for a teacher is……EMPATHY. Without it, a person should not choose that profession. Exit question: Who harmed this woman (the teacher) when she was younger?
Contrary to what most people believe about children with autism, these kids are highly intelligent. You could tell that with little Alex. When the teacher asked him, “Alex what are you going to do now?” He responded and said, “I’m going to go to the principal’s office and sit with them.” That’s pretty logical and well-thought answer. What would the other “regular” kids have said? It is this question by the teacher that demonstrates that she is NOT empathetic and should not charged with educating children.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on May 28, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Uh, maybe you are. You want a perfect world where no one’s feeling are ever, gasp, hurt, good luck finding it. Since, you know very little of the case but what is printed in a couple of paragraphs, you’re not exactly an expert. The school and the police have determined that the matter is not worth pursuing. Any lawsuit is going to fail. But, what would HotAir be without the Daily Outrage!
Blake on May 28, 2008 at 12:00 PM
It’s the woman’s job, again something we pay for, to teach children. By humiliating a 5-year-old and telling him to leave the class, she’s clearly not doing her job.
I’d fire her for that alone.
I don’t want a perfect world. I’d hate it, I’m sure. I do though want public school teachers to be held accountable to the people who pay their salaries.
Is that too much to ask?
Esthier on May 28, 2008 at 12:01 PM
It’s still a dodge and at the same time doing exactly what you accuse everyone else here of doing. You are making a judgement which just as little information as the rest of us.
NotCoach on May 28, 2008 at 12:01 PM
If it bothers you, leave. A number of us would find the site better without your presence.
MadisonConservative on May 28, 2008 at 12:02 PM
MadisonConservative on May 28, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Should do a poll, lmao
stlpatriot on May 28, 2008 at 12:05 PM
Again, you put words into my mouth I did not say. I am making a judgment based on the fact that both the school and law enforcement are not pursuing the matter and my knowledge of the law.
Blake on May 28, 2008 at 12:05 PM
Sorry to hear about the situation in your classroom. I can’t say I would know how to deal with it myself. I think that many (but not all)/ unruly kids are simply misdiagnosed and are simply spoiled and need a consistent rod. But I do think that we have to prepare ourselves and our children to interact with these individuals in the class room and beyond graduation. It is important for our children to be prepared for this and not sheltered from every unpleasantry. I say this as a homeschooling parent too.
shick on May 28, 2008 at 12:05 PM
Why not just ship them all off to some state home for inconveniently disruptive? I can understand you wanting your lil darlin’ to have the best education possible but your post really makes you come off sounding like an inconsiderate and insensitive jerk.
There is middle ground, BTW, where it is possible to “mainstream” only part of the time. Unfortunately that takes far too much effort for the band of unionized teachers and administrators who view special needs children as a burden.
highhopes on May 28, 2008 at 12:05 PM
Are you sure the kid you described was “special needs” and not simply a kid from a home where there is poor nutrition and a lack of discipline? These are two totally different areas. My mother-in-law, a 30+ year 3rd, 4th, 5th grade teacher, tells me about it all of the time. Even at these later ages there is only so much she can do as a teacher and role model.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on May 28, 2008 at 12:05 PM
No way Jose. I live in Boston, public school kids make the “special” kids at his school look like angels.
Alden Pyle on May 28, 2008 at 12:06 PM
It’s possible she was just treated like the center of world as a child, which is in itself a more kind form of abuse, making it difficult to grow up and have, as you put it, empathy.
The fact that she doesn’t understand that what she did was wrong is proof she’s in the wrong field.
If she’d even been embarrassed or apologized I might feel differently.
Esthier on May 28, 2008 at 12:06 PM
If it bothers you, leave. A number of us would find the site better without your presence.
MadisonConservative on May 28, 2008 at 12:02 PM
If my presence here bothers you, you leave. And you are the one who has been threatened with banning for your comments insulting other posters.
Blake on May 28, 2008 at 12:07 PM
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on May 28, 2008 at 12:05 PM
Yup, they get shipped out to “special” behavioral classes et al during the day.
Alden Pyle on May 28, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Well then you apparently know even less than the rest of us since the teacher was removed from the classroom pending an internal investigation.
NotCoach on May 28, 2008 at 12:08 PM
You’re the one complaining about what Hot Air posts. I’m complaining about what you post. If it were your site, I would leave.
MadisonConservative on May 28, 2008 at 12:09 PM
The teacher’s behavior…stupid. Just a question, where’s the father ?
Firmworm on May 28, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Comment pages: 1 2 3 4 Next »