Terrific video on a subject that just makes common sense to most of us.

“No cheque for you” - sounds like the Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld but my new favorite line in the clip is the superintendent’s reference to the student as a “delightful little revenue unit”.

My question re: the Oklahoma state law, is where ARE the politicians on this and what consequences are boards facing as they ignore the law? Any at all?

If not then the boards will remain as unresponsive as ever. Same in Canada. No gutsy politicians or governments would dare challenge boards.

A good point to start Chuck is the actual site that produce the video.  http://www.okschoolchoice.blogspot.com/

To your question, there is no consequences for boards who choose to ignore parents and in the end the the educational needs of students. Like the Canadian mother, who states, “My current battle is one that I could simply choose to walk away from – but then in doing that, I’d be condoning the violation of my son’s rights. I’d be doing him and his peers a great disservice. I will never do that – not to my child or anyone else’s.”

There is no consequences for school boards, that discriminates access to education services for students who are in need of special services. As the author of the site called, Autism Parent Advocate points out,  “discrimination is deeply rooted and often disguised however, by definition it means biased or unfair treatment. ”
http://www.autismparentsadvocate.com/battle2.html

As she pointed out on page 3, “t isn’t always easy to stand up and voice your opinions and concerns or have your issues published in the paper.  There is also almost always a negative side.  It often gives a forum to the very people that perpetuated the discrimination but also brings into view the real depth to which bigotry and intolerance are ingrained into our society.  If you have any doubts, then just read the comment of the day the Free Press printed.  “If your child is yelling and not accepting the changes as you have admitted why would you put your child in this program?”  Jordan loved the program and excelled at it last year.  His peers had an opportunity to learn how to connect with him AND he had a right to be there.”

And no it is not an easy task for any parent to bring up the ugly side of discrimination and bigotry that is condone within the public education system. As I again discovered in the parent-teacher interviews, raising the topic of learning problems and how the system over the years, chose willingly and felt free to denied my child,  specific targeted programs to addressed her learning weaknesses.  The boards’ discriminate because it is an accepted practice within the education system.

Brad and Cynthia Boufford hits the nail on the head.
” Unfortunately, in this case, the students involved learned that it’s acceptable to exclude someone who has a disability if they can’t “act normal”.  We counter that it isn’t our attitude that has dammed these children but the apathy of those who allowed this exclusion to take place. “

And I can add, denial of educational services for learning weaknesses continues even if the child is well-behaved within the school environment. And in my case, my child needs were denied to her, based on criteria that excluded her from obtaining special targeted educational services.

Exclusion, rather than inclusion for all children who do not meet the norms of the education system. And I am glad to see more parents coming out of the woodwork in Canada, expressing their concerns, and sometimes very frank talk, on a public education system that preaches equality. Equality for who?  Certainly not for the students!

Nancy, I’m not sure what your point is.

While each child has a right to an education, it needs to be done in such a way that the rights of all the children are respected.

If a child’s behaviour is such that the child cannot behave reasonably well and be reasonably quiet during class time he should not be in my opinion in a regular class. He need a different program
appropriate to his needs.

It is not fair in my opinion to make another 15 children lose class time repeatedly just for the supposed benefit of one.

Just as I believe that a child should not be in the current grade if he has not mastered the previous grade requirements I also believe that a child should not be in the current class if he disturbs class time again and again.

Europe it is a two-edge sword. Often is the case, as I have observed and personally experience with my own child, often the kids who are different are the very same ones who are singled out as being the source of trouble. Sometimes it is deserved, but at times it is not deserved. In this era of equality, and how it is meshed into everything in the school, the curriculum, and the rules/regulation, it is not equality that is practice, but rather some are more equal than others. All kids picked this up, especially the one that infers superiority over others.

I absolutely hate the equality policies, which I believe is the source of all the bad behaviour of the students in the first place. By high school, this bad behaviour is entrenched. The most recent example is in my child’s grade 10 math class. The teacher chose to ignore the one boy’s behaviour and actions, and has directed the others to ignore it and continue to do their work. Meanwhile, including my child are upset that this boy is not sent out of the room, for upsetting his desk and other such actions, because if it was one of them, it would mean a trip down to the office, perhaps a few detentions, and a phone call to the parents. In this case children are learning that this boy’s bad behaviour is tolerated by the teacher, even though the teacher would not tolerate the same type of behaviour from the other children in her math class.

The shameful part is that for children who have behavioural issues, often there is no appropriate programs for them, outside of the classroom. Nor is there appropriate and effective methods that addresses the student’s learning/educational needs, if the classroom can no longer meet their needs.

It is a form of discrimination that is being practiced.
It shows the most with the special education kids, because their educational needs are not being met consistently. In the regular classroom, or the inclusion classroom - it is the pretend policy being played out - “Let us all pretend we are equal in skills, abilities and talent.”  For those who are getting a wee bit more resources or accommodations, now don’t tell any of your classmates, because they might become upset with you.

I believe to truly understand the implications of the equality policies, a parent has to lived the nightmare where their child are not having their education/learning needs being met. Than the behaviour problems that surface at home, and for some it does spread into the school and other public venues.

The only solution is to get rid of the one-sized-fits-all approaches, to the one of ability grouping. Teachers’ unions are dead against it, for obvious reasons. The majority of children would benefit, and in the end better behaved children, who have a great interest in learning, and improving.

Response to fromEurope

If a child with a disability receives appropriate accomodations and support in the classroom, there are no disruptions of class time for the other students. If there are “disturbances” it is because the adults are failing to meet the child’s needs.  The mindset that children with disabilities in a classroom somehow take learning time away from other students is archaic at best.  Even the teachers in my son’s classroom have told us that the other students have benefitted tremendously from having Jordan as a classmate.  His literal thinking provides another learning perspective for his peers.  He is always the most eager student in the classroom,enthusiatic and brutally honest.  The children learn patience, tolerance and acceptance of diversity - all important life skills which apparently are still sadly missing in many adults.

Cynghia, I symphatize with your problems; I can’t say I can even begin to understand what you have to face every day. It is hard work to be a parent in general; it must be even harder if your child is not healthy.

However, I reiterate my belief: if a student for whatever reasons - and this applies just as well to healthy unmotivated children - consistently disturbs the others he or she should not be not be in that class. It is completely unfair and wrong to penalize 15-20 children for the supposed benefit of one.
We are talking about young children that are quite disorganized and absent minded themselves that they don’t need additional distractions on an ongoing daily basis.

There are circumstances when indeed rules are not applied consistently and some are more equal then the others. Being an immigrant I have had first hand experience to some such issues. If that was your son’s case, and rules have been applied differently then it was not fair to your son.

Nancy, that boy’s behavior should not be tolerated.
I agree with you, I believe mastery grouping would work much better than what we have today.

I fully support funding for children with special needs, however if children—for whatever reason—are disrupting learning for other students, they should be removed.  This isn’t rocket science.