I
went to pick up my son early from school one day when a little girl
integrated into his third grade class with Down Syndrome was screaming
so loud that teachers came out of their classrooms from the next hall.
She has a tendency to throw daily tantrums. As a result of the program
Bush is so proud of, No Child Left Behind, children with special needs
are now integrated into normal school settings. How fair is it that
because of one little girl, who is unable even to take the TAKS. It
disturbed an entire hallway of children to the point that their planned
testing had to be rescheduled.
Even though this little girl has in-class counselors, it’s not
enough to cater to her needs. Someone might think I’m being
mean, but actually I’m concerned about her too. In high school
I assisted Special Ed PE classes to obtain an honors credit. Doing
that work, I learned something about these kids. Some physically impaired
students had the mental power of Stephen Hawking.
They understood beyond belief, almost as if they had acquired special
powers to make up for their physical conditions. Then there were children
with mental disabilities, which prevented them from being at their
age or grade levels.
To be integrated into normal class settings traumatized them. Kids
can be mean, especially the brutally honest. The parents and Bush
put this little girl at risk every day because public schools have
become more violent for everyone, especially for disabled children.
She’s a beautiful child, but has special needs that cannot be
met in a normal classroom environment, so why take away what all the
children need by inconsideraly integrating some of them in such a
way?
They are leaving children behind... teaching them to take tests instead
of enforcing common sense, manners and morals, things important to
becoming well-rounded individuals in society. More and more kids drop
out as early as jr. high level because they feel unchallenged and
that the education system has failed them by setting them up for constant
failure.
The education system is so warped around pinching pennies on the rewards
of children passing tests, not learning what counts. These kids come
out without reading comprehension, a lack of social and speaking skills
necessary for survival and a lack of creativity because they are trained
to not think beyond what they are told to.
My son’s teacher told me that each year it seemed that when
the kids tested well on something, the next year that subject became
harder.
She said it was like they were never allowed to be good at anything.
We can’t reform a system that has been broken for years, but
we can reinstate an education system that works and that includes
giving kids the individual attention they need.
