No
Exit:
The 'Black Hole' of Special Education
by
Linda
Schrock Taylor
Recent
news articles have discussed the possibility that two black holes
might collide in a few million years. Although an interesting concept,
this potential danger pales in the face of a real
'black hole' – that of SPECIAL EDUCATION. Every year, thousands
of our children disappear into the vagueness of special placements,
never to be released from the labels and stigma; never to escape
and again be seen as 'normal.' Many teachers must notice this engulfing,
this entrapment, of our children; some teachers must surely strive
to defeat this grave and senseless closure on potential; but the
problem is rarely mentioned or discussed.
A
few months ago, the superintendent of our district stopped to ask
how things were going. I said that it had been a good year; that
I had just released three students from special education – a 7th
grader, a 9th grader, and an 11th grader –
and hoped to release more in the Fall. His surprise and shock were
clearly evident. Mr. S. said, "Linda, these things never
happen! – well almost never! I recently asked a fellow superintendent
if he ever heard of any kids getting OUT of special education, and
that fellow said that it is very, very rare for that to happen."
(That is an accurate assessment.)
My
superintendent expressed regret that he had not known, and said
that he would have attended each exit meeting to shake the child's
hand and commend them for such hard work. I acknowledged his compassion,
but noted that neither my building principal, nor the director of
special education, saw importance in attending any meetings to congratulate
these children who had earned their way out of special placements
and labels. "They KNEW of the meetings?" he asked. (Of course they
knew – they always receive invitations.)
When
I was next ready to release another student – a 10th
grader now reading at a 12.5 grade level – the director removed
the student from my caseload and enrolled him in a math class with
mentally impaired students, even though this young man was in pre-algebra
last year, and looking forward to algebra this year. His mandatory
re-evaluation meeting was held without me; without the educational
consultant; and with a general education teacher who had only known
the boy for a couple weeks. All might have been lost, but I not
only teach my students to read, I teach them to believe in themselves
and to advocate for themselves. This young man asked his mother
to refuse to sign the paperwork, and to demand a new meeting, to
which I would be invited. The new meeting was held, but we won only
part of the battle. This student is back on my caseload so I can
supervise his progress, and I am allowed to teach him algebra, on
an Independent Study basis. However, even though this intelligent
young man is no longer enrolled in any special education classes,
he is still labeled 'Learning Disabled,' despite evidence to the
contrary, and remains on the headcount for educational and Medicaid
funding.
So,
do not underestimate the strength of this black hole, and the power
of federal monies – education and Medicaid – to create and sustain
the energy force that entraps and holds these children. Do notice
how few honest steps are taken to bring about real reform – ones
that would actually, and effectively, educate American children
in general, and special education students, in particular. The most
shocking and inexcusable aspect of the pretense, the mouth-service,
given to "accountability," is the dearth of professionals who actively
attempt to get students OUT of Special Education. Few see any value
in specifically structuring special education programs towards 'repairing'
and releasing children; few feel any urge to commend an exiting
child; few see the importance of choosing curriculum and methods
that would prevent the need for such programs in the first place.
My
advice to parents of special needs children is to become knowledgeable
about service models and what can be accomplished through closure-oriented
instruction from a well-trained teacher. Understand that only a
small percentage of American children are really disabled – truly
deaf, blind, physically impaired, etc. The majority of those enrolled
in special education classes should only remain in special placement
for a limited time – just long enough for problems to be corrected
and delays remedied. I have a sign on my classroom door, "THIS IS
A STEPPING STONE, NOT A RESTING PLACE." If, after testing and observation,
it appears that a child's problems have been brought about,
rather than being an aspect of the child's physical make-up, I tell
the student that they probably have nothing 'wrong' with them and
that good gains can be expected. We have a 'joke' in my room – that
most labels should probably read "TD" (Teaching-Disabled). I honestly
believe that if most of these students had been taught to read in
1st and 2nd grades, and had been taught a
knowledge-based curriculum, they would never have been labeled and
ended up in a special class.
Changes
in special education enrollment/entrapment will never come from
the top, because a centralized government needs us to be dependent
on the State in as many ways as can be invented, encouraged, legislated,
and forced. Change might begin, though, when parents arrive at IEPC
meetings prepared to ask tough questions; demand date-specific,
written plans; and hold districts accountable for effective remediation
and RELEASE:
-
What EXACTLY
will be done to remediate my child's weakness? – What are the
skills and success record of the teacher who will be in
charge of my child's remediation?
-
Which measurable instruments
of assessment will be used? Please be sure to provide
me with baseline and subsequent scores, in terminology
that I can understand, preferably giving age or grade level
equivalencies.
-
When do
you expect to complete the remediation, remove the label from
my child, and remove my child from special education
placement?
Change
will also begin when schools teach reading within appropriate time
frames, using successful methods, rather than progressive fads.
Change will begin when all children enter third grade, at the very
latest, literate and prepared to 'use reading to learn,' rather
than to still be 'learning to read.' Change will begin when everyone
– parents and educators – reduce the number of students who come
to the attention of those who gain by increasing special education
enrollments. With any luck, the subsequent loss of monies will slow
the spin, and weaken the strength, of this most dangerous and engulfing
black hole – "SPECIAL EDUCATION."
December
5, 2002
Linda Schrock Taylor [send
her mail] lives in northern-lower
Michigan, where she is a special education teacher; a free-lance
writer; and the owner of "The Learning Clinic," where real reading,
and real math, are taught effectively and efficiently.
Copyright
© 2002 LewRockwell.com
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