tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1107550755163115303.post8047723001972563288..comments2024-03-27T11:28:13.401-06:00Comments on Education Matters: The district votes to ditch Ed White's disabled childrenUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1107550755163115303.post-38917719482948490822016-02-06T06:37:45.119-07:002016-02-06T06:37:45.119-07:00This is extremely frustrating. As a long time ESE ...This is extremely frustrating. As a long time ESE teacher, I know that most of my students will not attend college, and some will not finish school. Taking away life skills programs is harming this population more than most realize. The parents of these intellectually disabled children want nothing more than to know that their child will one day be able to provide for and take care of themselves. The removal of programs such as this is a slap in the face to these parents. Their tax dollars are used to help sustain our schools, but what are they now getting in return? The majority of the parents who have the ability to provide transportation are electing to utilize the John McKay scholarship route, which ultimately is just one more way funds are being siphoned from our public schools to the private and charter schools. However, in cases like this, can you really blame the parents? It's not like our district is offering options for this population. Consider this: Elementary school of approximately 850 students with 70 ESE students and all of those students opt out starting with middle school.....think about how much money that is leaving our public schools after elementary because sitting special needs students in remedial math and remedial reading is counter-productive. As a parent, I want my child to always WANT to learn and taking away all of the options for creative thinking (electives) in a pointless attempt to force a child with a below average capability to be able to pass a state test is not the solution. Sometimes practice doesn't make perfect.....it just creations frustration and drop outs. But then maybe that is what they want....if they don't take the test, it can't count against the school grade!!!!!! Way to go Duval, one more bad decision that surely just cost our district more money and parent confidence. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com