Special Education? What's Wrong with it & Whats Right

       Anyone who is reading this knows about an IEP, Individualized Education Plan, a plan made for each person to fit their personal needs and academic levels, as well as Mental health and or Physical health, many times both. So that is what's right and for many children in school that works fine.
      But what about the kids who have issues beyond a "traditional fix".?  The things that are put in place are, transfer to another school or schools, or programs. The reality is those kids more than likely have severe behavior problems and a schedule of academics with some Mental health therapy just isn't working. Why?
     Because with the behavior problems they just don't want to participate, but they do want to control the adults and take away opportunities of well behaved kids or kids who have learned to behave to some extent, and they enjoy that more than you know.
     We have kids who slide through school because of bad behavior and so they remain on a second or third grade level, even a little higher at times. The behavioral schools don't even want to bother with them so they let them slide through as do traditional schools should they be so lucky to stay. What happens at the high school graduation?
         They receive a diploma that will say, Special Education which means THEY ARE NOT TRAINED, NOR DO THEY HAVE SKILLS TO GO TO WORK.!  With that at age eighteen many families look for caseworkers to find group homes or Parents apply for social security disability, do the best they can to help their child find work. These graduates usually cannot fill out an application, cannot use public transportation, and so it will fall on caseworkers, social security help, group homes,  and possible sheltered workshops where that child will be paid piecework, maybe amounting to 8.00 for eight hours work.
     What is the answer?   Everyone knows kids, boy and girls love to play. Start in first grade with simple life skills such as the Montessori schools teach. Examples: sewing, washing dishes, cleaning, tying shoes so they don't keep coming untied, hygiene, fingernails, hair combing/brushing, dental and anything else that pertains to life as in MONEY-along with those teaching comes spelling, math, reading, play applications and all of this continues to the next grade where careers are taught.
     So your child wants to build computers but too young to learn, start with erector sets.
They want to be a nurse...start with reading a thermometer , taking a pulse, numbers
They want to be a plumber-yuck, they have to have a stomach...let them clean toilets first and sinks and then ask a plumber to come in and teach small.
They want to be a builder----here ya go Blueprints-reading, art, architecture -let them start with scrap wood and have first to draw what they want to make.
    IT can be done and when you have these children graduate high school, you will have people who are ready to work, ready to be self supporting, ready to be proud of the progress they made because the SPECIAL EDUCATION SYSTEM GAVE A DAMN.

    Last note-Traditional schools do this with average kids too, push them through. You see, and I know you understand, if they don't play sports or don't have great grades, they're just not counted. Education should  fit each child. In High school you get to choose what you want if you're smart enough, but what if you're not meant to be a lawyer, an architect, a doctor, a teacher, a minister, a psychologist, an electrician? What then? Your child should not have to be good enough to go to a vocational school by ninth grade. Teach  those skills while they are still excited about education. Don't Wait. BY the way, look at  Vocational Colleges. They are Great!!!!
     

Let me Tell you about SPECIAL Schools

       I worked in Mental health for quite a number of years and learned all too soon, if the new client wasn't on disability, they would be soon. See, they just didn't have the right doctor and were encouraged to talk to other clients because staff was not allowed to suggest a doctor.
     So sure, friendships began, new doctors now helped people get Social Security Disability because now they had a stream of patients they could count on visiting at least once a month. Oh yes, new diagnosis were made. After all you couldn't get on disability if you didn't have the right doctor and the "correct" diagnosis.
    Some have prison backgrounds and have a hard time getting employment. So what's the next move? No, don't keep trying. Get a diagnosis, Get on disability. Keep the system employed.

    Now we have similar issues with schools who are mainly warehousing kids with mental heath issues. How many of these kids get out of these schools better off? No one wants to admit they can't help that child, but instead keep them in one place, bill the system for big bucks, keep the kids happy with earphones, tablets and computers. TEACHING ? HA!
    The cycle is repeated when the child is passed onto another school, another program. So where is the success? Because these children don't do well in traditional schools, they are booted away from the average students or tax paying parents who have well behaved kids will complain, so to keep the peace, kick the other kids to the curb. Here in York, Pa. in my opinion we have such a system. WHY doesn't anyone see and start a vocational program for every student and give more hours to those who have mental health problems? Oh I know, funding! But they have enough to pay those same big bucks for special schools. Then, they can aslo keep those kids in their own district.

     Yes, I am well aware who should and shouldn't have the use of certain tools. But they also have to prove themselves and will learn reading and math along the way. After all, what are they going to leave school with now? Maybe a fourth grade education? Then they are eligible to clean toilets. Hell, someone has to do it. What happens when they do graduate without skills. No, don't be silly, they'll be taken care of. York County Prison is waiting, three meals a day, doctor and dental care, television, exercise, more than they got in school, a/c heat, lawyers and....they don't even have to work for it.

Malls-Open Libraries, Kids and Vocations

       If you're a kid of course you'll jump all over this-maybe. I give them more credit than that. Maybe it's more "C" students who want the malls open, or kids whose parents just drop them off to meet up with who? They don't really know now, do they.
       We leave it up to mall security to babysit the kids, and store owners. Yes, I know if we let them go to the local libraries we are letting the librarians babysit, But what if it's done another way, parent and child go to the library. You can actually relax and your child will be on a computer with guards or reading or doing school book reports.
     Life sure has changed since the days of the cave man. Remember when stores were closed on Sundays? I know with the population increase and jobs of all shifts this is needed. No it isn't! Think of it this way. As parents we make things work;we just do. So Sundays would be reserved for what it's meant to be, a day of rest, family and church time, or time to practice what's preached no matter what your faith is. If your Jewish...well Close down on Saturdays. I know In Brooklyn on Sundays all of thirteenth ave. is open because that's the major Jewish neighborhood and a place of many stores and delicous foods.
    But imagine and really think about this. What if the library was open on Sunday where you live? Kids wouldn't be asking for money for the mall, they would have to keep a certain tone of voice and their little minds would be working in a positive way.(hopefully:) Hey, I know, there is a petition site. I think I'll start a close the Malls, open Libraries petition! Grades just might improve. One last thing to imagine. No driver's license until graduation, however you can have a permit during senior year if you have good grades. Kids worry about enough. They don't need to worry about money for a car, repairs, insurance too and a job to support all that. It should also be a little more individual according to maturity-okay still working that out. Bikes!
    Okay, one really last thing that bugs me-SERIOUSLY!!! Academics are not meant for every child in the traditional sense. All children should have an opportunity to learn vocational skills and not have to wait if they have better grades to get into a vocational school. We are short changing our children by treating them as if they are all the same. Will your child be a writer, doctor, work in a factory, own a lawn business, be a sculpter, build bridges, make furniture, work with mentally disabled, be a hair srylist, cartoonist and whatever she or he is able to do well, but possibly held back because they're academically not good enough for vocational school. What's wrong with the education systems?
     Wouldn't we have happier children and isnt that what everyone wants, happiness? Okay another petition:) Now go work on that hobby you love and may have made a life time career of, but couldn't because you weren't good enough according to the educational system. Imagine how your child feels?