Answers:
Don't underestimate the power of organized dissent. You have a number of groups who will be gravely affected by this policy: the parents of students with special needs, the teachers who will have to take on yet more responsibilities in the integrated classrooms, the former teachers and aides for special education, the educational psychologists who test and make recommendations for children with special needs, and adults with disabilities who have had experience in the school system. An organized group of parents can make a huge impact through a letter writing campaign. A few very angry parents may get the attention of the news media. A teacher who is fed up and planning to leave the system may make a parting statement that will get the attention to this issue that is needed.
There are some parents, however; that do want their children "mainstreamed" for their own reasons. And accommodation for these families needs to be made.
One other hope might be to get close to one of these decision makers, through the social network, by trying to find someone sympathetic to the cause, perhaps someone in the government who has been frank about having a child with special needs?
You have a lot to lose, it is a sickening situation, so why not go for speaking out and organized protest?
This is happening all over the world.it isn't right or fair.
I live in Hampton, Va, and they were planning on doing the very same thing back in the winter of '06. I e-mailed the city council and I was a little bit of a start *ss with them. Little to say they unanimously reinstated the funding.This is the very same e-mail that I sent them:
"I know that I'm wasting my time with you people because you have already made up your minds here but I going to say something anyway. It come to my attention that you are slashing the funding for the Special Education Program. Why is this happening? Is it because that you are ashamed and embarrassed to have a pack of retards in the same schools as the normal kids? You can't say that this is not true because as a graduate of the Kecoughtan Class of 1988, I know better. Yes, I'm too was a "retard" when I was in school and believe it or not but I'm working at Siemens full time, going to school full time where I'm majoring in Computer Engineering, I have a 4.0 GPA, and is planning to attend Virginia Tech where I'm majoring in Computer/ Electrical Engineering. Not bad for a retard, What do you think? By the way, I might be a retard but, "Don't the "No Child Left Behind Act" protect ALL students and not just the "Normal" students?" Do you people realize that Albert Einstein, the greatest atomic phycisist of all-time, was a learning disabled retard. Hard to believe, I know but it is true.
You can't sit on your high horse and say that this city can't afford it but I know for a fact that is a lie, especially since there is a $400.00 ambulance fee per usage, a $40.00 a month garbage fee, and a $30.00 a month storm water fee that all citizens have to pay. Explain to me where all these fees are going to. If this city was as poor as you people claim it is then explain to me than "Why is this city paying to have another shopping mall being build when barely anyone shops and the existing shopping malls that this city already have?" I know that I just wasted my time here so go ahead do whatever pleases you, and your rich friends because is all this city ever thinks about."
What can I say, I'm just a natural at being a smart *ss. I was extremely pissed when I read in the newspaper what the city was trying to do in regards of the special education program.
Edit:
Despite what everyone has told you it can be stopped and yes, despite what the person below me said, everyone might just be surprised what someone with a learning disability can do if they were just given a chance to prove themselves. I'm living proof. You should contact the Department of Education or the Government immediately and raise hell with them about cutting the special education program because they are NOT giving these children a chance at all. They will listen. By me e-mailing that letter straight to the Hampton City Council last winter, above, I was able have the funding returned. Which proved without a doubt that being a hard-*ss does work. Good luck and I truly hope that you succeed for the future of the children.
Nothing they are cutting out special education by what they call Inclusion. They think that by making them take grade level Taks test and putting them in main stream that some how this is going to make them all better. They The FEDERAL GOVERNMENT sit behind a desk and never visit these special ed classes to see what the different types of learning disabilities are. Mainstream teachers for History and Science have always had to teach them but now it is spreading to Math and ELA as well. Some students do well with it while others struggle. The idea of Inclusion is No Child Left Behind and non segregation from regular ed students so that they will be more excepted in the outside world. I am not a teacher yet but I do work as an aid with resource students. I love my job and when I finish my degree I will be better suited to help resource children who are in reg. classes because I have the experience. I have been told that by the time I graduate spec. ed will be obsolete. Some teachers I have seen do not have the patience to work with resource students I have heard so many time they can't do something I am sick of it. Give them a chance and modify and you will be surprised what they can do. The teacher I was an aid for 2 yrs ago let me plan and teach several lessons she felt they couldn't do. She hated it when they took me from her for Inclusion. They wrote Rude Ramsey Books, did a comparison on 2 books we read in class and did a project on the one they liked the best. Collage or Shadow box that told the story or one scene from the book. They were not allowed to write the name of the book on it and I had to tell them what they did it on. We had a blast this was 6th grade resource ELA. Last year they were 7th graders and told me they wanted to learn the way I did it because they felt they were not learning anything . This year they will be 8th grade and I will miss them when they go to high school. One of my studenbts from several years ago in a Functional academic class has a job and is doing very well. I always felt he was better suited for resource instead of F/A when I was an aid in the F/A class the teacher was out a month and I taught her class no lesson plans I had them do a research paper for science on nocturnal animals they not only did the research they drew a poster and presented it in front of the class. I divided them into 3 groups of 3 and they did great. I showed their teacher who told me they couldn't do one that they could if you gave them a chance. Well she didn't like it to much but was amazed at the work all I could say was no lesson plans I had to improvise.
Unfortunately not ! When the state reviews schools and, see the downfall of special ed classes they usually try something new like mainstreaming individuals of all disabilities to see how it works. In the end the report card review will be horrendous. Parents with children of disabilities are the only ones with the power to make sure that their child is not placed in a mainstream class. Parents usually don't know the consequences due to the presentations given at the meetings. You may want to surf a web-site that has many resources and answers to many of your questions.
good luck
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