It never ceases to amaze me, the horror stories I get from parents who approach me for input and advice on their situations. It also never ceases to amaze me, the level of warped ideas an entire community or group can get when it comes to children and their upbringing.
I recently had a parent come to me and tell me about her son's problems in school. He's acting out and refusing to comply with instructions in class. On it's own, that brings about judgments of and assumptions of brathood, but get this.
First, the school and teacher herself are disregarding the 9 year olds medical diagnosis of autism or any other disorder. They dismiss it as him "just" being difficult.
Second, the teacher has literally stated to parent and child alike that she's "sick of wasting her time" on this child.
Third, the child has been labelled by the school staff as a "menace to society" since either during or just after Kindergarten!
People, please hear me on this, when you constantly deliver a message to a child of what a failure or waste of time they are, sooner or later they are going to BELIEVE YOU!
This child has been ABUSED by the very people who are supposed to be educating and working with him. Not the parent, but a whole school! Abuse in schools must stop!
Current report from the boy's mother states that this child hates himself. Let's note those two words again... HATES HIMSELF. Now why in the world does a 9 year old child hate himself? Well, refer to the above because I just gave three really solid reasons! Because of the message this boy now believes, he needs therapy, he needs lots of therapy. He needs all that he has been taught about himself undone and retaught. THAT should be at the expense of the school district.
And if they are facing layoffs, teachers and staff who humiliate grade school children and destroy their self esteem should be the first jobs on the chopping block. It's child abuse!
I'm sorry, but these stories just infuriate me. Some get into media, like a little girl a few states away whose teacher wrote the word LOSER on all her homework assignments. He needs to be fired, I hope he was. That guy is a direct threat to the children in his class.
Our schools need to get with the times. These, our special needs kids, are increasing in number and science and current counts prove that it's going to keep doing that. They can either adjust for this change in students, or be overwhelmed and see a marked increase in homeschooling and lawsuits. It's your choice, educators of America, which way will you choose?
Did you read about Dallas O'Banion? Very much like Zak Price. When will society quit accepting this abuse? When it happens in their own family.
ReplyDeleteYes, I did hear of his case and I've had several others come forward as well. Too many to name in a day of writing.
ReplyDeleteThey need to see that they are only compounding damage and pain to these kids. At the same time they are destroying futures.
I so agree..kids will believe what they are told about themselves..especially when they are told over and over. That could work in a wonderful way as well..treat someone with respect and let them know how they are values and see how they grow..
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