Principal's comments

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/8/2004 11:36:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

karriemom@... writes:

Karrie's IEP is on Monday. I had asked Karrie's principal who the second

grade teacher was, since I wanted to have her attend the IEP. Some of the

comments the principal made:

" None of the regular second grade teachers want her in their class. "

" It's only trouble when a kids like her are shoved down a teacher's throat " .

--------

gee I'ld be awfully tempted to say

" I can fully understand how a teacher might feel that way if she or he did

not get adequate support from the administration. But isn't it wonderful that

IDEA insures that the teacher will get supports and services for a special ed

child? The teacher doesn't get that kind of support for a child who is merely

" difficult " or " challenging "

*smirk*

Then several times she made similar comments about " these kind of kids " . I

was stunned into speechlessness. I cried myself to sleep that night, but

when I woke up the next day, I was hopping mad. I called the Director of

Spec. Ed and the Superintendent of Schools. I left each messages about what

had been said and my thoughts on this. I had 2 phone calls within 2 hours,

one from each, stating it will be taken care of by Friday afternoon.

Good going!

Ok, here's what I have planned to say when it is brought up on Monday.

Please, please, please give your advice!!!

DON'T say anything - merely that you have deferred the issue to the

Superintendent's office if asked. THAT should make some people nervous.

I will mention it only if it is brought up again. I will state how I thought

the principal, as an administrator, should be setting the standards of

professionalism among her staff. Also, are all the teachers allowed to chose

the students they want in their classrooms?

Depends on how the principal runs the school. If the principal is a weak

administrator then the teachers get to pick and choose.

TIA...

Sue (still steaming) mom to Kate 14 and Karrie who turned 8 the day all this

happened. She asked me the next day if it was still a Happy Birthday to You,

Dear Karrie day!!!!

-FOLLOW UP

On Monday drop off a letter to the Director of Special Ed and the

Superintendent reviewing your conversation and issues, and confirming that they

told you

that the issue would be resolved by Friday, May 14th.

This will keep them from stalling and putting the issue on the back burner.

- Becky

[Guest guest]

Sue,

It was VERY unprofessional and inappropriate for the principal to say what

she said. I would ask her to put into writing who she recommends or who she

recommends you steer clear of and why.

Not that it will be in time for the meeting on Monday, but it may make her

think a little harder.

I would for sure take the tape recorder to the meeting on Monday. Even if

you don't catch them blatantly being prejudiced, it may make every one be a bit

more careful what they say and how they say it. And, I also would ask that

this be documented on the principals file and let the school board know of this.

She needs to have her hand slapped and she is in charge of that building

and sets the standards, or at least is supposed to make sure they DO have

standards.

I am so glad you are not ignoring this, or it would just keep happening again

and again. Too bad that the classroom teacher can't be at the IEP meeting

and in fact you may want to set up that you have an addendum meeting with the

new teacher before the end of the school year to fine tune the IEP with her

input since she WILL be the responsible teacher. (It will make more work for

them, and make them take things a bit more seriously, maybe.)

Now, Mav is moving to 8th grade next year...and he has the choice of 3 teams

of teachers. One team is really regimented...(NOT for Mav) ...and another

team has a couple teachers who worked with me on the elementary level and won't

do it again! LOL....not refusing to work with Mav, but

me..........oooooooops....I held them accountable and they don't like that!)

The third team, we met

with and they seem enthusiastic and ready for Mav. So it all worked out.

Good luck and keep us posted. Put on your thigh high boots and your bullet

proof vest and the smile that has no end.

M.

 ¸...¸     ___/ /\ \___        ¸...¸     

,·´º o`·, /__/ _/\_ \__\     ,·´º o`·,

```)¨(´´´  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ```)¨(´´´

¸,.-·²°´      ¸,.-·~·~·-.,¸      `°²·-.¸

 

......for a tree is recognized by its fruit.

3:33

[Guest guest]

Karrie's IEP is on Monday. I had asked Karrie's principal who the second

grade teacher was, since I wanted to have her attend the IEP. Some of the

comments the principal made:

" None of the regular second grade teachers want her in their class. "

" It's only trouble when a kids like her are shoved down a teacher's throat " .

Then several times she made similar comments about " these kind of kids " . I

was stunned into speechlessness. I cried myself to sleep that night, but

when I woke up the next day, I was hopping mad. I called the Director of

Spec. Ed and the Superintendent of Schools. I left each messages about what

had been said and my thoughts on this. I had 2 phone calls within 2 hours,

one from each, stating it will be taken care of by Friday afternoon.

Ok, here's what I have planned to say when it is brought up on Monday.

Please, please, please give your advice!!!

I will mention it only if it is brought up again. I will state how I thought

the principal, as an administrator, should be setting the standards of

professionalism among her staff. Also, are all the teachers allowed to chose

the students they want in their classrooms?

TIA...

Sue (still steaming) mom to Kate 14 and Karrie who turned 8 the day all this

happened. She asked me the next day if it was still a Happy Birthday to You,

Dear Karrie day!!!!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/9/2004 12:02:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time, RSYOSH@...

writes:

I will state how I thought

the principal, as an administrator, should be setting the standards of

professionalism among her staff. Also, are all the teachers allowed to chose

the students they want in their classrooms?

Check your school (and school system) to see if they have mission statements.

Schools should welcome and teach ALL students, ALL students are part of our

greater community as well as the school community. Look to see what their

goals are for their graduates for ALL students. Remind them of their own

philosophy when they bring this up again.

I sincerely doubt you will find a mission statement that ends with " except

those students with disabilities. "

Cheryl in VA

[Guest guest]

You can move to Savannah, Sue. We are going to full inclusion next year

district wide. This is how the school system personnel interpret the law. We

will have 90% of the kids in the district included 85% of the time the first

year. We have experimental schools that have done full inclusion with the team

model, i.e. one regular teacher, one sped teacher, and one paraprofessional.

Each grade has an inclusion class in elementary school.

Now to your point. I would have been ticked beyond expression too. I

probably would have reacted very negatively since I am an A personality and very

blunt. You DO need to bring up the fact that you felt that they need some

education on inclusive education. Teachers need training to do inclusion. I

detest people like this who claim to be " educators. " They are incredibly

ignorant IMHO.

Elaine

Principal's comments

Karrie's IEP is on Monday. I had asked Karrie's principal who the second

grade teacher was, since I wanted to have her attend the IEP. Some of the

comments the principal made:

" None of the regular second grade teachers want her in their class. "

" It's only trouble when a kids like her are shoved down a teacher's throat " .

Then several times she made similar comments about " these kind of kids " . I

was stunned into speechlessness. I cried myself to sleep that night, but

when I woke up the next day, I was hopping mad. I called the Director of

Spec. Ed and the Superintendent of Schools. I left each messages about what

had been said and my thoughts on this. I had 2 phone calls within 2 hours,

one from each, stating it will be taken care of by Friday afternoon.

Ok, here's what I have planned to say when it is brought up on Monday.

Please, please, please give your advice!!!

I will mention it only if it is brought up again. I will state how I thought

the principal, as an administrator, should be setting the standards of

professionalism among her staff. Also, are all the teachers allowed to chose

the students they want in their classrooms?

TIA...

Sue (still steaming) mom to Kate 14 and Karrie who turned 8 the day all this

happened. She asked me the next day if it was still a Happy Birthday to You,

Dear Karrie day!!!!