Re: to midasgoal re: parents beating up on public sch...

[Guest guest]

All of you are missing my point entirely. I will repeat what my challange

is. It is to work in the public school. Until you have done that you have not

accepted my challange. Don't say you have accepetd my challange until you

have worked in a public school. For what I am reading none of you have worked

in a public school.

Are there bad schools, of course. Is it a battle trying to get all of the

services our kids need, of course. It is wrong to say all schools are horrible

and all teachers are stupid...etc, becuse it is simply not true.

I commend all of you for taking your childen out of school or finding a

private program that is working for you.

None of that changes anything I have written. I do not have a problem with

all of you saying the problem I had at my child's school was, whatever and

talk about your school and your issue with that school or that teacher. Too

often when we as parents complain about what is going on with thier situation

they use words like all public schools are whatever. That is just like when

people who do not know any better say all Autistic Kids are evil.

Anytime, I see anyone making broad statments that I know are not true I am

going to challange the person on it.

I would not ever dispute specific situations becasue I do not know your

specific situation.

But if I see anything like all public schools are horrible and all private

schools are fantastic then I am going to callange you on it because you are

making statments that could not possibly be true.

Anyone want to discuss te issue off line here is my toll free phone number

888-642-3924

[Guest guest]

, thanks for correcting us. It was making me crazy that everyone (oops,

sorry, " some of those brave enough to respond " ) :-) had turned your

challenge around into something else than what you said.

I was a public school teacher for 17 years. I'd have to check my yearbooks

to add up all the years I was the school's inclusion teacher in co-teach

classrooms (6? 7? 8?). Perhaps you will accept that I qualify for your

challenge?

" My " school district is so flawed I can't claim perfection by miles, but I'm

grateful for every day that I taught here and that my daughter goes to school

here. So many of the staff in our district try SO hard, meaning of course that

some don't. So many of our teachers are just exceptional, meaning of course

that some AREN'T!

Each of us experiences an EXTREMELY personal journey in dealing with every

aspect of coping with life and the Autistic Spectrum. Each of us is going in

the same direction, but on parallel roads! My child and yours could be in

classrooms/schools/districts right next door to each other and have differing

experiences, one bumpy one smooth. Who's to say which of us got which

experience,

and by what chance cause? The school district criticized by one person as an

earthly aspect of the trials of He_ _ can be praised to the high heavens by

another person on this list! In fact that's happened several times in the past

year, when info on local districts was requested by some prospective new

neighbor!

Perhaps, because we are all also flawed human beings, we could try harder to

relax when someone else needs to vent to us -in either direction!!!!!!!!!

Accurate language, and listening too, go out the window when we are stressed!

We

need each other so much, the ones who will understand when others can't. We

want to be caring and understanding, not add to each other's stress, right?

Perhaps if we HAVE to complain we could limit it to " I " messages?

I hope you all get to smile at something this evening.

Sandi

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best

of everything; they just make the most of everything

that comes along their way.

[Guest guest]

Have you noticed that when someone else on this list has good things

to say about their child's public school, everyone chooses to ignore

it? Not all public schools are bad. I know this for a fact. Some

people just aren't happy unless they are complaining...such a pity.

-- In Autism Treatment , D22@a... wrote:

> , thanks for correcting us. It was making me crazy that

everyone (oops,

> sorry, " some of those brave enough to respond " ) :-) had turned

your

> challenge around into something else than what you said.

>

> I was a public school teacher for 17 years. I'd have to check my

yearbooks

> to add up all the years I was the school's inclusion teacher in co-

teach

> classrooms (6? 7? 8?). Perhaps you will accept that I qualify for

your challenge?

> " My " school district is so flawed I can't claim perfection by

miles, but I'm

> grateful for every day that I taught here and that my daughter goes

to school

> here. So many of the staff in our district try SO hard, meaning of

course that

> some don't. So many of our teachers are just exceptional, meaning

of course

> that some AREN'T!

>

> Each of us experiences an EXTREMELY personal journey in dealing

with every

> aspect of coping with life and the Autistic Spectrum. Each of us

is going in

> the same direction, but on parallel roads! My child and yours

could be in

> classrooms/schools/districts right next door to each other and have

differing

> experiences, one bumpy one smooth. Who's to say which of us got

which experience,

> and by what chance cause? The school district criticized by one

person as an

> earthly aspect of the trials of He_ _ can be praised to the high

heavens by

> another person on this list! In fact that's happened several times

in the past

> year, when info on local districts was requested by some

prospective new

> neighbor!

>

> Perhaps, because we are all also flawed human beings, we could try

harder to

> relax when someone else needs to vent to us -in either

direction!!!!!!!!!

> Accurate language, and listening too, go out the window when we are

stressed! We

> need each other so much, the ones who will understand when others

can't. We

> want to be caring and understanding, not add to each other's

stress, right?

>

> Perhaps if we HAVE to complain we could limit it to " I " messages?

> I hope you all get to smile at something this evening.

>

> Sandi

>

> The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best

> of everything; they just make the most of everything

> that comes along their way.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

" ...I will repeat what my challange

is. It is to work in the public school. Until you have done that you have

not

accepted my challange. Don't say you have accepetd my challange until you

have worked in a public school. For what I am reading none of you have

worked

in a public school..... "

I respectfully disagree with you. YOU are missing the point.

You have no right to be issuing this challenge in the first place.

Expecting the teachers, administrators and the school system to do their

job,....is our right as tax payers and parents of children with Autism. To

say that we must accept your version of how you or a teacher does the job,

(or some administrator, or the " SYSTEM " ) without question, unless we decide

to change our vocations and become teachers, ... is a very condescending

attitude on YOUR part. I have spent 6 years in the classroom and I still

think you are totally misguided and flat out WRONG. And I can say from

experience, teaching in public schools AND teaching special ed, (both of

which I have done) is a CAKEWALK compared to LIVING with Autism.

And what I see in the newsgroups are REPEATEDLY, the same story, parents

fighting to get children services that the ISD's are saying they don't need.

YET, the ISD's are rarely effective at producing RESULTS (with kids with

Autism).

You say you know these broad statements are not true....How? How do you

KNOW they are not true? At what point do individual stories like these,

told over and over thousands of times, for thousands of children become a

pattern and therefore indicative of a wider, systemic problem of the whole

institution?

For my part, and the EXTENSIVE reading I do in Autism related newsgroups, I

have NEVER seen anyone write that ALL schools are bad, or ALL teachers are

lazy or ALL administrators are uncaring. So your argument now seems like an

argument in search of a problem....? At the same time, I think most parents

who have children with Autism, WOULD agree, that MOST schools in Texas are

NOT doing what they should be doing for children with Autism. And based

upon different reports, the schools in Texas are doing less than some other

states. MOST, but of course I can't and don't say ALL.

" ....That is just like when

people who do not know any better say all Autistic Kids are evil..... "

I have NEVER heard this,.... this is just loopy. I am sure right now, you

are feeling attacked, and you are now just grasping at straws to support

your opinion.

" ...None of that changes anything I have written.... " I agree with you

here,...nothing we say or write WILL CHANGE your opinion. Until you have

had the experiences, such as we have had.... you are only going to see what

supports your opinion and ignore the rest. But I, having experienced BOTH

sides of this question, still maintain that you are misguided, uninformed

and just plain wrong.

Only a few short years ago, the state of Texas , as represented by the TEA,

sponsored a seminar for Special Ed Directors at one of their Special Ed

Director State conventions, with the topic being " How to avoid paying for

ABA " presented by a lawyer from a leading law firm in Texas. They did not

argue against the efficacy of ABA, but rather how to get out of paying for

it. And in this presentation, the lawyer presented a small skit in which he

parodied a brainless, nit-wit parent and equated a parent of a child with

Autism to Chicken Little .... you know, ... " the sky is falling, the sky is

falling... " . What more evidence do you need that this is a systemic problem

in Special Education in the state of Texas?

Most schools in Texas are NOT appropriately serving kids with Autism.

J. Reirdon

Message: 5

Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 12:39:25 EST

From: MidasGoal@...

Subject: Re: to midasgoal re: parents beating up on public sch...

All of you are missing my point entirely. I will repeat what my challange

is. It is to work in the public school. Until you have done that you have

not

accepted my challange. Don't say you have accepetd my challange until you

have worked in a public school. For what I am reading none of you have

worked

in a public school.

Are there bad schools, of course. Is it a battle trying to get all of the

services our kids need, of course. It is wrong to say all schools are

horrible

and all teachers are stupid...etc, becuse it is simply not true.

I commend all of you for taking your childen out of school or finding a

private program that is working for you.

None of that changes anything I have written. I do not have a problem with

all of you saying the problem I had at my child's school was, whatever and

talk about your school and your issue with that school or that teacher.

Too

often when we as parents complain about what is going on with thier

situation

they use words like all public schools are whatever. That is just like

when

people who do not know any better say all Autistic Kids are evil.

Anytime, I see anyone making broad statments that I know are not true I am

going to challange the person on it.

I would not ever dispute specific situations becasue I do not know your

specific situation.

But if I see anything like all public schools are horrible and all private

schools are fantastic then I am going to callange you on it because you are

making statments that could not possibly be true.

Anyone want to discuss te issue off line here is my toll free phone number

888-642-3924

[Guest guest]

J. Rierdon- I wonder if we could talk off line. I just recently-Feb. 4th

went to a workshop where an attorney spoke to school educators about how to

get around ABA. She was insulting to parents. I was told that there was a

workshop similar to this a couple of years ago that was titled, Autism the

sky is falling. Did you attend? I think our elected officials would be

horrified if they knew this was going on. They will soon find out about the

one I recently attended. Liz 972-390-1444

On 2/16/04 1:02 PM, " Reirdon, J. " <jreirdon@...> wrote:

> ,

>

> " ...I will repeat what my challange

> is. It is to work in the public school. Until you have done that you have

> not

> accepted my challange. Don't say you have accepetd my challange until you

> have worked in a public school. For what I am reading none of you have

> worked

> in a public school..... "

>

> I respectfully disagree with you. YOU are missing the point.

>

> You have no right to be issuing this challenge in the first place.

>

> Expecting the teachers, administrators and the school system to do their

> job,....is our right as tax payers and parents of children with Autism. To

> say that we must accept your version of how you or a teacher does the job,

> (or some administrator, or the " SYSTEM " ) without question, unless we decide

> to change our vocations and become teachers, ... is a very condescending

> attitude on YOUR part. I have spent 6 years in the classroom and I still

> think you are totally misguided and flat out WRONG. And I can say from

> experience, teaching in public schools AND teaching special ed, (both of

> which I have done) is a CAKEWALK compared to LIVING with Autism.

>

> And what I see in the newsgroups are REPEATEDLY, the same story, parents

> fighting to get children services that the ISD's are saying they don't need.

> YET, the ISD's are rarely effective at producing RESULTS (with kids with

> Autism).

>

> You say you know these broad statements are not true....How? How do you

> KNOW they are not true? At what point do individual stories like these,

> told over and over thousands of times, for thousands of children become a

> pattern and therefore indicative of a wider, systemic problem of the whole

> institution?

>

> For my part, and the EXTENSIVE reading I do in Autism related newsgroups, I

> have NEVER seen anyone write that ALL schools are bad, or ALL teachers are

> lazy or ALL administrators are uncaring. So your argument now seems like an

> argument in search of a problem....? At the same time, I think most parents

> who have children with Autism, WOULD agree, that MOST schools in Texas are

> NOT doing what they should be doing for children with Autism. And based

> upon different reports, the schools in Texas are doing less than some other

> states. MOST, but of course I can't and don't say ALL.

>

> " ....That is just like when

> people who do not know any better say all Autistic Kids are evil..... "

>

> I have NEVER heard this,.... this is just loopy. I am sure right now, you

> are feeling attacked, and you are now just grasping at straws to support

> your opinion.

>

> " ...None of that changes anything I have written.... " I agree with you

> here,...nothing we say or write WILL CHANGE your opinion. Until you have

> had the experiences, such as we have had.... you are only going to see what

> supports your opinion and ignore the rest. But I, having experienced BOTH

> sides of this question, still maintain that you are misguided, uninformed

> and just plain wrong.

>

> Only a few short years ago, the state of Texas , as represented by the TEA,

> sponsored a seminar for Special Ed Directors at one of their Special Ed

> Director State conventions, with the topic being " How to avoid paying for

> ABA " presented by a lawyer from a leading law firm in Texas. They did not

> argue against the efficacy of ABA, but rather how to get out of paying for

> it. And in this presentation, the lawyer presented a small skit in which he

> parodied a brainless, nit-wit parent and equated a parent of a child with

> Autism to Chicken Little .... you know, ... " the sky is falling, the sky is

> falling... " . What more evidence do you need that this is a systemic problem

> in Special Education in the state of Texas?

>

> Most schools in Texas are NOT appropriately serving kids with Autism.

>

> J. Reirdon

>

>

>

>

> Message: 5

> Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 12:39:25 EST

> From: MidasGoal@...

> Subject: Re: to midasgoal re: parents beating up on public sch...

>

> All of you are missing my point entirely. I will repeat what my challange

> is. It is to work in the public school. Until you have done that you have

> not

> accepted my challange. Don't say you have accepetd my challange until you

> have worked in a public school. For what I am reading none of you have

> worked

> in a public school.

>

> Are there bad schools, of course. Is it a battle trying to get all of the

> services our kids need, of course. It is wrong to say all schools are

> horrible

> and all teachers are stupid...etc, becuse it is simply not true.

>

> I commend all of you for taking your childen out of school or finding a

> private program that is working for you.

>

> None of that changes anything I have written. I do not have a problem with

>

> all of you saying the problem I had at my child's school was, whatever and

> talk about your school and your issue with that school or that teacher.

> Too

> often when we as parents complain about what is going on with thier

> situation

> they use words like all public schools are whatever. That is just like

> when

> people who do not know any better say all Autistic Kids are evil.

>

>

> Anytime, I see anyone making broad statments that I know are not true I am

> going to challange the person on it.

>

> I would not ever dispute specific situations becasue I do not know your

> specific situation.

>

> But if I see anything like all public schools are horrible and all private

> schools are fantastic then I am going to callange you on it because you are

> making statments that could not possibly be true.

>

> Anyone want to discuss te issue off line here is my toll free phone number

> 888-642-3924

>

>

>

>

> Unlocking Autism

> www.UnlockingAutism.org

>

> Autism-Awareness-Action

> Worldwide internet group for parents who have a

> child with AUTISM.

>

> SeekingJoyinDisability - Prayer support for those touched by Disability:

> SeekingJoyinDisability/

>

>

>

>

>