RE: Kindergarten Child voted out of class at teacher's direction UPDATE

[Guest guest]

What's to investigate???? The teacher admitted what she did. she should be gone.

Lorelie

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/may/27/st-lucie-teacher-reassigned-after-student-voted-ou/?feedback=1#comments

To: aspires-relationships From: creativelywired@...Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 02:07:07 -0700Subject: Re: Kindergarten Child voted out of class at teacher's direction

Janet,

I will surely keep everyone posted. Here are a few blogs that have info on them (and opinions). The hope is that public opinion will make a difference here. I still feel so badly for that child. It could have been me, except that my mother would have yellede loudly enough to effect change, I think. I believe she would have called the school and had me switched out of that class within days, to another teacher.

Thanks for caring,

A few more blogs in support of Barton:http://joeyandymom. blogspot. com/2008/ 05/alex-barton. htmlhttp://www.alongthe spectrum. com/2008/ 05/my-two- new-heroes/http://rettdevil. blogspot. com/2008/ 05/yes-alex- you-are-special- good-kind. htmlhttp://stopthinkaut ism.blogspot. com/2008/ 05/im-not- special.htmlhttp://bigwhitehat. com/?p=420 http://autisticbfh. blogspot. com/2008/ 05/st-lucie- county-schools- vote-wendy. html http://drivemomcraz y.com/?p= 379 http://ballastexist enz.autistics. org/?p=538 http://joyofautism. blogspot. com/2008/ 05/autistic- kindergarten- student-gets. html http://maternal- instincts. blogspot. com/2008/ 05/alex-barton- deserves- better.html http://whittererona utism.com/ 2008/05/alex- barton/ http://leftbrainrig htbrain.co. uk/?p=834 http://actionforaut ism.co.uk/ 2008/05/24/ alex-is-cool/ http://autism- hub.co.uk

Janet Zimmerman <jkzmailTSSMT (DOT) NET> wrote:

this incident disgusts me and so does the response from the district. I wonder if anyone has investigated this as an incident of bullying which is clearly a civil rights issue . A complaint can be filed with the Office of Civil Rights. Does anyone know when this happened? Unbelieveable imcompetency by the teacher. Keep us informed. This should not be happening to any child. Janet ZEE

Sandy,

Here it is. This has been copied like this to seveeral websites, and I copied one of these. I do not believe I am breaking any copywrite laws here, since credits are given. I have received this article on ANI-L, ASANDiscussion, the Treehouse, and perhaps other sites, but most of them are not frequented by very many NTs, so I could not get the other side of the coin here.

ANI-LLISTSERV (DOT) SYR.EDU

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/may/23/st-lucie-teacher-has-class-vote-whether-5-year-old/ St. Lucie teacher has students vote on whether 5-year-old can stay in class By Colleen Wixon Originally published 01:50 p.m., May 23, 2008 Updated 04:30 p.m., May 23, 2008 PORT ST. LUCIE - Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class. After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, , his Morningside Elementary teacher said they were going to take a vote, Barton said. By a 14 to 2 margin, the class voted him out of the class. Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Aspberger's, a type of high-functioning autism. began the testing process in February for an official diagnosis under the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marsha Cully. has had disciplinary issues because of his disabilities, Barton said. The school and district has met with Barton and her son to create an individual education plan, she said. His teacher, Portillo, has attended these meetings, she said. Barton said after the vote, 's teacher asked him how he felt. "He said, 'I feel sad,'" she said. left the classroom and spent the rest of the day in the nurse's office, she said. Barton said when she came to pick up her son at the school on Wednesday, he was leaving the nurse's office. "He was shaken up," she said. Barton said the nurse told her to talk with the child's teacher, who

told her what happened. hasn't been back to school since then, and Barton said he won't be returning. He starts screaming when she brings him with her to drop off his sibling at school. Thursday night, his mother heard him saying "I'm not special." Barton said is reliving the incident. They said he was "disgusting" and "annoying," Barton said. "He was incredibly upset," Barton said. "The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this." The child's mother filed a complaint with the school resource officer, who investigated the matter, said Port St. Lucie spokeswoman Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said. Port St. Lucie Police is no longer investigating, but is documenting the complaint, she said. Steele said the teacher confirmed the incident did occur. St. Lucie

School's spokeswoman Janice Karst said the district is investigating the incident, but could not make any further comment. Vern Melvin, Department of Children and Families circuit administrator, confirmed the agency is investigating an allegation of abuse at Morningside, but said he could not elaborate. Scripps Lighthouse © 2008 Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers

Dahlberg <pandy88sbcglobal (DOT) net> wrote:

Shucks

I can't get to the article through the websites. Is there any way you can copy it and put it in your email. I am curious.

Sandy

Kindergarten Child voted out of class at teacher's direction

Hi,What is reported to have happened here makes me feel sick inside, more than I can even tell you. It would appear that an AS kindergarten student was really damaged by the callous actions of his teacher. I do not want to judge her, in case I am somehow not seeing her point of view, but before I write a scathing letter (because doing this to any child is horribly wrong- and depending on the implementation, likely unconstitutional) , I wanted to post this news article so that you could talk me out of it. Or, if you feel strongly enough, maybe a few letters from NT writers would be more effective than any letter I would write: I feel this too strongly to be able to write immediately. As a teacher, I was trained never to do this. It is an action that would be censured in each of the three states where I am licenced. I hope I am interpreting this wrong, in some way. Here is the article:"...<http://www.tcpalm. com/news/ 2008/may/ 23/st-lucie- teacher-has- class-vote- whether-5- year-old/>andblog <http://www.autismvo x.com/5-year- old-boy-voted- out-of-his- class/>posts<http://aspergersqua re8.blogspot. com/2008/ 05/not-special- support-alex- barton.html> "Here is the contact info that I got from another list, for anyone who would like to write:Contact info:*Morningside Elementary School Principal:*Mrs. Marcia Cullycullymstlucie (DOT) k12.fl.us*St. Lucie County Schools Superintendent: * J. Lannon4204 Okeechobee RoadFt. Pierce 34947-5414Phone: 772/429-3925FAX: 772/429-3916e-mail: lannonmstlucie (DOT) k12.fl.us*St. Lucie County School Board Chair:*Carol HilsonHilsonCstlucie (DOT) k12.fl.us*Vice Chair:*Judith Jstlucie (DOT) k12.fl.us**Regards,Ari Ne'emanPresidentThe Autistic Self Advocacy Network1101 15th Street, NW Suite 1212Washington, DC 20005http://www.autistic advocacy. orgThanks for reading this.

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