Work of Special Ed Students Irks Parents

[Guest guest]

Ok, I was just discussing this with one of my friends similar to

this as I had requested some physical activities included in his

school environment for his sensory issues. I was worried that

something similar to this would happen. Maybe the stacking of the

chairs in the cafeteria for a limited time and for them not to take

advantage of him doing it all the time and not treated as

punishment. Plus I want him rewarded right after this activity.

I'm going to make sure that I send this article to the school as I'm

against this too. Thats all I need for inconsiderate or disrepectful

High school NT students to add more mess for our kids and make fun

of them. So far the the other students are fine with 's class

and I like to keep it like that. He could place the chairs in his

classroom instead of the cafeteria. Hmm, I think I better start

jotting down what I would not mind for . Never-ending thinking

or planning.

Oh, today, brag time. had an awesome day. Here I was worried

because he did not have his transition item. Yes!! Pizza Party!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?

tmpl=story & u=/ap/20031010/ap_on_re_us/student_janitors

Work of Special Ed Students Irks Parents

Fri Oct 10, 5:13 AM ET Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!

By REBECCA COOK, Associated Press Writer

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Special education students were told to pick

through recyclables and haul trash without pay as part of a

Washington high school's " Work Experience Program, " and some of

their parents are outraged.

" It seems rather demeaning, " said Finders, whose son

participated in the program. " The thought of him doing that in front

of the normal students just drove me nuts. "

Finders said his son, now 18, had been regularly digging through

trash for recyclables, stacking cafeteria chairs and performing

other janitorial tasks at Vancouver's Heritage High School, often in

front of other students.

School officials said many special education students will do

janitorial work after high school, so they believe the tasks are

appropriate. The Evergreen School District's " Work Experience

Program " is aimed at teaching special education students work skills

that would help them get jobs and live independently after school.

Custodial work was part of the program because the district couldn't

find enough outside work sites for the students, said

Melching, superintendent of the school district in southwest

Washington state.

" I don't believe that there's anything wrong with the program, and I

don't believe that the staff has done anything that it shouldn't

have done, " Melching said. " The entire situation wouldn't have

arisen if it weren't for the fact that we don't have enough

community-based worksites in the Heritage High School attendance

area. "

The janitorial work experience has been halted this year, although

school officials say that wasn't in response to complaints, and the

program may resume later.

Melching said the students weren't required to pick through the

garbage, but did sort through the recycling bins to separate bottles

and cans.

The 23,800-student Evergreen School District has about 100 students

in its Work Experience Program. About 25 were doing janitorial tasks

at Heritage High last year. Special education students at the

district's two other high schools didn't do any janitorial work,

officials said.

Other jobs in the program include mailroom sorting and retail work,

such as stocking merchandise and folding clothes. Most jobs,

including the school janitorial work, are unpaid.

Finders bristled at the school district's defense.

" They define it as 'life experience.' My son's not going to be going

through trash cans when he's out of there, " said Finders, a

firefighter in Portland, Ore., just across the Columbia River from

Vancouver.

The Washington Protection and Advocacy System, a private, nonprofit

legal organization, is investigating to see whether students' rights

were violated.

The advocacy group filed a lawsuit in federal court last year to try

to force the school district to release the names of parents with

children in the special education program, so the group could

further investigate Finders' complaints. The school refused, and the

case was ultimately dismissed.

The lawsuit includes sworn depositions from Finders and another

parent, C. Upjohn, whose daughter was also enrolled in the

special education program at Heritage.

Upjohn said his daughter, who was 16 at the time, was teased by

other children and called " Stinky " on days when she had to pick up

trash.

In depositions and in interviews with The Associated Press,

Evergreen School District officials said the work program was

strictly voluntary and parents always gave permission for students

to participate.

But Finders said teachers never told him or his wife about the

custodial work in numerous parent-teacher conferences. He found out

about it only when his son mentioned it in passing last year, he

said.

Finders said when he told his son that he wanted the trash

collection to stop, his son was upset because teachers had told him

the janitors at school needed his help. Since then, his son has

worked at an auto-parts store and a clothing store as part of the

program.

Deborah Dorfman, a director at the advocacy group, said she has

received dozens of responses to an e-mail she sent to a discussion

group for parents of disabled children, asking parents who may have

similar complaints about Evergreen School District to contact her.

" We are very concerned, " Dorfman said. " Vocational skills are

important ... so long as the parents are involved ... and it doesn't

create a situation where the child will be the subject of ridicule. "

___

On the Net

Washington Protection and Advocacy System:

http://www.wpas-rights.org

Evergreen School District: http://www.egreen.wednet.edu