Community Advocate

Can you say segregation?

Teachers only associate with other teachers? I've never heard that one before! I think teachers are in a good position (working in the system) to have a clear perspective from their own point of view. It's how we listen (or not) to them that makes the difference. I pooh-pooh the idea because it is not even close to realistic. It is different because it is public education. It is not the child's fault, nor the parent's fault if the school can not manage their resources with the students they have, it is the fault of the school system, budgets, and administrators. They have the same right to education that your children have. Farther down your list of concerns is children who have parents who aren't ufilling their own responsibilities? That statement smacks of judgement, and lacks empathy and understanding. Getting lawyers involved will not work. Talk to your Minister of Education and let that sector know of the shortfalls in supporting special needs in this province. Then, you'll be a part of the solution for the teachers, the special needs students, and the 'good' students who care about their education. The suggestion to sue parents of special needs kids for taking away from 'civilized' students shows you do not care. The civilized child is the primary interest and everything else is secondary? This speaks volumes about your paradigm. 11In one case at our elementary school, the poor little boy who fought back was told to do so by his school principal, who then expelled him for the action he took, as suggested. Twice victimized is very rare. Usually, one who is the target of bullying is victimized over and over again throughout their school years. My son had this experience as well. What did I do? I rallied other parents in our school district, had them fill in my survey, write victim impact statements, met for six weeks over my kitchen table with nine other parents, and we delegated to the school board. The result? An anti-harassment policy WRITTEN for students, (similar to those teachers have), a district wide mandatory education program for all administrators, teachers, and open to parents, and training sessions for school staff and administrators, along with a 'blue sheet' reporting system whereby all incidents must be recorded. I also fundraised to get anti-bullying groups into the elementary schools. My son learned by my role modelling that authority figures will protect him, and will ensure that he was heard. He also learned that parents can make a difference for all kids in the school, and that if we see something not working well, we can be a part of the problem by standing by and watching, or we can be a part of the solution by taking action. Had that parent had the means and support to address the issue with the school board, they may have been able to find a different solution. But they were right to move their child to another school if it was deemed he was not safe. Suing other parents for the behaviour problems their children display in the classroom is far from a solution IMO, and completely unachieveable. As most of us would. Perhaps you can share your idea of exactly what steps you would take if one of your children were involved? I'm quite curious.

That is your choice. You are fortunate to be able to make that choice for your children. Some parents do not have this choice, and are stuck in the public education system, which is exactly why it exists. Can you say mental illness? Bi Polar? Autistic? Fetal Alcohol Syndrome? (that's only a few) There are a whole host of mental illnesses and disorders that children are faced with today. Many of them are labelled 'brats' and are never properly diagnosed. Some of those end up incarcerated. Many more end up addicts. This is quite an ignorant statement. Name calling children is never acceptable, 'brat', 'loser' whatever your choice of negative words. Especially for those whom you do not know anything about. You call yourself a 'civilized person', yet you express yourself in this way? Children with learning disabilities, mental illnesses and disorders are in every school in every school district in every province. Another ignorant statement. They are only at school in session for less than five hours per day for starters, and count the number of teachers through the K-12 years, and you'll be hard pressed to charge them all with being brainwashing socialists!

Not in this lifetime on this earth. How do you think you could ever prove in a court of law that a child's behavior at school is the fault of a parent? If the problem child misbehaves, it is the teacher's responsibility to intervene and manage the classroom. This statement reminds me of a parent who said at one of our meetings that special needs and behaviour disordered kids should not be admitted to schools, they don't belong there. I suppose she thought it would be best to leave them uneducated, roaming the neighbourhoods breaking into houses to relieve their boredom or something. I don't know where people get these 'holier than thou' ideas about other people's children, but the judgements and ignorant statements are unacceptable. The only positive outcry would be about human rights, and the right to public education regardless of a child's challenges or disabilities. What a can o worms that would open! Actually, more power does nothing for the parent, if the student has behaviour problems for which the causes have been undiagnosed, or if the student has been diagnosed as special needs. Just some of my thoughts...

Those would be the students who have not yet been diagnosed. There is always a reason for behaviour issues. Once their diagnoses has been confirmed by the medical professionals, the school will then take some of those diagnoses and re-name them "behaviour disorders" for their own puroses. That is quite a generalization, Is it always the student's fault or the student that is lazy, or are there some lazy teachers as well? Are there any teachers not well educated in dealing with special needs in the classroom? Are there teachers who have more than their share of special needs students in a classroom? Are there any students in the classrooms who have not yet been, or may never be diagnosed? There are plenty. This most certainly can not be blamed on the lazy or uninterested student, and the teacher must take some accountability and responsibility for this scenario. Things are the way they are because we set them up this way. This is how the public education system is set up now, mostly due to losing students after multiple failures. This is called the 'dummy down' effect. It happens more in the states. Some people feel that special education students put on IEPs with accommodations and modifications do not belong in the public school system. Those folks may want to check into the number of IEPs in any particular school, and they would find there are high numbers. There is good reason for this. It is to help the individual child 'meet their own potential', as the square peg in the round hole, in great efforts to keep trying to squish them into the round holes. Short of going back to segregation, this will never end. I had one student at each end of the spectrum. One aced his way through public education with honours all the way. He was focussed and didn't let anything get in his way of success. The other didn't make it past 9th grade. There is such research, and once again, the success of split classes not only depends on the teacher's ability to manage the classroom, but the particular make-up of the students in the class. Usually, the benefit is for the students in the lower grade of the split, but there are some benefits for the older group as well. .You have a choice to go private sector, to homeschool, or to roll up your sleeves, and get involved through your PAC, DPAC, BCCPAC, and your local school board.

or make someone else that disgusting metaphor.

1. No problem with that, should be in effect for everyone, regardless of age, or driving experience. ZERO alcohol tolerance when driving for everyone. 2. No problem with that, should be in effect for everyone, regardless of age, or driving experience. FOLLOW the speed limits as posted, everyone. (as an option to 22-30 day syspension of license - a few weeks doing speedwatch in school zones. 3. Ridiculous, and another example of a few spoiling it for everyone. Correction though, no more than 1 passenger ADD: UNDER THE AGE OF 25.

Public education will never be able to meet the needs of all students. You would have to understand special education, and certain cerebral disabilities in order to understand the problems these special needs students present in a classroom, and how difficult it is for teachers to deal with them, without adequate support from a TA. EA, or classroom assistant. It is your provincial government minister of education you should be complaining to about this. Your disgust is misplaced. It should not be at the special needs kids. Your disgust should be aimed at the government that does not provide the required support to help these special needs students be successful in school. The square peg in the round hold syndrome still exists.

I for one am not anti-police. I am anti drinking and driving.

The public is not 'well served' by police who spend a few hours in the club after work and then drive home.

They are drinking and driving. The police in West Vancouver were reprimanded,and their 'club' closed down.

The success is in the statistics within the evaluation of the Alberta legislation of 2006. And, the success in a drug rehab, as I have recently learned, is NOT that the addict no longer needs professional help and support systems. They are necessary for some addicts to continue with in order to stay clean. The whole goal is to stay off the drugs, so whatever that takes for that individual is what is necessary. It's not about guaranteed income, it's about guaranteed support for the addict. Lucky them.

I'm so happy to hear this success story! It can be done if we just let it happen and provide the resources (such as no playpen and no meds!)

http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/O/OB...-02-05-02-58-08 Interesting concept. Do I have a civic duty to start eating cheesburgers and start smoking again? All I ever heard was the costs that these issues presented to society, never heard that they are actually saving us money!

GO OPRAH! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfzFmYoZajY