You know it seemed like maybe not blogging allowed me to live in denial.. I am laughing as I type this but it sure makes me re-think my day when I share parts with you all and in doing so makes many things I encounter come to the surface for a re-boil... I am in the year 2011-2012 right?? We are moving forward in society correct?? Yes yes I know we are in a bit of a depression, they call it recession but my generation this is as bad as it gets, our friends are homeless, many people we know are out of work with terribly high college loans calling while they can't figure out how to put a meal on the table. No, we are not in the desert with tumble weeds blowing over our dehydrated bodies, with cowboys and lone rangers riding up horseback but sure seems like it when you see families walking from the homeless shelters about town trying to fill their day and news reporters rolling by...all the same we feel the drain of the economy as many did in the 30's.. BUT my goodness, turn the corner and there ya go..... you know where this is going, Chevron, GE and all those tax breaks, loop holes folks not paying taxes but getting political forums right where they want them, while they go home to their over 6 figure incomes ---Don't get me wrong, JUST PAY YOUR FAIR SHARE....should make us all want to GET OUT AND VOTE.
What good is getting rights when they can not and are not being given.....who is enforcing them.....
OK, you want to know what the heck happened today...
Today SCHOOL YEAR 2011-2012 at our local school a teacher very proud to be a new member of the faculty introduces herself as the new HANDICAP teacher.... YEPPERS....
H A N D I C A P.... my beloved school has taken a couple steps back which I was warned a few years ago from Dr Jill England who so graciously came to my aide and met with our school to help give inclusion direction...only to learn our district has stacked the deck against the possibility of an INCLUSIVE SCHOOL being inclusive because the number of ESE children being railroaded into one school out weighs normal balances and makes the school itself NO INCLUSIVE by population... OH MY!! Oh I am not surprised.. I will take responsibility for a small piece of the problem. I did brag to the heavens what a great school it is what a wonderful job they did including Kaitlyn and how much Kaitlyn achieved because of this schools inclusive practices... but those are slipping.... and things are not so wonderful..better than others by far. I heard a new teacher who is in the Pre-K say oh I am in the LIFESKILLS CLASS...LIFE SKILLS at 3, 4, 5 and 6 years old...HELLO ....Aren't all 3 to 6 year old learning life's skills (COLORS, NUMBERS, NAME, SHAPES) INCLUSIVE LIFESKILLS....come on cut it out... leave off life skills... such nonsense. Oh yes I have already; many years ago, been bombarded by the assigned bulldog teacher who comes to the IEP to inform the young families that school is way different today kids are reading complete chapter books starting first grade... HOG WASH, some yes are some always have been and a good part of the general population fails the FCAT gets 1 & 2's and slips through the cracks... A HUGE AMOUNT OF OUR POPULATION classified Gen ed getting 1's and 2's on the FCAT have fallen through the cracks. SO stop labeling kids and teach, I remember learning so much from the smart kids where it came easy for them...I remember them helping me learn some short cuts for math, how to win over the social studies teacher with news clips and current events, They made class interesting, then you had the person who made a lesser grade than you and they needed you.. we were peers, students, friends, peers, neighbors... Heck they are some of the most meaningful relationship I ever had. Where is Education gone? Only teach the ones it comes easy for?? I remember some super teachers who I couldn't wait to get to their class because they made learning so interesting, exciting... and yes I had a few that I am not sure they even liked teaching. You must know what I learned more of..From...
Tonight I struggle with my oldest, well my two oldest (at home) although Kaitlyn is my girl the one I learned so much from and want to be there for here to the end. She wants to be a teacher, she wants to work, have a job, pay her own bills and buy her own things, she wants her own apartment and I know when it hits her she is going to want to buy a house with a pool near the beach. I want her to reach as far as she can... I struggle with all the work I put into an IEP and give an inch and they take a mile... I say OK lets use resource classrooms and now she is ONLY in ESE complete classes...Well where is the % what does it mean (more than 40%, but less than or equal to 79% with NON ESE) Lets figure it out... All but her one class is NON ESE and that is a block schedule so only every other day.... REALLY REALLY do you expect her to meet friends who are NON ESE for lunch... WHO is monitoring that?? OH this gives them the right to count because under the roof is NON ESE... NOT IN MY CALCULATIONS... Let's figure the 79% out....the HALLS??? THE BATHROOM??? Please the boil is rising... Time for an IEP at the HIGH SCHOOL TO MEET MRS. PRINGLE and all you condescending people who I have not had the pleasure of working with yet, CUT THE SHIT ..... it is my daughter we are talking about. It is what SHE WANTS!!! She is an AMERICAN, she is 16, she is in HIGH SCHOOL, and she wants to be in the seat next to her PEERS... cut the crap about the law ...BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT THE LAW SAYS... today the ESE staff said, well if you want her to get a special diploma she by law must take this and that... I. E. P. PRINGLE STYLE please....SUNNY SIDE UP!!! I say let's just EDUCATE. VOTE VOTE VOTE....school board members, city, county, state and USA....get leaders who lead in the RIGHT DIRECTION!
