How do I get a teacher fired? PLEASE HELP?

Question

My autistic son has been mainstreamed in a reg ed classroom. Until this year it has been a working set up for him. The difference this year is his reg ed teacher treats him like he's nothing but a pest. I have been to the classroom several times and each time she runs it like he doesn't exist. I also heard her request that a "toy box" be placed in her room filled with things to keep him occupied quietly so she doesn't have to deal with him, keep him out of her hair. I've been told that they've sent her to conferences about autistic children but its like in one ear and out the other. She's been reprimanded by my son's case manager several times already. She's been reprimanded by my son's teacher from last year. And now I think she got my son's para (the one who stays with him all day to monitor him and basically be his teacher) fired or taken off the case because she's complained and she genuinely cares about my son. Please help... who should I go to and with what?

Answer 1

I am amazed at some of these responses. I wish people would not respond and give advice to a subject they know nothing about. Oh, and pssssst, Mike M, it's principal, not principle.

But anyway, I apologize for being a smart aleck.

This teacher is the General Education teacher. It is the child's Special Education Teacher of Record's responsibility to ensure that all of the accommodations laid out in the child's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) are being put in place.

The first thing to do is to call for a Case Conference. If you feel that the child's need are not being met, or ignored, it would be of a great advantage to contact a parent advocate to attend the conference with you. This advocate is more aware of the laws and will make sure that everything is in the IEP that needs to be.

If, after these things have been done and you are not satisfied with the way things are going then go up the ladder in the Special Education department. In the school corporation that I work in each school has a Special Ed Department Head or leader. After that the district should have a Special Ed Director that oversees all of the special ed departments in the corporation.

Like the others say, you CAN go to the school board or to the superintendent, but they are just going to go straight to the head of the department. (which is where I am telling you to go)


Please do not hesitate to contact me for further advice.


As far as getting the teacher fired, this is HIGHLY unlikely. Unless of cousre this is a repeat offender)

I would suggest reporting (in writing) to the principal your experience so that it can be added to the teacher's personnel file. That way if this happens again or if it has happened their is a record of your complaint.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

special e and allen have it right, all the stuff I would type.

I have two kids with autism, and work for the state autism society. I know what a pita it is, we hear this story every day. And to be honest, lived it until I finally came to the conclusion that since i was teaching my kids all of their academics and all their functional behavior stuff, might as well cut out the middle man and just homeschool.

Every teacher is different, and you can't force her to care. You might read 'From Emotions to Advocacy', by Pete Wright (found at www.wrightslaw.com) It is a very succint plan for connecting with your IEP team and getting things done properly.

My daughter was also doing very well mainstreamed, and the fact is, it is the schools responsibility to provide the least restrictive environment. You don't say how old your son is, but there are several grades where the ante is upped, so to speak socially and academically. Going in to first grade, and fourth grade are both big changes.

The special education coordinator in charge of his program should be working with the teacher to help create a modified school work, and the para is the one who is helping him do his classwork. However, the regular education teacher, whether she planned it or not, has a special needs child in her room. She knew, while in college, that this was possible, which is why you have to take classes on teaching special needs, and why schools pay for training. I've also seen the teachers blow in and out of the trainings complaining about what a waste of time. I've been in several panels at them, and am always amazed at how little some care to know. Then there are other teachers who really care and try. That's why I would second having another IEP meeting, trying to figure out how to get your kid learning, and barring that, transfering him to another classroom after holiday break.

Answer 4

Go to the principal first...you don't want to step on toes in the chain of command. You want as many allies as you can get. Talk to the principal, state your concerns, and take documentation with you. If you have a small notebook, write down as much as you can remember about all the conflicts/issues you have had with her. If you have statements or letters from people who have worked with the teacher, such as the paraprofessional, or the case worker, bring those as well. Before trying to get the teacher fired (which may backfire, since the principal will want to stand up for his staff), try to have your child's classroom changed. Many teachers, no matter how long they've been teaching, are not cut out to work with children with special needs. Perhaps this just isn't her forte, and if she is not willing to make an effort to try to modify her teaching beliefs, then this is not the teacher for your child. Find out if there are any other teachers that come recommended by the SDC class at your school for regular ed. Anything you can have in your favor will help with your meeting. If this meeting does not go well, go to the next step up- the superintendent of the school district.

Answer 5

All Special Education students fall under a Special Ed Umbrella.
Has your child had an IEP( individual Education Plan) if so the school board has to provide a Education specialist as mediator in ANY complaints involving Special Ed students. The second part of this FEDERAL law, states that if the Parent,Guardian or Educational Specialist is not satisfied with the action of the school board....the school board must provide the parent etc with a lawyer...
1 Ask for an IEP...You as a parent have the right. The school can not refuse.
2 They( school) must provide you and your child with a list of your rights
3 READ and REREAD this list ask for any additional information that YOU as the parent need..Here again this is a right granted at the federal level
4 Attend the IEP meeting. The meeting must spell out clear education goals and benchmarks that are to be met by the staff and the student ( eg The student will be taught basic adding of one digit, two digit and three digit numbers. the student must be able to add these numbers and obtain a score of 75 correct to master this skill. The education staff will use the touch-point system and basic motor skill learning to teach this set of skills.)
5 The student(not the parents) must be given a casemanger to ensure that the student's educational rights are met. The parents have a lot of input, but the rights of the student must at all time be protected, (the student must be given the right to an educatioin)
6 ALL IEP's MUST be signed The signatures of The Casemanager, The teacher, The education specialist and the parent are required on this.....
a copy MUST be given to the school.
a copy MUST be included in the student's file.
a copy MUST be given to the parent.
a copy MUST be given to the student's casemanger.

THIS IS THE LAW...Not good intentions THE LAW

Answer 6

I am a paraprofessional (for two and a half years now) and I have seen a situation that you are talking about in a regular classroom I worked in. That teacher happened to be an excellent teacher but in observing the autistic student she could not keep pace nor relate very well and she spent almost the entire day working on a side table with another aide on work she was capable of doing. She couldn't do any of the usual schoolwork and she seemed to be out of place in that respect and it looked to me as if a class setting geared to her such as Special Ed would have been a better fit. Anyway, that is what I saw there; your options would to me be to move your child to a room where the teacher is more sensitive to a student with a disability that is mainstreaming or move your child to a Special Ed class specializing in autiism.

I suggest you direct your anger in some other venue and not toward the teacher your child has now. Instead, work in positive ways to make changes for the best interests of your child.

Answer 7

I'm so sorry you and your son have to go through this. I've thankfully only had one or two teachers in my 15 years of working with autistic kids who have been so inconsiderate and uncaring. You probably won't be able to get her fired. I'm sure she has a contract. You should probably go another route.

Call an IEP meeting. The school will have 10 days to reconvene the IEP team. Present your concerns to the team and bring any documentation that you have to prove she has not been following the IEPs specially designed instruction. This would be technically illegal. Petition that you want a change in classroom or that you want an outside consultant to observe your child's placement in her classroom.

Be aware that getting the rest of the team to gang up on her might be difficult because that would be a breach of their union contract. Only their supervisor can make a determination of her teaching abilities and follow up with a formal reprimand. One teacher can make a recommendation to another as your case manager has already, but that doesn't ensure the regular ed. teacher will listen. You have to PROVE she is not following the specially designed instruction and that her methods are preventing your child from FAPE (free and appropriate education) in the LRE (least restrictive environment). She must follow the specially designed instruction (SDI). She is responsible for your child's education...not a para professional!

Problems between teachers and paraprofessionals can always occur. Some paraprofessionals have a hard time drawing the line between education and baby sitting. I'm not saying this was the case but no one can be fired for caring about a student. It might have been a professional conflict. If you feel she was fired unfairly, then she needs to file a complaint as well.

Try to remain calm. I know it will be hard. I know you want her fired but that might insight more resentment. Make your point clearly and simply....you want your child's regular education placement re-evaluated to determine if his needs could be better met in another teacher's classroom. (I'm assuming the school has more than one of each grade).

If they do not come up with a decision that is to your satisfaction, then you have every right to file a due process. If you can prove this teacher compromised your child's education and denied him access to his appropriate educational placement by keeping him busy with toys instead of academics that are appropriate then you will probably be able to change his placement. Unfortunately for you, that can be a lengthy process.

Another alternative is an approved private school placement or home schooling until the issue is resolved. I've had many families do this until the issue is resolved. I don't really recommend this because the main reason for inclusion is socialization.

Good luck to you and to your son.

Answer 8

Your child is being denied a free and appropriate education (FAPE) whether he has an IEP or not. If he does have an IEP (since you said he's been mainstreamed, I assume he does), this teacher is not complying with your childs IEP. If the case manage has given reprimands, then you need to go out of the school district, in my opinion. I think you should file a complaint with your state's department of education. Read your IDEIA parents rights booklet that should have been provided to you. (that's the name of the latest revision) and arm yourself with knowledge. There are lots of teachers who are resistant to inclusion, and it's time they get over it or retire. No Child Left Behind makes it inclusion has to happen. A complaint and a review by the state might help the teacher make a decision.

As an aside, perhaps you can write a letter of recommendation on behalf of the para in case she needs something for a new job.

Answer 9

First, I want to commend you for advocating for your child. It is essential that you do so.

I understand your frustration with this teacher and with the harm she is doing your child. However, I would like you to reconsider your focus in a way that conserves your energy and most effectively benefits your child.

Getting a teacher fired is almost impossible. There is a teacher's union (usually), and at best it is a process which takes considerable time and energy. Furthermore, your son will be going on to a new teacher, and you may have a similar problem with the new teacher.

It is unfortunate that this teacher is ignorant and unwilling to improve her skills in dealing with your son, but I must let you know that she is a regular education teacher, and most likely does not have adequate training to help your son. Most people dealing with autistic kids have a Master's Degree in Special Education and study and work with students for many years to do so. A conference or training session would be an improvement, but hardly adequate to give her the skills to truly help your son.

Also, teachers (the good, the bad, and the in-between) are under considerable pressure to meet multiple needs with inadequate resources. When another pressure is added, especially one which seems overwhelming, often the teacher will just try to "get by" for sheer survival.

There is also, as I am sure you know, much stigma and misunderstanding about children with special needs.

The SCHOOL is required to provide those services written into the IEP (Individual Education Plan). Since the teacher is unable to provide these services, I would suggest directing your energies into insisting your son be provided the necessary services, such as changing his classroom teacher.

As a parent of a child who has a disability and who was mistreated by a number of teachers, I understand your anger. One of the things I learned in the process, however, was to stay out of power struggles and use my energy to get informed and more focused in obtaining services for her needs. Soon as it gets personal, people take sides, get polarized, and the focus is on the fight instead of the child's needs.

Answer 10

Contact a professional advocate in your area. Or contact the department of education in your state and have an advocate sent to your IEP. Nothing will change a district's attitude more than an external factor (non-parental) getting in the mix for advocacy of rights. The likelihood of you getting a teacher fired is pretty small. Get some press (newspaper) on it if you can. If the school refuses to work with you, take it to a public forum where they can't ignore it any longer.