What do you think about the schools for the disabled shutting down?

Question

The public schools are now open to the diabled students. There won't be anymore diabled special schools anymore. They will be learning in their own age level grade with the non-disabled students. What do you think of this?

This is in Florida.

Answer 1

I've been working in a FL school district that has NEVER had special schools. All of our kids are in regular schools. I teach severely disabled kids and I have my own classroom........I assure you my students have never been "dumped" in a regular class......not only would this be incredibly illegal, the gen. ed teachers would NEVER stand for it!!!.......at my regular high school, there are over 15 classes of special ed kids who are in their own rooms, not with the gen ed kids....HOWEVER, they do get to go to the cafeteria (if it's appropriate), pep rallies, school functions...........again, IF it's appropriate....they don't HAVE to go.....they are also able to go to regular classes if they are able...we have a young man w/ autism in our marching band...we have several severely disabled students in our art classes. I have worked in other districts in center schools and in this district. The problem with the special centers is they don't allow kids the chance to be with nondisabled peers and I have seen them become dumping grounds for the most medical or most behavioral kids and often the curriculum is lacking....it's very easy to make it all LOOK good. Trust me. My students are with me in my room most of the day (regular high school)..some go to work in the cafeteria, some go to art, some go to the other special ed classes for a period, some never leave my room at all.....it depends on their needs. Special education is about each students individual needs. I really believe that their needs can be well met in a regular school with a good program.............the parent should make sure of it by being an active participant on the IEP team.

Answer 2

I agree with some of the other answers. Some parents want their children to go to public schools so that they are mainstreamed in to the regular education classes which for many, many students is a good idea. This is good for socialization as well as academic areas if the studnet can handle it. But...you have to think about the public schools. How many students are actually in a classroom and how much time is actually being spent with the special needs student. Private schools have less studens which might give the students more one on one time and help the student do better. I am a special ed teacher and I have seen great things come out of both settings. I guess it just depends on what the parent wants for their child. I don't think that it would be a great idea to get entirely rid of al of the private sepcial ed schools.

Answer 3

It's a very bad idea. Many students with disabilities do very well in regular schools. But there are also many who need the more speccialized services that a dedicated school can provide.

In addition--the public schools need to start providing the special education support they should be providing first, before they start shutting down these schools. Right now, most special educcation is a mess--in Florida as well as elsewhere.

Typical, though. The lack of any real support for the disabled community on the part of Republicans is well-known among people with disabilities--they show about as much concern for people with disabilities as they do for the soldiers at the VA--which is to say, none.

Answer 4

As a special needs parent, I feel that is one of the worst things I have ever read. While many educators (and many advocates) would have us believe that the best place for any child, often times irregardless of thier disabilities or needs, to be placed is in a tradtional ed classroom of the child's peers. And by peers, they mean students of roughly the same age, not the same developmental or ability level. There are many, many special needs children who would not do well in that setting...even if the schools would willingly provide dedicated aides for every student, which they wouldn't. My son is one of the students on the "cusp". He has autism and could possibly be integrated into a regular class, even just for part of a day, but I refuse to consider it. He is in a class with 5 other students, a teacher and two full time aides. The structure and attention have allowed him to make incrediable progress which few teachers in a class of 30 students would have the availabilty or support to get similar results. Inclusion should be a choice made not only on what is best for the student, but by what the teacher will have the ability to accomplish while still teaching the other students in her care. Too often, that fact is overlooked. To completely shut down these schools, forcing parents to have kids in inclusion settings, goes against federal law as well...my gut says it won't last simply because most school districts would end up having to pay more for private placement educational settings for many of these kids.

Answer 5

I've never heard of schools for the disabled. I've heard of developmental disability centers where children who are not educable but trainable are sent for independent living skills. Educable children should be mainstreamed and where necessary have a special aide.

Answer 6

The parents of "special needs" children that I know want their kids mainstreamed.

I personally don't care. I have no children, plan on having no children and my tax dollars already go to put every one else's kids through school.

Answer 7

Well, I think mainstreaming is good if it works, but for the severely disabled, that's just horrible and unfair.