Why do General education teachers treat Special education teachers like 2nd class citizens?

Question

The school I work for....teachers never read their IEP's, much less follow them...they don't read the ARD paper work or try to understand what it means when they are performing way below grade-level.. I was ambused by teachers claiming that none of their SPED students improved through-out the year. I tried explaining about their IQ scores and the negative standarded deviation..their students IQ's ranged from 75-65 with a standarded deviation that was so low...they were perfoming at a 3 year old level...I was so anger and they told me not to take it personal. But how can I not. I had their students all year...because of this we are now holding teachers accountable...they will now working in our room for CMC, they are responsible for all work and IEP goals, grades..everything will be documented....I am just so angry and I am a first year teacher on top of it all...I am looking for support

Answer 1

Please remember, that as a first year teacher, you still have a lot to learn. I am a special ed teacher that works with students in the mainstream, and I have had a very positive experience. The general ed teachers collaborate with me, allow me to sit down with them and explain their IEPs, and many times thoughout the year, we discuss the students' progress. The feelings you are having can be attributed to many things, from the stress of being in the school system for the first year, from a district that is not providing their regular students an appropriate education, nevermind the special ed kids, or from your or other teachers' attitudes. You feel that the general ed teachers are not treating you appropriately, please keep in mind that they might feel that you are not treating them appropriately. General ed teachers are not idiots, and even though they may not have special training for every single disability that's out there, they do try their best and only try to work with what they are given. I hope your second year of teaching is better!

Answer 2

The kids are very lucky to have you as their teacher. The reason why the General education teachers treat Special education teachers like 2nd class citizens because they view Special education students as "A waste of time and money." As a former Special education student I had the pleasure of being told that by an teacher of my when I was in school.

I'm also willing to bet that the school board that you work for generally does not support Special education, "Do they?" The reason why I asked was because about a year and a half ago the Hampton, VA, city council had cut funding for Special education. The reason for the cut was the viewed it as an "Inappropriate use of funding." This is after they decided to fund the building of another shopping center that the city is not expected to make any profit on until the year 2032. Nice people. Their attitudes changed after I stepped forward and threated to get the U.S. Department of Education involved if they did go through with the cut.

Give me you e-mail address because I did a research paper on this very same subject this past autumn and I will be more than happy to e-mail this paper to you, if you like. You can show these General edication teachers exactly what a Special education student has the potential of doing. Little to say both President Bush and the Secretary Department of Education caught wind of how some states were treating their Special education students. I guess, me faxing this research paper straight to their office helped to.

Answer 3

I hear you. I have ben teaching for over 8 years and I deal with the same stuff. The IEP just seems to be paper work and nothing more to these teachers. It is something that administrators really need to push because ultimately that is who teachers answer to. Just wait until one of them gets a pushy parent and ends up in court. Then maybe something will be done. Good luck!!!

Answer 4

every child deserves an education. those that are challenged learners can still function and be productive in adult life. much of the IEP concentrates on very specific learning goals and methods, which is what seperates special ed from "advanced babysitting". Sounds like you understand what needs to be done, congratulations!

Answer 5

There are certainly many teachers out there who are making accomodations or modifications... unfortunately not at my school..and apparently not at yours-happens even to veteren teachers too! I'm a resource teacher in a school with 4 different SPED programs. The general ed teachers hate us..oh well! First of all keep in mind it is the law. (As a first year teacher you probably know the law better than me LOL!)
After several rough years I have decided that all I can really do is a) keep educating the general ed teachers and b) document everything I do including all my e-mails to the general ed teachers.
Meet with your principal and tell him how you are going to support those teachers next year. Show him the form you will send out weekly which asks the teachers to check off what accommodations were made and what their needs were. Make it short and easy for them to check off. I also keep track of who responds to my requests.
I email every M,W,F. I request lesson plans from the teacher on Friday for Monday morning so I know when tests are given. Teachers are suppose to be keeping lesson plans anyway so your principal should support this too.

Some of my students read on a 2nd grade level and I make accomodated tests with pictures etc for them.(I've asked teachers to accomodate for that but it isn't worth it because they don't understand "lower language level" so it is easier for me to do it. but I HAVE to know in advance.)
The (annoying) emails serve as documentation when I go into the principal and tell him that these three teachers have not provided info to me ,in advance, for two weeks. He knows and I know that the IEP demands it- he'd rather hear about it before the IEP.
I have even embarrased a teacher infront of parents by showing my e-mail requests at the IEP that the teacher had ignored. I don't suggest doing that unless you have done everything else. Oh but I have told a parent over the phone that they might like to ask the regular ed teacher if they have made accomodations at their next parent teacher conference.
I try to side with the parents and get parents to advocate for their kids. I make many calls home and write many notes, that way the parents are going into the principal's and saying that they want accoms met and when he come to me and asks why isn't this happening, then I show him the stack of emails where I have been trying to get the regualr ed to cooperate. That covers my butt and puts it on his shoulders to tell his employee to be a team player.
Then there are the teacher who are so scared of SPED kids.. sometimes you can train them easier. One teacher I had was giving out three page history tests (6th grade) The first page was vocab, second, maps and third essay questions. I showed her how to cross off #10-20 on the vocab, to reduce the number of problems and staple it to a map page and grade that to meet a kid's accom. Once she saw she could do that every test, she started doing it herself.
Next year my principal is planning a inservice before the classes begin to teach teachers how to accomodate. I am working with him this summer to make that happen- he knows it the law too. Ask if some other special ed from the district office can support you in that kind of meeting. That way it is not just from you- and it shouldn't be this is a widespread problem.
In my state we are not required to write long and lengthy goals anymore. Try to write shorter ones which can be used for all subjects ,like vocabulary; you got a kid who needs to develop vocab "across content areas" saves writing one for each subject.
Finally, try not to get so angry at "them" I know it is hard but you have to reduce your stress to be effective with your students. We choose SPED because we thought we could make a difference, and we can! Be strong! Look at the fight your students have to make everyday of their lives, you can do it too! ( Oh and one more word of advice, aim for an administrative position in the future, where you can really make a change!)

Answer 6

Yep when you first get into special ed in schools, you don't know how corrupt it is. It is horrible all across the country.
Go to www.schwablearning.org and sign up for free to post on their parent to parent message board.
This is the BEST place for this type of problem and you'll get LOTS of help there!