St. Lucie teacher has students vote on whether 5-year-old can stay in class

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

5-year-old Alex Barton's teacher made him stand in front of his kindergarten class and had his fellow students say what they didn't like about him and then vote whether he should remain in the class.

PORT ST. LUCIE — Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class.

After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.

By a 14 to 2 margin, the class voted him out of the class.

Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Aspberger's, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex began the testing process in February for an official diagnosis under the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marsha Cully.

Alex has had disciplinary issues because of his disabilities, Barton said. The school and district has met with Barton and her son to create an individual education plan, she said. His teacher, Wendy Portillo, has attended these meetings, she said.

Barton said after the vote, Alex's teacher asked him how he felt.

"He said, 'I feel sad,'" she said.

Alex left the classroom and spent the rest of the day in the nurse's office, she said.

Barton said when she came to pick up her son at the school on Wednesday, he was leaving the nurse's office.

"He was shaken up," she said. Barton said the nurse told her to talk with the child's teacher, who told her what happened.

Alex hasn't been back to school since then, and Barton said he won't be returning. He starts screaming when she brings him with her to drop off his sibling at school.

Thursday night, his mother heard him saying "I'm not special."

Barton said Alex is reliving the incident.

They said he was "disgusting" and "annoying," Barton said.

"He was incredibly upset," Barton said. "The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this."

The child's mother filed a complaint with the school resource officer, who investigated the matter, said Port St. Lucie spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said. Port St. Lucie Police is no longer investigating, but is documenting the complaint, she said.

Steele said the teacher confirmed the incident did occur.

St. Lucie School's spokeswoman Janice Karst said the district is investigating the incident, but could not make any further comment.

Vern Melvin, Department of Children and Families circuit administrator, confirmed the agency is investigating an allegation of abuse at Morningside, but said he could not elaborate.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/may/23/st-...her-5-year-old/

[dalegg 143]

By a 14 to 2 margin, the class voted him out of the class.

Hey, the people have spoken. Democracy works.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

By a 14 to 2 margin, the class voted him out of the class.

Hey, the people have spoken. Democracy works.

Oh, c'mon.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Wow! That teacher should be fired and the school district sued. Not only did she teach children to discriminate and that it was ok, but she also allowed for this emotional trauma on that poor little guy.

[eekee 182]

what the hell is wrong with that teacher?

[yogib37 3]

This story has me pretty upset. That so called teacher is not a good at her job. By doing this stunt she proved she can't control kids. I bet by her doing what she did having all the students tell him all negitive things was so freaking wrong and I do belived that she abused him. It is called Mental abuse. he even was talking out loud at home repeating what they other kids said. If i was the father I would file legal action agaist her and the school.

I would get her teaching credentals revoked.

if I was the Principal, that teacher would be suspendaned at the end of the day and it would be a min. of 3 months. without Pay.

she does not know how much damage she did to him and she did do a lot of damage. It will be with him all his life.

when I was in second grade, my teacher always yelling at me or always saying negitive things to me. I personally blame her for a lot of things in my life. I blame her of my shyness. I was always a fun and happy and had a lot of friends, but she made me withdraw I do not belive in myself and I have very low self confidence in myself cause of her.

she always wrote notes home to my mom to say what a bad person i was in class, I got so tired of getting yelled at from my mom, that I started to hide the notes until my sister found them and gave them to my mom.

2nd grade class play. I was the main chacater and I forgot a prop (sisoiors) and i ran to get them in the middle of the play.. she said after the play that she was upset with me and I ruined the play and it was all my fault.

she was mean.. I hope she had a crummy life.

[Heracles 417]

So what happens when parents fail though? They don't even get a slap on the wrist. Then it is all about rights and their constitutionally protected choices.

But when it comes to teachers it is a whole different story. It all becomes apparently part of their job. They are accountable for everything. From what the kid eats to what a kid says. The best I heard the other day was that apparently teachers only give homework to kids because they are not good at their job. This is from an actual dumb ### parent.

Kids in the third grade bring in weapons to kill the teacher yet absolutely no light is shined on their pathetic loser parents. Being a teacher in 2008 is probably one of the hardest, most undervalued and underpaid jobs out there.

Edited May 26, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

So what happens when parents fail though? They don't even get a slap on the wrist. Then it is all about rights and their constitutionally protected choices.

Well I doubt parents would encourage other children to tell another one all the bad things they think of him.

[Heracles 417]

Barton said when she came to pick up her son at the school on Wednesday, he was leaving the nurse's office.

"He was shaken up," she said. Barton said the nurse told her to talk with the child's teacher, who told her what happened.

Give me a break dumb ###. I thought he is autistic. Or does that only apply when he misbehaves.

#### we seriously need a minimum IQ test for having children..

[msu17 0]

So what happens when parents fail though? They don't even get a slap on the wrist. Then it is all about rights and their constitutionally protected choices.

But when it comes to teachers it is a whole different story. It all becomes apparently part of their job. They are accountable for everything. From what the kid eats to what a kid says. The best I heard the other day was that apparently teachers only give homework to kids because they are not good at their job. This is from an actual dumb ### parent.

Kids in the third grade bring in weapons to kill the teacher yet absolutely no light is shined on their pathetic loser parents. Being a teacher in 2008 is probably one of the hardest, most undervalued and underpaid jobs out there.

Completely agree with you. Teachers are TOTALLY undervalued and it's a shame. Perhaps if it was a more valued profession, crappy teachers like this person who obviously doesn't care about children and has the emotional empathy at the level or below of the children he/she teaches would be pushed out of the field.

[msu17 0]

Barton said when she came to pick up her son at the school on Wednesday, he was leaving the nurse's office.

"He was shaken up," she said. Barton said the nurse told her to talk with the child's teacher, who told her what happened.

Give me a break dumb ###. I thought he is autistic. Or does that only apply when he misbehaves.

#### we seriously need a minimum IQ test for having children..

Aspergers, not Autism. Yes they have discipline problems, etc. but that doesn't mean they don't have feelings! I think you would have to look hard and long to find a child that wouldn't be effected by something like this. Come on people, five year old being told by the vast majority of his class and teacher why he sucks??? NOT RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Heracles 417]

So what happens when parents fail though? They don't even get a slap on the wrist. Then it is all about rights and their constitutionally protected choices.

Well I doubt parents would encourage other children to tell another one all the bad things they think of him.

Parents fail their kids all of the time yet they are never ever held accountable. A teacher on the other hand must walk on egg shells. Students beat up a teacher a few months ago and it was turned on the teacher that she provoked it.

A few of my friends are teachers so I here about the incidents all of the time. Like a kid calling another a fagot. So the 10 year old kid runs home and cries to mommy. Then the mommy comes to school and blasts the teacher because she is obviously to blame for the other kids upbringing. The teacher speaks to the other kids parents yet they have the nerve to say fagot is a bundle of sticks. Now can you or anyone tell me what a teacher should do in this case?

Second of all, a teacher is there to teach kids knowledge. They should not be raising these kids because their dumb ### loser #### parents don't understand that giving your kid the latest ipod or making them feel like they are #### or you pal is not parenting.

Edited May 26, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

So what happens when parents fail though? They don't even get a slap on the wrist. Then it is all about rights and their constitutionally protected choices.

Well I doubt parents would encourage other children to tell another one all the bad things they think of him.

Parents fail their kids all of the time yet they are never ever held accountable. A teacher on the other hand must walk on egg shells. Students beat up a teacher a few months ago and it was turned on the teacher that she provoked it.

A few of my friends are teachers so I here about the incidents all of the time. Like a kid calling another a fagot. So the 10 year old kid runs home and cries to mommy. Then the mommy comes to school and blasts the teacher because she is obviously to blame for the other kids upbringing. The teacher speaks to the other kids parents yet they have the nerve to say fagot is a bundle of sticks. Now can you or anyone tell me what a teacher should do in this case?

Second of all, a teacher is there to teach kids knowledge. They should not be raising these kids because their dumb ### loser #### parents don't understand that giving your kid the latest ipod or making them feel like they are #### or you pal is not parenting.

I totally agreed with everything you said here. Parents must raise their children, it's not the teachers's job to do so.

What I didn't like with your previous statement was just that on that specific case, I believe the teacher was very wrong, while on the examples you just showed it's the opposite. While I agree with what you said, it doesn't fit well with that case.

[Heracles 417]

Completely agree with you. Teachers are TOTALLY undervalued and it's a shame. Perhaps if it was a more valued profession, crappy teachers like this person who obviously doesn't care about children and has the emotional empathy at the level or below of the children he/she teaches would be pushed out of the field.

The good teachers have been pushed out of the field or to other countries for a variety of reasons. The amount of pressure on them and the amount of things they are now responsible for, ironically apart from teaching, is just not worth the money. In the corporate world they would be on way over $65K.

Teachers are the bedrock of a society. Without them the United States is finished. The US already ranks one of the lowest in the OECD world. Barely above Mexico.

[Heracles 417]

I totally agreed with everything you said here. Parents must raise their children, it's not the teachers's job to do so.

What I didn't like with your previous statement was just that on that specific case, I believe the teacher was very wrong, while on the examples you just showed it's the opposite. While I agree with what you said, it doesn't fit well with that case.

I no way support this teacher's action. I just get angry when a teacher makes CNN news for something trivial yet the parents failing their kids on a daily basis are just collateral damage of a free society. Teachers are now being made the scapegoat.