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

[Heracles 417]

THIS teacher in THIS article was in charge of THIS group of kids. It seems that she failed in her duty of care to one of those children. Of course parents are going to be angry about it - they have a right to be concerned.

Of course. Humiliating the kid does not amount to discipline. When someone is under enormous pressure from every angle they will crack. Simple as that.

The issue I have is that I have heard of similar case where a group of kids mocked and beat up a kid who is actually autistic. Yet the parents of those kids turned around and said they where only being kids, 5th grade, and that she should have not left the room for a minute to speak to another teacher in the corridor. Welcome to 2008. Never the kid's or the lack of parenting to blame. Always someone else to blame.. Funny how stuff like that never makes the news.

I will tell you one thing though. Lucky that was not my kid otherwise I would have shoved everyone of those other kids up their parents ###.

If I ridiculed or touched a kid with a disability at school my parents would have twisted by ear off. And given the teacher the permission to do the same.

Edited May 26, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Many parents defend their kids' behaviour - though obviously there's any number of reasons for that. Of course there are parents who are negligent but at the same time its not unheard of for a kid to behave totally different at home to how they do in school, and for the parent to simply not believe that their child would have done what the teacher is claiming.

Parents play a strong role in developing their kids' behaviour, but far from the only one. Teachers, peers, siblings - all of these things are influences.

Edited May 26, 2008 by Number 6

[warriorprincess 0]

That was just wrong. If she realised he had a problem all she had to do was talk with his parents, not humiliate the poor child.

[britty 1]

I would need more information before forming an opinion.

Perhaps this child was VERY disruptive and abusive towards the other children on a daily basis and this teacher was trying to show him how he makes his fellow classmates feel by letting them express their opinions.

On the other hand, maybe she really is just a poor teacher but I would need to know more of the facts other than what the boy's mother has to say about it.

I too would be interested in knowing what behavior led to this incident.

The teacher admitted that the incident did occur. What more would anyone need?

"Steele said the teacher confirmed the incident did occur."

Yes I understand that. I would be interested to know what happened immediately prior to the incident. I could be wrong but I don't think the teacher simply decided to victimize the child at random.

[Alhamdulillah 0]

Therein lies the issue: is this child being served for his disabilities? I cannot fathom how using such a method of humiliation can ever be an effective method of behaviour management...homeschooled or not. Please, elaborate on how using such a method can build positive character in a child? Have you been trained in child behaviour management? There are other ways better suited to teach a child effectively. Teaching a child how their behaviour affects others around him/her is one thing. Humiliation is another. THAT has no place at all in parenting or in education. I stand by what I said.

By the way, I am the parent of a child with multiple disabilities. I do not, never have, and never will use humiliation and/or anything like this in parenting my child. She is a well behaved child and has never caused a problem at home or at school. How sad that any parent feel that they have to resort to such immature behaviour to control their children. That, IMHO, is borderline abusive behaviour...on the part of the parent.

According to this article, the child has not even been diagnosed with the disability that's being blamed for his behavior.

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.

It's possible he doesn't have this disability.... it's not like school officials have never made mistakes. One of my son's school counselors insisted my son had ADHD when he was younger as well and he was WRONG! And he authored books on the subject.....

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

this is what happens when the teacher watches too much survivor........

[jundp 191]

It IS a part of their job. I'm a teacher, though higher levels, but we are trained to deal with emotional issues and to understand and recognize child abuse. So yes, the teacher is accountable. What she did is contrary to EVERYTHING we should do as teachers. This isn't a teacher giving too much homework. This is a teacher, A KINDERGARTEN teacher, leading her students in what is essentially a mob-mentality act of discrimination against a small boy with disabilities. That is unaccetpable and she should be held responsible.

When was that slipped into their job description? I just don't buy how everything is part of a teacher's job. An attitude that would never be acceptable in the corporate world. Counties know that teachers do not have the luxury of jumping ship as easily as people in the private sector so they just stack it on them.

Elementary schools now teach kids from sex to ethics. Even how to behave like normal human beings. ####### are parents doing these days?? Or is their job solely to lie on their backs for 2 minutes and then let everyone else deal with the consequences. Next teachers are going to be required to paint their rooms with their own money. If I was a teacher I would claim all of the students as dependents on my tax return. After all they are pretty much raising them nowadays. The emotional baggage some of these kids carry is amazing. What even happened to actually teaching the text. Elementary schools in America have become extended daycare.

I can understand how and why these things happen though. A lot of counties around the country are wasting millions on educating illegal immigrant and hiring ESOL teachers to cater for non-English speaking kids. Therefore something has got to be cut to make way for this great expense. Consequently the money that should be spent assisting kids like that is no longer available. Therefore the responsibility now lies on the teacher.

Teachers #### up and they should die. Yet when parents #### up nothing is ever done. First year teachers here in Vic, AUS now start on $51K. This is finally a good starting point for them considering the BS that they have to deal with.

BY, when I decided to become a teacher and at both schools I've taught at (excluding the unviersity I taught at) I was trained even further for emotional development awareness, child abuse awareness, and basic training for SPED. I was fully aware before I started teaching.

Furthermore while it's true that some of these kids come with immense emotional baggage, I don't believe in just teaching in a vacuum (or "teaching the text only") because we are here to be so much more than just teacher of the text. We are role models as well and we are, to a certain extent, nurturers. I will never take the place of a parent, and believe me I get angry when parents don't care, but I have been that trusted adult before when a kid had no one else to turn to.

For the record, I do buy all the supplemental supplies for my classroom with my own money because I teach in a private school with a small budget. And I know how small the budget is, because I'm the department head too

I don't disagree with you that too much is laid on teachers today and that parents often don't take responsibility. But I will say that good teachers do this not for money or recognition, but because we believe in what we do.

And this teacher....she sucks and was absolutely wrong.

[indianheart 2]

this is an emotional trauma that will stay with this child for life...the teacher didnt use the good sense God gave and should never be allowed to be intrusted with children...they should give her a job in the military working with terrorists

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

####### are parents doing these days?? Or is their job solely to lie on their backs for 2 minutes...

Call me unimaginative, but I don't see how it works if both parents are on their backs.

[MrsCat 6]

####### are parents doing these days?? Or is their job solely to lie on their backs for 2 minutes...

Call me unimaginative, but I don't see how it works if both parents are on their backs.

Its called reverse cowgirl with a very flexible spine.

[CBR 0]

According to this article, the child has not even been diagnosed with the disability that's being blamed for his behavior.

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.

It's possible he doesn't have this disability.... it's not like school officials have never made mistakes. One of my son's school counselors insisted my son had ADHD when he was younger as well and he was WRONG! And he authored books on the subject.....

I think you missed the point. What the teacher did was wrong. It's wrong no matter what. If the child has disabilities or not. No teacher should be humiliating a child like this. No parent should either.

If the kid was acting up in class regardless if he has asperger's or not it should have been handled differently & involving the parents. Perhaps learning about how to properly deal with a child who has asperger's would have been a good place to start.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

####### are parents doing these days?? Or is their job solely to lie on their backs for 2 minutes...

Call me unimaginative, but I don't see how it works if both parents are on their backs.

Its called reverse cowgirl with a very flexible spine.

I just pictured it. Damn that is hot. Painfully hot.

[Heracles 417]

BY, when I decided to become a teacher and at both schools I've taught at (excluding the unviersity I taught at) I was trained even further for emotional development awareness, child abuse awareness, and basic training for SPED. I was fully aware before I started teaching.

Furthermore while it's true that some of these kids come with immense emotional baggage, I don't believe in just teaching in a vacuum (or "teaching the text only") because we are here to be so much more than just teacher of the text. We are role models as well and we are, to a certain extent, nurturers. I will never take the place of a parent, and believe me I get angry when parents don't care, but I have been that trusted adult before when a kid had no one else to turn to.

For the record, I do buy all the supplemental supplies for my classroom with my own money because I teach in a private school with a small budget. And I know how small the budget is, because I'm the department head too

I don't disagree with you that too much is laid on teachers today and that parents often don't take responsibility. But I will say that good teachers do this not for money or recognition, but because we believe in what we do.

And this teacher....she sucks and was absolutely wrong.

Private school is a totally different ball game though. They are also dealing with a different demographic of students and parents.

It also depends on where one is teaching. Teaching in Detroit would be worlds apart when compared to someone teaching in a rural county. I cannot even imagine someone teaching in inner city schools in America.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Private school is a totally different ball game though. They are also dealing with a different demographic of students and parents.

Even among private schools, there's a lot of variation. My wife teaches at a private school for kids with learning disorders and emotional problems (she calls it ED, I always laugh cuz I can't stop thinking of those Bob Dole ads). The kids are bussed in mostly from inner city school districts who don't have the resources to provide these kids with the 'appropriate' education they're legally entitled to. So this pvt school is very different from an elite prep school where the tuition is more than Harvard.. plenty of those in the area, too.

[Heracles 417]

I think you missed the point. What the teacher did was wrong. It's wrong no matter what. If the child has disabilities or not. No teacher should be humiliating a child like this. No parent should either.

If the kid was acting up in class regardless if he has asperger's or not it should have been handled differently & involving the parents. Perhaps learning about how to properly deal with a child who has asperger's would have been a good place to start.

I guess teachers should just add that to the list. It would be interesting to see how much of a teachers time is actually spent teaching kids when compared to dealing with all of the other #######.

If a kid is unable to function in a class then they should be placed into other assisted classes. The teacher and every other kid in the class should not have to deal with them. The school systems need to set aside money to design specialized programs for these types of kids.

Edited May 27, 2008 by Boo-Yah!