If any of you dear readers and family members out there still wonder why The Map Man and I have chosen to homeschool our kids, go check out this article about little Alex Barton, a 5 year old enrolled in a Kindergarten class in Florida, whose teacher organized a classroom coupe, encouraging her students to each take turns telling poor Alex what they didn't like about him, then arranged a vote in which his classmates "voted him out" of the class. Read the article. It's even worse than I'm making it sound.
WHO treats a child this way? ANY child?!?! The fact that Alex is a child with Special Needs makes this all that much more atrocious. What's so inclusive about that education?!?! And the fact that Alex is apparently a child on the Autism Spectrum makes it personally offensive to me as well.
If you're interested in reading a couple of other bloggers' takes on the topic that I agree wholeheartedly with, go visit MOM-NOS and/or This Mom (look for her post titled "Special Kids Need Ordinary Consideration Too. For some reason I can't seem to figure out how to link directly to that post.). They've said it all, and better than I could have, so I'll let them speak for me on this.
updated to add: As outraged as I am? Go here to sign a petition to try to force officials to make the teacher in this case accountable for her actions. It only takes a second, add your voice!!
5-7 year mission preview, realized
12 years ago
2 comments:
You know I don't post many comments, but I read your blog everyday.I heard about Alex on Fox the other day and I was horrified, to think that someone would treat a little child like that. The mother who commented that the teacher Ms Portillo had taken a page out of the Survivor Show was right, I don't watch that show, but what Ms. Portillo failed to see was the people on that show are adults, and they are hurt when that happens to them, imagine what it does to a child. I think this teacher should be fired.As far as I'm concered it is child endangernment.
Aunt H. in Pa.
I heard about that story and find it unbelievable. Well, I do believe it, but it's horrible. She shouldn't be allowed to teach if she's like that.
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