Please read the story mentioned above. This was a horrible accident and my prayers go out to each and every family involved in anyway.
But this should not have happened! No way no how as these students should not have been there. And the people at the top need to be held personally responsible.
If the school corporation and the state of Indiana would follow, implement and fund the law that guarantee's students with disabilities a right to their education this would not have happened. Ya, I know it's always hard to implement and follow the rules of all of these laws but give me a break. IDEA, The individuals with Disabilities Education Act was passed in 1975.
Bottom line is this if the schools would have been following the law these students would have been attending their home school and receiving their supports and services in the classroom right beside the friends from their neighborhood. Instead the schools find it cheaper to form Co-Ops and bus students around. In this case these students were in this horrible place at this horrible moment because of the School Corporation.
The Superintendent, School Board, Dr. Sue Ellen Reed, The Indiana State Board of Education and Governor Mitch Daniels should each be held personally responsible for the deaths of each of these students. Plain and simple the above mentioned individuals are responsible some by decisions they have made and some simply by their elected responsibilities.
Peace Dude.
4 comments:
Jeff, I love your posts, but I think you are way off base here.
To turn a tragic accident into a rant on inclusion just isn't right.
I'm a full believer in inclusion. My daughter's in a fully integrated preschool program. However, I know that for MY child, it is not appropriate for Kindy.
Heck, the school district is leaning towards full inclusion with supports and I'm pushing to get her OUT of our local elementary. We live in a rural district and the teachers just don't have the ability, knowledge or experience to effectively teach my multiply disabled child (Down syndrome & autism).
I'm sure you don't know the full backgrounds of these kids on the bus and to assume that they could have or wanted to have been fully integrated is flawed.
I beleive in inclusion, but I'm tired of having to defend my choice of a more restrictive environment for my child because that is what is appropriate for her.
So your point is that if you want a more restrictive option for your child which I have no problem with it should be located in a different school district 30 miles away from your school district? And as part of that education your child should spend almost 2 hours a day on a bus?
While I will always defend your choice on placement I disagree 100% that the placement should be at another school.
Until we force the issue students will get what parents can negotiate for vs what the student needs.
Sorry on this one we disagree.
I'm in Kansas City and my heart goes out to the families of those killed. I have a son with Down Syndrome. Sometimes you have to go to schools outside your immediate area if you want to get an education good enough for your child. Not every school is set up to handle children with disabilities. I would rather have one school loaded with specialists that my child can truly learn from than to have my child sit in a "neighborhood school" and just sit in the classroom because the teachers don't have time to work with them, or if the child simply can't do the work. There is a shortage enough in my area of para-educators. Having all the children spread out just for the sake of having them in their neighborhood schools would be doing a big disservice to the children.
Midwest Lady, thanks for commenting and I do understand your point and I hear it many times. My issue is that if IDEA was actually followed and funds were appropriated to supports and services as needed you would be able to have everything you just described at your home school. Take a look at your schools and tell me that services for students with disabilities have improved at the same level as the sports facilities.
While I will always support any parents decesion on placement I will alway be pushing for full funding and implementation of IDEA.
Peace.
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