Re: [Phys-l] Time Outside of Class

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

My statement that was replied to is very true.  Now it may also be true that
they have reclassified students who need special schooling, but that was not
just because of the lawyers, but probably because the parents wanted it, and
because it was a lot less expensive for the school system.

Notice that I did NOT say that special education should not be done.  I did
say that traditionally it had not been done, so parents sued to at least
have the right to put their children into regular classes.  Again, my
personal example was not addressed.  The school tried to deny my daughter
advanced classes even though she could clearly handle them.  They claimed
that LD students could not handle advanced courses.  The public school
tested my daughter, and did not find any problems, despite the fact that the
difficulties were obvious.  So we had to spend $$$ for a private diagnosis,
and then for private therapy.  None of this was provided by the school
system.

I have had a lot of personal experience with how the system and individual
teachers have tried to deny the necessary accommodations to my children.
Fortunately some individual teachers gave accommodations voluntarily and
eventually we were able to bludgeon the school with the law.  I have also
had a lot of experience with how the school system did not give the
necessary attention to students who needed help.  I can spot LD and the LD
students in my class do quite well thank you.

I would also highly recommend reading the writings of Shayer & Adey and
Reuven Feuerstein.  That there are children who can be mainstreamed AFTER a
suitable cognitive intervention, can not be denied.  One or Reuven's own
grandchildren is a case in point.

The ideal of course is for the system to provide the necessary services,
both to students who are mainstreamed, and to students who need a special
school.  Unfortunately it seems to be very unable to provide either, unless
it is bludgeoned by the lawyers and parents.

After I had to fight hard to get the necessary services for my children I
DEEPLY RESENT THE IMPLICATION THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM.  After
reading both Feuerstein, Shayer & Adey, and a good sampling of the PER and
science education literature, perhaps this discussion can be continued.

John M. Clement
Houston, Tx

> > As to the "mentally handicapped" needing a special curriculum, they need
> > cognitive enhancement.  At one time the truism was that Down's syndrome
> > children would never be educable, but now a significant number can make
> it
> > through school, even in regular classes.  There certainly are some
> > students
> > who can not handle regular classes, but the rest need the special
> services
> > to equip them to handle education.
> Spoken like someone who has NO EXPERIENCE in the field.  First they
> lowered
> the cutoffs to put even lower functioning kids into the 'normal mode'.
> This
> also pushes the cutoff for the 'mild' students down into the range that
> was
> once considered 'moderate'.  Now the NON-POLITICALLY CORRECT terms for
> these
> groups were EDUCABLES and TRAINABLES but those terms were (are)
> functionally
> accurate.  The trouble here is that the two groups have been mixed.
> Besides
> all this, the Severe & Profoundly handicapped students have also been
> dumped
> on the public school system.  While this group does deserve public
> assistance, it is should NOT BE in the school system (but again lawyers at
> work here).   But it is currently pointless to talk to the JCs and
> worthless
> to talk to administrators who see mainstreaming as ECONOMICALLY to their
> advantage