tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6786809981065530267.post64299220369182228..comments2024-03-14T09:05:08.053-07:00Comments on Special Ed Philosopher: Does Special Ed Law REALLY Do Damage?Kevin Currie-Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17401531417243089948noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6786809981065530267.post-76459020783031079872009-02-25T03:42:00.000-08:002009-02-25T03:42:00.000-08:00David,When I got into special ed, my goal was to h...David,<BR/><BR/>When I got into special ed, my goal was to help students with disabilities be able to do as much as they could in school. I got into it because of a long-term sub job I had in special ed, where i was really able to connect to a few autistic and learning disabled kids, and get them to produce work that they did not think they could produce. <BR/><BR/>I have learned that I cannot realistically expect to help students where I am now. I am one high-expectation fish in a sea of lowe-expectations. I believe in "do with," while they believe in "do for." I believe in getting the student to gradually reach the bar, while they believe in pulling the bar down to the kid. <BR/><BR/>And, yes, some students are definitely more capable than others, and in a standardized curriculum, that is a hard obstacle. My belief is, to quote another teacher, that "it is not a god given right to understand Algebra II." Some kids may only be able to "get by" with D's, while others, with the right helps and encouragement, could get B's. Some can "overcome" the disability, and some cannot. <BR/><BR/>But the point, for me, is that we cannot have it both ways: we cannot be a "standards based" school and at the same time do everything possible to immunize special ed kids from responsibility of meeting standards. <BR/><BR/>Whether a kid is disabled or not, she is going to get out into a real world that will expect her to meet the same standards as everyone else, and does not care whether she was read to in high school. These kids need to learn a measure of self-reliance that they are not getting in the very motherly (read: nurturing and accomodating) atmosphere of high school.Kevin Currie-Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17401531417243089948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6786809981065530267.post-62842352050960948542009-02-24T18:50:00.000-08:002009-02-24T18:50:00.000-08:00Okay, I have another question. What is your goal i...Okay, I have another question. What is <I>your</I> goal in special education? How much do you feel like you can realistically expect from your students? Are some students much more capable than others?piahwefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14301480369336177718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6786809981065530267.post-6103976343623002732009-02-24T18:20:00.000-08:002009-02-24T18:20:00.000-08:00It was actually King of the Hill, not Family Guy, ...It was actually King of the Hill, not Family Guy, but no biggie. I get them confused, too.piahwefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14301480369336177718noreply@blogger.com