As I tell this story, I feel like I need to remind everyone that Wallace is in a full inclusion kindergarten class and also is perfectly fine physically - he can do absolutely everything Gabe and Emma can do physically (when he wants to!).
If anyone was thinking that we were being overly sensitive to how the school and his teachers treat Wallace, then this may change your mind.
Yesterday, we got a note home from school saying that Wallace had slept for over an hour during the day, not wanted to eat lunch and they hoped he felt better. (I later learned that they couldnt call us to come pick him up b/c he didnt have a fever)
What?
I cant even tell you how angry this makes me or how much this absolutely breaks my heart.
1. He slept for over an hour yesterday during class!!!!! Yall! You would never ever let a student sleep through class for over an hour - please tell me one teacher that would let a student do this! Why did they let him sleep through class, why did they not care, why did they not wake him up and give him something to do? Why - b/c it makes their job easier to have one less kid in their class they dont have to worry about.... ugh, that makes me sick!
There was no reason for him to sleep for over an hour. He was and is not sick..... there is no excuse for letting a child sleep through class. It tells me also that they could care less if he is actually learning anything - hey, he is the special need kid who is too stupid to learn anyway, and he is going to be in a special ed class for the rest of his school-life, why bother wasting our time on him?
Even though Wallace is non-verbal, this is a huge thing he is trying to say. By sleeping in class, he has disengaged and "checked out". This absolutely breaks my heart more than anything. I saw this first hand when I visited his room last year and he was not the same boy we had at home - I wanted to slap his teacher who told me everything was fine. This also means that either they are ignoring Wallace/he is not getting attention or they arent giving him anything to do - which makes me sad and angry. Wallace thrives on attention and having a task - and he can follow directions very well. If he is falling asleep on you, then that means he is seriously bored and is completely disengaging.
And apparently his teachers dont even care.... they see it first hand and would rather him sleep then to actually engage him in learning.... just so sad.
2. He didnt eat lunch so they assumed he was sick.
Im sorry but everyone has their off days.... Wallace made it clear that he didnt want to go to school yesterday morning - he is just like any other kid, but for some reason, his school cannot understand that. Just b/c a kid doesnt want to eat or doesnt eat, doesnt mean anything is wrong with him.... he is just having an off day.
I cannot understand how people who work with children day in and day out can refuse to understand this concept.
3. So yes, because he didnt eat his lunch, they sent him down to the nurse to have his temp taken b/c they wanted to send him home.
Yeah, you read that right - they wanted to send him home b/c he didnt eat his lunch.... after they let him sleep for over an hour.
Anyone want to argue that the school and his teachers actually give one crap about Wallace.
I have a hard time imagining that they send EVERY SINGLE kid who doesnt eat his lunch or doesnt eat that much down to the nurse's office to get their temp taken.... b/c they dont do that at my other kid's school.
Actually, I dont think anyone with any common sense would make the connection: this kid didnt want to eat lunch so they must be sick
Does that make sense to anyone out there? Really?
So yeah, anyone want to tell me that his teachers arent singling Wallace out?
I just dont get what his teachers are doing? Ugh, it makes me sick to know that Wallace has to deal with this every day - and who knows how they are treating him or what they are doing or not doing... since he is non-verbal, we have no way to know.... but you can bet that we are counting down the days until school is out.
I am ashamed that people can act this way and sleep at night.... it is just so sad.
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This is infuriating. But I have to ask--WHY is he still at this school? Are there not other schools to which you could transfer him? It seems like Gabe and Emma go to a different school--why can't he go there?
ReplyDeleteI know I mentioned the other day, with the play situation, that you should pick your battles. This is a battle to pick. Do NOT just let this pass by silently, waiting for the end of the year. Call the district superintendent. Call the principal. Demand answers. Blow up their Facebook page so other parents can see what is happening. If there are other special needs kids in the school, contact their parents and compare notes.
It sounds like they are trying to force you out of there. Which, in principle, might make you want to stay and demand equal treatment even more. But it has become clear that Wallace and his educational experience is suffering. Time to find alternatives for him.
Megan, there are 5 city schools here in our town and the one that Wallace goes to is the only one equpped for kids with special needs - that is why he is there - none of the other schools are equipped... the state is within their right to insist that he goes there b/c he can ride the bus (which he does) and he is getting a free education (whether it is appropriate or not, thats another question)
ReplyDeleteGabe and Emma go to the school that is right across from our house.
Things will be different next year, but I would rather not say here on the blog as his teachers and other people from his school read this blog.
This is the same issue we have had for the last 2 years - we have brought it up to his teachers, to the principal and even to Central office (head school board) and no one cares. (during our meeting with central office, the teacher and principal threw us under the bus and said they werent having any problems at school, so if there were problems at home, then it must be our fault)... For everyone concerned (except for us his parents), no one cares about Wallace - they see him as just another special needs kid who cant learn. It is sad.
But if you notice, I am putting everything in writing (on the blog) with a date.... we intend to make note of every instance and we will use it when we need to (and yes, we do have a plan, but again, dont want to put it on the blog)
Another reason that we cant make too much ruckus is b/c my sister is a teacher's assistant in another kindergarten class at wallace's school and we dont want anything bad to happen to her just b/c people want to punish us.
Its definitely a hard situation to be in, but we definitely have some plans for actions that we are going to put into place.