“Oppositional Defiance Disorder” is a diagnosis that can get a student an IEP.
So a disruptive, violent child can show up to school every day - throw chairs, bring drugs to school - then get mom or dad to take them to the doc to diagnose them with ODD. It’s a manifestation of their disability.
“Inclusion” also means that these children need to be placed in the same classroom as all the other children. So 29 children are subject to the violence of 1.
You’re raging against this in very general terms. As a snotty European I would throw in suspension as a disciplinary measure for humans in development, as all children in schools are, should only be the ultima ratio. So learning there are time limits on suspension terms for kids with disabilities sounds absolutely insane to my very snotty European ears.
If a school system in the US implemented inclusion without individual review when it isn’t working or is too disruptive for the other pupils, then I don’t mind you putting that term in inverted commas that much. I think you’re on the edge of ableism there though. If you’re trying to win an argument at a school board meeting, you might want to keep that in mind.
Many school districts are cash poor. They are being asked to follow guidelines for all sorts of things, not just the topic we’re discussing here, without also being given the financial means to fulfill them. The American teacher asking for go-fund-mes for classroom material is an established meme. That’s why out of principle I cut teachers and admins in the public school system some slack. So rather than running the risk of being misunderstood as an angry ableist, channel your anger at the people who make political decisions that affect your school district. Because I’m very confident at the heart of virtually every school related conflict lies chronic underfunding.
The American teacher who has a classroom with 30 kids where 15 of them are on IEPs which exempt them from being removed from class when they start throwing things should also be a meme.
You were at the edge and took a step forward.
How do you think a classroom with 30 children, with 15 of them needing individualized attention as laid out in a thirty page document works?
Plus another four sections.
If half of the students have “preferential seating,” what does your seating chart look like?
By the way, you read these documents during the 50 minutes you get for your “planning period.” 50 minutes to read hundreds of pages of documentation, while also grading, responding to student and parent emails, filling out random bullshit paperwork, planning for your next day. I’ve haven’t ate lunch in two weeks because I take those twenty minutes to just clean my room and set up the next activity.
With absolutely no sympathy from parents or the general public. No one calling me a bad teacher in this thread has had to figure out what to do when a kid decided to climb on their table and try to kill themselves. I’m not a mental health professional, and I don’t have the ratios that mental health professionals have.
I didn’t call you a bad teacher. And I’m much more forgiving of your rant now that I know. And I’m sorry I explained your chronic underfunding to you, like you didn’t know.
I am more forgiving of ableist attitudes ≠ completely forgiving of it. You’re mad at the situation. Everybody needs to let off steam.
I’m going to assume you have already sent your problematic experiences up the flagpole, to no avail. How are your prospects for changing jobs? Not necessarily profession but maybe at a different school? It’s no use trying to ride that tiger every day when this affects you this much.
For your own protection, you need to take the venting offline. I think you may have already given enough details for your bosses to identify you here. The days of shouting anonymously into the digital void are over. An LLM has the computing power and patience of an army to find and ID you. So if I were you, I’d delete this post, delete the account, and look for trustworthy ears who won’t rat you out next time the pressure in your cauldron is redlining.