SACRAMENTO
Schools may get break from bad teachers 'Dance of the Lemons' from one campus to another would be curtailed under bill
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/10/BAG0CL2UJ01.DTL (<---Click on)
It is funny when you start fighting something “signs" appear wherever you turn. Today in the San Francisco Chronicle there is a story about what happens with bad teachers. Click on the link above to read the article…
Brian's incredible teacher from last year is not working. Something happened in this new shift of teachers that came to his school and the teachers with the lowest seniority were bumped out. I shake my head to think that the bitch that is Brian's current teacher took a spot that eliminated a truly great teacher. After reading the article I now understand exactly how this happens. Brian's great teacher from last year does not have tenure.
I am happy to see that steps are being taken to address the problem. I am still shocked at how little principals and teachers alike know about learning disabilities. Here, they have classrooms filled with children where probably 10% are struggling with something and the system doesn’t bother to train teachers to teach all types of students. The school relies on parents, like me, to educate them on what is going on. How scaryis that?
Ironically, rather than train the teacher, they want all struggling kids to be on Ritalin. This is no joke and the number of kids on drugs in school is shocking. The “ADD please-save-me-so-the-kids-sit-still” focus is frightening. Two years ago the school wanted me to put Brian on ADD drugs and he doesn’t have ADD. By the time my x and I put Brian through all the tests, the doctors found his auditory processing problem and agreed Brian did not have ADD. I wanted to park my car with a sign “Dr Ross is an idiot” in front of the psychiatrist’s office. She tried to put Brian on the drugs without comprehensive testing. I refused, and got up in the middle of her ‘overview’ and walked out of her office. I then refused to pay her final bill. I have since found out that every kid she sees ends up on drugs. She is a malpractice lawsuit waiting to happen.
I wish I could say that what I have experienced with Brian and the school system is abnormal, but it isn’t. I talk to parent after parent after parent struggling with many of the same issues I have dealt with. Many put up with it, thinking there is nothing they can do. It breaks my heart. Many of the mothers are afraid of looking like a crazy mom. WHO CARES? Like I am ever going to see these teachers ever again? Once Brian leaves school they are gone forever. I hope they think I am nuts, because I don’t care. I care that Brian gets an education.
Artists and writers learn at an early age not to care what people think. For every 1000 people that like your work, a 1000 don’t. You do what you are called to do, and forget the critics. The same is true for Brian. Some teachers may hate me, but the parents I talk to are relieved to hear someone fighting this issue. In the end the judging will be in how Brian performs as an adult. Whenever I watch award shows of all types, winners are always thanking their parents (especially their moms) – rarely it is a teacher.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are great, wonderful teachers out there. I had so many growing up. There was Mrs. Otani, Mrs. Strom, Mrs. Eubanks, Mrs. Perry, Mr. Brower, Mr. Stucky, Mr. Day, Mr. Wright, Mr. Owen, Mr. Dole, Mr. Hanson, Mr. Gulbranson, Mr. Schmidt, Mr. Pedgrift and Mrs. Sartori. These were just the teachers K-12. My college teachers were all wonderful. I was also lucky enough to have many male teachers… great male teachers. I often wonder if Brian will be able to say the same thing about his years k-12.
So, my battle continues on…
Until next time-
C
