30 Something

I work in education so I always stress the importance of making education a priority at a young age. So, my mom called me to tell me that my little brother has failed the fourth grade and will be placed into special education. I know that some students struggle in school, but no one in my family has gone to special education. He is the baby of seven children. I'm not saying that we are genuises, but we've all did well in school. Some of us have applied ourselves more than others, but for the most part all of us managed to get through okay. So, I got a little ticked when she told me. She was just a little too blase for me. I really don't want to jugde her because I'm not in her shoes, but if he were mine, I'd be doing all that I can to get him assistance and not just leaving it up to the schools. She basically told me that he pretended that he couldn't read so he failed the test. I asked her how their system works. There if a student is placed into special education they are put into a special classroom. Here the system is different. The school tries to keep the student as integrated as possible so they may only be pulled out of class for special assistance on different subjects. I like our system better because there is a stigma attached to special education that can damage a student. I deal with students now at the college level who try to hide the fact that they've been in special education. They try as hard as they can to make it, some do, most struggle, but they do try and I do my best to help them. So I know the embarrassment. The label followed them and now at college they are trying to get away from it. So, i called my mom back with information on how she could get assistance for my little brother and my sister. She was happy to get the information, but I think he needs for her to sit down with him at home to help him with his work. Of course she may not be a specialist, but it's the fourth grade. I know it can' t be too difficult. I think she also needs to consult with the teachers to see if there are special techniques that she can use at home to help him. It drives me nuts that she won't take the TIME to invest into her son.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 15, 2005 at 5:01 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.