I’ve homeschooled Benjamin, our youngest child that has Down Syndrome, his entire life and I am asked often WHY by other moms with special needs children. Somewhere along the way I think parents have gotten the idea that public school is the ideal solution. Well, I saw a news clip today that you might like to hear about.
In Port St. Lucie, an autistic child was sent to the principal’s office and while there, this kindergarten teacher proceeded to ask each child what they DIDN’T like about this child, and then voted him ‘out of the class’. The worst part of all this is that the teacher has tenure, thus has only been put on administrative duty, and it was not judged as child abuse by school authorities.
Granted, there is probably much more to this story than we will see on the news, but the crime in this situation is not only to the child that was voted out, but the children in the class that were forced to vote on an issue like this initiated and led by their adult authority.
These are kindergarteners just starting their lifetime of school experience. What kind of memory is this going to implant in these children’s minds? How to deal with difficult people, regardless of ability or disability: create mass rejection and hate and vote them out of the group.
Naturally, the news is focused on the autistic child and his mother, and the ensuing law suit, but is anyone assessing the real damage that was done to the other children in the class? I understand that not all parents are able to homeschool, but it’s all about the choices.
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