Boone -- my conversation with SPED Director

January 17, 2003

We know that

> he hasn't got many of the skills that those kindergartners have so why on

> earth not let him be proud of what he knows and how smart he is while

> working on what he can't do.

I hate her. I really do. I know I said I didn't but I do. I can't help it.

She is doing this to be mean. Surely she's not as dense as she pretends to

be. I've talked to her. She's an intelligent woman.

Sissi

January 17, 2003

We know that

> he hasn't got many of the skills that those kindergartners have so why on

> earth not let him be proud of what he knows and how smart he is while

> working on what he can't do.

I hate her. I really do. I know I said I didn't but I do. I can't help it.

She is doing this to be mean. Surely she's not as dense as she pretends to

be. I've talked to her. She's an intelligent woman.

Sissi

January 17, 2003

We know that

> he hasn't got many of the skills that those kindergartners have so why on

> earth not let him be proud of what he knows and how smart he is while

> working on what he can't do.

I hate her. I really do. I know I said I didn't but I do. I can't help it.

She is doing this to be mean. Surely she's not as dense as she pretends to

be. I've talked to her. She's an intelligent woman.

Sissi

January 17, 2003

> She's a psychotic bitch.

I believe this.

> Apparently she wasn't thinking.

This I'm not so sure about.

Sissi

January 17, 2003

> She's a psychotic bitch.

I believe this.

> Apparently she wasn't thinking.

This I'm not so sure about.

Sissi

January 17, 2003

> She said the paper which was graded so harshly (with a sad face and

comments) was a SECOND GRADE worksheet.

>

> Apparently Boone's teacher cares so much about him that she wanted to

" challenge " him. She's afraid he will become bored with school and lose

interest.

Well, I am glad she wants to challenge him. But why not be enthusiastic

about the skills he has that are so far above his grade level? We know that

he hasn't got many of the skills that those kindergartners have so why on

earth not let him be proud of what he knows and how smart he is while

working on what he can't do.

My position with Putter is that I want them to back off the academics

because I think Putter will learn those anyway; he is motivated. I want

them to work on what Putter does not have.

Now I wouldn't mind some second grade worksheets as a reward for Putter

after he has worked on his social skills, but I would NOT want those above

grade level work sheets to then be graded harshly.

Geez.

And as for teaching penmanship, well, naturally you do that with regular

kindergarten worksheets.

Putter incidentally seems well able to raise the grade level of his

kindergarten worksheets. He just uses full words instead of the letters the

kindergartners are supposed to use.

Salli

January 17, 2003

> She said the paper which was graded so harshly (with a sad face and

comments) was a SECOND GRADE worksheet.

>

> Apparently Boone's teacher cares so much about him that she wanted to

" challenge " him. She's afraid he will become bored with school and lose

interest.

Well, I am glad she wants to challenge him. But why not be enthusiastic

about the skills he has that are so far above his grade level? We know that

he hasn't got many of the skills that those kindergartners have so why on

earth not let him be proud of what he knows and how smart he is while

working on what he can't do.

My position with Putter is that I want them to back off the academics

because I think Putter will learn those anyway; he is motivated. I want

them to work on what Putter does not have.

Now I wouldn't mind some second grade worksheets as a reward for Putter

after he has worked on his social skills, but I would NOT want those above

grade level work sheets to then be graded harshly.

Geez.

And as for teaching penmanship, well, naturally you do that with regular

kindergarten worksheets.

Putter incidentally seems well able to raise the grade level of his

kindergarten worksheets. He just uses full words instead of the letters the

kindergartners are supposed to use.

Salli

January 17, 2003

> She said the paper which was graded so harshly (with a sad face and

comments) was a SECOND GRADE worksheet.

>

> Apparently Boone's teacher cares so much about him that she wanted to

" challenge " him. She's afraid he will become bored with school and lose

interest.

Well, I am glad she wants to challenge him. But why not be enthusiastic

about the skills he has that are so far above his grade level? We know that

he hasn't got many of the skills that those kindergartners have so why on

earth not let him be proud of what he knows and how smart he is while

working on what he can't do.

My position with Putter is that I want them to back off the academics

because I think Putter will learn those anyway; he is motivated. I want

them to work on what Putter does not have.

Now I wouldn't mind some second grade worksheets as a reward for Putter

after he has worked on his social skills, but I would NOT want those above

grade level work sheets to then be graded harshly.

Geez.

And as for teaching penmanship, well, naturally you do that with regular

kindergarten worksheets.

Putter incidentally seems well able to raise the grade level of his

kindergarten worksheets. He just uses full words instead of the letters the

kindergartners are supposed to use.

Salli

January 17, 2003

--- Sissi,

The Special Ed. Director is trying to appease you. Trust how you

feel about the situation and on what is best for Boone. Do you think

that things will change with the teacher? Do you think that it is

worth trying? Do you think the situation is workable? Or do you

think that a different placement is in order? If you do ...get one.

If the special ed director says that it is the best placement and you

know it isnt going to be healthy happy learning place for

boone...dont listen to the special ed director. You have the right

to get a different placement for him and they have the responsibility

to provide it. If there is no other placement in the district then

they must fund his education elsewhere...be it another school dist.

or privately or whatever. I wouldnt want to put my son through any

more hell with that teacher.

January 17, 2003

--- Sissi,

The Special Ed. Director is trying to appease you. Trust how you

feel about the situation and on what is best for Boone. Do you think

that things will change with the teacher? Do you think that it is

worth trying? Do you think the situation is workable? Or do you

think that a different placement is in order? If you do ...get one.

If the special ed director says that it is the best placement and you

know it isnt going to be healthy happy learning place for

boone...dont listen to the special ed director. You have the right

to get a different placement for him and they have the responsibility

to provide it. If there is no other placement in the district then

they must fund his education elsewhere...be it another school dist.

or privately or whatever. I wouldnt want to put my son through any

more hell with that teacher.

January 17, 2003

--- Sissi,

The Special Ed. Director is trying to appease you. Trust how you

feel about the situation and on what is best for Boone. Do you think

that things will change with the teacher? Do you think that it is

worth trying? Do you think the situation is workable? Or do you

think that a different placement is in order? If you do ...get one.

If the special ed director says that it is the best placement and you

know it isnt going to be healthy happy learning place for

boone...dont listen to the special ed director. You have the right

to get a different placement for him and they have the responsibility

to provide it. If there is no other placement in the district then

they must fund his education elsewhere...be it another school dist.

or privately or whatever. I wouldnt want to put my son through any

more hell with that teacher.

January 17, 2003

I talked to the Sped Director this morning. We first discussed my objection to

signing my name to a blank request for a functional behavior assessment. She

agreed to have the request filled out before I am required to sign it.

They wanted you to do what???

She said the paper which was graded so harshly (with a sad face and comments)

was a SECOND GRADE worksheet.

Well, that's nice.

Apparently Boone's teacher cares so much about him that she wanted to

" challenge " him. She's afraid he will become bored with school and lose

interest.

The rate she is going he is going to totaly end up hating school. If he were

a NT child and she treated him like this you know he would be coming home saying

his teacher is mean and hates him and he wouldn't want to go to school.

In my opinion -- It is apparent that Boone is capable of answering the

questions on the second grade worksheet, so her only complaint was his improper

capitalization of certain letters and misspelling the word " Tuesday. "

Sped Director said the teacher would not use sad faces on his papers in the

future.

And exactally how is the sped ed teacher supposed to *control* the normal

teacher? I really don't think that anyone can tell or make Boones teacher do

anything she doesn't want to do.

My questions are:

If the teacher truly " cares " about Boone, why on Earth would she give him a

paper years beyond his grade level (he's in kindergarten, remember) and then

grade so harshly when he answered the questions correctly?

She's a psychotic bitch.

Apparently she wasn't thinking.

If she was attempting to teach penmanship, why did she use a second grade

calendar paper to do it?

This was not a penmanship paper and we both know it. Hell, everyone here

knows it.

I honestly believe she was angry at him for answering the questions correctly

and made a big deal about the penmanship just to be cruel.

Well, as said, she is pissed that she already got her hand slapped once

because you complained about her and now she is going to take it out on Boone.

This woman has worse people skills than ASD kids!

I have asked that he be transferred to another teacher. I was told that this

teacher has more experience with autism and was the best possible teacher for

Boone, but they would look into it.

Well, she obviously has very little experience or understands it. This

teacher isn't fit to care for a turnip. Look into it my ass. Yea, they will

look into it and my bet is they will come up with bullshit like " the other

teachers aren't comfortable with taking on an ASD child " or " The classrooms are

full " or something other bullshit that will mean Boone stays with the psychotic

bitch.

I told the sped director that it has taken a great deal of restraint on my

part to keep from going to the school and slapping this teacher silly.

The offer still stands, I will do it for you.

I told her that I was even justifying this nearly uncontrollable urge by

telling myself that if I were arrested it would not be in vain. It would

certainly draw a lot of media attention to the problem as my competitors would

find this very newsworthy and my own publication would wish to defend me since

my editor is quite sympathetic to the problems I have with the school.

Maybe, just maybe, you should go to your editor and ask/beg/demand that you

(or someone impartial to the situation) be allowed to write an article on this

bitch of a teacher. Did you ever consider that approach? Air the schools dirty

laundry. You have the resources.

Maybe THEN someone would finally listen to my complaints about this teacher.

The only thing that has stopped me from assaulting this teacher is the fact

that I can't smoke in jail.

Anyway, Boone is home. I have more promises and nothing else.

Keep him there! Homeschool him. You can do more for him than a school that

doesn't care.

I still want to slap her.

I wonder if they let you wear nicotine patches in jail?

Note to Lee County School System: This is not a threat. " I want to slap " is

not the same as " I will slap. "

Sissi Garvey

Kids' Page

http://www.isoa.net/~nitetrax/original.htm

Boone's Art Page

http://www.isoa.net/~nitetrax/bart.htm

Dillon's Music Page

http://www.geocities.com/flaremusic

Please read and if you agree, sign petition:

www.geocities.com/stopleland

If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use

a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it

a third time - a tremendous whack.

Winston Churchill

January 17, 2003