Many of you that aren't familiar with educational lingo may not know what a 504 plan is. Well I am not here to put down the idea entirely- my daughter had a medical one plan when she was in school. I think that teachers should be aware when students have a medical condition.
Today the 504 plan is also being misused. It is a way to ensure that students that are trouble makers have a way out of being suspended or expelled. Another excuse to give the parents a permanent baby-sitter for their child without repercussions towards the student.
I have a student who lives in a group home and has been to jail. She has been in my class since the beginning of January. She has probably been in my class for 7 full days. She is constantly being called to the office. I have spent over 4 hours in group meetings and filling out paperwork on her. I am not allowed to know what she did to get in trouble. She was kicked out of a high school last year and now has a legal team that will prevent that from happening at our school. She loud, obnoxious and late to class. She will either completely disregard my requests for her to focus on her work and to be quiet or sleep through the entire class. Her 504 plan says she is the victim of PTSD. (post traumatic stress syndrome) I am supposed to take her aside and speak to her in a non-threatening way. I am supposed to read her the questions on her test in a small group situation. I have 32 students in that class and I am all by myself. Please help me!
I need a 504 plan. I have students that are loud and disruptive. They can't look you in the eye when you speak to them. They copy their work because they have done that all of their lives and they have no idea how to look up the answer for themselves. Yes- the majority of my students are sweet and capable. The 20% that are unable to fen for themselves tend to drag the rest down. I am not able to write up a student that is disruptive. The administration would ignore this. Parents of this students have the PTSD and they can't cope. These little demons run their households. Recently our freshmen class has had their "Arab Spring". They have had fights, food fights- been totally out of control. The teachers have had to keep them in the classes for lunch for the last two weeks. Now- who is really being punished here?
The teachers deserve to have their own 504 plan:
1. Parents of students that misbehave must contact the teacher by email if they want re entrance into the classroom.
2. The county office shall put a hold on all new BS programs until the teachers have been restored to their proper pay scale and the class sizes are back to normal.
In other words- don't make us pre and post test and develop PowerPoint data presentations when we haven't been given the standard pre and post test or been given training on how to input the data or have had our pay cut by 7-8 furlough days!
3. When students are sitting in your class and they refuse to do the work- parents- that is not then considered makeup work. Please allow makeup work to be for truly excused absences!
4. When teachers have overcrowded classes and students that are considered special needs- please consider giving them extra assistance from time to time.
I have asked for help with my difficult class and really no one has helped.
5. Please consider the teacher a true college graduate- professional employee.
If a teacher has been given a duty, coaching assignment or any thing that requires them to put in extra hours- please allow acknowledge this effort. This is what I consider "Educational Community Service". Coaches probably make something like $5 an hour for their efforts. Parents expect miracles. If you want miracles, then you need to be an advocate and not a critic.
Last week I got ripped a new asshole so that a parent could get her daughter into a prestigious honor organization. I had nothing to do with the comments that kept her daughter out of the organization. They were lodged by her former teachers. I had to sit through about 10 minutes of ass- whipping while the parent complained that I didn't follow the proper procedures. An administrator sat there and allowed it to happen and then the daughter was allowed in to the organization. No one came to speak to me afterwards. Every other teacher on the board that had to listen to this raving maniac were in shock. So now that I have PTSD- what will my school do for Me?
Administrators are paid an extra $20,000- 30,000 per year because they have to deal with parents and organizing events, tests etc. Well I get an extra $300 per year to be in charge of this organization. I spend more than 100 hours extra. How is this fair? By the way- when you bring up money the catch phrase is- this is all about the kids. Yes it is. That is why I haven't quit yet!
