Promising Solutions to Disproportionate Representation in Special Education

This was a difficult module for me.  I am a nurse within the school system, not a teacher.  I do see students on 504’s, IEP’s and in multi-handicapped classrooms.  But as far as the students that are getting special education in general settings, I do not have information on that.  However, what I do have is experience with teachers asking parents and asking me to ask parents to give ADD/ADHD medications very often.  This happens with students, mostly boys, staring in the first weeks of Kindergarten.  Teachers want quick fix for what they refer to as behavioral issues.  Many times I have felt that the student’s behavior is a reflection of very limited resources aka poverty.  Are these behavioral issues or are these social norms for this particular student?  If a child has limited resources at home, they have less time for books and learning opportunities when their parents are just trying to pay rent.  Is it a socialization issue? Is it a cultural issue?

While the district I work in used to be more suburban, it really has a more urban feel now.  The community has many more renters than homeowners, many of our children are on free or reduced meals and there is a steady influx of Napoli immigrants.   There is also “open enrollment” in my district, so we get many inner-city students.  My point is many children are coming to school with no pre-school experience, little to no health care (their immunizations show this), and very limited resources in the home.  These children cannot be expected to “hit the ground running” with the learning process when they are dealing with limited resources, English as a second language, and minimal preparation for education.  I have heard from teachers “what am I supposed to do?”  This is so sad to me because I am not an educator.  I really don’t know what to do.  But medicating children or placing them in a special education class is not the answer.  While reading Chapter 5, I agreed that poverty does have effects on development.  Children have less health care, poor nutrition, and less early education.  But this can’t be true for each child in inner-city schools.  Not every child can be put in special education.  While I continued with the reading, I was disturbed to see that inner-city type schools had fewer opportunities for advanced learning.  I feel this sadly is about money, not talent or the potential of students.  So what is the answer?  I do not know.  But I do feel meeting children where they are is so very important.  Identifying them as needing special education instead of digging deeper and taking into account social, cultural or economical issues is a huge mistake. 

Perhaps more education and resources for teachers is a start.  Being a teacher is so difficult.  I do not envy teachers with 25 students in their classes.  I can see how one of several students can impede the learning process for the entire class.