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View Point
I feel frustrated by the lack of support given to special education teachers. The parents, legislators and particularly the judicial system through the Felix Consent Decree have placed a monumental burden on the schools and the teachers. Special ed teachers
need special help
of their ownI recently met a casualty of this burdensome system. A new special education teacher, fresh out of school, was placed into her position with little support, a new principal, the maximum number of students, unchartered waters and mounds of paperwork.
She quit after a year, never to return to special education because of the stress she faced. I can only suppose that if she had had a mentor and more support, she might still be teaching special ed today.
What's the use of recruiting new teacher graduates, as the Department of Education is doing, if you can't nurture them properly and they quit in a year or two? The empty positions will continue to remain unfilled.
My wife, who is also a special education teacher, isolates herself from the family during certain times of the school year because of the workload. Her paperwork is scattered all over the living room table and floor. When our own special-needs daughter asks for help with her homework, my wife says, "Go see your father or sister. I've got a lot of work to do."
I am blessed with two understanding daughters who are willing to help their younger sister. One night we "platooned" the tutoring. After one person got tired, the other took over. And so it went until 11 p.m.
My daughter has short-term memory, transition and reading comprehension problems. She starts her homework about 5 p.m. and, if she gets done by 10:30, that's early. Sometimes, she finishes just before midnight. She gets up at six the next morning and doesn't get eight hours of sleep.
My wife is a very knowledgeable and dedicated teacher. I've grown to respect her very much. She had the benefit of good support during the early part of her teaching career.
But the increased workload and responsibilities have taken their toll. The Felix Consent Decree seems to have empowered some parents to demand the world for their child.
Some are so selfish that they don't care if other students (special needs included) are not serviced due to lack of funds.
I have told my wife, when she is so tired and frustrated, to quit special education and go into regular teaching because nobody would care if she burned out. Nobody seems to write about the great work the teachers are doing. If they care, where is the support?
I see in the classified ads that special additional pay is given to new recruits for state positions that are critical and need to be filled, like special education teachers.
Why aren't current teachers being given this added incentive if there is such a great shortage? When I was in the Navy, they gave re-enlistment bonuses to persuade you to stay. Why can't the state do the same thing with current special education teachers?
I have long wanted to write and get these things off my chest. I hope you print my thoughts and support the "soldiers" on the front line.
Arthur T. Choy is the spouse of a special education
teacher with more than 20 years of experience, the father of a
special needs child and has been a parent volunteer
at Maemae Elementary for 14 years.