May 25, 2018, Federal Way (WA) Mirror: Teachers, parents share concerns over IEP, safety issues in Federal Way Public Schools https://www.federalwaymirror.com/news/teachers-parents-share-concerns-over-iep-safety-issues-in-federal-way-public-schools/ Teachers, parents and students brought issues affecting special education programs, safety and discipline issues in Federal Way Public Schools to Tuesday night’s school board meeting. Stephanie Mateus, a teacher at Sacajawea Middle School, told Superintendent Tammy Campbell, board President Claire Wilson and the rest of the board that she felt the school district was not properly meeting the needs of special education students. Mateus said she has 32 kids in her class, 17 of whom are on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). She also shared safety concerns regarding physical violence and foul language being used by students. “Since the first month of school, I have seen nothing but physical altercations between sixth-graders, eighth-graders,” Mateus said, noting a lack of protection from the district. … According to the school district’s most recent statistics, the number of special education students is about 14.5 percent, which is about 3,465 students out of a total population of nearly 24,000. In 2015-16, special education students represented 12.9 percent of the district’s then-population of 22,930 students. … Tammy Krupp, a registrar for Sacajawea Middle School, said she has seen parents pull students out of the school due to consistent bullying. She also referenced a hands-off policy, which she said wasn’t an official policy within the district, but was widely understood among teachers as the best course of action when dealing with distraught and disruptive students. “One-hundred percent of staff across the district are affected by discipline and safety issues,” she said. Krupp said these issues have at times escalated to physical violence, and family members of staff sometimes worry about their safety at work. …
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.