Black Education / Schools : Louisiana Schools Teaching Black Males They Are Retarded

[cherryblossom]

It's no joke or laughing matter , I,ve seen where the system place these young children in these special ED
programs who don't need it at all , there was this boy name Harold they told him he
was a RETAR.

put him in this program and he zap through it in flying colors , had him and parents thinking he was slow/ had a problem / Retardation
when he was above his grade level/ smart/ GPA above and beyond his class and age
could be an high honor student but was retarded !!..... NOt true

Then here's what they said this Harold is the smartest RETARDED kid they ever seen.....

Do the math
did he belong or was he strip from perfection and top honors ???

Brother Rich, I'm not denying there isn't some truth in Hyperkill's post.

As a former educator, I've seen BOTH sides of this, though.

YES, there are many Black children put in "Special Ed" who DO NOT need to be there. --Parents who are involved and invested in their child's education will become "educated" themselves on just what their child's academic strengths and weaknesses are.

And, YES, there are many who DO need to be there.

 

[cherryblossom]

"Many children can "read" beautifully...meaning they can "call words" but have little to no comprehension of what they read. ---They can't tell you what it means in their own words."

EXACTLY - when I was a kid I read lessons in church quite often as everyone said I read them so well - never had a single clue what any of them were about.

And like I've said before when some people have been posting complicated answers I haven't a clue what they're on about - I mean I could look up the definition of any words I don't know - but that really doesn't help much in trying to work out what a whole sentence of words like that is actually supposed to mean

PLUS...don't discount the benefits of having spec ed classes. If I'd never had any then I'd probably be stacking shelves in Tesco...
But, I did have them and got a degree and now work for a record company which pays decent money and I get to meet all sorts of people, producers, singers etc etc from around the world - which is definitely a better outcome.

But as you say, maybe this kid is real bright and just being picked out for being black - just some more investigation needed I think.

So true, StefiA. Being in so-called "Special Ed" classes does not exclude one from a higher education.

And yes, IF this child does truly NOT need any remediation in school, then his parent should be on this like a bull-dog.

However, a stigma has been placed on the label "Special Ed" and children who are in such classes are often, cruelly, called "Speds."

But, many people do not also know that if they have a child in "GIFTED" classes, then that child would also be a "Sped" because Gifted curriculum also falls under "SPECIAL EDUCATION" in this country.

"Special Education" covers the spectrum from high to low.

 

[cherryblossom]

....Also, in this country, many do not know the difference between "Special Ed" and "Section 504."

A child may qualify as "504" but not be considered "Special Ed."

Both are related but not the same. They both deal with "disabilities" (physical, mental, learning, emotional).

For example, a child with some kind of "disability" could be "504" but if their "disability" does not require more intensive educational "modifications," then he/she will only have a "504 Plan."

If a child does need more "modifications," then an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) is constructed and the child is placed in/under "Special Education."

...One requires that a child's "disability" ADVERSELY affects his/her academic success.

....The other requires an assessment of what services MAY be needed for that child's "disability."

 

[StefiA]

@Cherryblossom
Yeah its the same in the UK, though not many schools have programs for the gifted kids over here...
Here there's a distinction between SEN, special educational needs and special schools...
SEN is for kids who are basically of normal intelligence, but who for some reason are falling behind, like kids with dyslexia and so on...
Special schools are for kids who are below normal intelligence, like kids with mental disabilities...
For the SEN kids there's no real stigma outside of school as you go to the same school as everyone else...
But of course inside school where everyone knows who's SEN and who's not you get all sorts of 'pleasant' terms...
Retard, Spaz etc etc...
So you wouldn't want to expose the kid to all that unless it was necessary, cause even if he does need help and makes progress, that will still affect him in some way for a long time in the future.

 

[StefiA]

@Cherryblossom
Yeah IEPs - thats the same here too. I remember being shown my one when I was a bit older and it all being explained to me + they used to come up with a new one every now and again after you'd seen the Ed Psych.