By Bibinaz Pirayesh Educational Therapist The Learning Tree
Although the shortcomings of the school system generally mean more business for people in my line of work, as an educator and advocate for children, I pray for the day the schools finally get it right. It’s great to hear that there is some effort to reform SMMUSD’s very broken Special Education Department, but it’s not clear to me how the changes they are proposing will affect the hundreds of children who are too functional for special education classes but not functional enough (because of years of poor instruction) to be in regular classes. These children are not falling through the cracks and dropping out, as many fear. What’s happening to them is far worse. They are getting passed through.
When I come across an eight grader struggling through an Algebra class because he can’t add or subtract or a 10th grader shamefully “reading” Shakespeare even though she can’t read, I can’t help but wonder what happens to these kids come the end of senior year when the school system finally gets rid of them.
Keep us posted. And thanks.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 10, 2008. Read the original PDF.