Educators with PRIDE Unite

[txdoc]

Originally Posted by Martina

It stands for Special Day Class. It is used for kids who spend more than fifty percent of the day in self-contained special education classes. RSP -- Resource kids -- spend less than fifty percent of their time in self-contained (all Special Ed) classes. Often they just have a support class or two.

SDC students sometimes have more or more serious learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, or lower IQ. Sometimes their not that serious learning disabilities have been neglected and they just ended up many grade levels behind. But they are not ID (Intellectually Disabled or Mentally Retarded). For whatever reason or reasons, it is hard for SDC students to succeed in school.

More districts are trying to include SDC students in General Ed classes for more of the day. It is good for them socially -- most of them -- but most districts do not have the resources to do it successfully and SDC kids start flunking out. Great idea, but so hard to do in schools with large class sizes and stressed to the max teachers.

Thank you. We don't use that terminology. We code by numbers. Same reporting requirements. In our district, we commit a significant amount of funds to inclusion support and co-teaching. Even at the high school level, I have inclusion teachers in every content area class. We use as little resource as possible. Our kids are more successful on state standards if they stay in the general education setting. All our resource teachers are also highly qualified in special ed and the content area they teach. We have dramatically increased the rigor and relevance of the instruction for all of our students but continue to put necessary supports in place. I also have a dedicated and competent behavioral support team who works diligently to build resilience for our kids with ed. When we have to go more restrictive, we have an award winning campus which includes a therapeutic milieu so that we can keep kids out of .hospitalization. Can you tell I love my job and my district?

[Soon]

Is waking up on a Saturday with the realization you don't have to go to work one of the best feelings--ever!? I thought, for a moment or two, I had to get up and get dressed and start the teaching day...slowly dawned on me...nope! I also got a whack of essays done this week but have another pile(s) waiting for me. I take Saturdays off entirely, though!

Today is definitely a ME day.

Wishing you all a great weekend.

[bkisbutchenuff]

Haven't posted anything about yesterdays tragedy...I think because it hit so close to home...all the innocence taken out by an unstable young man...in a place once thought to be safe from such acts...

and

as innocent lives are taken....other innocent children do great things...students auditioned for the Honor Orchestra last Sat. and today. 4 passed the audition and 4 did not....I am so proud of their efforts!

[Martina]

Rest in Peace --

Victoria Soto -- Teacher
Mary Sherlach -- School Psychologist
Dawn Hochspring -- Principal
Rachel Davino -- Aide
Anne Marie Murphey -- Aide
Lauren Rousseau -- Teacher

And thanks and gratitude to all the staff who risked their lives to save children, the clerks, the custodians, the aides, the teachers.

They made me proud to be a public school teacher.

[bkisbutchenuff]

We ca do this!

[JustLovelyJenn]

There was so much activity at our school today. The superintendent was there, as were maintenance crews, ensuring that the buildings security measures were in place. Teachers are being told to keep their door shut for large portions of the day and locked. More supervision is being placed outside at recess. The atmosphere was sad, and anxious, as I am sure so many of those in the building were thinking the same thing as I was. What if it had been our school, our coworkers, our children?

I haven't said much about this tragedy because it brings me to tears at the thought of the lost lives of my fellow educators and the innocent children under their guard. But as I have read and listened to the aftermath of this horrific event, I feel that if I do not talk about it... the sorrow may be overwhelming.

[bkisbutchenuff]

Originally Posted by JustLovelyJenn

There was so much activity at our school today. The superintendent was there, as were maintenance crews, ensuring that the buildings security measures were in place. Teachers are being told to keep their door shut for large portions of the day and locked. More supervision is being placed outside at recess. The atmosphere was sad, and anxious, as I am sure so many of those in the building were thinking the same thing as I was. What if it had been our school, our coworkers, our children?

I haven't said much about this tragedy because it brings me to tears at the thought of the lost lives of my fellow educators and the innocent children under their guard. But as I have read and listened to the aftermath of this horrific event, I feel that if I do not talk about it... the sorrow may be overwhelming.

Yes...it is hard to wrap your head around this... I couldn't post anything at first...I posted the following earlier today on my fb page:

'Spent the morning, as I'm sure most educators in the USA - and elsewhere did, going over Intruder Alert and Procedures.....fielded many questions....so very sad.'

Wasn't ready to go there, but had no choice. The students had mixed responses....