I believe my bias will ooze out into this post ... I really mean no disrespect... I,too, am frustrated. I worked in a private alternative school where specialists came into the classroom and provided intervention that would benefit the entire class but was inspired by the needs of our special ed students. It really worked like a charm.... in that... the classes were extremely small 10-15 in class... so during given periods in the day there might be four adults in the room providing differentiated instruction geared around one particular strategy... miracles occurred because it truly was an inclusive class with flexible grouping that was "multi-modal" (did I just make that word up?).... mutli-approach to materials and tools . Now I am in public school. Classes are between 20-25. Inclusion occurs (more in some rooms than others) because according to the specialists' schedule ... those needy kids can be reached better if they all grouped together....or because in the eyes of some administrators ...there are some teachers who are "good with those kinds of kids." In the seventies and eighties that was called "dumping" but now under the veil of inclusion and support services it is deemed co-teaching. In most cases, it just doesn't seem to work in our district.... kids don't have an exchange of ideas because the division is a steep curve... teachers don't get the support they need because in many cases the specialist time is blocked in 30 min intervals for the entire school ... and the support is not every day....in addition... there is no planning time... because our special interventionists must support every teacher ...therefore, you need to sign up in advance if you want to plan with him/her.... by the time we dismiss the kids...planning time is over.... several our support service people are part-timers and keep to the letter of the contract... because there is more work than can ever be contracted for. Usually my posts are not so self-absorbed... but I think when we work for the good of the kid.... real district problems are sometimes overlooked .... being in a contained classroom teachers just go with it and make it work.... I'm with the McGovern post who noted that not every program works for every kid.... and the more we can offer to a child the better for us all..... but one person trying to offer it all... with less... is not the answer.
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