Education and classroom assistants?

Question

There was a time when i thought education was important for all kids but as this feud goes on between the assistants and education board my thoughts are now different, i think the assistants dont get paid enough for their work, i have a child who is autistic and needs her assistant, without is no question of it working, do our children have to suffer at the hands of thoughtless people. and no matter how parents and carers intervene it dosent matter it is fallen on deaf ears.

Answer 1

Decisions about finances (who works, how much they make) are made by people who've been away from the classroom a long time (administrators) or people who've never been in the classroom (board members).  Most of the time they've either forgotten or are unaware of how things work in the classroom.  That's compounded by the fact that there are, unfortunately, teachers who just simply refuse to teach "those" kids.  And your child is likely to get a stronger education from a credentialed teacher than from an instructional assistant, regardless of how good that instructional assistant is.

However, as the parent of a special needs child, you do have recourse and you need to use it.  First, collect data.  That means list what your child was doing without the Aide and then go into the classroom and list now what your child is doing.  If you have it, show academic progress (or lack thereof) so that you can justify the Aide.  To be honest, autism isn't a guaranteed need for an Aide.  We have a HFA (high functioning autistic) student in our school who not only doesn't have an Aide, but actually is in regular education classrooms full time and doing well.  Special education services, including having an Aide, are based on actual need, not on diagnosis.  But if you can make a good case for an Aide, then ask your child's case carrier to schedule an IEP.  Ask to have the District Special Ed Director at the meeting.  (He or she is usually the only person who can authorize placing an Aide in a classroom with a student).  If the IEP Team still refuses to authorize an Aide and you're still convinced your child needs one, then go to due process.  (You will receive a copy of your parents' rights at the meeting which should explain this process.)  

After the IEP Team meeting, all communication with the district should be in writing with copies sent to the case carrier (teacher), the school principal, and the District Special Ed Director.  Be persistent.  Teachers also usually want the best for your child (particularly with NCLB), so you're all on the same team.

Answer 2

Unfortunately schools are run with a budget.  The classroom assistant is seen as a valuable member of staff by most Heads but sometimes they cannot be afforded. Most schools have money ring fenced for Special needs and this is where the money will come from for the assistant for your son. Again according to how many children there are depends on whether each child gets the attention they need. Until the government decides that each school can have more money instead of the crazy crack pot schemes it keeps thinkng up our children will suffer. Write to your local MP and the Education Sec of state. The more people who start creating the more likely it is that change will occur.

Answer 3

Agreed with you that learning assistant don't get paid much specially in schools, special schools and college

Answer 4

I agree completely with your statement.

As for the first reply here, I really believe the ONLY reason the assistants come back is because of the teachers union. They have a lot of agression and made the school back down. If it wasn't for them, the school would not have brought them back. It's ALL about the MONEY and NOT the KIDS.

Lots of schools say  they can't have assistants because of lack of funds. Even though this might be true, if a child is in special ed and have an IEP plan, the child HAS to have an assistant if the IEP team agrees to this.

In your case the child with autism SHOULD have an IEP plan. If not, go thru the legal steps to get one. If you don't do it legally, the school will say the child can't have one every time. The best place to get help for this is the message board at www.schwablearning.org

Lots of times schools will go to no end to lie, cheat, whatever to talk the parent into thinking the child does not need an assistant when in fact they DO.

If child does NOT have an IEP, they do NOT have to have an assistant.

As far as teachers having assistants to help them out, I am not sure about this.

Answer 5

I work as an assistant in a school. I too work with a child who is autistic. Two years ago the board had decided that assistants were not needed in the classroom and in turn laid of 150 assistants board wide. Board wide runs from Cobalt to Cochrane. The first week in the new school year was h**l for the teachers. They had to deal with the kids who lost their assistant as well try and teach the lessons.. Well guess what within a month all were called back to work. The teachers went to their union and said it isn't working. The union in turn went to the board and said that the  teachers were stressed and could see them taking sick leave if something isn't done.

Sometimes it is a thankless job when it comes to the board but when you see the result when you work with a child with whatever need they may have and they are smiling, or have learnt a new task it is that that puts a smile on the assistants face and feel like they are worth something, I love my job and hope to continue with what I do for years to come. People think that we are a waste of money and don't need to be there but guess if we weren't in the room then your "normal' kids will begin to suffer. Because more time would be focused on the ones that  need help.

Answer 6

Like everything in education it all comes down to money.  The decisions school boards and superintendents make are not based on what is best for students, but on what makes the board and administrators look good financially. Until students needs are truly placed first, nothing much will change.  And as long as we have programs being demanded of schools WITHOUT funding to implement them, we'll have students who are not getting an appropriate education.

How to change this state of affairs?

  

Vote! Vote for politicians who are pro-education for all.

Also, be very careful who gets elected to your school board. Too often the people on school boards see it as a political stepping stone; in other words, these people are there for their own advancement, and not for your child's.

Remember that the school board hires the superintendent.  Unfortunately, competent, caring superintendents are rare, as are caring principals; principals are also rewarded for cutting expenses--regardless of the negative impact on the classroom.(This is why aides are cut and teachers have to struggle with impossible situations.)  Most administrators seem intent on antagonizing their workforce, the teachers and aides who actually do the work of educating your child.

Find a local parents' group for autism/ special ed.  You will need all the support and knowledge you can get on how to 'beat the system.'  Good luck.

Answer 7

I think the biggest thing to remember is that schools are often not happy about having to cut aides from the budget or with the salaries they have to offer.  Most administrators and even people on district and state levels, know the importance a one-to-one aide/para-educator can make.  The guiding principle in education..no matter where..is similar to the one thing that really shapes our lived day to day at home...the checkbook balance.  If we want more services, more aides, better programs and happier staff, schools need more money...and in the US that is going to mean higher taxes, not lower.  Any political candidate that says he will garuntee more money to the schools while simulataneously offering to cut income and/or property taxes is going to end up either forcing schools to move funding around to cover the costs of the new, promised programs/changes or there will be cuts in other budget areas (anything from police and fire departments on local levels to health care and Social Security on national levels.)  No parent likes to hear that money is going to have a bearing on the services a child recieves from school, but it is unfair to think the schools have unlimited funds...we all have to face our own budgeting limitations, so do other businesses, we want our governments to do it, so it is only natural the schools have to as well.  Unfortunately, special ed tends to take budget cuts when there is little other place to cut...as with many social services, the schools are forced to do as much with the money as they can, and often times eliminating dedicated aides can mean keeping other things like a full time speech therapist.   If we want our schools to be able to do what we know is best for our children, we need to stop voting for tax decreases...we need more money.

Answer 8

Parents as a whole need to advocate as a group to insure appropriate services and training are delivered. The board is voted in and voted out. You will find different services in different states and districts. Advocate.