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Post by Charlie Girl on Aug 24, 2006 12:40:38 GMT -5
Our school just announced that they are doing away with one on one aides for individual students. Now the aide will be assigned to the teacher rather than the child so they have to help the teacher whenever a student doesn't need them.
I am waiting to see whether there is a law suit coming to our school. A child who goes to different rooms for different classes will still need the one on one but the aide will be there for the teacher and therefore, the teacher won't have to allow the aide to go with the child.
I am going to check into the legalities here. Certainly a child having one on one time with a specific teacher for something won't need the aide, but that is a very minor part of a student's day. If a child is assigned one on one in his IEP, he has to have that aide at all times. If two kids in one class are assigned one on one in their IEPs (which does happen here), is there one aide doing for both students or are there two aides at the teacher's beck and call?
Has anyone here ever had direct experience with one on on aides? I'd love to hear how that fits into what the school has decided to do now.
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Post by misty on Aug 24, 2006 23:39:05 GMT -5
WOW! I have no idea since Shannons never had an aide, but it sounds like a bad move all around! You are right if its in the childs IEP to have an aide at all times, how CAN they do away with it? I'll be curious to see how this pans out. You'll let us know, wont you?
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Post by INaBOX on Aug 24, 2006 23:53:36 GMT -5
Where I'm from, we support the student AND school - our students have top priority .. however, it's ultimately the teacher's decision what the support is to do. Of course life is never black and white.. there's a lot of gray in this area. Depending on the teacher, often the support will lead the way with the teacher's consent.
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Linda
Founding Member 
Good friends are like stars.........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.
Posts: 448
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Post by Linda on Aug 25, 2006 19:20:10 GMT -5
The only aides we ever had in our elementary buildings were students from the university who were becoming teachers.....and we are getting too few of them!  The schools are cutting away programs and teachers because the budget has been cut! Who will suffer? Our precious kids!  |
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Post by misty on Aug 25, 2006 23:21:29 GMT -5
Who will suffer? Our precious kids! Thats it in a nutshell, Linda & its a darn SHAME!  |
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Post by unicorn-tiff'smom on Aug 26, 2006 11:12:11 GMT -5
In our school I have only see the college students too, who need to help in the classroom. They plan lessons and exicute them. I have never seen them help one on one. Some of the parent volunteers do that. I used to go in to help Tiff's class and sat in the hallway and gave lessons one on one to students.
It will be a shame if the children loose that resource.
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Post by Charlie Girl on Aug 26, 2006 12:10:46 GMT -5
One child I know who had one on one help is autistic. He was severly disabled. He had his own one on one aid and the progress he has made is nothing short of remarkable. It scares me to think of him losing the help he needs. It is covered under IDEA so I don't see how they can do it without the parent's consent. Unfortunately, too many parents assume the school knows what is best and just go along with it.
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Post by katiekat on Aug 27, 2006 23:41:53 GMT -5
I actually am (well was) a one on one. I lost my job because(get this) I reported that the teacher was being abusive to my student who is non verbal and has severe multiple handicaps. In the distict I worked in the aides are treated like we are unimportant-truth is we do more than alot of teachers. Many teachers dont like aides in their classrooms. I have noticed that many but not all special ed teachers are total control freaks. And if it's in your childs IEP that they are to have a one on one they HAVE to provide you with one or they are non compliant with the IEP. If you say nothing they'll try and get away with it for as long as they can. You have to fight to get what your child needs-ridiculous but true.  |
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Post by misty on Aug 27, 2006 23:54:54 GMT -5
Thats terrible that you got fired for HELPING a child! Didn't the childs parents take your side? Are you still working in the field?
My daughter has 2 LD's & luckily her Learning Support teacher is an AWESOME man! He really cares about the kids & he helped Shannon bring her grades up from Cs & Ds to As & Bs! It makes such a HUGE difference when they are learning from someone that knows how to teach them!
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Post by Charlie Girl on Aug 28, 2006 0:31:14 GMT -5
Wow katiekat! That stinks. It amazes me that most people assume the schools and the teachers naturally have your child's best interests at heart. It also amazes me that so many think its fine to be abusive to kids who have no recourse.
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Post by alison on Aug 28, 2006 0:51:51 GMT -5
I am an aide in a school. I have been working with kids for 12 years and in our school system children that have disabilities depending on the severity get funding and that determines whether or not they get an aide. I know there is some sort of code they go by. If a child needs a one on one aide then it should sat in the iep's but unfortunately some teacher will use a child that is doing really well with everything and start giving the aide more work with other students and their own or doing prep work for them whatever. I know that if the parent knows that their child is funded for a one on one then they should be fighting for there child. The government gives the schools money for every child with a diagnosed disability so they should be getting all the support they are entitled too. I have had alot of issues with one on one time being split around with others and the children do regress if they are not given what they need then I have to start all over again and the children don't get any further along. The parents are the best people to do the complaining. Sorry if I get going on this we have had alot of trouble in this past. It seems better now. Good Luck with everything!!! |
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Post by katiekat on Aug 28, 2006 21:03:28 GMT -5
This actually just happened in June. I would like to work in the same field but in a school that is all special ed. not a public school with special ed. classes. I contacted DYFS and they contacted the parents. I also got a lawyer.
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Post by misty on Aug 28, 2006 21:19:59 GMT -5
Well, thats good. It sounds like you covered all your bases! I sure hope everything works out & you find a job in a private school. The world needs more like you; Aides who really CARE about our kids!
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Post by INaBOX on Aug 29, 2006 20:36:24 GMT -5
Many teachers dont like aides in their classrooms. Interesting. Here, teachers are fighting to have support in their classes. The expectations to accomodate 30 students; 3 severe special needs students; esl; non-designated (that need support) all in one class .. it's over their heads. I find that some teachers don't respect the job support workers do but they sure do appreciate all the help they can get. Also, there's a difference between an aide and a support worker. An aide is where you have university/college students helping the teachers (marking, filing, assisting students, etc). A support worker is designated to work with special needs students and are often the key person in the class. |
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Post by alison on Aug 30, 2006 0:29:04 GMT -5
Here we are called EA's Educational Assistants. I work in a speicial ed room that has children that are integrated into regular Ed classrooms is possible. Some of the children can and the others just do programs throughout the school. We have a pre-school to grade 9 school wit OT's and PT's . We have speech and phycologists . The regular ed children are so used to the special ed kids that most of them are very acepting. It's really cool.  |
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Post by katiekat on Aug 30, 2006 11:00:57 GMT -5
We are called educational assistants here too. If you are a one on one you make more money. Ive worked in inclusion,semi self contained, and multiply handicapped self contained. Some teachers DO appreciate you and really make you feel like a part of the class. I have noticed its mostly the younger ones. The older ones who are used to running the show...forget it. I even had one teacher tell me I had to take my lunch break during her class because she didnt need me in her room. |
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Post by bugsmom on Aug 31, 2006 21:03:08 GMT -5
Before I had my son 10 years ago, I was a Special ED Paraprofessional (that was our title) for 6 years. I worked in a classroom with mildly impaired students ranging from kindergarden thru 3rd grade. It was a self-contained classroom in a regular elementary school and we could have no more than 10 students. The kids had many disabilities from autistic, downs syndrome, Ld's, ect... The teacher was wonderful and the work was so rewarding that I hated to leave after I had my son. At that time in the district that I worked in, you had to have an Associates Degree in Special Ed, (Which I had) and we were treated with the utmost respect. I'm not sure if they even have the same programs anymore, but 10 years ago, those kid didn't go anywhere without me. Some were mainstreamed into regular classrooms for short periods of time and I couldn't imagine them going on their own. I know my job was funded by the county and it was against the law to not have me with them at all times. I don't think it was considered one-on-one, because I was assigned to the whole class. The most we ever had was 9 children. I just can't believe that if a child is suppose to have an aide that the district could take it away. Please keep us updated on this. Something is not right!
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