Defining the Meaning Of The Word "Cutting" When You are On The "Cutting" Edge

I don't know what is going on, but it sure makes the buds on my red bud trees blossom when I am asked to comment on issues within the HCDS. Two requests in two weeks is quite interesting.

Someone asked me to comment on the statistical interpretations of numbers regarding the use of money that our beloved local district EFFECTIVELY puts into teaching behavior. For those who are in the know, there is a huge difference between what is put on District checklists and what really happens on a school site. For those who are in the know, bean counters and courts usually go by what the paperwork says, not what the people who live and work in the trenches report as the truth.

How many of you have heard that behavior problems keeps students and teachers from being effective?

For those who are in the know, there is a push towards teaching behavior.

For K-12, we have this:FLPBS Home

For Early Intervention, we have this: TACSEI


And it is right smack dab in the middle of Hillsborough County.

One would think that there would be more participation within the County, as opposed to counties that are further away. Yet, when one clicks on the link and looks at the data, Hillsborough as one school that is committed to learning how to teach behavior, compared to other districts which some have several.

It looks like Hugo Schmidt Elementary has been learning to teach behavior since 2004.

FLPBS Model Schools: "HillsboroughHugo Schmidt Elementary - Gold"



It looks like Egypt Lake gave up on learning how to teach behavior. They made the list in 2004-2005. If you click on the link "implementation comments", it looks like it was too much work. In other words, they must have cut out.

FLPBS Site Redesign: "Egypt Lake Elementary (Hillsborough)"



So, we are left with one elementary school in HCDS that is on the chart by the entity that is providing the service. A statistical significance to most honest people. Let's see, one out of x number of elementary schools. Then there is one of y number of total elementary, middle and high schools. Then there is one out of the 3rd(?) largest school district with the state of Florida.

I am willing to bet that a school spokesperson will say that every school in Hillsborough County is trained in teaching behavior.

District Check mark.

Learning to teach behavior effectively takes more than a six hour workshop.


Reality Check mark.

With all of the complaints that I hear about ESE student's behavior impeding access to everyone's curriculum, you would at least think that all of our schools with special ed "centers" (not that Hillsborough segregates students by ESE Labels) would have total buy in to learning how to teach behavior.

Hillsborough spokespeople will say that Hillsborough fully supports inclusion.

District Check mark.

There are countless numbers of classrooms across the School District of Hillsborough County that solely contain students that have a specific ESE label, and you cannot find a typical student in that classroom.

Reality Check mark.

The school system seems to believe that "including the ESE students" means that the ESE students get to eat in their own little area within the lunch room at the same time that the typical students roam around the lunch room, or the ESE students get their own little area next to the typical students during P.E. time. Furthermore, this wrong-minded concept is perpetuated by - wait for it- paperwork. Well, everyone knows that, right there on the LRE form (Least Restrictive Environment) is the little check boxes that say that the inclusion needs of the student with disabilities needs will be met through their 20-30 minutes of lunch plus another 20-30 minutes of P.E..

The wrong-minded paperwork is destructive to the intent of inclusion under IDEA. Try this out. A child labeled with Downs syndrome has this disability more than 30 minutes day. According to the paperwork, if a child has a need for specialized instruction due to their disability for more than 30 minutes (or is it 15?), then they are taken out to the resource room. If a child has a need for specialized instruction due to their disability for more than 60 minutes (or is it 45?), then they are placed in a class that is designed to meet the unique needs of the student.

Many years ago, I learned to say in IEP meetings that my son was and deaf and legally blind all at the same time, all day long. I learned to say that so the really smart school people would quit (hopefully) telling me that my son received his hearing services during one class period and his vision services during another class period. One teacher told us that she was a hearing impaired teacher and that "Vision takes care of his other problems." Those endearing people made me who I am today.

Here is one for you, and if you can't do it, just pass it forward. See if you can get an honest answer on how many Down's Syndrome children are fully included within the Hillsborough County District Schools?

Not District check mark included.

Really included.

Then answer this question. If a student is labeled Down's syndrome within Hillsborough County, are they automatically segregated out of typical classrooms for more than 30 minutes, or is it 15, a day?

Classrooms - not lunch rooms.

Classrooms. Not P.E..

This means one has to go out and look to see where the student really is. It does not mean ask your ESE department to tell you how many of your Down's sydrome students are "included."

Remember, bean counters and courts rely on paperwork, not the truth.

I know. I know. Cut that out.