kathy kosnoff wrote: > I'm not sure what it is about my earlier message or about handicapped children that >generates > such hostile remarks from Michael Atherton, but my response to him is below: >
To assume that my remarks were "hostile" begs the question. I would characterize my remarks as "emphatic," but I have noticed that Minnesotians often seem to have difficulty distinguishing between the two. > Kosnoff responds: The inclusion of children with disabilities into mainstream >education, to the extent > appropriate, was mandated by Congress more than two decades ago in the Individuals >With Disabilities > Education Act (IDEA). The legal standard is "most appropriate, least restrictive" >and many kids with > severe disabilities are educated for all or part of the day in special classrooms or >in special schools. They > are also included in mainstream activities to the appropriate and agreed to by >parents and schools. Yes, > a child in a wheelchair or a kid with involuntary tics can be distracting, but the >inclusion of all children, to > the extent appropriate, is federal law--not just my good idea. I make no apologies >for my years of > advocacy on behalf of these kids in education, healthcare, social services or >elsewhere. > If the discussion was restricted to children in wheelchairs or kids with tics we would most likely agree. The problem is, that it is not. The truth is that the law as written also covers more severe disabilities, as well as behavioral disorders. > Kosnoff responds: When poverty, disability or even exceptional aptitude & >intelligence are part of the > complex package that a child presents in the classroom, we cannot educate that child >to his/her > maximum potential without addressing the needs that impact that child's ability to >learn. Every child > should have an individual education plan that addresses the range of needs, academic >& otherwise, that > affect his school success. Schools can't by themselves meet every need; but they >should be the place > where the resources of the community and the family are integrated and coordinated >to plan for each > child's needs. > Do you have some suggestions on how this can be accomplished and funded? Stating that every child should have an individual education plan that addresses their needs is a wonderful ideal, accomplishing it at a reasonable cost is an entirely different matter. Even if such plans could be developed, it is unclear that the schools would have the resources to implement them. > Atherton writes: "The public schools need to focus on educating children, not on >meeting the > social, emotional, and physical needs of every individual child. > Many children with special needs can best be served by quality care in > schools that are uniquely designed to serve them." > > Kosnoff responds: Your belief that those who are a little different or need a little >more should be segregated is abundantly > clear. I just don't agree. > Gee, I didn't know that I believed that; I certainly never stated it. As I said before, "Minneapolis politics seems to have a lot to do with placing people who hold opposing viewpoints on the other side of the rainbow." Is this really a Minneapolis thing? Why is it necessary to vilify your opponents? Tolerance in Minneapolis seems to be a one-way street that often stops short of those you don't agree with. One would hope that Ms. Kosnoff would not use such an approach with parents who come before the school board. > Kosnoff responds: No, I don't think I said that. In fact, I think that all children >have special needs--some > need a ramp to get into the building, some need accellerated math instruction to >keep them engaged, > some need a volunteer reading tutor. See the Individual Education Plan proposal >above--it's only one of > many concrete proposals I have put forward in my campaign & will be outlining in >this Forum over the > next few days. > So what if the ramp costs $100,000 and the student could be accommodated by bussing them to a school thirty minutes away? So what if a school doesn't offer accelerated math instruction? As I understand the law, if a student needs a reading tutor, they are entitled to a PAID tutor, and in some cases must be provided with a one rather than be placed in specialized classes. Michael Atherton Prospect Park > _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
