It gets better! (grade thingie)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
It gets better! (grade thingie)
11
Fri, 03-24-2006 - 9:55am

Todays email confirmed that I was right about Cait's grade on the poster project. It also stated that now her grade for that class is an F. Cait also failed a quiz she took that was graded yesterday.

Here is the quote

"Yes, you were correct, the grade was a 21. That brings Cait's grade
down to an F at the moment. She'll really need to focus on her quizzes
and homework in order to bring her grade up. I'm going to discuss this
again with her today."

SHE'LL really need to focus on her quizzes and homework in order to bring her grade up!

Are they never going to get it?

OY!

Renee

Photobucket

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2005
Fri, 03-24-2006 - 11:21am

Renee,

I thought Cait was in a program just for kids with ASD's. If so, seems to me like they should sooooo get it. Vicky

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2005
Fri, 03-24-2006 - 12:52pm
Oh Renee, I can only imagine how frustrating this must be for you.You must have the patience of a saint(LOL)
Teresa
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
Fri, 03-24-2006 - 3:01pm

Dear Renee,

Ignorance is such an insidious thing, isn't it? When people don't get it, they just have NO IDEA that they don't get it!!! Has your sd done training for these teachers? I guess the ASD support class is so the students have a placce to be understood, but it sounds like the actualy teachers have no clus at all. Ugh.

But you totally did the right thing, as if she is FAILING, it has to become clear to someone somewhere that the supports are not working... Hopefully. I'll be curious as to what happens next.

Sara

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 03-24-2006 - 3:52pm

It is a full inclusion special day class program specifically for kids with AS. They attend 2 special classes per day. One for study skills and one for social skills. Otherwise they are mainstreamed in general ed with support to the class as needed. Cait and one other boy are in the same classes and they have an aide in thier general ed classes (as per Cait's IEP). It is a very specialized program for these kids but they just aren't really getting it. They get it but the don't REALLY get it, KWIM? They have all the right words and terminology but when it comes down to it they don't get how these kids think.

I emailed the teacher back, naturally, and just got a reply from her. Basically her point is that Cait refused to do it in school and refused thier help. Wanted to do it at home/was doing it at home. Well I don't doubt that she says this but there is a difference. They never find out WHY she says this. They think she is being lazy or manipulative. Where as Cait doesn't want to do it in class for a number of reasons top most being the noise level. I have mentioned before that her study skills class is in a hall between the gym and the band room. And this is where she is supposed to WORK on these projects when she has auditory sensitivities.

Second reason, I get Cait and she knows that. She would rather work with me on it but often by the time she gets here I have no clue what she is working on. She was working so I assumed it was getting done.

And Last, naturally, if given the opportunity Cait likes to escape doing non-preferred activities. If she doesn't understand something or it isn't her area of interest then she will try to get out of it. She earns her rewards at school regardless of whether or not she does the work there so why bother working? She has an "A" in study skills and an "A" in social skills class. Why is she getting an "A" if she is not doing her work there but wants to do it at home.

So now she is failing because she refused to put the work into it.

They just don't get it and they aren't going to. The emails come back from her Asperger support teacher. You can imagine the feedback I get from the general ed teachers.

I was talking to a friend today who homeschools her Aspie kids. It is very tempting except that I would lose my income. However, I am really starting to think about it.

Renee

Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
Fri, 03-24-2006 - 4:36pm

Dear Renee,

Well, I so hear ya on the homeschooling thing. BTW, some people I know homeschool AND work. They have set up situations where kids are sharing time with other homeschool parents and kids, or doing activities during time parents are working and then homeschooling in evenings or on weekends, etc. Thing about homeschooling is you are free to work out your schedules!

I know I've mentioned it on these boards before, but if we don't get Malcolm into one of a VERY SMALL handfull of NYC college-prep private special needs middle schools, we will also likely be homeschooling. The parents of Malcolm's pals that I am close with and I have already been plotting and planning how we would do this. We could conceivably have enough kids to have a small (and VERY fun) class!!! Work in small study groups, internet, take advantage of museums and plays and day trips up and down the Eastern Seaboard, etc. Swimming classes, Tae Kwondo, meet with authors, backstage tours, volunteer at food drives, visit the U.N. --- so many things we could organize to do when other kids are in school!!!

Sometimes I get so into these ideas that I think we are crazy to even think of doing otherwise for middle school, but we will see where he can get in, as there actually are a few middle schools that might be good for him. But they are gonna hafta be REAL good...

Sara

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 03-24-2006 - 4:54pm

No Kidding Sara.

You wanna move to S. Cali and we will homeschool together?

I just made the mistake of looking up Cait's grade for her math quiz today. One thing the teacher is good about is grading and posting grades right away. She got a 40% on today's quiz. She got about a 50% on the quiz from last week. So right now not only does she have an F it is a low F (around a 45)

OYE!!!!!!!

I don't see it getting better either. This is her tougher time of year. She always starts strong and fizzles out at the end and she is crashing BIG TIME.

Renee

Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-11-2003
Sat, 03-25-2006 - 6:47am

Renee,

Just sending my hugs and support. That school is really failing her. If it were me I'd be calling an IEP meeting and pulling out that list of responses. But that's just me this yr. I've been in a fighting mood all yr. lol. I doubt I'll have that in me much longer though. I'd dreading middle school so much. We've always got homeschooling in the back of our minds for middle school too. Why don't you and Sara move to Iowa!!! Wouldn't you just love the cold and snow ;)

Samantha

Samantha
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 03-25-2006 - 8:53am

NO cold! No Snow! EVIL!!!!!But you can all move here to the sunshine!

Her Triennial is already set for a few weeks from now and my DH and our ASD therapist are both going to that one so I haven't set up another. I can do alllllll my fighting then.

I have been struggling with these people all year and I thought for a bit they were getting it. It was starting to get a bit better. It seemed like they actually implemented some stuff to help Cait and they got it. She was able to keep mostly B's last trimester but now she is really struggling and it is all her fault I guess.

The only reason and I MEAN ONLY reason I haven't pulled Cait is because of how well she is doing socially. And not really because of them at all. But for the first time in her life Cait has real friends and social gatherings and is loving it. Yesterday she went to a school dance and had a wonderful time. Plus the school is the neighborhood school for my church so Cait already knows all those kids and most have been very nice/understanding to her. She sees them at church things like youth group as well as at school.

Renee

Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-11-2003
Sat, 03-25-2006 - 1:39pm

Its so wonderful to hear how well she's doing socially. I wouldn't want to pull her for that reason too. That's huge.

Samantha

Samantha
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
Sat, 03-25-2006 - 2:15pm

Dear Renee,

I also wouldn't pull her if she is succeeding socially, wow, that is great, isn't it? But man oh man, you may need to get all gnarly and political and mama grizzly bear on their butts about her educational supports or lack thereof.

How is it that her teachers are not shocked by the "F" into rethinking how the program is working (or NOT) for Cait? Do they need to do more intensive training in Cait's disability? Do you need to have them all over to your house (without Cait or other kids around, somehow), provide drinks and nibbly things and have a big relaxed pow-wow about educating Cait, executive functioning, etc. with you and dh? I mean, this is crazy, a AS specialty program which blames her for her inability and thinks she should just "get it" by listening to lectures ... what is this, the Dark Ages? Just the noise of the study room is enough to say someone hasn't connected any dots here, hello. Did they slap a name and design on the program, good of course that they even HAVE something to offer, amazing, actually, but then did they forget to actually learn about AS and how to teach our kids?

I would say it is time for a big face-to-face serious sitdown. Again.

Sara
ilovemalcolm

Pages