Opinion
Special Education Letter to the Editor

Few Teachers Know Enough About Learning Disabilities

August 11, 2009 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

As a parent of a special education student, I have my own wish list of what I’d like to see done with the aid recently made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“Stimulus Tensions Simmer,” July 15, 2009).

What I have discovered over the past 10 years is that our special education system is deeply flawed. From resistance to accommodations, to disconnects between general education teachers and special education teachers, to flat-out ignorance about the nature of learning disabilities, there is much to improve.

But it is the last of these that probably gives birth to the others: the astounding lack of awareness about the ramifications of having a learning disability. Extended time for assignments is seen as a “crutch,” problems with planners and homework are met with thinly veiled disgust, and detentions multiply with every forgotten note.

There is no doubt that teaching these kids is a challenge many educators are ill-equipped to handle. But dealing with the frustration, anxiety, and tension an LD child faces on a daily basis has not been a priority amid the madness of the No Child Left Behind Act and the push to boost test scores. How many students do we lose to dropping out because the adults around them fail to understand the impact and the pervasiveness of their disabilities? I’d bet that many just check out, rather than face yet another day of being told they are lazy, unorganized, off task, or disruptive.

Kids decide by the end of 3rd grade whether school is something they can succeed in. How many years would you spend in a place where your deficits are on constant display? My husband and I live in fear of our son’s reaching that point, as do probably millions of other families out there just like us.

So now there is money available, and it will be interesting to see how it is used. Am I alone in thinking that if administrators spent some of those valuable dollars for high-quality professional development, the knowledge gained for educators would do far more for “student outcomes” than anything else they could come up with?

Ellen Cassidy

Sawyer, Mich.

A version of this article appeared in the August 12, 2009 edition of Education Week as Few Teachers Know Enough About Learning Disabilities

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
From Classrooms to Careers: How Schools and Districts Can Prepare Students for a Changing Workforce
Real careers start in school. Learn how Alton High built student-centered, job-aligned pathways.
Content provided by TNTP
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Special Education Opinion RFK Jr. Is the Last Person Who Should Be in Charge of Special Education
Here’s why President Trump’s recent announcement sent a chill down the spines of autistic individuals like me.
David Rivera
3 min read
Collaged image of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with brightly colored classroom images in the background.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP + Getty Images
Special Education Spotlight Spotlight on Neurodiversity in K12: Supporting Every Learner's Success
This Spotlight will help you explore effective strategies for supporting neurodiverse students, fostering inclusive environments, and more.
Special Education Why Trump's Move to Shift Special Ed. to HHS Is Rattling Educators
Current and former staffers are wary of vague plans to move special education out of the Education Department.
9 min read
Professionals stand on an arrow that shifts from one parallel line to another, illustrating the concept of a realignment. One person is dressed as healthcare professional.
mathisworks/DigitalVision Vectors
Special Education How Schools Make Up for the Feds' Unfulfilled Special Ed. Funding Commitment
Congress has never met a 50-year-old funding commitment it made for special education services.
6 min read
Vector of a teacher hand holding puzzle piece bridging the gap in primary education for children
iStock/Getty Images