Is My Co-Worker Undermining Me with a Student's Schedule Change?

[lockhartkitchen]

I was home from school today, with an awful sore throat. I'm reading my email before bed tonight, and see that one of my student's schedules is changing starting tomorrow, without any consulting from me.

My student has extreme behavior issues. Because there is no room at the school for behavior needs until next Sep. we are trying to hold it together. The special ed. teacher, has him work independently throughout the day in her room. (note he is very bright and not special ed). His behavior this last week, has been awful the last hour of the day. We're doing group activities with the Oregon Trail. He refuses to do any of the work, wanders around and bothers others, and I've had to have him removed. The principal said she'd start keeping him up in her office with something to do.

The Special ed. teacher, is a brand-new teacher, and very naive. She sees this kid in a small setting and doesn't see the impact he makes on a room of 24 other students. Her solution? She's sending him to another 4th grade classroom doing the same activity for the last half hour of each day. If she had waited and spoke with me, I could have told her, we don't do Oregon Trail on Fridays, we have health. Now his behavior book doesn't reflect that, and we will have the issue of how he's getting to another classroom. He can't go by himself. He takes off.

This seemed to me, to be a slap in the face. "You can't handle him, so I'll send him to another teacher who can." I've had a few words with this special ed. teacher a few weeks ago, after she implemented something for this student without consulting with me. It left this kid with a marker pen to check off his work completed. This marker ended up all over his body. I also had to do my checkoff list (for our data team) AND this one, because she had him erasing it everyday and I no longer had the data I needed to use for his transition meeting. Uggh. After almost 18 years of teaching-

 

[raebates]

I'm so sorry, Julie. I know that sometimes new employees of any kind think they know best. She's probably sure that as the special ed teacher she's got a better handle on this type of student than you do. She's clearly wrong. Hope there's a good solution soon.

 

[pampered1224]

It might be a good time to send HER to the principals office! This way you could have a talk with her and know she will have to listen to you. Of course, you need to talk to the principal first. I wonder if she has any idea that she is only making the situation with him worse with all the new disruptions? If she doesn't, she don't know jack about kids! I worked for several years with special needs kids and know that that pattern and consistency of schedule works. When you mess up that pattern, you automatically set the kid back quite a distance. I mean I do not have a degree but even I am not that dumb.

 

[Nanisu]

Time to call a new IEP. In California anyone can do it, teacher, mom, principle.

 

[lockhartkitchen]

Thanks. Today I spoke with the principal. When I suggested earlier in the week, we needed another activity other than group, for this student in the afternoons, she discussed it with the special ed. teacher. It was the special ed teacher's idea for the other classroom. We'll see how it goes. I have him one less hour a day, and believe me, that's a gift. This student will be placed in an alternative school next year for his behavior issues We are just trying to finish out the year, with a smooth end. I just get frustrated when I'm not consulted.