Current
Status of Special Education and the challenges that it presents:
Special
Education is a topic that all teachers will encounter in their career. Unfortunately, I feel as though most teachers
feel ill-equipped to handle whatever comes their way, including any challenges
that might be presented with Special Education. To understand a bit about the history of Special Education, I made a timeline of Special Education that dates back to the 1950s.
For an interactive version of my timeline, check out this link.
One of the main challenges that is faced with Special Education is the inequality still found in the school system. There have been many attempts to get rid of this inequality on the government's behalf, and there have been great strides in the past 50 years, but there is still a long way to go. It is mandatory for all students, even those with disabilities to be included in assessments and have access to the general curriculum, due to IDEA and the No Child Left Behind Act (Current Challenges, 2004). But how can students with disabilities get the support that they need? It's hard enough to reach a classroom full of kids if they learned the same way. But if you add in students with ADHD, behavioral issues, learning disabilities, etc, and it is overwhelming to think of the lack of support that each student gets. There are often assistants that are hired to assist students with IEPs and 504s. But the funding is often not there and those assistants are overworked and have a much larger workload than they should. There are also challenges in making sure that students have the training and ability to participate in postsecondary education and employment. I believe that the important part of improving some of these issues is to acknowledge that there is a problem with the current system. Once a teacher has accepted that there are issues with what is currently happening, they can remember that a teacher's main goal is to provide a quality education, regardless of any challenges they may face.
References:
The Right to Education | Disability
Justice. (2015). Retrieved July 8, 2015, from
http://disabilityjustice.org/right-to-education/
Pittman, A. (2012). The History of
Special Education. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
The
History of Special Education in the United States. (2009). Retrieved July 8,
2015, from
http://www.specialednews.com/the-history-of-special-education-in-the-united-states.htm
Current Challenges Facing the Future
of Secondary Education and Transition Services for Youth
with Disabilities in the United
States. (2004). Retrieved July 8, 2015, from
http://www.ncset.org/publications/discussionpaper/
I have to agree that the biggest problem is the existence of inequality in education for special education students. There were reforms put in place to create an equal education environment, but I think the system is still lost in supplying the adequate resources and knowledge to implement it. It seems to be a "one-way-fits-all" approach, but in all honesty, every student learns different so we could be reaching out to all students better then the system currently does. Just like with businesses suffering from the economy, the education system has been neglected and had to face cutbacks. I understand the need to cutback in certain situations, but as important education is for all students, I feel like they are demanding students to be prepared to compete in the global market without supplying the resources. Other countries make education affordable and encouraging, but we center ours around finances. Like if you pay more for a special school then you get better resources and education. How far are we making it for students to succeed? Just like the cry for help with Baltimore City schools. We cannot neglect children who deserve an equal education like everyone else despite their conditions, race, or situations. Today, I have noticed that teachers are easily frustrated with students with disabilities because they are not equipped to handle the challenges with their workload. I think our main focus should be collaboration and plan developments to ensure success for all students. This will help encourage success in the schools as well.
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