Bus driver deserves medal

Recently I met a schoolbus driver from rural Illinois. She related how she had stopped disorder and chaos on her bus and turned long rides into profitable use of time by the students. This driver definitely deserves an award or medal!

The driver's name and school district have been deleted from her message. So the next time you are inclined to give a hard time to your kid's schoolbus driver, remember this driver.

"The peer mentoring on my bus was never planned - it was something that just evolved. It's on an as-needed basis and has slowed down now the weather is nice.

"The flash cards were the idea of a middle school girl who wanted to help her cousin and sister with math and help with two other girls to keep the kids busy so I could watch the road. We have a lot of white outs and icy roads in the winter.

"I can't give you hard numbers as to how much the mentoring helped because I never thought to keep track. I've always checked the local paper and announced over the bus intercom all the bug and honor roll students. Now there are so many I have to have it written down I can't remember all the names.

"I've had this route for two years, it was a route everyone turned down. Let's just say the town has a bad reputation.

"The kids on Honor Roll are a combination of every type of background. The three girls that did the flash cards - two are form the "wrong side" of the Fox river and the third one from the "right". The two boys that first asked for help, one has a slight learning problem and the other is autistic. The kids that volunteer range from smart-mouthed high school boys to first graders showing kindergartners how to sound out words in a book.

"It was never an everyday thing , with all the end of the year field trips to talk about and less homework it is maybe once a week. We only have the two rules on the bus, anybody can help somebody (everybody is good at something) and you can't give them the answers you have to show them how to find the answers.

"Besides better grades I've noticed there aren't any book bags, lunch boxes, clothes or projects left on the bus and very little trash.

"There have got to be other drivers that are doing the same things.

"Next year I'll keep record of progress and be able to give solid data on these things."

Impassioned pleas - heard?

Two parents made impassioned pleas last night before the Woodstock District 200 School Board.

Did the Board hear them?

Both asked the school board not to can good aides from the special education classrooms of their children. Both had been told that the union makes the decisions.

I think not. Or, if it does, then the Board - and the parents - had better regain control over our school staffing.

With certain children in our schools (groups, I mean; not individual children), change is very difficult. During a school year they get used to a certain teacher or aide and they then settle into the school groove. When the District tosses out an aide or teacher, just because she is low person on the totem pole, this does not serve this student population.

One parent said that seniority shouldn't trump merit. And he's right. The school district has to be able to cleanse itself of "dead wood". When a teacher is just "running on empty", hanging on my her fingernails to retirement date, the District, in the best interests of its students (and other staff), must take action to send that teacher on her way.

Some teachers are happy, positive and fresh right up until the day they retire.

The parents of the children in Special Education must come together. A Parent Advisory Council may be a step toward a solution.

Plans are underway for an organizational meeting. Half the parents who responded to the recent survey favor meetings during the summer. Watch for upcoming news. Hopefully, fliers will go home to parents of all Special Education students in District 200 and that many will show up at early meetings.

You don't have to attend all meetings, and there will be many ways to participate, including meetings, email, perhaps teleconference and even webinars. It's the Space Age, folks.

D-200 SpEc survey results

Just prior to spring break in the Woodstock (Ill.) School District 200, parents of students in special education were offered an opportunity to participate in a survey that asked their interest in a Parent Advisory Council and/or a Parent Support Group.

As of Monday, 61 surveys had been received. Fifty-four (54) indicated an interest; seven (7) said they were not interested.

The first question that came to my mind was, where are the other 600-700 surveys? There are over 1,000 students in Special Education in Woodstock D-200. Because the survey was handed out (not mailed) by teachers at parent-teacher conferences, IEPs and Annual Reviews, it seems to me that 200-300-400 could have been returned, if there had been strong teacher encouragement.

At one school the surveys were merely placed on a table in a common area. At at least one conference, no mention of the survey was made to the parents. I know; I was there with the student's parents.

One parent told me today that, when the survey was handed to her, the teacher said, "You probably don't want to fill this out. You can take it with you, if you want, and mail it back."

I suggested that another survey needs to go to all the parents who didn't respond. I don't think they'd get mad, do you? Most parents want to express their opinions about their childrens' education.

On the second survey, I would inquire why they didn't respond to the first and offer some possible choices:
__ I really am NOT interested in either group
__ Never saw the first survey
__ Took the first one home but lost it
__ Didn't think my opinion would be listened to
__ What's the use? Nothing is going to change
__ Teacher told me not to bother filling it out
__ Other: ________________________________

As far as I know, the survey was prepared only in English. I'd love to be wrong about this. If it was in English only, exactly how where the parents who don't speak English surveyed?

D-200 will now announce an organization meeting of parents. Meeting time preferences were about equally divided between 6:00-7:00PM and 7:00-8:00PM. Personally, a one-hour meeting is not long enough to accomplish much.

The areas of parent interest were varied and provide enough "meat" for years of programs. The interests will be the topic of a different article.

Many thanks to the 61 parents who returned the surveys. Please spread the word about this blog and the upcoming programs at District 200. There will be strong parent leadership and involvement. Come and play an important part.

These will not be dull, dreary, boring, get-talked-to meetings. These will be your meetings!

D-200 Survey for SpecEd Advisory/Support Groups

During the parent-teacher conferences just held in the Woodstock (Ill.) District 200 schools, parents of special education students were surveyed about interest in an advisory council and/or a support group.

At each conference a form was distributed to parents (or it was supposed to be distributed). They could complete it on the spot or take it home and send it back.

Forms were to be sent home for students who did not have parent-teacher conferences scheduled.

About five years ago I urged D-200 to compile email addresses for parents of special education students, in order to be able to communicate directly with them. Apparently, email addresses are not routinely obtained. Electronic communication with parents of any student, special education or not, should be a no-brainer.

Parents should be able to expect survey results in the near future.

If you are a parent of a special education student and didn't get, or didn't return, the survey, please do so within the next few days. Thanks!

Needed - a "Phoebe Prince Law"?

Read today's article of a similar title on www.woodstockadvocate.com

Bullying in our schools must be stopped.

Schools are supposed to be safe environments for learning. For every student!