So I got this nasty letter from a reader the other day who was stupid enough to:
a. call herself a special education teacher
b. give her full name
c. divulge the school where she teaches, the program she teaches in, and all of her “credentials”
d. ALL OF THE ABOVE
Anyway, I have no problem with folks disagreeing with me when I write a blog post or an article (in fact, I welcome it as it usually ends up enlightening me in some way or another), but this woman’s tone was clearly that of someone who is no longer fit to teach our amazing kids. She’s angry, she’s judgmental, she’s prejudiced, and uses words like “normal” to describe kids who aren’t in a special education program, and words like “creepy” to describe some of the behaviors exhibited by her students (who she says she has to “fix”).
I have a plan to deal with her, and it includes reading her email at an upcoming Board meeting at the district where she teaches. Hell, I’ll probably travel from district to district reading her garbage if only to bring attention to some of these horrid people that dare call themselves educators. Move over losers and make room for the people who truly care about our children and WANT to make a difference!
Even if she had a valid point or two in her letter, it was lost amongst the disgusting, rude, and offensive language that she chose to present it in. (But just for the record, she didn’t have a valid point because she obviously didn’t read my original article all the way through. If she had, she would’ve realized that I had already addressed some of the “concerns” she had about my son’s behavior).
Ryan heard about what happened and rushed right over to make sure I was okay (he’s so sweet, that Ryan).
Here’s what he had to say about it:
I just can’t get over how thoughtful Ryan is. And he always knows exactly what to say to cheer me up.
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Oh.My.God! What is wrong with people?!?
This is exactly why I get freaked out knowing I have an IEP coming up… you never know when you’ll be dealing with an @ss. UGH!
Good for you standing up and not taking it! I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall when you read her letter in her district….
And Ryan. OH.MY! He had me at “slow motion” 😉
I know, right? Luckily this woman is nowhere NEAR my son, but you never know what lies beneath. It’s a scary thought, but we need to bring people like this to the surface and expose them as the frauds they are!
Oh, and slow motion makes Everything better! =)
I have no comment…I can’t stop laughing. He totally gets you! And I would also love see you present her letter in her district
=) I love how your “no comment” ended up as a total comment. HAHAH!
Got get em tiger I got your back. Between you an Sunday you ought to be able to eradicate the ignorant and those that hide behind credentials.
Thanks so much Lindsey! I think she’s either always been a fraud or she’s just burnt out and needs a new job. Somewhere where she can be a pissed off lady, far away from our kids.
Hell hath no fury like a special needs mom scorned!!
Also, I would really like to see that slow motion reel of Ryan as well! 😉
Slow motion makes everything better Sunday! =)
Hopefully not our DMV. The ladies who were there when I got my license were really nice! It was a pleasant surprise.
There are some people who have just reached the end of their tenure in their current jobs and need to look for new ones – where they don’t work with other people. coughmyson’sbusdriverisoneofthosepeoplecough
I agree. For us, at least this year, it’s no one. But we’ve had those coughmyson’sthirdgradeteachercough folks too.
When you’re done, you’re done.
This lady is ALL DONE.
The female group’s interpretation of Mr. Gosling’s . . . “interventions” is taking a decidedly NR-17 turn. . .
I know Jim. I’m so sorry. You are so outnumbered. I wish it could be like Special needs Scarlett Johanson, but, you know, it’s NOT. =)
Wow, that letter writer really missed the point big time!
Oh my!! This one is not only awesome, but would accurately describe my sentiments regarding a similar situation I found myself in.
There are so many people working in Special Ed that simply should not be allowed to work with any children period.
Your article was very real. I used to have a similar situation with my son and his sensory needs. I had a similar Special Ed “expert” refer to his as the weird child who hugs people. Nice. On the bright side, her dumb ass comments (yes, there were more, so many many more) made for one strong Due Process case.
Would love to see you read her letter at the Board Meeting. Maybe you can post video 🙂
She should go teach at this NJ school that just banned hugging. http://news.yahoo.com/jersey-middle-school-bans-hugging-104211241.html
Thank goodness Ryan is here to make it all better!!!
I read your article and the email that witch sent you, and I totally agree with Ryan. The DMV is clearly where she belongs!
I applaud you for taking a stand with the school district on this one. It’s funny, because she didn’t exactly disagree with you. She must not have read the part where you said (repeatedly) that you are working on teaching your son to ask before touching and to respect personal space, etc. But wow, the WAY she said it was just disgusting. The disdain for parents AND the kids was heart-stopping. I would NEVER want someone like her to even sit next to my kid on a bus, let alone teach him.
Wow! What a witch! I wouldn’t want her near my daughter either! Ryan just knows how to brighten our day, doesn’t he? 😉
I’m so sorry that you had a bad time!! As an educator (and a mom to one on the spectrum) there ARE good apples out there! Hugs – and water droplets! 😉
Shame on that teacher and good for you for ensuring that her words don’t get swept under the rug. Accountability is so important in weeding out the bad apples from the truly devoted and caring educators. And BTW, will that footage of Ryan be available on Video on Demand anytime soon? I’d love to see it;)
You are such an amazing woman Jo!!! Advocate for ALL 🙂 and what a great idea to read her email out, just to show what changes need to be made. And hello soaking wet Ryan *drool*