“Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.” ~William F. Buckley, Jr.
Back to school time. Pearlsky is home for two and a half weeks, and boy is she demanding! Things are going fairly well. But with school soon … here is an email that asks for our help.
I spent a weekend reading through the entirety of your blog (can I say just what an amazing father I think you are?) a few weeks ago. As a graduate student in a very well-known special education program, I am currently halfway through my master’s program, I have thus far had very little interaction with parents. To help with this, I’ve been reading parents of children with special needs blogs, such as yours. A lot of my students do have single parents and a couple of my older students last semester were in the care of group homes, no family to speak of.
I suppose I was hoping, if this is okay with you, that you might be willing to share with me what you think the role of the special educator should be. I am absolutely enamored with the fierce and wonderful way that you advocate for your daughter, but I couldn’t help wondering where her teacher is in all of that. Perhaps I am naive, inexperienced, or a bit idealistic, but I want to work with my future parents and help advocate for their children, just as you have advocated for your daughter. I feel like a part of the educator’s role is to be an advocate. I’ve been chastised by my peers and a couple of professionals for this viewpoint because they feel I am crossing political lines, that I am wanting to get too involved and may step on too many toes, resulting in the loss of a job. I feel that wanting to do everything possible for my students to make sure all of their needs are met isn’t an unreasonable expectation for myself, but I often feel as if I am the odd person out, so to speak.
I had one or two addition emails with this young lady. She is obviously smart and dedicated. And, I believe, her ideals and goals are very much in line with what we, as parents, want in out children’s educators. But how realistic is that? How does a teacher balance the needs of the child with the “needs” of the school and the school district?
She brings up the idea of “political lines.” Do they exist? Well, they certainly do at an IEP. Do they have to? Schools do not have unlimited budgets and parents often have unlimited demands.
But what if we are being realistic? Should the teacher be a co-advocate? Any administrators out there want to chime in? Parents?
What you think the role of the special educator should be?
(And please remember, idealism is good when starting out in a career, no?)
One of the ‘costs’ of idealism (at any age) is emotional, as in at the time of collapse. If the transition goes well, from idealism to more realistic, perhaps the costs are not insurmountable.
Advocacy, like soldiering, is best if done on a volunteer basis, I think.
Just a note of caution…be careful that your advocacy doesn’t involve judging how some parents might be caring for their kids (barring, of course, obvious signs of abuse or neglect).
Perhaps you can be idealistic and realistic at the same time. My son is physically disabled. When he started in the special preschool the school initially didn’t want to take him. Fortunately our school has an amazing physical therapist who told them they could handle him and they did. His first teacher was wonderful. I think the most important thing was she really cared about the kids and got to know them all on an individual, not collective, basis. She was the one who got the school to build a ramp from the class out to the playground. She got the handicapped swing. She is teaching older kids now and she seems to have great results with them too. I know of at least one child whose behavior greatly improved under her care. She has been teaching for many years, and possibly knowing what can be done is more effective than trying to take on the system and make great changes.
Those “political lines” are fierce here in California, and I’m always shocked and upset and ashamed, really, when my daughter’s teachers don’t stand behind her or me because they are afraid. There’s so much blame flying around and relinquishing of responsibility, passing the buck, etc. that if a teacher would keep a small part of their idealism and perhaps learn how to be savvy with the district in which they work, more support for the child and family might follow. I’d also emphasize that it’s what you’re actually doing in the classroom that’s important and perhaps continuing education — I know that as a rule teachers are woefully uneducated regarding augmentative communication devices and programs with little support from their superiors. I would encourage you to learn about what technology can offer your students. I’d also say to scope out the parents of kids in your class and find an advocate who can help you —
I want a teacher who listens to me, who talks to me, and who supports what my child needs on the day-to-day basis between the IEP meetings. I want a teacher that sees the reality of my child and the dream of my child. I want a teacher willing to state that my child needs a service at an IEP meeting, even if it will tick off the district who has to pay for it.
It’s important to advocate, but what that means is never definite. Being an expert in education who knows of the top of your head what all the district policies, resources and loopholes are makes you a resource for parents to advocate for their kids. Being someone who knows about developments in education can be an advocate for appropriate curriculum development within the school. Being a savvy, effective, fighter for your students’ rights within the political structure of the educational system will help you keep your job as an advocate.
Talk to everyone, ask parents and students what they want and what you can do for them, follow through, don’t make promises you can’t keep and know when to take no for an answer.
Hi everyone! I am the one who sent this e-mail to SD. All of your comments have been immensely insightful and helpful to me, thank you all for taking the time to leave such thoughtful responses. I’m definitely going to be keeping all of your words in mind as I continue to prepare for my own classroom.
Barbara, can I ask what you mean by only advocating on a volunteer basis? Do you mean, only when a parents asks?
Claire, that is a fantastic point and I completely agree. I would never want to pass judgment on any parent (with the exceptions of abuse and neglect, as you noted).
Laura, thank you for sharing your own experience. That sounds like a good role model, to me!
Elizabeth, we actually take a class on AAC devices at my university. Of course, it no where near prepares us on how to use every single device, but it does provide a bit of a background. We’re also really encouraged to learn how to use the devices and the fact that most teachers don’t know how (or even will force a device that isn’t suitable for a child just because they know how to use it…) is often discussed. I think a teacher should always be a bit of a student, learning new things, if that makes sense.
Erin, beautifully said, thank you for sharing. I would like to be that teacher someday.
Rachel, I do think advocating is a bit of an ambiguous area, but I love what you had to say. I am definitely taking that to heart, especially what you said about being a savvy, effective, fighter… which I think is a much nicer way of looking at it! And I will also keep “know when to take no for an answer” in mind… I tend to have some trouble with this at times because it puzzles me to be told no, despite it being best for the student.
Sorry for the long comment! You all just had such wonderful things to say! Thank you so much!
Carlie, I was thinking the same thing – the comments that followed mine were excellent and I was planning to come back to say that. Thank you, Laura, for sharing the story of the PT as advocate. I have had the privilege of advocating for children, too – but also learned early to where my efforts would realistically be effective. That includes not judging parents who are unable to advocate for their children – not taking on the mission of changing them according to an unshared value-set. I have also seen a wide spectrum of teacher performance and only a rare few who meet all the ideal-criteria described by Erin.
What Rachel said.
And to answer your question, I do not think the behaviors I call ‘advocacy’ can be regulated or required by a teacher or a PT. ‘Advocacy’ is not an appropriate part of a job description but an attitude, a philosophy, a lifestyle. One must believe in what one advocates for – doing because it is required or because one is told to do it makes it not advocacy, I think.