The documentary "Going to School" investigates the reality of special education in Los Angeles School District in the early 2000's. The district was in the midst of revamping its special education services, due to the district having significant shortcomings in regards to its services for students with disabilities. The film follows several students, and there are many interviews with educators, support staff, students and parents about what education (and special education) means for them. Below are some of the quotes that made me think the most about the current state of special education and the inadequacies that are present even today.
Throughout the film, a particular parent of a student named Richard, was a vocal advocate for the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Beyond advocating for her own son, she worked to help other students and parents understand the special education system and what they need to do in order to advocate for their children. She puts it poignantly when she is rhetorically discussing the process to get her son into a general education classroom, "Why can't he receive what he needs, and thats it". This parent did not want her son to be segregated to a classroom that was different than a general education classroom, and for good reason. In one of her son's IEP meetings, she discusses the remarkable progress made by her son since his inclusion. Beyond academically, Richard made gains socially by being included in a general education classroom.
It is fortunate that Richard's mother was able to advocate for his rights as a student, but it is an unfortunate reality that not all students will have parents equipped or able to navigate the systems in America. One such parent was in tears in the documentary, due to the reality of seeing her daughter treated like an animal in a classroom. This mother reached out to others, such as Richard's mom, who were able to help her navigate the system. As if there were not enough barriers in the way for some of these students, their abilities and disabilities are just one of potentially many. For instance, a student that has a disability and who's family does not speak english proficiently has at least two disadvantages against them in navigating these power systems. An individual who works in a center for special education in the documentary puts it perfectly when she says, "God knows where he would be if I was a parent that did not speak English or a parent who had not learned from others".
One potential way that we can advocate for our students of all abilities is through Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is, "approach to curriculum design that can help teachers customize curriculum to serve all learners, regardless of ability, disability, age, gender, or cultural and linguistic background" (UDL). Through designing our curriculum and society around accessibility for all, there would be no need for integration to begin with. An idea similar to this method of design is given by the special education teacher in the documentary who says, "The school doesn't have enough for the stairs and the ramp.... so the other kids can walk up the ramp". The idea he is discussing is UDL in practice. Stairs themselves are an invention that inherently disadvantage individuals with any form of physical immobility. Below is an example of one way in which design can be changed in order to provide accessibility to all, similar in fashion to what the teacher discussed in the documentary. 
Throughout the film, a particular parent of a student named Richard, was a vocal advocate for the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Beyond advocating for her own son, she worked to help other students and parents understand the special education system and what they need to do in order to advocate for their children. She puts it poignantly when she is rhetorically discussing the process to get her son into a general education classroom, "Why can't he receive what he needs, and thats it". This parent did not want her son to be segregated to a classroom that was different than a general education classroom, and for good reason. In one of her son's IEP meetings, she discusses the remarkable progress made by her son since his inclusion. Beyond academically, Richard made gains socially by being included in a general education classroom.
It is fortunate that Richard's mother was able to advocate for his rights as a student, but it is an unfortunate reality that not all students will have parents equipped or able to navigate the systems in America. One such parent was in tears in the documentary, due to the reality of seeing her daughter treated like an animal in a classroom. This mother reached out to others, such as Richard's mom, who were able to help her navigate the system. As if there were not enough barriers in the way for some of these students, their abilities and disabilities are just one of potentially many. For instance, a student that has a disability and who's family does not speak english proficiently has at least two disadvantages against them in navigating these power systems. An individual who works in a center for special education in the documentary puts it perfectly when she says, "God knows where he would be if I was a parent that did not speak English or a parent who had not learned from others".
Hi Christian! I enjoyed reading your blog tonight, especially your suggestion as a potential form of advocacy to be Universal Design for Learning. As someone who does not have as traditional of an access point to students, I enjoy hearing what goes on with curriculum in actual classrooms. Great work!
ReplyDeleteHi Christian, This film really had me reflecting on the students I work with and how each individual should experience school in the least restrictive environment. There have been many times that I've sat and discussed the process of special education and the rights for parents and students. (Some are new to the process, while others have decided to take a backseat to their child's education.) I believe staying on top of educational rights should not be the job of the parents, but instead the responsibility of the school system.
ReplyDeleteHi Christian,
ReplyDeleteYour blog post was great, as always. It really stuck out to me too how difficult it can be for parents to navigate the special education system. As teachers, we go to classes to learn about it, but it isn't the same for parents. It makes me feel really good that Richard's mom has figured out how to help so many parents in their journey through the special education system. I also agree that we should teach so that it is accessible to all learners but I often forget to incorporate activities for different types of learners. I find myself always starting with notes, then an activity, then notes, then an activity, then a lab to wrap up a unit. I have kind of gotten stuck in a rut and I should think about teaching in other ways. Thanks for attaching the UDL fact sheet too.
Also I forgot to say that I really liked the clever title of your blog post!
DeleteChristian, Great Post! Reading this made me think of all the discussions we have had in TFA, training, and classes about intersectionality and how it creates unique experiences for each individual. By highlighting the disadvantages faced by Richard and his mother, you really captured the intricacies of policy and special education and how it can overlap with other facets of a persons life. You also brought up a very important point that not all parents will be able to advocate for their children the way Richard's mother was able to. There are so many barriers created by our society, and hopefully one day there will be a better way to navigate through them.
ReplyDeleteChristian, I agree with a lot of what you wrote. I wrote similar things about how not all parents can advocate the way Richard's mom was able to, which means those other children could have been taken advantage of. I also wrote similarly about how many of the parents were not fluent English speakers and therefore the culture of power is against them, making it more difficult for them to get help for their children or for them to even just understand about special education and what their rights are. UDL should definitely be implemented in the school without a ramp to the front entrance as it should be implemented in all schools.
ReplyDeleteHi Christian,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated the points you included in your blog post. You touch upon very important aspects of the movie and tie in some great discussion points from class. I am glad that you included this sentence in your post: “An individual who works in a center for special education in the documentary puts it perfectly when she says, "God knows where he would be if I was a parent that did not speak English or a parent who had not learned from others". I think it is so relevant to PPSD, especially the students we teach every single day. All I could think about throughout the documentary is how some of them must feel. Additionally, you include the discussion of UDL, which is something that I completely neglected to think about before writing my post. This is something we should take more seriously as educators throughout the U.S. and actually implement it more often than what we see.
-Sara
Love this UDL connection... every time I think about an accommodation that an individual student might need, I find myself trying to come up with way to just modify the whole curriculum so that everyone can learn together. Such a good starting point for making learning happen for everyone!
ReplyDelete