This was a statement by made by the Acting VP in a human rights decision.
X by Y v. Board of Education of School District No. Z, 2024 BCHRT 72
[58] Y asked the Acting VP in cross examination how the break from the classroom would have been restorative for X had it happened at home. The Acting VP replied that “Mom knows best”, noting that X was “totally dysregulated”, placed in a challenging classroom, and needed space. The Acting VP said that X spoke a lot about his Dad during this time, and how he missed him. He observed, “this family needed help beyond what I’m trained for.”
This has me asking…
What are educational staff trained for?
AND
When professionals, such as occupational therapists (OT), psychologists, or speech-language pathologists, make recommendations, why are some parents having issues with getting these recommendations placed in their child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP)?
The kinds of education that teachers have for disabilities vary greatly and in my opinion, extremely lacking. Huge gaps. They hold similar beliefs and biases as the general public. I have learned the hard way that some teachers have zero training in this area. There are educational staff who have, on their own, focused their professional development in this area and are extremely valuable. There is a huge sliding scale of knowledge and skill between educators and administrators.
We already know that the human rights code supersedes classroom teacher autonomy.
So above all, they need to provide an equitable education. If they are ignoring or refusing to implement professional recommendations, aren’t they taking a HUGE risk?
If by ignoring professional recommendations, the child isn’t able to access their education equitably and there is harm that occurs, I’d be filing a human rights complaint.
It has been quite a SHOCKING discovery to me, just how little education staff know about disabilities. Especially invisible ones. Some people are very knowledgeable. However, the number of people working in education who have little to zero knowledge is stunning. And scary. And makes complete sense how so many children experience real trauma at school, and so many are being homeschooled unable to return to school.
Here is a report compiled by Jenn Scharf titled Stories of Exclusion 2021. These are a collection of 60 stories told by parents.
I don’t think our education system is fair.
To anyone.
Everyone is being set up to fail. My heart goes out to the educational staff expected to create magic and miracles with such a scarce system. But, if you are ignoring professional recommendations and putting your own personal perspective in its place when you lack such training and expertise, I have no sympathy for you.
I do have sympathy for the child who may be harmed by your willful ignorance. I have sympathy for the family who will now be put in the position of continued advocacy, yet again, and may be considering filing a human rights complaint so their child can get an education.
Is the education system struggling with the concept of inclusion, or is it struggling because not enough people have the knowledge and skills to make it work?
And then add the impacts of scarcity in education
And then add ableism.
AAAAAHHHH ok…. now this all makes sense.
This is why we are all struggling.
This is systemic. Multi-dimensional systemic issues.
And if someone who is reading this thinks…. well they are now starting to have a class on the topic of disabilities in universities, isn’t that something?
It clearly isn’t enough.
Clearly.
Edit: A parent on my Facebook page commented after reading this blog “Not to mention a lot of the disability training they do get is outdated and ableist….” – Excellent point!!