Elementary school student voted out of class

[Dos Equis]

Good grief.  How do these people get hired in the first place?  Lawsuit to follow . . .   

Elementary school student voted out of class
Wednesday,May 28, 2008

A school teacher in Florida might just feel like she is on trial after she allegedly has her class vote whether one student should stay or go.

The kindergarten teacher at Morningside Elementary in Port St. Lucie allegedly stood a 5-year old boy in front of the class and had each student tell Alex Barton what they didn't like about him.
Then the teacher, Wendy Portillo allegedly had the class vote on whether they wanted him to stay in the class.

Alex Barton's mother, Melissa says her son suffers from Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism.
Portillo told officials she has never abused any student.

School officials in Port St. Lucie say the kindergarten teacher has been reassigned while the local school system investigates her actions.

A petition is being circulated to have the teacher removed.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=6169384

[Bindare_Dundat]

Im not sure of the whole story but heard about it on CNN last night. If thats what she really did than that is fucked up.

[stormshadow]

Im not sure of the whole story but heard about it on CNN last night. If thats what she really did than that is fucked up.

Yes, she should have had the class elect representatives, then allow them to be paid off by the rich kids in the class to "vote" on whether he stays or goes.

[Tre]

What's fucked up about it?

If a kid is misbehaving and the other kids are tired of his shit, then they should (in some cases) be given the authority to vote him out of the classroom. 

[drkaje]

It's a serious problem. Advocates are pushing to have specisl needs children put in regular classes. They don't care that other kids are slowed down. It's a battle of entitlements where the resources are limited.

[240 is Back]

Teachers single out kids everyday for disruptive behavior, by moving their card, writing their name on the board, or sending them to time-out.

In this particular case, the teacher was trying to teach grade K kids how to act, and how not to act. 

Teacher was stupid to 'vote someone out'.  However, you'll see this all the time in schools, where groups will address behaviors.  "What does johnny do that makes you upset, susie"?, etc. 

BB, can you twinkle your nose and create an elementary ed degree so you'll know what you're talking about here?  Mine is actually real, son

[OzmO]

Doing what the Teach to a 5 year child can have a damaging effect that can affect emotional growth.  The Teacher made a mistake.

The kid was too young to resort to doing something like that.   It shows the Teacher lacks skill or education needed to manage and teach 5 year olds.

[240 is Back]

Right.  teacher should have addressed the behaviors, and voted the behaviors out of class.

Not the kid.

Kinda like the Cumdumsters on the Politics board who attack the messenger, and not the message.

[OzmO]

Right.  teacher should have addressed the behaviors, and voted the behaviors out of class.

Not the kid.

Kinda like the Cumdumsters on the Politics board who attack the messenger, and not the message.

Huh?

You eating those funny corn flakes again?

[shootfighter1]

Nothing wrong with pointing out his negative behaviors and allowing him to hear some feedback from others but the way it was done was inappropriate for certain.
I'd look at the rest of the teacher's record before firing her.  Though, she should be reprimanded in some fashion for the poor judgement.
I see the mom has created internet hysteria over this....

[drkaje]

Doing what the Teach to a 5 year child can have a damaging effect that can affect emotional growth.  The Teacher made a mistake.

The kid was too young to resort to doing something like that.   It shows the Teacher lacks skill or education needed to manage and teach 5 year olds.

The kid has aspbergers (sp?). No amount of scolding would change that. I'm wondering if the parents disclosed it or if he should have even been in that class.

[240 is Back]

Huh?

You eating those funny corn flakes again?

I'm not talking about you.  I was referring to another moderator who always yells "moon landing" to discredit a messenger when he's baffleed/owned/flabbergasted at an argument (message).

[OzmO]

The kid has aspbergers (sp?). No amount of scolding would change that. I'm wondering if the parents disclosed it or if he should have even been in that class.

Of course i didn't read that the student didn't have AS.  Skimming is a bad habit.

That makes it even worse.  My Son (17) has a mild form of AS. 

The Parents should have informed the school or Teachers of their child's condition.   If they had and the Teacher did what they did, then the Teacher should be fired immediately.   If it was my son, I'd have the Teacher fired in a heart beat.

On top of all that, one of the TEacher's job in Kindergarten is teaching social skills.  The Teacher failed and should be reeducated.

[Dos Equis]

Teachers single out kids everyday for disruptive behavior, by moving their card, writing their name on the board, or sending them to time-out.

In this particular case, the teacher was trying to teach grade K kids how to act, and how not to act. 

Teacher was stupid to 'vote someone out'.  However, you'll see this all the time in schools, where groups will address behaviors.  "What does johnny do that makes you upset, susie"?, etc. 

BB, can you twinkle your nose and create an elementary ed degree so you'll know what you're talking about here?  Mine is actually real, son

You have an elementary education degree??  [stifling laughter]

So when did you get fired? 

[Dos Equis]

Huh?

You eating those funny corn flakes again?

I think he probably prefers this kind of cereal:

[Dos Equis]

Of course i didn't read that the student didn't have AS.  Skimming is a bad habit.

That makes it even worse.  My Son (17) has a mild form of AS. 

The Parents should have informed the school or Teachers of their child's condition.   If they had and the Teacher did what they did, then the Teacher should be fired immediately.   If it was my son, I'd have the Teacher fired in a heart beat.

On top of all that, one of the TEacher's job in Kindergarten is teaching social skills.  The Teacher failed and should be reeducated.

I agree.  Terrible decision by the teacher.  If the kid is that much of a disruption, call his parents, remove him from the classroom, etc., but don't humiliate the kid.   

[240 is Back]

You have an elementary education degree??  [stifling laughter]

So when did you get fired? 

Yes.  Stifle your laughter.  You admitted you were a high school dropout here, and patted yourself on the back for overcoming such great odds in building a business up.  Later, when conversationally convenient, you became a college professor instantly.

I taught elementary, then middle, then adult computer education as I earned my computer certifications and an AS in Computer networking and became a school netadmin.  Then, a college hired me to do 1/3 of their university website, and paid for my MBA, and I went for it.

Stifle your laughter.  Mock my degree, and mock the fact I work from home.  Most dads would love to have the opportunity to work from home 4 hours a day and make a good living, and spend the other hours playing with their children.  As you get up and put on your tie for work each day, I have some OJ in my slippers and decide if I want to play in the pool, or just watch cartoons. 

[Tre]

Kids need to know that, if they pee in the sandbox, other kids are not going to want to play with them.

[240 is Back]

Nothing wrong with having a conversation with a group, and talking about what behaviors are acceptable, and which are unacceptable.

Especially in grade K, where kids may not know.

The teacher was wrong to place the kid in front of the room to do it, and to vote him out of the room.  Just sit in a circle, nonthreatening, where everyone is equal, and talk about how the disruptive behavior is making the classroom worse for everyone. 

Teacher probably wanted a little revenge on the kid for being wild during the last 2 weeks of school.

[MB_722]

I taught elementary, then middle, then adult computer education as I earned my computer certifications and an AS in Computer networking and became a school netadmin.  Then, a college hired me to do 1/3 of their university website, and paid for my MBA, and I went for it.

Stifle your laughter.  Mock my degree, and mock the fact I work from home.  Most dads would love to have the opportunity to work from home 4 hours a day and make a good living, and spend the other hours playing with their children.  As you get up and put on your tie for work each day, I have some OJ in my slippers and decide if I want to play in the pool, or just watch cartoons.

nice accomplishment 

[240 is Back]

good job! 

thanks man.  I used to have delusions of getting a record deal and getting rich.  Then I had plans to work for a big company, got a summer internship at a law firm and ended up managing a big dotnetnuke programming project.  hated it.  hated meetings, hated corporate life.

I'll never be a millionaire, and I'm okay with that.  And teaching elementary school was seriously fun, I gotta tell you.  Kids are happy, they are optimistic about life.  I miss those days sometime, but it just wasn't for me.

[OzmO]

thanks man.  I used to have delusions of getting a record deal and getting rich.  Then I had plans to work for a big company, got a summer internship at a law firm and ended up managing a big dotnetnuke programming project.  hated it.  hated meetings, hated corporate life.

I'll never be a millionaire, and I'm okay with that.  And teaching elementary school was seriously fun, I gotta tell you.  Kids are happy, they are optimistic about life.  I miss those days sometime, but it just wasn't for me.

If you weren't such a liberal whore you'd be happy

[240 is Back]

If you weren't such a liberal whore you'd be happy

You sound "emboldened" to me.

Are you an iraqi warlord, posting from the baghdad amusement park?

You support Obama, don't you?  He's muslim, you know...

[OzmO]

You sound "emboldened" to me.

Are you an iraqi warlord, posting from the baghdad amusement park?

You support Obama, don't you?  He's muslim, you know...

I support Obama becuase he supports surrender.   

So what ever you draw from that, you are probably right.   I have to clean my AK now.

[240 is Back]

I support Obama becuase he supports surrender.  

So what ever you draw from that, you are probably right.   I have to clean my AK now.

My tax dollars paid for that AK, dammit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!