Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 09:29:00 -0400
From: Michael Tucker
Subject: Swimming with Mabel and YOUR child’s IEP
Meg Miller’s story triggered an emotional response from me regarding MY child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
A public school child who is identified “At Risk” gets a team of public school advocates to create an IEP. This could be any child with special needs including behavioral issues that make it difficult for a child to succeed in a public school classroom within “normal” boundaries.
Most children in public schools do NOT get an IEP. My wife and I thought it was our job to provide an IEP for our children though none of them were identified by the school system as “At Risk”. I “earned” A’s and B’s in
public school with a 3.8 GPA by the end of high school. I did not need to try very hard, or work very hard, to get A’s and B’s. I was able to “coast” along finding ways to distract myself, and others, to abate the boredom. Teachers complained I distracted the class but I usually stayed within the boundaries of “normal”. I would not have swum with Mabel.
We discovered what our child needed is a PERSONAL understanding if the teacher failed, or the school system failed, or his parents failed, he/she was going to have to live in the world. One can complain of others failing for a year or two but personal responsibility is their ONLY hope. Can you imagine a 30-year old person whining, “The school system failed me”, or “My parents failed me”?
We tried our best to help our children understand, their education, their childhood, their future is in THEIR hands. Nobody demanded Abraham Lincoln study. Abraham Lincoln effectively taught himself despite what other people thought. Despite adversity. NO EXCUSES.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH to say, “It is the teacher’s job to teach my child.” It may not be enough to say, “It is MY job to see my child learns.” I pray it is enough to ask, “What must I do to help my child achieve his/her highest
goals?”
P.S. I do not believe goals are high enough if a boy only wants to reach the next level in a video game or a girl becomes more popular on some social networking site than her friends.