Monday, June 14, 2010

“'Help me find a mainstream school for my son'” plus 3 more

“'Help me find a mainstream school for my son'” plus 3 more

'Help me find a mainstream school for my son'

Posted: 13 Jun 2010 08:51 PM PDT

Question: I have read your articles (May 31 issue) at Manila Bulletin, and I would like to seek some help. I have a son who's 10 years old and he also has Global Disability Disorder, as diagnosed when he was five. He underwent occupational therapy, speech therapy, and SPED tutorials for a year before we enrolled him into regular school. We currently live in Marikina. He is delayed and found it hard to read but thanks to God and to his teacher, he is now able to read. He just finished kinder last school year and now we find it hard to enroll him in a regular school. Most of the schools in our area do not accept special children into mainstream classes. And we feel depressed every time we get rejected from schools. I would like to ask if you can suggest some schools that accept special children into mainstream class. I'm also thinking of home schooling him, but I know he needs interaction from mainstream kids so he can progress along with our help from home, so I'm not sure if homeschooling would fit him. Kindly help me with this issue, if you know of some schools that accept special children into mainstream, please let me know. Thank you very much and more power. – Ms. L.Concepcion

Every parent wants the best for their child especially their rights to appropriate education and to support their child achieve their potential to the fullest. Parents must take the primary role in teaching their children as they provide individual attention and an environment that nurtures neurological development of a child. I believe that his school wants what is best for your son, too.

Confer with your son's former school and discuss your plan of enrolling him in a homeschooling program and/or a possible transfer to a school with a mainstreaming program and request a copy of his progress report so that you can assist your child in his needs. The school might suggest some options or alternatives for your child's education.

Likewise, it is best to submit your child to a formal psycho-educational evaluation before homeschooling or school transfer for you to know his present level of performance. The test results will guide you and the teacher in preparing an IEP (Individualized Educational Program) which is needed in designing an appropriate instruction that is uniquely designed to fit your child.

The IEP outlines what he is going to learn and what supports need to be provided so you child can learn. The school might do this or you can go to the Philippine Mental Health Association, East Ave. Quezon City for this kind of assessment.

In the context of education, mainstreaming refers to the practice of educating students with special needs in regular classes during specific time periods based on their skills. Schools that practice mainstreaming believe that special needs students who cannot function in a regular classroom to a certain extent "belong" to the special education environment.

Mainstreaming occurs when a student spends part of his day in a self-contained setting and the other part of his day in a regular education classroom. Mainstreaming usually only occurs for extra-curricular and non-academic activities; art, music, and drama are all subjects for which mainstreaming is common.

The benefits of mainstreaming to both the special child and the child without a disabilit are:

1.Higher academic achievement. Mainstreaming has shown to be more academically effective than exclusion practices, graduation rates of all students with disabilities increased.

2. Higher self-esteem: students with disabilities have shown to be more confident and display qualities of raised self-efficacy, students felt that they were equal to their peers and felt that they should not be treated any differently

3. Better social skills: allows students with disabilities to learn social skills through observation, gain a better understanding of the world around them, and become a part of the "regular" community

4. With other students, it opens the lines of communication between those students with disabilities and their peers; creates an atmosphere of understanding and tolerance that better prepares students of all abilities to function in the world beyond school; students without disabilities who engaged in an inclusive physical education program reported increases in self-concept, tolerance, self worth, and a better understanding of other people; if they are included into classroom activities, all students become more sensitive to the fact that these students may need extra assistance. It prepared them to deal with disability in their own lives, frequent, meaningful, and pleasant interactions between people with differences tend to produce changes in attitude.

It is in the above premise, that the Department of Education and PNU are intensively conducting a summer training program for teachers and school administrators for them to organize classes with inclusive/mainstreaming program for children with special needs in the public schools system. Have time to visit the city school division of Marikina or the Bureau of Elementary Education SpEd Unit, Regional office, NCR (at the back of SM North) and solicit their guidance in selecting schools with mainstreaming

Homeschooling is one alternative that is becoming really popular these days. Below are some of the advantages of homeschooling: Article Source: (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gordon_C._Edwards)

• Freedom to instill values and morals that are consistent with the religion of the family

• Freedom to define their own schedule

• Freedom to spend time as a family

• Freedom to pursue other interests

• Freedom to focus on necessary academics

• Freedom for real world socialization

• Flexible and dynamic programs

Freedom is perhaps at the heart of the homeschool program. Children are allowed to set their own pace in learning the lessons. There are no time pressures to learn a certain task or to keep up with other people. The lessons can also be tailor fitted to the needs of the children (G.C. Edwards).

If you are ready to make this important commitment, it is important that you find a homeschool partner who understands your goal. Please inquire at Angelicum College, Sto. Domingo Ave. Quezon City if they can accommodate your son in their Homeschooling Program.

Informed parental involvement is the key to good child development. Support this program by working closely with those who will be handling/teaching your child. The school-home partnership of educating a special child is the starting point of advocating the right of special children to appropriate education. Ask questions and clarify how the program is to being done, its schedule, manner of evaluating the performance of your child.

Share the information about your child's style of learning and observations while he is at home. Try to establish a common ground on what the current difficulties your child (gross motor, fine motor, and sensory, perceptual, cognitive, socialization skills) has and think through with them why this developmental delay might exist.

You have mentioned that your child can already read what his present reading level is now. May I ask are you a teacher by profession? Tool subjects like reading is to be taught by a person who knows how to teach reading.

Study the language developmental milestones of children so that you can help the school by teaching him at home with the emergent literacy skills in reading, arithmetic and writing for him to cope up with the home schooling requirements. Discuss with the school how to get you involved in a full partnership with the teachers and the school program.

Before you decide on your child's education answer this question: Is my child going to learn more at a formal school or at a homeschool program? God bless!

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Outstanding school board nominees includes five from southwest Missouri

Posted: 14 Jun 2010 09:05 AM PDT

Nineteen Missouri school boards, including several from southwest Missouri, have been nominated for the 2010 Outstanding Board of Education Award sponsored by the Missouri School Boards' Association, according to a news release.

The nominated school boards from this area include Ash Grove, Bolivar, Nixa, Strafford and Willard.

Others include Francis Howell, Grain Valley, Kearney, Lawson, Lindbergh, New Haven, Platte County, Raymore-Peculiar, Rockwood, Rolla, School of the Osage, Smithville, Valley Park, and Webster Groves.

Two of the school boards, Platte County and Grain Valley, are not eligible for finalist or winner consideration because both have won Outstanding Board of Education Award within the past five years, the release said.

In order to qualify as nominees, the school boards must meet the following criteria:

• All board members must have completed the 16 hours of board training provided by MSBA.

• Represented at each of the past three Annual Conferences.

• Be in the top half of Missouri school districts ranked by student achievement and also be in the top 60 percent for student achievement improvement.

Nominated boards that complete the OBOE application form become semi-finalists. A committee of school board members will select the finalists and the ultimate winner of the award for 2010. The winner will be announced in October at the 2010 MSBA Annual Conference in cooperation with the Missouri Association of School Administrators.

The MSBA is a private, not-for-profit organization that that helps school boards.

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Homeschool Buyers Co-op Continues to be Leader in Home School Curriculum and Resources

Posted: 14 Jun 2010 08:26 AM PDT

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People continue to seek Co-op for home school curriculum for elementary school, middle school and high school

Newberry College Names New President

Posted: 13 Jun 2010 10:54 PM PDT

Newberry College in South Carolina announced the name of its next president on Friday, just weeks before the contract of its departing president was set to expire.

The school, one of 27 affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has been operating under the guidance of acting president Dr. John H. Hudgens II for the past four months, following a request by departing president Dr. Mitchell Zais for leave of absence amid his run for the seat of State Superintendent of Education.

With Dr. V. Scott Koerwer now tapped by the Board of Trustees to take the helm of Newberry starting July, the college is looking forward to starting "a new era" – one in which Newberry will "emerge as a liberal arts college of national prominence and distinction," as the incoming president says the school is poised to be.

"We have a solid foundation to build upon. We have the strength of our people – the students, alumni, faculty and professional staff of Newberry College – and our values-based Lutheran tradition to create the future of liberal arts education," Koerwer said in accepting the board's selection.

Board Chairman Billy Walker, meanwhile, hailed the "uniqueness of leadership" that Koerwer will bring to Newberry.

"He will be a young dynamic and enterprising leader," Walker stated in Newberry's announcement Friday. "The excitement he brings to campus is going to transform Newberry and add to the 154-year legacy of the College."

During the course of his 20-year career in business and higher education, Koerwer has established a notable track record of collaboration and accomplishment at each institution he has served.

Koerwer co-launched three companies, including a software company focused on knowledge management and back office operations for higher education clients and a boutique consulting and training firm.

He also forged an alliance with the University of Tikrit in Iraq, laying groundwork for building a new education system for the nation as it works to establish a new education and social infrastructure.

"He has accomplished great things at colleges and universities of eminence," commented Walker.

When Koerwer officially steps in on July 1, he will be Newberry's 21st president, succeeding Zais, who requested for a leave of absence in February because he didn't want to compromise any duties at the college while seeking the state Superintendent of Education seat.

Zais had announced his campaign for the Republican nomination for the statewide post last November, after having served nearly ten years as Newberry's president.

The departing president, in making his first bid for public office, said he wants to make sure every child in the state can go to an excellent school and be taught by an excellent teacher.

"As president of Newberry College, a faith-based organization, I serviced my students campus and my faith," said Zais.

"Both are callings, both are lives of service, and superintendent of education seemed to be the natural progression of a life of service that combined the requirements of my skills of education and world of leading large complex organizations," he added.

Last week, Zais advanced to a June 22 runoff for the Republican nomination. He will face off against homeschooling mother Elizabeth Moffly.

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