Special Education

Interesting thought.  Each school not only has your typical average child, but it also has children with learning disabilities.  When I moved to Connecticut, I went the Education Department.  I planned on substituting while I was finishing my degree. As I am filling out the paperwork, I realize it is asking what my degree is in.  Since I haven't yet finished my degree, I stood up and asked the woman what I should do.  

"Oh, you don't have a degree yet?"

“No,” I responded, feeling very minimized.  She then proceeded to tell me that to be a substitute, I had to have a degree.  She then told me that I didn't have to have a degree to be a Special Education teacher.  "How much does that pay?"  I asked.  

"Eight dollars an hour," she barked.

Knowing that substitute teachers make $90.00 a day, I was a little taken back.  I found out that this is very typical.  Teachers that don't have a degree, get to teach the special students.  Does that throw anyone else for a loop?  Shouldn't teachers have special training to work with these special kids?  It is hard enough with your typical student, to get them to sit through a 50 minute lesson.  Try doing that with a student that has a learning disability.  They let just anyone that walks off the street work with these students...and they practically pay them minimum wage.  Does that scare anyone else?

I think if I am the parent of a special needs child, I would want my child to get the best education possible.  I think I would be a little mortified to learn that the people that are teaching MY child didn’t even have a degree.  Not only do they not have a degree, but they also don’t have any specialty training.  

I feel like this is so twisted and backwards.  It really blows me away.  I see these students when I am in the school.  They can have outburst at any second, it can be like pulling teeth to get them to sit up and do a worksheet.  If you think teaching is hard, try teaching someone that doesn’t have the desire to learn.  Many of these kids don’t want to be there.  Do you think it is easy trying to get a kid to do something they don’t want to do?

It breaks my heart that some kids face this challenge every day.  Mix that with a teacher that doesn’t have experience or a degree.  Do you think that is going to be a successful learning experience?  I think not.