Kid voted out of Kindergarten
05-27-2008, 12:18 PM
#1
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Location: Tallahassee, FL
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If my son's teacher did this, there's no telling how incredibly pissed off I would be. I wouldn't want my son to have to either be in this kid's position, or forced to say what he didn't like about another student. Completely fucked up.
link
And the update:
link
Teacher lets Morningside students vote out classmate, 5
* UPDATE: St. Lucie teacher reassigned after student 'voted out' of class
PORT ST. LUCIE — Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class.
After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.
By a 14 to 2 margin, the students voted Alex — who is in the process of being diagnosed with autism — out of the class.
Melissa Barton filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said.
Port St. Lucie Police no longer are investigating, but police officials are documenting the complaint, she said.
Steele said the teacher confirmed the incident took place.
Portillo could not be reached for comment Friday.
Steele said the boy had been sent to the principal's office because of disciplinary issues. When he returned, Portillo made him go to the front of the room as a form of punishment, she said.
Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex began the testing process in February at the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marcia Cully.
Children diagnosed with Asperger's often exhibit social isolation and eccentric behavior..
Alex has had disciplinary issues because of his disability, Barton said. After the family moved into the area and Alex and his sibling arrived at the school in January, Alex spent much of the time in the principal's office, she said.
He also had problems at his last school, but he did not have issues during his two years of preschool, Barton said.
School and district officials have met with Barton and her son to create an individual education plan to address his difficulties, she said. Portillo attended these meetings, Barton said.
Barton said after the vote, Portillo asked Alex how he felt.
"He said, 'I feel sad,' " Barton said.
Alex left the classroom and spent the rest of the day in the nurse's office, she said.
Barton said when she came to pick up her son at the school Wednesday, he was leaving the nurse's office.
"He was shaken up," she said.
Barton said the nurse told her to talk with Portillo, who told her what happened.
Alex hasn't been back to school since then, and Barton said he won't be returning. He starts screaming when she brings him with her to drop off his sibling at school.
Thursday night, his mother heard him saying "I'm not special" over and over.
Barton said Alex is reliving the incident.
The other students said he was "disgusting" and "annoying," Barton said.
"He was incredibly upset," Barton said. "The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this."
St. Lucie School's spokeswoman Janice Karst said the district is investigating the incident, but could not make any further comment.
Vern Melvin, Department of Children and Families circuit administrator, confirmed the agency is investigating an allegation of abuse at Morningside but said he could not elaborate.
* UPDATE: St. Lucie teacher reassigned after student 'voted out' of class
PORT ST. LUCIE — Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class.
After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.
By a 14 to 2 margin, the students voted Alex — who is in the process of being diagnosed with autism — out of the class.
Melissa Barton filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said.
Port St. Lucie Police no longer are investigating, but police officials are documenting the complaint, she said.
Steele said the teacher confirmed the incident took place.
Portillo could not be reached for comment Friday.
Steele said the boy had been sent to the principal's office because of disciplinary issues. When he returned, Portillo made him go to the front of the room as a form of punishment, she said.
Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex began the testing process in February at the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marcia Cully.
Children diagnosed with Asperger's often exhibit social isolation and eccentric behavior..
Alex has had disciplinary issues because of his disability, Barton said. After the family moved into the area and Alex and his sibling arrived at the school in January, Alex spent much of the time in the principal's office, she said.
He also had problems at his last school, but he did not have issues during his two years of preschool, Barton said.
School and district officials have met with Barton and her son to create an individual education plan to address his difficulties, she said. Portillo attended these meetings, Barton said.
Barton said after the vote, Portillo asked Alex how he felt.
"He said, 'I feel sad,' " Barton said.
Alex left the classroom and spent the rest of the day in the nurse's office, she said.
Barton said when she came to pick up her son at the school Wednesday, he was leaving the nurse's office.
"He was shaken up," she said.
Barton said the nurse told her to talk with Portillo, who told her what happened.
Alex hasn't been back to school since then, and Barton said he won't be returning. He starts screaming when she brings him with her to drop off his sibling at school.
Thursday night, his mother heard him saying "I'm not special" over and over.
Barton said Alex is reliving the incident.
The other students said he was "disgusting" and "annoying," Barton said.
"He was incredibly upset," Barton said. "The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this."
St. Lucie School's spokeswoman Janice Karst said the district is investigating the incident, but could not make any further comment.
Vern Melvin, Department of Children and Families circuit administrator, confirmed the agency is investigating an allegation of abuse at Morningside but said he could not elaborate.
And the update:
PORT ST. LUCIE — Morningside Elementary kindergarten teacher Wendy Portillo has been reassigned until further action may be determined, according to St. Lucie County School District spokeswoman Janice Karst.
Karst said in a statement on Tuesday morning that Portillo had been reassigned out of the classroom at the district offices.
Last week, Portillo held a vote in her classroom in which kindergarten students "voted out" 5-year-old Alex Barton, who is in the process of being tested for Asperger's Disorder, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex's mother, Melissa Barton, said the vote was taken after classmates were allowed to tell Alex what they didn't like about him.
Karst said in a statement on Tuesday morning that Portillo had been reassigned out of the classroom at the district offices.
Last week, Portillo held a vote in her classroom in which kindergarten students "voted out" 5-year-old Alex Barton, who is in the process of being tested for Asperger's Disorder, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex's mother, Melissa Barton, said the vote was taken after classmates were allowed to tell Alex what they didn't like about him.
05-28-2008, 09:05 PM
#7
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Jensen Beach, FL / Sylva, NC
Posts: 2,934
I went through a similar situation with Martin County Middle School, teacher called my son in front of the class and informed him he would not be going on the class incentive trip because he was getting an F. In front of the whole class while he stood there in front of them.
She was his language arts teacher and the year before he got A's and B's in language arts, the year he was in this witches class he got a D 1st semester and an F the second.
He came home in a bad mood and when pressed to tell us what happened he started to cry, none of you guys know my kid but I will tell you he is Fonzy cool as a cucumber and never rattles. For him to be tore up like this was big.
I went to the guidance counselor and had a talk with her she assured me she would get to the bottom of it and get back to me. When she did, she told me my son was a liar and it never happened. Furthermore they had pulled my son out of class and forced him to write and sign a confession that he lied in an effort to get his teacher in trouble because he was mad at her for giving him an F. He at first refused and he was told if he did not he would be punished severely. he asked that I be called and he was given a choice of suspension or write the letter, he got scared and wrote the letter.
I went ape **** and called the principle she (see a pattern here) pulled my son out of class and demanded to know what he said to me. My son told her he told me the truth. She had the GC in the room with her and they were berating him for being a liar and trouble maker.
I got down there and had a meeting and they told me he was a liar all 13 year olds are and he made up a story to get out of trouble for his F.
I got no where with any of them.
I pulled him out of the school that day and enrolled him in a private Montessori school in Stuart. The children in there are 180° from the public school kids,and the teachers actually care about them learning, I also dig the way they tech the kids its more like college than school. He has to have a laptop for school and his assignments are to be typed and printed out or e-mailed to the teacher. Hmmmmm... sort of like the real world?
But, the most important part is the fact the anyone who knows my son and has not seen him in a while is amazed at the transformation of him as a person, he is outgoing and fun again, living with him every day I missed the slow transformation he was making into a depressed introverted mass of a human being, if those a-hole teachers were trying to break him they were succeeding. Needles to say, my 4.5 year old will NEVER step foot in a public school ever.
Public schools are government run agencies, how efficient is your local government or for that matter out national one? Why people expect public schools to be different is beyond me they are broken, they teach to a test and only care if your kid scores well on the FCAT's. If they are failing in class, like a niece of mine, it does nto matter and they will not get help, the onyl way they get help is if they perform poorly on a FCAT.
That teacher from PSL needs to be fired and I hope those parents string her up good.
She was his language arts teacher and the year before he got A's and B's in language arts, the year he was in this witches class he got a D 1st semester and an F the second.
He came home in a bad mood and when pressed to tell us what happened he started to cry, none of you guys know my kid but I will tell you he is Fonzy cool as a cucumber and never rattles. For him to be tore up like this was big.
I went to the guidance counselor and had a talk with her she assured me she would get to the bottom of it and get back to me. When she did, she told me my son was a liar and it never happened. Furthermore they had pulled my son out of class and forced him to write and sign a confession that he lied in an effort to get his teacher in trouble because he was mad at her for giving him an F. He at first refused and he was told if he did not he would be punished severely. he asked that I be called and he was given a choice of suspension or write the letter, he got scared and wrote the letter.
I went ape **** and called the principle she (see a pattern here) pulled my son out of class and demanded to know what he said to me. My son told her he told me the truth. She had the GC in the room with her and they were berating him for being a liar and trouble maker.
I got down there and had a meeting and they told me he was a liar all 13 year olds are and he made up a story to get out of trouble for his F.
I got no where with any of them.
I pulled him out of the school that day and enrolled him in a private Montessori school in Stuart. The children in there are 180° from the public school kids,and the teachers actually care about them learning, I also dig the way they tech the kids its more like college than school. He has to have a laptop for school and his assignments are to be typed and printed out or e-mailed to the teacher. Hmmmmm... sort of like the real world?
But, the most important part is the fact the anyone who knows my son and has not seen him in a while is amazed at the transformation of him as a person, he is outgoing and fun again, living with him every day I missed the slow transformation he was making into a depressed introverted mass of a human being, if those a-hole teachers were trying to break him they were succeeding. Needles to say, my 4.5 year old will NEVER step foot in a public school ever.
Public schools are government run agencies, how efficient is your local government or for that matter out national one? Why people expect public schools to be different is beyond me they are broken, they teach to a test and only care if your kid scores well on the FCAT's. If they are failing in class, like a niece of mine, it does nto matter and they will not get help, the onyl way they get help is if they perform poorly on a FCAT.
That teacher from PSL needs to be fired and I hope those parents string her up good.
05-29-2008, 06:03 AM
#8
Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 96
An offshoot of this topic...
As a product of public schools I can tell you this is not the norm. Out of my 13 years (K-12) I only had one teacher that, looking back on it now, I felt acted inappropriately. She was my 1st-grade teacher. She would belittle this one kid because he shat his pants on nearly a daily basis, and peed under tables and stuff... I would've had a hard time dealing with that myself.
But I agree the school system is broken. #1 reason it's broken in my mind is homework. **** THAT ****! I drive a powered industrial truck for a living, and I'll be damned if I drive it home every night and do my job at home. When I leave work, I leave work. My mind is nowhere near work when I am not at work, until it's time to go back to work. And that's the way it should be.
I used to be a residential electrician, as in I wired new houses and remodels. I can still do the work, and I love doing it, and sometimes still do side jobs, but doing it for a living sucked. It was not a stable job. Hell the last place I worked for told me I was an excellent employee, and they wanted to keep me around forever, and whatever I wanted I had it so long as I stuck with them. They offered to send me to school to get my master electrician's license even. Two weeks later they told me I was being let go because things were getting "pretty slow" and they had too many people. They also let my partner go, and a month or so later let 2 more of my buddies go (again, partners), and were trying to get rid of 2 more but they had a contract for a year. I lost touch with the rest of the guys but I'm sure they all eventually followed suit. Sure, I made more money as an electrician but it wasn't STEADY money. I can do without the stress of wondering how much I'll work every week.
Since, I have been offered a job doing electrical maintenence, which I promptly turned down. My father is an industrial maintenence electrician / mechanic. Actually he is head of maintenence at a casting place. He's been in the industry since he got out of the Army when I was 4 (22 years). His stress level is THROUGH THE ROOF. **** that.
That gets back to me leaving work at work.
Which is why I believe in leaving school at school. The kids have much more important things to be doing than 3 hours of homework. If the teachers can't get it through their heads in 7-1/2 hours, they don't need to learn it. Let the ******* kids go outside and wear themselves out. Want to know why kids are getting more obese than ever? Ever think that it's because the kids don't have TIME to be active anymore? Between going to school, doing homework and then doing a few chores around the house, what time do the kids have? When I was younger I didn't have 4 hours of homework. I had like 15 mins worth. That was more than enough for me to know all I need to know for the real world.
I've come to the conclusion that I'll figure out a way my children won't have to do homework. Because my kids don't need to spend their whole afternoon going over what they learned that day. They need to spend it outside, letting the stink blow off them as they play baseball or ride their bikes.
/rant
As a product of public schools I can tell you this is not the norm. Out of my 13 years (K-12) I only had one teacher that, looking back on it now, I felt acted inappropriately. She was my 1st-grade teacher. She would belittle this one kid because he shat his pants on nearly a daily basis, and peed under tables and stuff... I would've had a hard time dealing with that myself.
But I agree the school system is broken. #1 reason it's broken in my mind is homework. **** THAT ****! I drive a powered industrial truck for a living, and I'll be damned if I drive it home every night and do my job at home. When I leave work, I leave work. My mind is nowhere near work when I am not at work, until it's time to go back to work. And that's the way it should be.
I used to be a residential electrician, as in I wired new houses and remodels. I can still do the work, and I love doing it, and sometimes still do side jobs, but doing it for a living sucked. It was not a stable job. Hell the last place I worked for told me I was an excellent employee, and they wanted to keep me around forever, and whatever I wanted I had it so long as I stuck with them. They offered to send me to school to get my master electrician's license even. Two weeks later they told me I was being let go because things were getting "pretty slow" and they had too many people. They also let my partner go, and a month or so later let 2 more of my buddies go (again, partners), and were trying to get rid of 2 more but they had a contract for a year. I lost touch with the rest of the guys but I'm sure they all eventually followed suit. Sure, I made more money as an electrician but it wasn't STEADY money. I can do without the stress of wondering how much I'll work every week.
Since, I have been offered a job doing electrical maintenence, which I promptly turned down. My father is an industrial maintenence electrician / mechanic. Actually he is head of maintenence at a casting place. He's been in the industry since he got out of the Army when I was 4 (22 years). His stress level is THROUGH THE ROOF. **** that.
That gets back to me leaving work at work.
Which is why I believe in leaving school at school. The kids have much more important things to be doing than 3 hours of homework. If the teachers can't get it through their heads in 7-1/2 hours, they don't need to learn it. Let the ******* kids go outside and wear themselves out. Want to know why kids are getting more obese than ever? Ever think that it's because the kids don't have TIME to be active anymore? Between going to school, doing homework and then doing a few chores around the house, what time do the kids have? When I was younger I didn't have 4 hours of homework. I had like 15 mins worth. That was more than enough for me to know all I need to know for the real world.
I've come to the conclusion that I'll figure out a way my children won't have to do homework. Because my kids don't need to spend their whole afternoon going over what they learned that day. They need to spend it outside, letting the stink blow off them as they play baseball or ride their bikes.
/rant
05-29-2008, 09:08 AM
#9
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 5,425
My son is finishing up Kindergarten, and I'm glad he has had homework. It wasn't anything major, each night was write each spelling word 4 times (10 words total), write a sentence for each word, math work sheets, and reading.
The reason I like a reasonable amount of homework is it more or less gives us a designated assignment to work with him on, as parents. I'm sure most parents don't sit with their kid and go over their current lessons, and help them learn. As a parent, this also gives me a good indication of how much and how well my son is learning. This way if there's ever a problem, I should see it coming. Luckily he's had a great teacher, we've always been in communication with her, and she has the very best in mind for the kids.
Additionally, my brother is GREAT with kids, even got his degree in elementary education. He's real savvy on what the state standards are, and what they should or should not be learning, so it's nice to have him available to hang out with my son.
The reason I don't like our school is the shitty zone it's in. Serious crime problems, in a questionable neighborhood, attended by over 90% low income (therefore, the school has a lower budget).
We're thinking next year we're going to have a bill mailed to my dad's house, and use that as "proof" to get him enrolled in a better school; the elementary school that me and my brothers attended, and has always had a great record.
The reason I like a reasonable amount of homework is it more or less gives us a designated assignment to work with him on, as parents. I'm sure most parents don't sit with their kid and go over their current lessons, and help them learn. As a parent, this also gives me a good indication of how much and how well my son is learning. This way if there's ever a problem, I should see it coming. Luckily he's had a great teacher, we've always been in communication with her, and she has the very best in mind for the kids.
Additionally, my brother is GREAT with kids, even got his degree in elementary education. He's real savvy on what the state standards are, and what they should or should not be learning, so it's nice to have him available to hang out with my son.
The reason I don't like our school is the shitty zone it's in. Serious crime problems, in a questionable neighborhood, attended by over 90% low income (therefore, the school has a lower budget).
We're thinking next year we're going to have a bill mailed to my dad's house, and use that as "proof" to get him enrolled in a better school; the elementary school that me and my brothers attended, and has always had a great record.
05-29-2008, 10:16 AM
#10
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Jensen Beach, FL / Sylva, NC
Posts: 2,934
I used to sit with my son 3 hours each night trying to tech him what the teacher failed to. Especially Math where he has problems, we would work every night on Math and other homework together. So, he used to get home from school at 4:20, he would play for an hour until dinner then it was homework until bedtime Monday through Thursday night.
I do not recall sitting all nigh doing homework when I was his age and I cannot understand why teacher pile so much on them.
Baldy, when your kid hits middle school see if you feel the same way, I felt bad for my son, no life, just school and homework.
Now that he is in private school the only time he gets homework is if he did not complete something in school which he has ample time in school so if he chose not to do it then he does it at home.
Also his private school Math teacher has picked up on a learning disorder of some sort, something we have been screaming about for years in public schools and they continued to tell us he was just lazy. His private school Math teacher said he is busting his butt to get C's and D's while the other kids are getting A's and B's with 1/3 the effort. Dyslexia is suspected but he has figured a way through it and its hard to pinpoint it. Except when he does geometry, he cannot keep it straight and its making him nuts.
I am a product of public schools too and they did a great job with me but that was 30 years ago and times have changed a LOT since then, nit just teachers but "I don't give a ****" parents were rare back in the day and are the norm today.
I do not recall sitting all nigh doing homework when I was his age and I cannot understand why teacher pile so much on them.
Baldy, when your kid hits middle school see if you feel the same way, I felt bad for my son, no life, just school and homework.
Now that he is in private school the only time he gets homework is if he did not complete something in school which he has ample time in school so if he chose not to do it then he does it at home.
Also his private school Math teacher has picked up on a learning disorder of some sort, something we have been screaming about for years in public schools and they continued to tell us he was just lazy. His private school Math teacher said he is busting his butt to get C's and D's while the other kids are getting A's and B's with 1/3 the effort. Dyslexia is suspected but he has figured a way through it and its hard to pinpoint it. Except when he does geometry, he cannot keep it straight and its making him nuts.
I am a product of public schools too and they did a great job with me but that was 30 years ago and times have changed a LOT since then, nit just teachers but "I don't give a ****" parents were rare back in the day and are the norm today.