School board demands that special needs student removes varsity letter.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Sorry guys; while I appreciate the few people who have tried to engage in a nice discussion, there are too many other posts where people are trying to act like bullies. I'm out of this thread.

Seriously?

[BuckminsterFuller]

Personally, I don't believe many special needs kids should be in the regular public school classrooms. I have a sister who is a special needs teaching assistant who claims roughly 65% do not belong in the classroom and are more of a distraction than asset to the rest of the class.

Now, as for the Varsity Letter, that is an award that is earned. Cheapenning it cheapens the hard work of everyone who has earned it.

In this instance, it was purchased online by the handicapped kid's parents without prior input or consent from the school.

If the handicapped kid did something special to earn the respect of his Lettered peers and they wish to acknowledge it in some way, fine. But for parents to arbitrarily give out Varsity letters to their kids, handicapped or not, is wrong.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by BuckminsterFuller

Now, as for the Varsity Letter, that is an award that is earned. Cheapenning it cheapens the hard work of everyone who has earned it.

If the handicapped kid did something special to earn the respect of his Lettered peers and they wish to acknowledge it in some way, fine

Well, at least high school kids have more more brains than the adults in this case...

https://www.change.org/p/administrat...fb_ref=Default

My classmate, Michael Kelley, has a lot of pride for our school. One of his favorite extra curricular activities is playing on one of our basketball teams. Michael has shown amazing commitment to the sport; he makes the practices and works hard. But unlike his fellow students, Michael is not allowed to earn a varsity letter. Why? Because he has Down syndrome, and our school doesn't allow special needs teams to have letters.

Seriously though..."cheapening the hard work of everyone"? You have so much to learn. What actually cheapens the value of a letter is not allowing everybody the opportunity to earn one. That in fact makes it worthless. Here is the rest of the petition....

My name is Libby and Michael is my classmate. Like Michael, I love sports. My passion is soccer and I wear my varsity letter with pride. It’s a symbol of all my hard work and the love I have for my school. Whenever I’m going out of town, I’m sure to wear my varsity jacket. It’s a way to keep home and the things I love close to me. Sadly, that opportunity isn’t afforded to all my classmates.
When I learned that Michael wasn't allowed to earn a varsity letter, I thought it must have been a mistake. Wichita East High School is an amazing school in a community with a big heart, so I was surprised to find out that the school district doesn't have a policy that ensures varsity letters can be earned for participating in special needs sports. This broke my heart and I knew I had to do something. Michael works just as hard as I do, shows just as much passion, and loves our school deeply. He deserves to be awarded a varsity letter just as much I do.
I started this petition to make sure Michael, and any other student who earns it, gets the letter they deserve. Please sign and share the petition asking the Wichita School District to establish a policy for awarding varsity letters to students who participate in special needs sports. With your signature, I hope in the near future when I see Michael at school he'll be wearing his varsity jacket with a well-earned letter.

[BuckminsterFuller]

OMG!WTF! - read

[The Ditch]

I can't believe people actually care about high school and a varsity jacket, can you guys throw a football over a mountain too? lol.

[RougeUnderoos]

This whole thing seems like something out of the 50's.

I mean really, don't kids today have better things to worry about? Like going steady with their best gal, learning the Twist for the next sockhop, or assaulting Marty's mom in their jalopy?

[driveway]

Originally Posted by BuckminsterFuller

Personally, I don't believe many special needs kids should be in the regular public school classrooms. I have a sister who is a special needs teaching assistant who claims roughly 65% do not belong in the classroom and are more of a distraction than asset to the rest of the class.

I'm a teacher, and if you'd like I can provide you with links to literally hundreds of peer-reviewed academic papers which demonstrate that your sister is wrong.

[BuckminsterFuller]

I'd love to read how it enhances the academic test scores of the regular student population other than maybe lowering the class average and skewing the bell curve.

Please send me links on how it improves the general student's math skills, reading comprehension and overall literacy.

[MolsonInBothHands]

Originally Posted by BuckminsterFuller

I'd love to read how it enhances the academic test scores of the regular student population other than maybe lowering the class average and skewing the bell curve.

Please send me links on how it improves the general student's math skills, reading comprehension and overall literacy.

I think you just moved the goal posts. Your first statement says its a distraction, your next demands proof of enhancement. Is it expected of ANY students to ENHANCE the learning experience of others?

[BuckminsterFuller]

I'm not the one claiming peered reviewed studies showing it makes learning better.

Show me the studies showing improved test scores. Driveway claims to have them.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by BuckminsterFuller

I'm not the one claiming peered reviewed studies showing it makes learning better.

Show me the studies showing improved test scores. Driveway claims to have them.

Maybe you can provide evidence, other than hearsay, to back up:

roughly 65% do not belong in the classroom and are more of a distraction than asset to the rest of the class

To be fair to Driveway he/she didn't say:

it improves the general student's math skills, reading comprehension and overall literacy

They disputed your hearsay claim.


Is it possible that school is not just about "book learning" but also about creating a caring and empathetic member of society.

[BuckminsterFuller]

There is a difference between hearsay and anecdotal. My sister's reports are anecdotal from her experience as a special needs teaching assistant.

It is an issue I have been researching as I am in the process of selecting a school for my son to start next year.

To date, I have seen studies on how it improves the learning for the special needs students and aside comments that it helps the regular student population with learning compassion for others, however I have found nothing on the academic benefits to the regular student population. if Driveway has some info, I would be happy to read it.

Everything I have read so far shows segregation becomes inevitable at advanced grades and development. Is prolonging that inevitability at a cost to the academic advancement of the regular students?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by BuckminsterFuller

There is a difference between hearsay and anecdotal. My sister's reports are anecdotal from her experience as a special needs teaching assistant.

It is an issue I have been researching as I am in the process of selecting a school for my son to start next year.

To date, I have seen studies on how it improves the learning for the special needs students and aside comments that it helps the regular student population with learning compassion for others, however I have found nothing on the academic benefits to the regular student population. if Driveway has some info, I would be happy to read it.

Everything I have read so far shows segregation becomes inevitable at advanced grades an development. Is prolonging that enevitability at a cost to the academic advancement of the regular students?

anecdotal, as in not necessarily true or reliable, because based on personal accounts rather than facts or research.

[BuckminsterFuller]

Which is why I have been researching it and if Driveway has studies showing otherwise it would be great to see them.

I see plenty of research showing a benefit to the special needs students, but nothing of the cost or benefit to the regular student.

[BuckminsterFuller]

Driveway, thanks for the info.

still waiting

[driveway]

Originally Posted by BuckminsterFuller

Which is why I have been researching it and if Driveway has studies showing otherwise it would be great to see them.

I see plenty of research showing a benefit to the special needs students, but nothing of the cost or benefit to the regular student.

Sorry man, don't have access to the academic databases on this computer, I'll get those papers for you in a few hours when I'm home and on my other computer.

[Schraderbrau]

Originally Posted by BuckminsterFuller

Now, as for the Varsity Letter, that is an award that is earned. Cheapenning it cheapens the hard work of everyone who has earned it.

In this instance, it was purchased online by the handicapped kid's parents without prior input or consent from the school.

If the handicapped kid did something special to earn the respect of his Lettered peers and they wish to acknowledge it in some way, fine. But for parents to arbitrarily give out Varsity letters to their kids, handicapped or not, is wrong.

It's a high school sport, in the big picture of life it means something between sweet and f all. Let the kid have the letter. It's not as if the school decided to give him straight A's and graduate him with honours. It's a coat given to a bunch of jocks that means NOTHING to almost everyone but it clearly means something to this guy and his family. Giving him the letter hurts no one but taking it away clearly hurts him, give him the letter and move on.

[BuckminsterFuller]

Two weeks later, still nothing from driveway.

[Looch City]

Spoiler!

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Iggy City

Spoiler!

Only one? Pshh