Just in from Queen’s Park and now becoming an election issue….
Sylvia Jones, MPP (Dufferin-Caledon), Progressive Conservative Critic for Community and Social Services and Children and Youth Services asked the Minister of Children and Youth Services today if she was comfortable with allowing children with special needs to sit on a wait list for an assessment while gifted students are bumped to the front of the line.
It was revealed this week that 700 children are awaiting a special needs assessment by the Halton District School Board, but assessments for a new program for gifted children are being bumped ahead.
“By allowing this to happen the McGuinty Liberals are essentially creating a two-tiered educational system,” said Jones. “Parents of special needs children within the Halton District School Board have a right to be concerned.”
The current wait list of 700 students means the wait list for assessments in Halton is listed at 15 months to two years.
“By allowing testing for a new program for gifted children to be a higher priority—and bumping children with special needs further down the waiting list, the McGuinty Liberals are showing that it is acceptable to treat children with special needs as second-class citizens,” said Jones. “For me, this is unacceptable. Children with special needs deserve the same opportunities as every other student.”
Trustees in Halton acknowledge that putting the gifted student assessments ahead of the special needs assessments will make the wait times for children with special needs even longer.
Instead of advocating for children and families with special needs, the Minister said that if parents have problems with getting assessments, they should call their trustee.
Let us know what you think.
It is about time the govenment takes a stand and deliver’s education to all not a few. I don’t want to see “gifted” kids taken out to be put in a special program while autistic, learning disable, physically disabled are consistantly put back into an enviorment where they cannot thrive.
Why are we not looking out for our kids that need help!!??!! Helping the few privledged, and leaving out the rest.
Please see comment:
http://www.oakvillechitchat.com/ways-hdsb-may-try-to-defend-gifted-testing-decision/comment-page-1/#comment-967
Sandi:
If you want something other than the regular classroom for your children then you need to tell organizations like
Ontario Coalition for Inclusive Education,
Community Living,
Family Alliance Ontario
Integration Action Group
People First Ontario
Youth Involvement Ontario
to stop speaking for your child. These organizations call contained or congregated classes “segregated”, just like Oakville Chit Chat does. They want all children, regardless of their needs, in the regular classroom. These organizations are making it harder and harder for all children to receive an education in an environment that suits their unique needs.
You need to let your SEAC, Trustee and MPP know that these organizations do not represent your views and nor do you want them speaking for your child’s needs.
After reading many of the comments by Oakville Chit Chat I strongly suspect that she is a member or a support of one of these organizations.
And who are these “privledged” you refer to.
Once again Jean you have completely misquoted us at Oakville Chit Chat. As noted on another comment and let me be clear, regardless of twisting what we are saying this is what we believe:
1. All children should receive services.
2. Priority should be given to providing services/program etc. for all not just ones our trustees want to favour.
3. One group should not have something taken away to benefit another.
4.HDSB needs to stop pitting parents against each other.
5. Integration and segregation are methods that should be used and created equally in policy.
6. Self contained classroom (sometimes referred to as segregation) should be available so that chidren who need them can be in them, if a child cannot cope with a classroom or is too disruptive for all other children) they have the option of being in self contained.
7. We have never suggested that self contained or segregated is wrong.
8. We have huge issues with the integrated model as it is not based on need but rather a method that is been forced upon the Spec ed and regular classrooms.
9. Segregation and/or self contained should not be available only for the ones our trustees want to advocate for.
10. Trustees need to be held accountable for decisions and need to start funding education for all properly.
11.Feel that the thousands of families not receiving services have as much a right to have services as those that our board has decided are more deserving.
You have obviously either twisted or can’t read what we are advocating for.
EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO HAVE THEIR EDUCATIONAL NEEDS PROVIDED FOR. AS A TAXPAYER THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE PAYING FOR….BUT NOT GETTING.
As for those groups you reference and speaking for your child. A parent is absolutely the one who should be advocating for their child. That is your job. Many in our community have, in fact, contacted the very people you reference. They have emailed, phoned, met, delegated, etc. Now they have mobilized and are saying enough.
At Oakville Chit Chat we are only one of many media outlets being used to voice the outrage many are feeling. Parents have taken this board to tribunal and I have attended shouting matches at board meetings, etc. We are simply and outlet for people to speak their mind especially after they attend meetings, take part in consultation processes that end up hijacked, etc. Democracy is about being able to speak out, holding our elected officials accountable for their vote and actually exposing what they say, promise and don’t deliver up for public exposure.
We do our best to present all sides that is the very reason we have Comments and often don’t respond back but when we have what we are saying so twisted and have our integrity attacked, we do have a right to provide a comment.
So no we are not part of any of the groups you have noted above, do not advocate for your child in particular but instead advocate for a better educational system and a political system that serves all of the people they are being paid by.
As always we do appreciate your comments and realize that everyone may have differing views and perspectives but we will defend ourselves as well when required.
Jean,
Your lack of understanding of the issues and what people are trying to say clearly demonstrates you don’t have children attending an English Track elementary school, and you don’t have a child with a learning disability.
I don’t have a child with a learning disability, but as my children often share classes with children who do, I appreciate how under supported these children are.
You need to stop being so hostile towards kids with learning disabilities, they have a right to learn and to be supported.
Ms. Jones doesn’t know what she is talking about.
Under the education act giftedness is a recognized exceptionality same as learning disability or autism. Or maybe she is simply exploiting childern by pitting their needs against each other. If we put in a program to help autistic childern, are we stealing from the blind or hard of hearing?? unfortunately the resources are finite so when we choose to help one special needs it does mean that another special needs group will not recieve those dollars and certainly overtime we want to see that everyones needs are addressed equitably but to suggest that providing assessments to gifted is putting special needs childern at the back of the line…HELLO gifted childern are included in the 700 waiting for assessments. The school board has finally done something to help one group. Now lets rally together to get other programs to help the other special needs groups.
Rossana – Brilliantly said. I couldn’t agree more.
It’s awful, but when I read accounts by parents of children with special needs other than those that follow a gifted child, I find the stories to be the same. The school board is treating all of our children poorly and we should not be fighting each other while we try to make this right.
Our children shouldn’t have to leave this city, their homes and their friends in order to get the attention they need.
Rosanna: The Super for Spec Ed himself noted during many meetings that yes….the new Primary Gifted testing was impacting those waiting and that their testing was put on hold until this testing for this new group was done. He then noted that yes they jumping the queue. That is a fact based on his recorded comments to the board and SEAC. The 700 waiting are separate from this new group jumping the queue and have been separated re: boards stats so your comment is absolutely wrong. They have also chose to have a different delivery model for this new group unlike all other spec ed. It is the process of how/who get and why that is at the core of the issues re: decision. Look on other subjects comment area: re further information.