Alex Barton’s Lesson
All parents are teachers but many of us are mere amateurs.
I have long been an admirer of the teaching profession, their vocation and dedication, all of them. We entrust our children into their care, in loco parentis, secure in the knowledge that they will do their part in guiding them along the treacherous path to adulthood.
I was therefore a little alarmed to read that a young Kindergartener, “Alex Barton,” had been voted out of his class, a bit like one of those popular reality shows on the telly. This wasn’t a case like “Lord of the Flies,” where the children had run amuck without adult supervision, but rather, his ousting was instigated by his teacher.
It made “me” wonder. It made lots of “people” wonder. It made his mum take “action.”
I wondered why a teacher might do such a thing? Five years old, seems a little young to be teaching Darwin’s theory of “survival of the fittest,” but I’m obviously not up to date on the State curriculum.
How else might this have come about? Maybe this was merely a role playing exercise, helping the children learn “kinesthetically,” where we learn by doing. An early introduction to the power of the vote, elections and democracy?
Then there’s public speaking or the debating aspect. There are any number of valuable lessons to be learned, to say nothing of voicing opinions and sharing.
Perhaps this was a carefully orchestrated plan, to teach inclusion by demonstrating exclusion, lesson one, with a follow up next week?
It could be that this was a litmus test to check the class’ moral fibre, a bench mark and launch pad for a new campaign of social awareness.
Alternatively the teacher decided that her students were in need of a demonstration of the “bystander effect.” The bystander effect is when an incident occurs that requires action from the onlookers but few are able step up to the plate. Alex found that two of his classmates were able to act, but who would choose to test five year olds?
I expect it was something to do with the harsh lessons of reality, that life can be a “popularity contest.” When is the right time, developmentally and chronologically to learn that lesson?
I wonder what her plan was? I’m just curious. It seems a curious lesson plan to amateurs. I wonder if the rest of her profession concurs? I somehow doubt it. I suspect she is in the minority, singled out with a unique perspective. I wonder if she is a good sharer? I’d love to know her perspective? I’m sure we’d all like to understand.
My own behaviour as a parent would not hold up well under public scrutiny.
I’m sure there are some saintly types around who never lose their cool. Sadly, I’m not one of them. All to often, every day in fact, I’m pushed to the point of “exasperation.” I lack the patience and temperament for “teaching,” and more importantly, a vocation. My retaliation is usually in the form of sarcasm. Luckily no-one around here understands sarcasm. Unluckily my tone makes the underlying message unmistakable = Mum is mad. I make many mistakes and more than a few hideous blunders. I’ve learned to forgive myself the errors and vow to do a better job tomorrow, every day, but that’s the nature of human frailty.
Fortunately, no-one’s going to call me to account for my misdeeds.
I get away Scott free.
It’s only all the “children” that will pay.
Stumble it!
June 10th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
I read about this, too. Shocking. I hope that teacher was imediately discharged.
June 10th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Excellent post Maddy!
June 10th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
An entry of words that make all of us think hard.
As for the that teacher, I wouldn’t be surprised if she wasn’t a parent herself yet.
Good post!
June 10th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Great post Maddy! You make me think!
This “caught in the act” sure brings to mind the good, the bad and the ugly. We surely all have it. I think the teacher is being judged via the “Peer Factor” and I’m sure she is in real FEAR (she is getting death threats).
I feel for everyone involved. I hope his mother chooses to make him a victor and not a victim emotionally and mentally. I dare say my own have gotten the least of this on the playground from others. I know I sure did. I also had teachers that said and did unkind things to me. Even so, I’ve done far worse and endangered lives in the past; by driving when I’m way too tired, by not paying attention, by pushing back on someone too hard, by not listening to good advice and more I’ll never tell…oh my own sins could go on and on. I think she has had enough and I feel sure she has learned her lesson; at least one would hope so.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
the perils of parenting—-can we ever measure up?
June 10th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
It really isn’t surprising that the educational system in Florida is one of the lowest rated in the U.S., last time I heard it was in the lower 40’s.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Come along now people. Lets not self
flagellate. Lets concentrate on those light bulb moments, those precious times when we know we’ve got it right.
Let’s make it something positive. Care to share?
Cheers dears
June 11th, 2008 at 1:45 am
Yes i would like to know what her perspective was too!
June 11th, 2008 at 2:27 am
And I thought it was bad here in the UK! Having worked in education I am saddened by it, however, as one door closes another opens. Maybe the lessons being learnt from this will linger longer than bad policies and teaching.
Optimism lives!
June 11th, 2008 at 4:30 am
Wonderful post! Very well said.
June 11th, 2008 at 5:06 am
uh, as a certified though not employed teacher may i just say this woman’s methods and purposes escape me. truly. really awful.
June 11th, 2008 at 6:38 am
Those good moments Maddy…. I don’t make any excuses for parenting re “Blessings of the skinned knee” - not just for those who may be Jewish… includes the rest of us. I kept smiling as I read it and thought “I’m such a mean Mom”. In a good way… Although my eldest will tell you it “sucks, you’re not the boss of me etc” when he loses his TV and DS priveledges
Gotta love 8yr olds with potty/playground mouths.
But I do get tired of stupidity. Like the school saying my eldest is “cute” and not putting in a social and behavioural problem until he had issues this spring. I’m still not certain what they are doing and will probably have to “crawl over heads” to get it done properly next fall.
Like not telling the OT a week ago about little boys “wrong” behaviour all of a sudden and calling me after she’d left the school that day. Then having to wait 2 days for her to come back to help with the sensory diet.
Stupid stuff drives me batty. Discipline, proper programming… I’m all for.
Sheri.
June 11th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Disturbing…I am still sick to my stomach just thinking about it and knowing that it could happen to any of our children. And the damage it has done to ALL of the children involved…most of all Alex? Irreversible.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Not all teachers are as this one. As I raised my own children I was often ispired by some who took their students, not only as a “short-term” assignment, but as full fledged individuals. These teachers not only went through the curriculum, but watched and ached as they went through youth trials from being a child in itself.
My daughter was inspired by such teachers, encouraged, nurtured and has developed into an teacher and parent I am VERY proud of, as well as many of her co-workers.
teachers like the one mentioned, give the most teachers a bad name and DON’T belong in the educational system at all.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Thanks Maddy … it didn’t get the publicity it deserved mainly because people are still in denial over “mainstreaming.” Yes, our kids are present and seen, but most times they are excluded. And yes, it is a sad day when a teacher can’t distinguish clearly between a simple democractic process and lynching. An even sadder note is that most people don’t know the difference either.
Hello from Ohio!
Donna
June 14th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Thank you so much for your perspective on this. As someone who grew up with lots of teachers and as a mom who makes plenty of mistakes, I can appreciate your point of view. Oh, and the lunchable thing. Now that is just funny. I wish I could commisserate with you, but in all honesty I giggled. =) Enjoy your trip– we will miss you.
June 24th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Hope you are safe and enjoying your trip! Here is another post about this.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/may/29/police-report-reveals-teachers-side-incident-which/
June 26th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Hello,
It has been over 1 month since Wendy Portillo abused my son. She is still a teacher and is still on the payroll.
I urge everyone to once again take a stand against discrimination.
Please one more time write and call the Port St Lucie School Board here is a great link to get you started.
http://www.stlucie.k12.fl.us/
If we let this slide, the next time it will be worse.
I am building a website dedicated to parents, children and adults who suffer from abuse through discrimination by disability. The site will be up within the next few weeks, http://www.justiceforalexbarton.com
Please come by and say hello.
Sincerely,
Melissa Barton
June 26th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Thank you for your insightful questions on this blog. There are a few I can answer being that I was there and I was the first to hear it from Portillo.
The kids were studying holidays, Memorial Day July 4th etc. This was the lesson plan it is standard for Florida, in fact all Kindergartners in Port St Lucie were studying the same lesson. But, Alex was the only one who was voted out.
Wendy Portillo admitted to these actions, she told me personally that this was her own psychology and she was going to “fix” his Autistic behaviours.
I was not told by her or anyone else why he was sent out of the classroom the first time that day, but in the police report I read that it was because his shoes were on the wrong feet.
I really would like to hear from Portillo just like everyone else. I have already heard her side of the events, she was very boastful about it.
There are a lot of misconceptions, she can talk but chooses not to. WHY??? Ask yourself, if there was some kind of mistruth or misunderstanding about you in the international media; would you clear it up? Yes. So understand, there is no gray area here is it just a very simple case of discrimination among other violations.
We can not let another child suffer like this.
There were 17 victims that day.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Wow, I think I would have thought about a lot of the same things you asked about, then I read the comment from the mom. I do admire the educators that try so hard to do such a difficult job, but I cannot stand the indifference and not just the ignorance but the unwillingness to open up and learn more about what these kids need from them on the part of too many of them. Hopefully this incident can bring about some awareness that will make school better for a whole lot of kids.
July 12th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/jul/12/30gtattorney-general-weighs-more-autism-cases/
Here is the latest on Alex.
July 16th, 2008 at 8:30 am
This brings back events that happened 17 years ago (if you want to know whether it leaves a lasting mark on a child). My son, who has Down Syndrome, was the first child with a disability to attend our local school. This was kindergarten mind you. The teacher kept sending Michael to the principal’s office, and the principal would keep him there for hours (which was illegal). One day the children in the class rebelled and encircled the teacher telling her not to send him again, and that she didn’t “understand Michael”. His aide is the one who reported this to me. The teacher verified the story, saying she told the children what they were doing was “defending a bad boy”. His crime was hiding under the desk and pushing his papers to the floor and sometimes he would bolt(he was overwhelmed). The principal was trying to get him out of there. She later expressed that she didn’t want to deal with disabled children in her school (this is a public school). We sued and won the right to keep him there. Later principals and teachers had a more “can do”attitude. Michael graduated high school with honors and his grade school had to open its doors to children with disabilities (because it was the law). The lasting harm part—-over the years Michael has written on a million different sheets of paper, “Detention” and “Principal’s Office”, and he finds his old principal in movies everywhere (as in Mrs. Trunchbull in the movie “Matilda”). He talks all the time about how scared and sad he was, and he’s 22 years old at this point.
In defense of the good teachers: they need to be given the proper support to manage all of the extra needs of our children, and often that doesn’t happen.