Commenters on the AJC Get Schooled blog discussed the recent spate of cases involving abuse of children in special education classrooms, including an incident in which two classroom aides were caught on video allegedly abusing a child. Readers were skeptical of one explanation offered by an advocate for special needs children that paraprofessionals are low-paid, under-trained and deployed in crowded classrooms. Here is a sampling of reader response:
Dunwoody: There is no excuse in the world for abusing children — none.
Pop: Some of these kids have a license to kill via their special ed designation. They can do anything and get away with it, and they know it, too.
Randall: No one has to be "trained" not to abuse kids. Abusive people abuse other people. You cannot "train" them not to. These criminal abusers are big bullies and need to be behind bars. Trying to make "low pay" an excuse for abuse is just plain cruel and ignorant.
Hank: Why are the severely disabled in school in the first place? It makes no sense to stretch the Brown decision this far. For a child to be in school, they should at least be socially functional. I am not cruel nor heartless, but why aren't they taken care of at home by caregivers to assist parents or in special facilities? Exactly what is being accomplished by having to accommodate for transportation, classrooms, lunches and numerous aides and paras to assist special education teachers? At what point do we get back to the purpose of education?
Ga123: Not much is required in terms of training. It's left up to districts. Cameras are needed in special education classrooms and required training
Buc: There's a sad history of this sort of behavior by employees against special needs children. And it's not just because the children can be challenging, which some can be. The same sort of thing happens in nursing homes. There are some people who will abuse the helpless.
GeorgiaParent: What needs to change is the culture in schools that allows administrators and other professionals to have a "hands-off" approach toward students in special education classrooms. These classrooms are often considered to be "separate" from the rest of the school. The students are likely from neighborhoods outside the local district and have often been moved from one school to another, depending on where the classrooms are available. School administrators are told that a special ed class will be in their building, but are not given any ownership over the teachers, students or instruction. The entire school, from the principal on down, often looks at the students and staff as "special" and, therefore, "not part of us." They don't visit or observe these classes, and they don't get involved with the education or management of these students.
Grob: So if we pay psychopaths more, they will abuse children less. Do you have any idea how many of our problems you just solved? None. How about hiring people who are qualified and dedicated instead of just packing in "staff" based on availability?
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