With all the debate about Mayoral control of public schools one has to wonder
how it would affect the education of students in the Rochester City School District.
Would Mayoral control improve the condition of the school system? After all, much
debate has occurred pertaining to the way city schools function.For example,
there has long been debate regarding the number of students in Rochester's city
schools classified as having Special Education needs. There has been speculation
among many that some students are unnecessarily but in that category, often as
a result of teachers' inability to address other - often behavioral - issues.
The
term "special education" is commonly connected with teaching needs for
children who suffer from autism, down-syndrome, and and/or mental retardation.
However, more and more often, students are placed in special education because
of emotional disturbances/disorders. The number of students in the inner city
schools with this disability who are classified as having special education needs
is a growing concern within the African- American community.
Some of the
numbers would seem to justify their suspicions.
According to the latest
New York State Report about students with emotional disturbances in Monroe County,
the ratio of those attending city schools was highest. City schools also ranked
highest for the number of students in special education classes.
Why? This
category of special education is generally related to behavioral problems with
students. Tom Petronio, of the Rochester City School District says, "Special
education includes a number of complex variables." Each student's case is
different, but the bottom line is that apparently more students suffer from emotional
disturbances in city schools than in the suburbs.
When it comes to the average
age a child is diagnosed with an emotional disturbance, "Doctors and psychologists
are hesitant to identify younger kids five, six or pre-school age kids with psychiatric
disabilities.," said Roger Nellist of WNYADD. "They'll usually come
with other disabilities rather than trying to put a psychiatric label on a younger
child. Its more as they're approaching nine and older."
Students aged
nine and older are more aware of their surroundings, which may be why emotional
disturbances are diagnosed at higher rate for that bracket. A student's learning
style may not be compatible with the teaching style of his or her professor. This
could cause tension in the classroom and between student and teacher, and possibly
could get being confused classified as a behavioral problem.
But the big
question is why are relatively more children being placed in special education
in the inner city schools, than in the suburban schools? And should having a behavioral
problem be enough to classify a child as needing special education? "Yes,
if it affects their education," says Nellist.
However, Joe Goyos of
the Advocacy Center offers another opinion. "Just because a student receives
special education services it does not necessarily mean they have a learning disability,"
he said. "Sometimes there are behavioral issues that will interfere with
a child's ability to learn".
Characteristics of emotional disturbances
include persistent unhappy moods or depression, aggression and withdrawal. This
behavior is a sign that children are not coping well with their environment or
their peers. Many children who do not have emotional disturbances may display
some of these same characteristics.
Another theory is that students who
display some of these characteristics may misdiagnosed, despite the fact that
experts administer extensive tests before a student is diagnosed with a disability.
Most disabilities are genetic but an emotional disturbance is unique because
its manifestation could be related to any number of events in a child's life.
"Children with post- traumatic stress disorder or who have been exposed to
a certain situation in their life can develop certain behaviors", said Goyos.
Many inner city students come from poverty, broken homes, and face challenges
seldom experienced by suburban children.
According to Nellist, it is hard
to pinpoint any one specific factor that leads to a higher classification rate
of emotional disturbance students in the RCSD because there are multi- faceted
things that come into play, aside from broken homes or the cycle of poverty.
While
the issue seldom reaches a critical point of discussion, in the city of Rochester
is one that merits more attention. More African-American children attend inner
city schools than any other ethnic group. Members of the community are concerned
there may be more than meets the eye regarding the number of inner city students
in special education compared to their suburban counterparts.
Linda Blankenhorn,
Rochester City School District's Executive Director of Specialized Services, says,
"Our data tells us a good number of children with an emotional disturbance
classification tend not to graduate. When they hit the secondary school level
they drop out." She says some of the most common reasons students drop out
of high school are the absence of supportive family members and lack of support.
Children with behavioral problems would obviously necessitate more attention
than other children. Concerns are teachers may be passing students on to special
education to stay within guidelines of the No Child Left Behind Act which holds
teachers and schools accountable for the academic success of students, with an
emphasis on inner city students.
According to experts, not enough students
are in special education. "We actually see the opposite", says Roger
Nellist, "Parents are fighting to get their child identified as needing special
education. Families are trying to get these services."
The fact that
some students actually do have learning disabilities isn't being undermined. However,
if children with emotional disabilities brought on by traumatic situations are
in special education, should they be? Do the children placed in special education
receive the help they actually need?
The answer is yes. There are strategies
to address behavior for a child whose behavior hinders learning, including positive
behavioral interventions, and supports. Students who qualify for special education
services under the category of emotional disturbance may receive psychological
or counseling services in addition to the schools'.
Programs like the ones
offered at the Advocacy Center are designed to help students cope with living
with an emotional disturbance, which is crucial to make the transition from grade
and middle school to high school less complicated. However it is up to the parents
and families to seek out these services.
