Letters to the editorSpecial education model not workingThe board will allocate $340,000 to assessIf you have a learning disability but are260 children before September, superintendentfunctioning at an exceptional level in someGifted studentsof special education David Boag said ataspects of intellectual functioning - you will beWednesday evenings board meeting".provided with well supported, resources, sepa-Just as I thought this would play out; HDSBrate classrooms, a specially trained teacher atforced to pay attention to the long assessmentthe helm, and free transportation to thesehave special needswait list and good for the short run for manyschools in each region until you graduate ele-children who have waited too long for theirmentary school. You will also have the optionI am writing this as a gifted student andteer to have Gordon stay in their class as identification assessment and IPRC meetings. to attend any high school in your region thatas a teacher, concerned about the currentlong as he could be tolerated. We were not Some trustees patting themselves on theyou so desire, transportation also included. discussion about gifted students in Halton.asked to teach him and he did not come with back that they made this happen by inserting aIf you have a learning disability but are notAs a child with an IQ over 150, I was veryany work. specialty program for gifted primary students,deemed gifted, perhaps on the autistic spec-unhappy. There was nothing at home or atWhen one could no longer tolerate him, instead of public outrage that ultimately led thetrum, diagnosed with Aspergers or Non Verbalschool that was geared to me. Outside of he was passed to the next volunteer teacher.Minister of Education to say something prior toLearning Disorder, maybe you have a weakschool, I enjoyed sports, but beyond that,Gordon had the most brilliant mind I elections. memory or attention issues, you will stay infriendships were difficult. No one my agehave ever encountered.No one is yet discussing the real issue your home school, an EA or SERT may occa-was interested in the things that interestedGordon lacked social graces and could what model for special education students doessionally come in and out of your regular class-me. It wasnt until university, that I foundnot understand pointless conventions. For the HDSB board believe is best? room and your homeroom teacher will do themy milieu.example, he could not understand why he They claim 'Education for All' and integra-best that they can to provide the right level of One of my problems was that teachers didhad to wear shoes indoors, especially on tion for special education students while clos-material for you, while they tend to the other 30not understand how a gifted student thought.carpeted floors. (That was a school rule ing over half of their self contained classroomsstudents in their classroom. Nor did they consider providing programswhich only I did not enforce.)and yet for the gifted 6 year old, it appearsWho has the better chance of succeeding? that challenged the gifted student.During the first year of Gordons time at segregating students in self contained class-Answer: The best supported child. Repeatedly, teachers who could not relate toour school, he was in my class most of the rooms is best. Lesley Dalgarno, Oakvillea very smart student would accuse me of time. plagiarism.He was academically interested in what In Grade 3, I was accused of some howmy Grade 6 did. I also allowed him to do copying a book review of a Nancy Drewwhatever he wanted and offered him help as book. I was flabbergasted. It never occurredneeded. He spent much of the time reading to me that what I wrote was unusual. I justor doing math puzzles.did it.When Gordon was promoted to grade 5, One day, in Grade 10, we found the solidhe once again spent most of his time in my wood door to the English class locked, so weGrade 6 class. So it was no wonder, that lined up along the wall and waited for thewhen he advanced to Grade 6, he became a teacher. When the door was opened, webone fide member of my class.found foolscap on each desk and, handwrit-One of Gordons problems was that he ten on the chalkboard, six topics. We werewould, often for no apparent reason, fly into instructed to write an essay on one of thea wild tantrum. But, of course, there was a topics. reason. This only happened in two sets of This time they were baffled. The teachercircumstances.told me that they couldnt figure out how IWhen he was forced into behavior that got advance notice of the topics becausemade no sense other than he was told to do there could be no other explanation for mysomething, and for which no good rational exceptionally good essay.reason could be given, he would get Can you imagine how disheartening allimmensely frustrated.this was for me? But it gets worse.The other times, more frequent by far, At teachers college, English Literaturewere when he could not capture his thoughts was an auditorium class of hundreds. Oneon paper or verbally as quickly as they were day a Kafka short story was assigned with thebeing formulated in his mind. I taught him comment, Dont worry if you dont under-techniques for doing that and gradually, the stand it; no one does.tantrums disappeared.After reading the story twice, it seemedGordon taught many of my science class-clearly to be an allegory of life and death.es. I would assist him, getting the materials At the next English class, I kept my handhe needed and helping as directed. On many down until every singe person who wantedtopics, he did a better job than I could have Darryl R Demille Ins Agcy LtdAndrew HeidemanAngelo GualtieriDeborah E Bartuccito suggest a solution did so. Each responsedone.Darryl Demille CFPOakvilleOakvilleOakvillewas unsatisfactory. Finally, I put my handI can tell many stories of such children; Oakville905-829-0018905-257-7773905-337-3276905-842-1020www.andrewheideman.cawww.angelogualtieri.comwww.autoinsuranceoakville.caup and offered my explanation. The teacherbrilliant people who were misdiagnosed as www.darryldemille.comcould find no fault with my submission, sobehavioural problems. he asked, Where did you get this answer?Gifted students have special needs in This, in a class preparing people to teach,order to fulfill their potential and should not among others, gifted students.be discriminated against. It is wrong to say During my teaching years, I had manythat their needs are less.experiences where I saw the emotional abuseThe school curriculum is designed for of gifted students. I would like to share theaverage students. All students, those who Stacey SutherlandStephen OstapchukDaniel Durststory of one student, whom I will callcannot achieve that level and those that well OakvilleMississaugaOakvilleGordon.exceed that level, should have their needs 905-339-3276905-238-5643905-847-1898www.insuranceinoakville.comwww.stephenostapchuk.cawww.danieldurst.comI was teaching Grade 6 when we were toldmet.that Gordon, who had newly registered inAlthough I have no children, I would not our school could not adapt to his Grade 4deny increased taxation if that were neces-class. sary in order to treat all students fairly.State Farm, Canadian Head Office, Aurora, Ontario1010005As a result, the staff were asked to volun-Elka Ruth Enola, Oakville7 Friday, March 4, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER www.insideHALTON.com