Port St. Lucie Teacher “Reassigned”
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
I’m sure by now you have all heard, or read, of the 5-year-old kindergartner, Alex Barton, who was cast out of his classroom last week by his own teacher and classmates.
If not…
Port St. Lucie, Florida teacher, Wendy Portillo, was removed from her duties as kindergarten teacher because she held a vote in her classroom in which students literally “voted-out” Barton because they did not like him in the classroom. Often a behavior challenge and often either in the principal’s office or nurse’s office for acting up, Alex is currently being tested for Asperger’s Disorder, a form of autism.
The problem here is not necessarily that she humiliated him in front of his peers, that she teased and bullied him (and allowed other students to do it as well), and not that she even committed emotional abuse in a classroom.
The problem here is that (and thanks to Daily Kos and Thinking in Metaphors for their fabulous interpretations) she took matters into her own hands when she got frustrated with his behavior. Instead, she was required BY LAW to give him services under IDEA and to help participate in the creation of his IEP if he is found to be autistic. (more…)
