Ka, have you looked at the state board of education at all?
[QUOTE=foxl]Ka, have you looked at the state board of education at all?[/QUOTE]
I checked the Alabama Department of Education and it never gives specific requirements. With everything that is going on I honestly have come to the point that Graces Teachers could not be this spiteful and cruel......I believe they just aren't suppost to be with Grace and that is why I just got a progress report that states Grace will not meet any of her I.E.P goals..........my god-there were only 4!(No, I had no input on this I.E.P., it was a fake document produced by the Teacher!That is another story)
I want to walk into my I.E.P meeting and say "The Teacher does not have this degree or that degree so get her away from MY GRACE", but I can't find what Degree's Special Education Teachers must have!
According to the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) 2004, here are the requirements for special education teachers (summarized):
1. Possess a bachelor’s degree,
2. Obtain state certification as a special education teacher, and
3. Demonstrate competency in subject matter by passing a state test in basic elementary curriculum (for elementary special education teachers) or a test in each core academic subject taught (for special education teaches who teach multiple subjects).
About the IEP, you are legally required to have the opportunity to have input into the program. The website http://www.wrightslaw.com/ has some good information about special education law. Here is the website for the IDEA (the federal special education law): http://idea.ed.gov/
Edited to add: this applies to public school programs for students ages 3 - 21.
Nicole
Free Autism Resources and Printable Activities for Parents and Teachers! ~ http://www.PositivelyAutism.com/
What are the Educational Requirements Teachers must have to be around OUR CHILDREN?
I guess what I mean is I would like to know if the Teachers around my daughter are really even qualified to be around her! I live in Alabama and I plan on asking Graces' Teachers what their Educational Backgrounds are.....but once I get their info. how do I know if they have the right Degree's to even be Teaching her?
1.) Special Education Teacher
2.) General Education Teacher
What requirements does the School Representative have to have?
Where do I find this all out?
Also, If your child is enrolled in a public school the teacher should have a bachelors degree in Educaiton ( SPED preferred) as a minimum...I know that many states require a masters degree to teach. Typically teaching assistants only have a high school diploma whith on the job training Go to your state ed website and search "highly qualified teacher." Or, better yet, call and speak to someone there and then ask them to email you the requirements. You have the right to ask for the school district to send you a list of the qualifications of the teachers who work with your child. This is kind of sneaky but you might call the school district and pretend to be inquiring about a job as a special education teacher. You could say you are working on ... certification or finishing a degree or even say well, it is in an unrelated area. See if they say it is okay? Many years ago (1991) I had a friend who was a teacher in MT. She was general ed but still she told me that they didn't require a BA!~ Good luck! p.s. During my 2nd IEP meeting I came in with my own written goals. Then we negotiated. I based mine on typical milestones and current goals being worked on at home with OT, SLP, PT, and our BC, ABA. My son ended up with about 15 goals. They did cut it down at the 3rd IEP meeting saying that we needed less goals to work on though. The truth is, even a teacher who is LEGALLY qualified to teach a child with autism most likely has little or no education in how to actually be an effective teacher for someone on the autism spectrum. New York State is the only state that officially recognizes this by providing that any child who is classified with autism and is not being educated in a class SPECIFICALLY for child with autism can get the services of an autism consultant to come into the class to help the teacher and other personnel learn HOW to manage and teach those with autism. No other state that I know of has this specific provision, but ALL state MUST orovide teacher training, according to IDEA 2004, whether these teachers are "highly qualified" or not. WHAT "teacher training" entails depends on how well you can advocate for your child.
I'm not sure about Alabama but a teacher may be in progress to completing their special education credential and teach.
Although the "highly qualified" piece is a joke. I am certified in NYS as both special education and general education and we were evaluated last year as to our highly qualified status. You had to earn 100 points based on years of experience, college degrees, workshops etc. Most teachers hit the 100 points based on years of experience which has NOTHING to do with the quality of their instruction.....just the time they put in the classroom and in workshops....which does not translate into quality teaching.
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