The article is about a New Jersey man, Stuart Chaifetz, wanting an apology from his son's teacher. Akian Chaifetz is an autistic ten year old boy who attended Horace Mann Elementary in Cherry Hill, NJ. When Chaifetz put his son in the school system, he knew his child would be in a classroom with other autistic children and specialized teachers to craft their brains; however, Chaifetz did not know the abuse going on in the classroom. After receiving reports of his son acting out in violence, Chaifetz put a wired his son one morning for school. After listening to the six and a half hour recording, Chaifetz discovered the emotional abuse of the teachers and aides, going as far as calling the child hostile name and yelling at him for crying because they said he couldn't see his father. It was then that the father demanded an apology from the teachers to his son in a YouTube video that soon went viral.
Link to Article YouTube commentary
When I read this story and then listened to the father and the audio recordings, I was sickened. How could an educator do such a thing to, what seems to be, a perfectly nice, loving child? Why is the aide and the teacher talking about their personal lives in front of impressionable minds? Just because they can't communicate what they hear to their parents doesn't mean they don't understand. Teachers like that are a real disgrace, especially to teachers who get let go just because of budget cuts and they don't have tenure. The aides were fired but not the teacher because of tenure. There would be someone more than willing and much more qualified to teach those child than that disgrace of a teacher. The school district is trying to cover up what happened by reassigning the teacher to a different school. How is it possible to know she won't do the same thing? Just because a child might be sometimes difficult, especially if he or she were born that way, gives no one the right to make them cry and throw them into violent fits. I can only imagine how Chaifetz felt when he heard his child cry because of those in authority. If I was heartbroken about it, I don't want to feel what he was feeling. His child deserves an apology, and that teacher deserves to be fired.
I read this article and watched the video yesterday and thought the exact same things. There is a big problem in our country when special-education teachers can make fun of their students and get away with it without repercussions. That teacher should be fired immediately because I'm pretty sure what she did breaks some sort of teacher-guidelines.
ReplyDeleteThe education system in general is flawed. Many teachers strive for tenure or to do well for a while, then they give up because they don't have to try anymore. However, I feel as though this happens in elementary and special needs schools more than in higher level schooling. Maybe it's just because those children are more difficult and the teachers aren't as qualified as they first thought. In any case, I agree, these teachers and aides are completely disgusting to treat children that way.
ReplyDeleteLast semester, we had 2 stories very similar to this, parents having their children bugged with a microphone or camera. They captured some sickening stuff. I just don't understand how someone could be so disgraceful and mean to an innocent and sweet loving child. There needs to be something done about teachers like this. Something needs to be done with the education system.
ReplyDeleteIt is extremely ridiculous that this can happen. I dont understand motives or reasoning behind people like this. I myself dont do well around mentally disabled people so i try to stay away from them. Not because i dont like them or im prejudiced but because i would not be a good influence around them. I dont know how to treat someone like that so perhaps anyone who is the same as i should as well. Not for their own sake but for the kids.
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