[nfbmi-talk] integrated vs. segregated settings

Mon Jun 18 12:37:02 UTC 2012

Joe,

Thank you for your thoughts.

I agree with you completely.

Matt Sievert

-----Original Message-----
From: "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
Sender: nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:29:54 
To: NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List<nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Reply-To: NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] integrated vs. segregated settings

Fred And All,

A free and appropriate public education (i.e. one of quality) is the most 
important thing as we both agree. That goes to any child disabled or not in 
my mind, including my own who was not blind, but who had other disabilities. 
It does, as you suggest trump the setting issue. However, this said I do 
lobby for both a quality educational experience and full inclusion. This is 
the "ideal" and I know it. But ideally we should have both and we'll never 
have both unless we work for it.

That said these things are highly individualized as you suggest and we must 
work for what we have right now or at the moment. I did advocate to have my 
daughter placed in a school for a couple years geared exclusively to her 
particular disabilities. She did live in the community and was still 
attached to the school district, but was bused daily to this regional 
school.

I also advocated for the placement of a blind student in Perkins (we were in 
New Hampshire at the time), for her last two years of high school because 
the district was falling short of meeting her expanded curriculum needs. 
While she did have to move away from home, she did have a mixed experience 
there. She went to Perkins in the morning and attended the local district 
for some classes in the afternoon.

What I find so sad and pathetic here in Michigan is so many stressed out 
districts basically misappropriating IDEA funds to plug other holes in their 
financials and the state doing the same.

That and the fact that in many locales hereabouts where public education is 
in a free fall and in ruin for all.

I am a strong beleiver in public education and its importance. However, God 
help me, I wouldn't send a child of mine to most public schools here in 
Genesee County even if not disabled. That includes the High School from 
which I graduated more than forty years ago. On the latter we are trying to 
fix what is broken for all kids and that includes those with disabilities.

In that school more than forty years ago I classed with a person 
withcognitive impairments before it was required. He went on to work in the 
community at competitive wages and is living to this day independently, but 
with some modest familial supports.

I am sad to say that we in Michigan are, and have been going backwards over 
the years in our general public education, the education of most blind kids, 
and in so-called "special education" over all.

The drop out rate alone in major cities and counties is alarming both amonst 
non-disabled and disabled students.

Thus again if I had a child in this environment, in the short term I surely 
would move or have her moved to another region of the state or even out of 
state.

People have to do what they have to do for their own while we all work 
together to fix broken systems.

It is a conundrum to be sure.

Peace with Justice,

Joe

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Wurtzel" <f.wurtzel at att.net>
To: "'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2012 8:43 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] integrated vs. segregated settings

> Larry, you prove the point that the dogmatic ideological notion of 1 
> setting
> over another is a false premise.  The quality of the education is the
> important point, not the setting or who is in the seat next to the 
> student.
> The less experience with blindness some people have, seemingly, the more
> they rant about the positive benefits of inclusion and the negative 
> aspects
> of specialized settings.
>
> I'm glad we are on the same team, Larry.
>
> Warmest Regards,
>
> Fred
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On Behalf Of Larry D. Keeler
> Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2012 7:22 PM
> To: NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] integrated vs. segregated settings
>
> Lydia, you sure got it!  I managed to get my daughter into MSD and even
> though its programs were cut as well she blossomed there!  In fact, she
> chose to go to Gallaudet and is working and will move on to Colorado for
> more education.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Lydia Schuck" <laschuck at juno.com>
> To: <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2012 6:54 PM
> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] integrated vs. segregated settings
>
>
>> Hi listfriends,
>> As a parent I want to give my child the best education I can find and
>> afford.  For blind kids the best might mean a segregated setting for
>> all or part of the day.  I like the idea of inclusive education, the
>> "everyone together" movement, if it gives kids the best.  But I have
>> seen what mainstreaming has meant in Michigan.  There is no
>> residential option at all, and the whole continuum of options for
>> blind kids has been watered down as a result.  Excellent programs are
>> available to a very few students.
>> I mention this "everyone together" inclusion model because we may
>> sometime find ourselves struggling to have any special separate
>> services for our kids, and being included may become a higher value
>> than being educated.
>>
>> Lydia
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
>
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