What kind of world do we live in

[whodeyAtown21]

I think a great punishment for this woman would to be to get all of colleagues together (and PTO, administrators, parents of the child, parents of probably most of the children) and have a sit down. There, they can all tell the teacher what they do not like about her. After that, they can take a vote to whether she should be let go or not. Hopefully at that point, her license would be revoked.

[eagles73Taylor]

As an educator, I cannot see this happening, what was she thinking. I teach as a resource special needs teacher. The only excuse I can see is if the administration and district had left her out to dry. Did she use every resource available with no help? I doubt it. I have had my run ins with disruptions, but I cant see leaving it up to 5 year olds if a student stays or not!

[Mouth's Better Half]

I was a teacher's aide for years. You maintain control of a classroom with the help of an aide. I was seated near the targeted student and would help keep him / her stay on task. I also helped with the other students in the class if need be. Trust me there is more disruption in most classes by the "regular" students than the ones I helped with.

[orange-n-brown 365]

oh yeah there were some in his class they had never heard the word no before at home I am sure and they were not special needs children
I am considering getting a shirt for him to wear:
"sorry if I offend you I can't help what I say I am a work in progress"

[2trap_4ever]

We have ordered my autistic a shirt online that says stare if like, i have autism, chances are I am ignoring you anyway. Thats what this school needs to do to this teacher ignore her and let her go, no school wants this type of publicity

[kantuckyII]

When he returned to class, his teacher, Wendy Portillo, made him stand in front of the room while his classmates told him what they didn’t like about him, according to Alex’s mother, Melissa Barton, and the Port St. Lucie Police Department.

Portillo then had the students vote on whether to let Alex stay in class.

With a 14 to 2 margin, Alex was voted out.

Well, I think that the school board needs to stand Ms Portillo up and have everyone tell what they don't like about her...then, vote her out. Just goes to show you, a college degree doesn't make one any smarter than anyone else, she's living proof. She's stupid


Even if Alex isn't fit to be in school because of disruptions or whatever, he should have never been dressed down by anyone, let alone his classmates.

[kantuckyII]

Wow! I didn't realize this was in Florida till I just read they're goin to do a revote because of hanging chads!

[orange-n-brown 365]

Meet Alex Barton


Meet Wendy Portillo

He is so adorable

[orange-n-brown 365]

here the rest of the story the teacher was very well aware of his problem as did the school and IEP was in the works..
By a 14 to 2 margin, the class voted him out of the class.

Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Aspberger's, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex began the testing process in February for an official diagnosis under the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marsha Cully.

Alex has had disciplinary issues because of his disabilities, Barton said. The school and district has met with Barton and her son to create an individual education plan, she said. His teacher, Wendy Portillo, has attended these meetings, she said.

Barton said after the vote, Alex's teacher asked him how he felt.

"He said, 'I feel sad,'" she said.

Alex left the classroom and spent the rest of the day in the nurse's office, she said.

Barton said when she came to pick up her son at the school on Wednesday, he was leaving the nurse's office.

"He was shaken up," she said. Barton said the nurse told her to talk with the child's teacher, who told her what happened.

Alex hasn't been back to school since then, and Barton said he won't be returning. He starts screaming when she brings him with her to drop off his sibling at school.

Thursday night, his mother heard him saying "I'm not special."

Barton said Alex is reliving the incident.

They said he was "disgusting" and "annoying," Barton said.

"He was incredibly upset," Barton said. "The only friend he has ever made in his life was forced to do this."

The child's mother filed a complaint with the school resource officer, who investigated the matter, said Port St. Lucie spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said. Port St. Lucie Police is no longer investigating, but is documenting the complaint, she said.

Steele said the teacher confirmed the incident did occur.

St. Lucie School's spokeswoman Janice Karst said the district is investigating the incident, but could not make any further comment.

Vern Melvin, Department of Children and Families circuit administrator, confirmed the agency is investigating an allegation of abuse at Morningside, but said he could not elaborate.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/may/23/ ... feedback=1

[kantuckyII]

But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed

wow! what the heck would meet their criteria? tossing dog feces at the kid or what?

[Lancer_Fan]

This has been on my mind all day! This REALLY bothers me to no end... How an educated adult could even come up with this is just unimaginable to me! My Nursing student daughter came home from classes to day to tell me they were learning about Autism today and she told her teacher about this...Needless to say the College teacher had a fit! She was ready to drive to Florida and go after this so called educator. My daughter told her to stop and get me on her way.....I would love to have a few words with this poor excuse of a human being. The state of Florida needs to revise some laws if this is not considered abuse. It is MENTAL ABUSE in the worse form. This is so sickening to me...A FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD!! I agree...what kind of world are we living in??

[orange-n-brown 365]

This has been on my mind all day! This REALLY bothers me to no end... How an educated adult could even come up with this is just unimaginable to me! My Nursing student daughter came home from classes to day to tell me they were learning about Autism today and she told her teacher about this...Needless to say the College teacher had a fit! She was ready to drive to Florida and go after this so called educator. My daughter told her to stop and get me on her way.....I would love to have a few words with this poor excuse of a human being. The state of Florida needs to revise some laws if this is not considered abuse. It is MENTAL ABUSE in the worse form. This is so sickening to me...A FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD!! I agree...what kind of world are we living in??

have her stop here also!!!!and pick me and the boy up

[NYBuckeye96]

What the teacher did is wrong and she should be fired for that. I have to agree though that the boy should be in a special needs class. Students with disabilities like that are teased by other kids. If I had a kid who had a disability like that, I would not want him or her in a classroom environment full of kids who were teasing him/her all day long. I remember in elementary school, there was a kid in my class who was mentally challenged and his parents insisted he be in a regular classroom. That boy was teased and tormented to no end!

[Lancer_Fan]

Putting an Autistic/ Aspergers child into a special needs class is not the answer! These children normally have a higher IQ than the average child. They are highly intelligent and need the challenge. They sometimes yell or are disruptive, but ALL children are at times! They like routine....and I mean the SAME thing EVERY day. Touching a wall in the same place, going down stairs the same way, stepping on each step with the same foot everytime, lining toys up in a row.....They are very capable of learning! I can see where some may think they should be placed in a special classroom for the sake of the other children but that just adds to the isolation problem that they deal with also! This is becoming more and more apparent (1 in 150) in more children daily! Perhaps more research is needed...some government dollars for research as to WHY this is becoming more prevelant in todays culture. Hiding the "problem" will not make it go away...nor will hiding these children in special classes!

I am sorry if it sounds like I am on my soapbox but this REALLY bothers me.....

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

THIS HAS BEEN AGGRAVATING ME TODAY AS WELL. I WANTED TO HEAR MORE. THEY SAY 2 WRONGS, DON'T MAKE A RIGHT. ---------- BUT IN THIS CASE, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE AN EXCEPTION. WHATDAYATHINK

[orange-n-brown 365]

Putting an Autistic/ Aspergers child into a special needs class is not the answer! These children normally have a higher IQ than the average child. They are highly intelligent and need the challenge. They sometimes yell or are disruptive, but ALL children are at times! They like routine....and I mean the SAME thing EVERY day. Touching a wall in the same place, going down stairs the same way, stepping on each step with the same foot everytime, lining toys up in a row.....They are very capable of learning! I can see where some may think they should be placed in a special classroom for the sake of the other children but that just adds to the isolation problem that they deal with also! This is becoming more and more apparent (1 in 150) in more children daily! Perhaps more research is needed...some government dollars for research as to WHY this is becoming more prevelant in todays culture. Hiding the "problem" will not make it go away...nor will hiding these children in special classes!

I am sorry if it sounds like I am on my soapbox but this REALLY bothers me.....

I agree lancerfan!
my sons biggest problem is learning how to be with other kids! so putting him in a "special room" is not the answer we are correcting that slowly but surely!
You know I could have said oh well do with him what you want but I have insisted that all my kids and yes I have 3 with different needs be placed in regular classrooms I did not want the resource class to become a crutch.... which could have happened with 2 of them... now one of mine did visit the resource room only as needed.. the 3rd will go for this year to help get him caught back up on a things he had already lost in 2nd grade and I have tried to help get back on track...

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

TOTALLY ONE OF THE CRUDEST THINGS , THAT I'VE EVER HEARD. SERIOUSLY HE SHOULD GET IMMEDIATE FAMILY COUNSELING, HE MAY HURT HIMSELF. I'VE FOSTERED A LOT OF KIDS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

Meet Alex Barton


Meet Wendy Portillo

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ LOOK AT THIS YOUNGUN. PRETEND HE WAS YOUR KID, ANATOMICALLY INCORRECT. YOU'D BE FUMIN. LIKE I AM AT YOU RIGHT NOW.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

[2trap_4ever]

the kid should have been in a special needs class

Actually no he doesn't,,,Most kids with autism spectrum disorder have higher IQ's than normal kids, they just can't express themselves to show it. In fact most of the smartest people who work at NASA have some sort of autism.