St. Lucie teacher has students vote on whether 5-year-old ca

By Colleen Wixon (Contact)
Originally published 01:50 p.m., May 23, 2008
Updated 04:30 p.m., May 23, 2008


PORT ST. LUCIE — Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class.
After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.

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.

Aaron wrote:This woman has NO business teaching.

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."

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.

Aaron wrote:

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.

She should have said then that she didn't want him in class Sam as is her right. That was the time and place to take action, not in a classroom in front of other students.

Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Aspberger's, a type of high-functioning autism.

In Asperger's Disorder, affected individuals are characterized by social isolation and eccentric behavior in childhood. There are impairments in two-sided social interaction and non-verbal communication. Though grammatical, their speech may sound peculiar due to abnormalities of inflection and a repetitive pattern. Clumsiness may be prominent both in their articulation and gross motor behavior. They usually have a circumscribed area of interest which usually leaves no space for more age appropriate, common interests. http://www.aspergers.com/aspclin.htm

Aaron wrote:Even so Sam, she had no business letting 6 year olds vote a kid out of class. It's a school, not a Survival tribunal. No matter how you slice it, she was wrong in doing that.

His teacher, Wendy Portillo, has attended these meetings, she said.

Stephanie wrote:For crying out loud, Sam! Sometimes I'm absolutely convinced your brain just isn't wired properly!

Stephanie wrote:The boy is screaming NOW …..

Stephanie wrote:…… he doesn't want to go to school. Why? Because he was humiliated, rejected, and tormented by his TEACHER!

Aaron wrote:So you think the only way for a teacher to get something done because of adminstrative issues in the school system is for a teacher to humilate a kid.

Aaron wrote:I think I'll stand by my first statement.

Stephanie wrote:



He is very shy, introverted. He was a behavior problem when he was younger because he would shut down and literally hide when ....

SamCogar wrote:

Aaron wrote:So you think the only way for a teacher to get something done because of adminstrative issues in the school system is for a teacher to humilate a kid.

Well, she can't spank his ass, can she.

Aaron wrote:I think I'll stand by my first statement.

And you don't really give a damn about the other 16 students in that Class, ... RIGHT?

Screw them, ..... they can all attend Summer School and do "make-up work" so they will be prepared to enter the next Grade leveL, ........ RIGHT?

Or maybe all 16 of them will be "lucky" and move to WV this summer .... and they will all be ready and adequately prepared for entering their next Gade level.

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NEW ALBANY, Ind. — A teachers union has filed a grievance on behalf of a kindergarten teacher who was suspended after a student's parents produced a recording they say shows she verbally abused their son.

The recording was made when 5-year-old Gabe Ross carried a digital recorder in his pocket to S. Ellen Jones Elementary School in New Albany so his parents could hear how the teachers he complained about were treating him.

In the recording, which was provided to The Tribune of New Albany, two women can be heard. One of the women tells the boy he is being "pathetic."

When another student comes to find out what's wrong, she tells the class about Ross' behavior problems. "If you want to act like him, then go ahead and be his friend," a voice on the recording says.

Ross' stepfather, J.R. Edwards, said he was concerned about the "psychological impact" on the boy.

"If he's not OK, I want her held accountable for it," Edwards said.

The Indiana Teachers Association, which has represented Kristen Woodward, filed the grievance last week to argue that she was unfairly disciplined by administrators in the district just north of Louisville, Ky.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,359341,00.html

Aaron wrote:

When they are, I'm quite sure there are ways to get those kids out of the class and into a special education class other then voting them out.

This pathetic woman has spent too many nights watching Survivor and should be fired.

SamCogar wrote:OK, let's flip the coin and whatch got to say.

NEW ALBANY, Ind. — A teachers union has filed a grievance on behalf of a kindergarten teacher who was suspended after a student's parents produced a recording they say shows she verbally abused their son.

The recording was made when 5-year-old Gabe Ross carried a digital recorder in his pocket to S. Ellen Jones Elementary School in New Albany so his parents could hear how the teachers he complained about were treating him.

In the recording, which was provided to The Tribune of New Albany, two women can be heard. One of the women tells the boy he is being "pathetic."

When another student comes to find out what's wrong, she tells the class about Ross' behavior problems. "If you want to act like him, then go ahead and be his friend," a voice on the recording says.

Ross' stepfather, J.R. Edwards, said he was concerned about the "psychological impact" on the boy.

"If he's not OK, I want her held accountable for it," Edwards said.

The Indiana Teachers Association, which has represented Kristen Woodward, filed the grievance last week to argue that she was unfairly disciplined by administrators in the district just north of Louisville, Ky.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,359341,00.html

Carol Mooney, a spokeswoman for the association, said administrators violated a part of the contract that requires teachers to be treated "with respect and human dignity" by imposing a suspension. I'm wondering why the association doesn't believe 5 y/o children aren't required to be treated with human dignity?



"It's very unfortunate that all of this has come out so one sided that this public employee doesn't feel she can talk pending the outcome of her employment status," Mooney said.



Woodward could not be located for comment as there is no telephone listing in her name in the New Albany area.

SamCogar wrote:

Aaron wrote:

When they are, I'm quite sure there are ways to get those kids out of the class and into a special education class other then voting them out.

This pathetic woman has spent too many nights watching Survivor and should be fired.

All right Aaron, lets flip the coin on the autistic brat case.

Lets suppose there is a Classroom with one (1) normal, healthy, well mannered 5 year old who is wanting to learn ....... and 16 autistic brats that are ranting n' raving, ....... and berating and beating up on the one (1) normal, healthy kid so much he cries and refuses to go to school.

Aaron, will the same senario play out ....... with national news coverage and all of you demanding the Teacher be fired and those 16 kids be reprimanded for their actions?

I ...... DON'T ......... THINK ........ SO.

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