I am a teacher (12 years). I am a from a family that has been in education since my Great-Grandfather became a teacher many moons ago.
AlabamaMike the principal is correct in everything he said. The money is there in a sense, but not always available or used (by the student...I had a legally blind student who has lots of expensive equipment provided to him but does not use it for example). IEPs are a constant in my line of work and if not followed, the threat of a lawsuit is soon to follow.
There are, in my opinion, two major problems with IEPs.
1. They all say the same thing and are written from a cookie-cutter template. Almost all of them give the student extended time for assignments and tests. Preferential seating. Guided notes. My point is that there is no INDIVIDUAL in the IEP.
2. Too many parents keep searching for the right doctor who will give them the right diagnosis so that they can get their child an IEP. And if they can't get an IEP, they go for an 504 to get the same things.
So the debate over inclusion boils down to this one basic premise. Should Little Johnny, who has ADHD, be able to attend class with his peers? The simple answer is yes. BUT what happens on the days the he does not have his medication and he is bouncing off the walls. Should his right to attend class with his peers outweigh the rights of the other students? This is a very slippery slope and though many of you have simple solutions already forming in your mind, I assure you that none of them will work. In this case, and I must state that this is a very common occurrence, noone is happy and everyone points toward the teacher.
So that we are clear. In my four years of college that were to prepare me for teaching, I had ONE class on teaching special education kids. I had exactly zero training on IEPs, 504s, or RTI while in college, but when I was thrown into the classroom mid-year, I was expected to know and follow all the federal, state, and local laws/regulations pertaining to these.
I advocate for my students. Most of my students are from single-parent, broken homes where poverty is common. I do my best for all and it hurts to have a student who can't keep up in the classroom. I go the extra mile for these kids and my promise to every student I teach is that, "You will never fail my class as long as you give me your best." I try to maintain contact with the parent(s), and always encourage the students who need it.
I do not remember who said that education should also advocate for the B/C type student as well.
If the communist countries got any thing right, it was their educational system. High school in the USSR was either Professional or Technical. America has too long placed an emphasis on going to college and getting a 4 year degree is the only the way to be successful.