Everyone Deserves to Be Treated with Respect - Sara Farmer

I am a single mom with four children. The thing I love about my community is that the schools have a lot of fun and educational family engagement. My children have been lucky to have good teachers.  

The biggest struggle for my family is that I have children with an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). My oldest son has really struggled, and we do not feel he has not gotten the help that he needs and deserves to excel in school. I realize that teachers are overloaded, and schools are short staffed, but support from the school has been a disappointment. My child no longer wants to go to school, and this breaks my heart. With the right support and accommodation, I believe he can be successful. Every child learns differently and should be treated with respect.  

I believe that teachers and administrative staff need to have a better understanding of children with learning disabilities and how that may affect their behavior at school. I feel like some behavior issues are really kids being overwhelmed and not understanding what is being taught. I also believe that every parent should have a child care expert with them during IEP meetings. Children have IEPs for a reason, and they should be followed and adjusted to fit that child’s needs. There needs to be more of a support system in place for parents and their children.