Professor Mom.

In the back of my mind I probably knew it would come to this, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Faced with some pretty grim options, my husband and I decided that I will, at least temporarily, homeschool our three sons.

I’m not one of those parents that feels supremely confident in my teaching ability – I’ve always wanted to teach but never earned a degree in education. There are systems in place that make it easier now, especially on the web. And while I’m trying to stay positive and see the benefits, I can’t help feeling resentful. This is the year 2009 and the state of Florida, along with many others, is still in the dark ages when it comes to autism education.

My husband likes to tease me about my constant threats to “write a letter.” If we get poor service at a restaurant, I’ll write a letter! If a contractor rips us off, I’ll write a letter! If a school system is so bad that I can’t find one within a 15-mile radius that all my children can attend, I’ll write a letter! Maybe this time I will write that letter. I’ll address it to our newly-elected President, Governor Charlie Crist, the state department of education, Senators Mel Martinez (R) and Bill Nelson (D) and officials from Orange County Public Schools. I have a few questions I’d like to ask them.

1. Do you realize that public schools in Florida discriminate against children with autism?

Our local middle school told me frankly that they could not support Robert and that he would be sent to a nearby public school with an “autism program”. So I have a new test when evaluating “autism programs”. Would Sasha and Malia Obama be sent to a classroom in this kind of condition? With these kind of teachers and this kind of staff? Would Senator Bill Nelson have placed his (now adult) children there? Or Senator Mel Martinez? (The answer for Senator Martinez is obviously “no”, his children attended or are preparing to attend a local Catholic high school where tuition for ‘active parishioners’ is a relative bargain at $8,700 per year.) Would my friends and family with typically-developing children send their kids there? I can tell you the answer in all these cases is a resounding HELL NO.

And if it’s not good enough for any of those kids, then it’s not good enough for my child with autism, either.

2. Do you realize that private schools in Florida also discriminate against children with autism?

We did extensive research into private school options for our kids. Not only are the majority of these programs prohibitively expensive for families like ours with three kids, but no private school that was not strictly an “autism” school could support my son, Robert. That includes so-called religious schools of every denomination. Apparently none currently has a ministry for the most vulnerable among us.

3. Isn’t ‘School Choice’ inherently discriminatory?

Theoretically, school choice allows families to move their children out of “under-performing” schools and into “better ones”. “Better ones” usually means schools that have higher test scores on the FCAT. What often goes unsaid is that schools with high FCAT scores are very likely teaching nothing else. Not only that, but teachers in these schools are under such constant pressure to produce students with strong FCAT scores that they oppose inclusion of any stripe for children with special needs. They have no time or frankly, incentive, to teach any child with a difference. It also means these “good schools” are quickly filled to the brim by kids coming from “bad schools.” And if the kids in the “bad schools” have no one to advocate for them, they’re stuck and they receive an inferior education. Is that okay?

As a side note, we have family members who are in a “lottery system” (I am not making this up) that will determine whether their child will be able to leave his poorly-performing school. I guess education in Florida is all about the luck of the draw.

4. Do you honestly believe Charter Schools effectively address these issues?

I suppose my answer to this one is obvious, so I won’t belabor the point too much. While some charter schools look great on paper, they are still inherently discriminatory. Charter schools get to make their own rules, making it impossible to evaluate each one by a standard. I found a charter school that boasted inclusion of students with special needs. Even though the school is roughly 15 miles from my house, I was hopeful that all our kids could attend. But even this school couldn’t support my son Robert. 

You may be thinking that my son needs too much support to be in a mainstreamed environment. Four years ago I might have agreed with you. But for the last three years I watched him flourish in a fully-supported and fully-inclusive mainstream environment. He was treated the way any Senator or Governor or President or parent would want to see their child treated at school – with respect, firmness when it was warranted and kindness. So from now on, I expect nothing less.

Peace.