Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional new thread, 504 questions

Can a teacher penalize a student for a "504" absence (i.e. deduct participation points? Would it have to be explicitly stated on the plan?

Can teacher deduct participation points for behavioral issues (e.g. excessive talking)?

I guess the nasty art teacher has decided to target my son. After I went in and spoke with him two weeks ago regarding a plan for missing assignments--he has A) given him 24/300 on a major project and B) 1/50 for a daily work assignment.

Both of these were quite late, but he told me he would accept them when we spoke. I guess he didn't think it was necessary to mention there was no point in completing them.

Also: last week, the art teacher sent me a really ugly email about my son's excessive talking. I just checked the gradebook and he gave him 0/40 points for participation last week because of talking on Wednesday, despite email stating he was on task with his project. The teacher was only there one day last week--he had a sub Monday and Wednesday.

So my kid, who is in danger of failing the art class, whose mother has been communicative about the issues he's having--including that we can't get in to psych until May 8 and child is likely having medication issues--is being given NO participation points for last week, despite reported participation.

This is the same teacher who yelled at my child in front of his classmates about "all of the zeros in the gradebook" and told him if he fails, he'll be removed from the program. In front of the other children. I hate people, sometimes.

I've called the principal.

To protect your DS, you should explicitly add language to the 504 to exempt him from certain levels of misbehavior, late assignments, etc. I have found that the kids with issues tend to get in the most trouble when there is a substitute. The regular teacher, in an effort to promote better behavior with substitutes will often mete out consequences based on the substitute's report.

Otherwise, everything that you have mentioned are normal consequences in our middle school. Participation points are routinely deducted for misbehavior. For instance, one of my 6th graders lost 5 percentage points for talking during one single P.E. class such that if he is caught talking during nine P.E. classes, his grade for the quarter would be 55% and thus failing. It is also not uncommon for a teacher to grant a zero for late assignments, especially if they are more than a day or two late; furthermore, the students would still be required to turn in the assignment or risk failing altogether.

It is particularly unpleasant and difficult to navigate when a teacher has taken a dislike to your child or at least your child's behavior. You really have no choice but to bring in the 504 team to avoid a disaster.

I agree you should talk with the principal. It does sound like this teacher does not like your son.

What do you mean about a 504 absence? An absence for a meeting or to be pulled by the school. With a 504 accommodations have to be explicit. And yes a teacher can deduct participation points for behavioral issues BUT they shouldn't deduct ALL the points.

One piece of advice.. Take a deep breath. While it's much better if your son doesn't fail Art. This is 6th grade. What happens if he fails art? In the long run. Will it keep him from being in this program next year? The grade he gets in Art for 6th grade doesn't really matter at all unless it affects his enrollment in honors math or science or English.

Does he HAVE to take art with this teacher? How much longer for this school year. Will he have to take a class with this teacher next year?

504 absence meaning an absence related to his disabling condition. We tell the attendance secretary it is 504 and he gets two extra days to turn in work instead of one.

Yes, there is a possibility he will not be able to return to this program if he fails art. Actually if he does not earn a C. That's the policy--I don't know how seriously they adhere to it.

I am breathing. It is really disturbing to think about my child trapped in a hostile environment.

School is out soon, May 20. This teacher is retiring.

Then this teacher should be accepting the late work and not marking it down. Sounds like you need to get a 504 meeting together with this teacher. My son has an even more vague writing in his 504 that he is allowed to turn in certain types of assignment late if he's had a anxiety attack over it.

What I don't understand is why the accommodation is to tell the attendance teacher. In my school all students get the amount of days they were absent to turn in missing work. as long as it's an excused absence. But since this is special case I would expect you should contact the teacher as well. Does the attendance person actually pass on this information to the teacher or just check it off in a book? And yes in 6th grade YOU should email the teacher, not expect the student to tell them.

Then you need to talk with the principal ASAP.

The sub didn't leave poor report. No points were deducted on the days sub was in room. The regular teacher deducted them, because my son was talking to his student worker.



Those may be "normal" consequences but they are absurd and not child/education centered. Behavioral issues should have behavioral consequences and academic issues should have academic consequences.


Yeah, this is a first for us.

I had noticed in the gradebook that the teacher also deducted participation points for a day my son was absent--and it's coded 504. So that question wasn't actually related to the late work.

Principal already called back! He asked me to forward the corroborating emails to him and APOLOGIZED! Said he hopes we can get everything straightened out and that next year will be better.

I think there are some good things in the current 504 but it needs some serious tweaking. You just never think that people will do the wrong/unsupportive/cruel thing. Or at least I don't...

That is excellent.

I hope this gives you some breathing room, in which you will get the results from the neuropsych, digest them, and decide what they mean for school.

There are various ways of writing goals and accommodations that help ensure clarity and protect your DS. Feel free to PM when you are at that stage.

SO GLAD this teacher is retiring. Whew.

Kudos to you for following through.

DeeDee

If he ends up getting kicked out of the program due to behaviors related to a disability, that is discrimination and you could make a major stink about it. I think it's ludicrous that needing to get a C or above in everything is even a requirement to stay there. That puts a lot of pressure on kids/parents.