State education director needs to visit classroom

I challenge Jason Glass, director of the Iowa Department of Education, to walk into a classroom of 30 students. Four of them have challenging behaviors - two of them are constantly talking across the room, one is constantly moving around the room and another tells you loudly that he absolutely refuses to do any work.

You spend a good portion of your day trying different approaches to modify their behavior, but these behaviors continue.

One of them is on medications, but her parents sometimes don't give them to her. The parents of another student refuse to allow their child to be evaluated by a social worker or psychologist so there is nothing that can be done. A third student is being evaluated but it takes three months before any recommendation can be implemented, such as assigning the student to a behavior-focused room for part of the day or assigning an aide to work with the student. The fourth student is African-American. Iowa is in trouble with the federal government because minority groups form too high of a percentage of Iowa's kids who have been diagnosed with behavior disorders. The teacher realizes that if he refers this student to anyone who could help her he might be causing more problems for the state.

Four students out of 30 who desperately need help but aren't getting it. Four students who constantly are disrupting the class and keeping the other 26 from learning. That's your challenge, Mr. Glass. Please let me know how you do.

Gary Sanders

Substitute teacher

Iowa City