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SELF-ESTEEM - Kids that feel bad about themselves and abilities most likely hate school too.  A lot of kids that are deemed “special ed” are discouraged that they are not achieving at the level they want to.

When a crisis flares up, many school districts turn to overpriced public relations consultants to spin the school system’s point of view to the public.  Some school systems follow the Lexington Public Schools model by hiring an independent consultant that works for lots of different schools every time there is an embarrassing situation.  In Lexington, they pay their public relations consultant an initial retainer charge of $5,000 for 20 hours of work.  Then starting with the 21^st hour of work, Lexington pays the consultant $300 per hour. 

Lexington Public Schools in the past hired a public relations consultant at the above pay rate several years ago when some parents complained about the school system using and promoting a book on same sex families.  Last fall she was hired to speak to the public about a calming time-out room that was written about in a newspaper. Now they are back at it again hiring the same consultant to defend the school system’s handling of a controversial athletic director who was placed on unpaid leave.  Again the $177,000+ salaried Superintendent and the $150,000 Assistant Superintendents are “too busy” to include communicating with the public as a part of their job description.  Tune in tomorrow for entirely different way these money-wasting public relations leeches are bleeding the school systems dry of your children’s tax dollars.

If your student chooses to not dissect an animal and is given a hard time, explain to the teacher that you know the state policy.  For example in Massachusetts the 2005 State Board of Education Policy gives anyone the right to refuse to cut up animals.  In fact Massachusetts residents can mention the following policy: 

"All public schools that offer dissection as a learning activity should, upon written request by a student’s parent or guardian, permit a student who chooses not to participate in dissection to demonstrate competency through an alternative method." [2005 MA State Board of Education Policy]

 

Look up the policy where you live and have it ready to go to avoid being intimidated.

Tourette's syndrome is commonly misunderstood to be a behavioral or emotional condition.  It really is a neurological condition.

Tourette’s usually involves:

1. Tics: along a range of simple (e.g., rapid eye-blinking, facial grimacing, shoulder-shrugging) to complex (involving several muscle groups, such as hopping, bending, or twisting). 

2. Vocalizations: also along a range of simple (throat-clearing, sniffing, grunting) to complex (involving words or phrases).

Tutoring is not anything to be embarrassed about. Someone taught even our smartest and most creative people.

Every wise person started out by asking many questions. Therefore kids should never be ashamed to ask questions no matter how simple. A good tutor can answer all questions without the sense of embarrassment in front of a large group.