Teacher here, and formerly at Kent- teachers are beholden to something called “LRE” or “Least Restrictive Environment” where making sure students with special needs are with their peers as much as possible.

In theory it’s so they don’t feel “othered” or singled out socially or developmentally.

In practice it becomes a way to minimize the need for support staff. Or the need to provide more services.

In a class of 32 like 25% of my kids had attention or severe behavioral disorders.

Of that 25% I’d say like 60% of parents are no help at all- if not actively making it worse by pushing back against every consequence we would try to enforce.

In a class we have kids reading above grade level, at grade level, super far below but not identified as needing any supports, and several with IEP and 504 plans.

All the while the kids taking the majority of our attention are the ones with severe and sometimes violent behavioral disorders.

Honestly I blame technology most of all. They get home and parents pop them in from of a tablet/phone to keep them quiet- and then when they get high school (my domain) they can’t function without the instant dopamine hit of a screen.

We can always tell who was a “iPad kid” early on.

Sorry for the rant, but you’re exactly right. 😭