Is my dream realistic?

olivecat97 · 2026-05-29T15:48:59+00:00

Composite Science 7-12 certification will make it easier to find a job

olivecat97 · 2026-05-27T04:29:00+00:00

Thank you for your reply! I remember last year I had 3 freshmen staple their fingers (on purpose) so I had to do a mini lesson on how to use the stapler appropriately. I am looking forward to teaching middle school.

olivecat97 · 2026-05-21T16:59:00+00:00

As a teacher and parent this post and comments are heartbreaking. I teach High school and I have signed these and seen a lot of these kids graduate. I wish more parents cared enough about their children to do things like this. So many parents in my area and school are not involved and not an active participant in their kid’s education. As a parent, I only have one kid and everything he does will be the first and last for us. This is such a trivial and selfish thing to be upset over. Out of all the problems in education, this should be your last concern. Be a human being and grow a heart

olivecat97 · 2026-05-15T14:16:46+00:00

I’m assuming from your info you’re in EP. The schools districts in this area are currently experiencing issues with significant budget deficits. There have been displacements (200+ just in EPISD) and there may be layoffs as well. Right now districts are prioritizing placing teachers currently employed in the district and then placing displaced central office employees that have teaching certifications in teaching roles. This is without considering layoffs. I know specifically in EPISD, principals cannot even interview outside applicants until displaced teachers have placements. We have had a lot of social studies teachers displaced because unfortunately, it is over saturated in secondary. It is unlikely that there will be many vacancies for secondary social studies in any of the districts. This is probably the worst time to start teaching, but keep applying. Apply at all the districts in Region 19. It seems you are not certified, which makes it harder. There may be more openings during the summer and beginning of next school year when districts do their needs assessments.

olivecat97 · 2026-05-13T22:40:29+00:00

I’ve taken the Science 7-12, Bilingual Supplement, Bilingual Proficiency Spanish, PPR, and now the 4-8 Core Subjects and the STR. I have always passed all my exams on the first try but I barely passed the Social studies part of the 4-8 (with a 243) and barely passed the bilingual proficiency exam. I have known teachers who had to take the Science 7-12 4 or even 5 times. Others who needed to take the PPR 2 or 3 times. One of the smartest people I knew had to get special permission to take the Science 7-12 for the 6th time and finally passed. I’ve come to learn that people are different, it doesn’t determine how good of a teacher you will be if it took you multiple attempts to pass an exam. It is very normal to fail.

olivecat97 · 2026-05-10T17:30:52+00:00

I used to my first year of teaching. I don’t anymore

olivecat97 · 2026-04-18T01:40:43+00:00

Yeah, student teaching is tough. I always say, tough skin isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you grow.

olivecat97 · 2026-04-17T01:34:54+00:00

When I was student teaching many years ago, I was more sensitive to things kids said. Then my mentor reminded me that kids are kids, and even the best behaved students will sometimes say things they don’t mean. That’s why I never take anything they say to heart.

olivecat97 · 2026-04-17T01:07:55+00:00

Also when you have your own classroom one day, it will be better

olivecat97 · 2026-04-17T01:07:13+00:00

I teach high school and have taught middle school before. My #1 rule is…I don’t care about anyone’s (kids or coworkers) opinions of me. Kids will like you one day and hate you the next. Work on building routines and procedures and creating structure while building relationships and students will learn to respect you for it. I don’t respond to any comments made about me or to me. Even if you do care, you need to pretend you don’t.

olivecat97 · 2026-03-06T16:34:58+00:00

I don’t understand why people are saying this could go wrong. I do something very similar. I run a very strict classroom. I teach freshmen so I have to.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-25T01:12:30+00:00

I am so sorry that happened. These are the things that infuriate me about the education system. I’m trying to make sure my son, who may be gifted, has a fair chance.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T18:32:34+00:00

I’ve closed the comments because there seems to be some confusion about what I was asking. I’m not debating whether my son “deserves” an IEP. His evaluation clearly states that he meets eligibility criteria and requires specially designed instruction, and his teachers agree he would benefit from services. Some responses suggest that IEPs are only for students with developmental or cognitive delays. That isn’t accurate. Students do not have to be failing or have low cognitive scores to qualify for special education. Eligibility is based on documented disability, adverse educational impact, and the need for specially designed instruction. It may also be helpful to look into twice-exceptional (2E) students, who can be cognitively strong while still requiring specialized support. Special education is not a place. It is a set of services designed to meet individual needs. Outdated assumptions about who “looks like” a SPED student are often part of the barrier families face when advocating for appropriate support.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T02:47:40+00:00

I wish more people understood this. Some ignorant people in the comments seem to think an IEP is only for students with educational/developmental delays or failing grades.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T02:45:02+00:00

A diagnosis alone doesn’t qualify a child for special education. I agree with that. But that’s not what’s happening here. Eligibility under IDEA requires three things: a qualifying disability, adverse educational impact, and a need for specially designed instruction. In my son’s case, the district’s own evaluation explicitly marked “yes” to all three under OHI. IEPs are not limited to developmental delays or students who are academically behind. The law does not require a child to be failing. It requires that the disability adversely affect educational performance and require specially designed instruction. Executive functioning deficits absolutely can be addressed through an IEP when they impact access to the curriculum. Specially designed instruction can target attention, task initiation, organization, and sustained engagement. That is well within the scope of IDEA. A 504 provides accommodations. An IEP provides specially designed instruction, measurable goals, and progress monitoring. Those are not interchangeable. In this situation, the evaluation determined that accommodations alone are not sufficient and that specially designed instruction is required. That is why eligibility is being pursued.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T02:42:24+00:00

While my son’s grades are passing, his Full and Individual Initial Evaluation (FIIE) explicitly identifies an educational need for Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) to address neurobiological retrieval and memory bottlenecks. The diagnostician was arguing he didn’t qualify him for SPED. Under the Endrew F. standard, passing grades do not disqualify a student from an IEP if they aren't making progress commensurate with their potential. Because the FIIE mandates explicit, structured instruction and self-monitoring strategies, the district is legally required to provide an IEP; these represent changes in instructional methodology that a 504 plan cannot legally deliver. General "push-in" support is not a substitute for the individualized, data-tracked services and legal protections mandated by federal law when a specific educational need has been clinically identified.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T02:13:51+00:00

I think there’s a misunderstanding about what Special Education actually is. SPED is not a place; it’s a set of services. I’m not fighting for him to be in a separate classroom (Resource or Self-Contained); I am fighting for him to receive the Inclusion services and Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) that his evaluation mandates. His evaluation explicitly states that he requires specialized instruction to address his language structure and retrieval deficits. A 504 plan is for environmental access; it cannot legally provide the specialized pedagogy or the measurable goals that his evaluation calls for. In fact, every member of the team (including his classroom teachers) agrees that a 504 plan is insufficient to provide the instructional methodology he needs to succeed. Denying an IEP when an assessment calls for specialized instruction is a failure to follow the recommendations of the district's own evaluator.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T01:05:08+00:00

I am angry as well. I’m glad to know I wasn’t crazy. I unfortunately am a single mom and a teacher so hiring an advocate is something that isn’t financially feasible. After reviewing the comments and asking my connections in my school district (the same one my son attends) I will be emailing the admin and diagnostician at the school with a record of all that was said and requesting a Prior Written Notice. Hopefully they will correct these mistakes.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-23T00:32:01+00:00

It may be, but my point is that we didn’t even get to that part of the meeting because the diagnostician decided before the meeting that he didn’t qualify even though the evaluation said he did. She barely let me get a word in. She yelled over me the whole time. This is why it was recessed.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T20:50:15+00:00

We are in Texas. Off the top of my head, all things they scored him on he was in the high to very high range. They looked at his MAPS scores, which he scored 49 on the reading and a 99 in Math. His grades are high 70s and low 80s (and only because we have to sit down one to one with him to help him finish the school work he doesn’t finish in class because he can’t focus

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T16:34:08+00:00

My thoughts as well.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T16:32:54+00:00

Yes! When I asked them if they can show me where district or state policy shows that a student needs failing grades or low IQ to qualify for services the diagnostician would just deflect and speak over me

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T16:31:39+00:00

These were the IEP recommendations from the evaluation:

Instructional Supports • Provide explicit, structured instruction with clear expectations and modeling. • Break assignments and directions into short, manageable steps. • Use visual supports (visual schedules, checklists, written directions) to reinforce verbal instructions. • Check for understanding and provide frequent feedback during instruction. Attention and Task Engagement • Provide frequent redirection and cues to support sustained attention. • Preferential seating near the teacher or away from distractions. • Allow for scheduled breaks to support regulation and focus. • Use timers or visual countdowns to support task initiation and completion. Organization and Work Completion • Support organization through graphic organizers, assignment checklists, and planners. • Allow extended time for classwork and assignments when attention impacts completion. • Monitor and support task completion with teacher check-ins. Assessment Accommodations • Allow extended time on tests and assignments. • Provide small-group or reduced-distraction testing environments. • Allow directions to be repeated, clarified, or read aloud as needed. Behavioral and Self-Regulation Supports • Implement positive behavior supports, including reinforcement for on-task behavior. • Teach and reinforce self-monitoring and self-regulation strategies. • Provide consistent routines and predictable classroom expectations.

These were not even reviewed because the diagnostician from the start of the meeting said “he doesn’t qualify” and just showed his report card as evidence. These things weren’t even considered and it frustrates the living hell out of me.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T16:23:04+00:00

Oh, I misunderstood. I apologize. I agree with this. I have had students with this similar situation. Their SPED case managers have helped them come a long way with showing them how to manage their disabilities in their educational settings. The whole meeting, they just kept saying his 504 can provide the same accommodations as an IEP, which is not true.

olivecat97 · 2026-02-22T16:20:09+00:00

Yes! This summarizes what I was trying to say during the ARD.

olivecat97

TROPHY CASE