K
Kain99
Guest
OLYMPIA, Washington (AP) -- Special education students were told to pick through recyclables and haul trash without pay as part of a Washington high school's Work Experience Program, and some of their parents are outraged.
"It seems rather demeaning," said John Finders, whose son participated in the program. "The thought of him doing that in front of the normal students just drove me nuts."
Finders said his son, now 18, had been regularly digging through trash for recyclables, stacking cafeteria chairs and performing other janitorial tasks at Vancouver's Heritage High School, often in front of other students.
School officials said many special education students will do janitorial work after high school, so they believe the tasks are appropriate. The Evergreen School District's Work Experience Program is aimed at teaching special education students work skills that would help them get jobs and live independently after school.
Custodial work was part of the program because the district couldn't find enough outside work sites for the students, said Richard Melching, superintendent of the school district in southwest Washington state.
"I don't believe that there's anything wrong with the program, and I don't believe that the staff has done anything that it shouldn't have done," Melching said. "The entire situation wouldn't have arisen if it weren't for the fact that we don't have enough community-based worksites in the Heritage High School attendance area."
The janitorial work experience has been halted this year, although school officials say that wasn't in response to complaints, and the program may resume later.
Melching said the students weren't required to pick through the garbage, but did sort through the recycling bins to separate bottles and cans.
The 23,800-student Evergreen School District has about 100 students in its Work Experience Program. About 25 were doing janitorial tasks at Heritage High last year. Special education students at the district's two other high schools didn't do any janitorial work, officials said.
Other jobs in the program include mailroom sorting and retail work, such as stocking merchandise and folding clothes. Most jobs, including the school janitorial work, are unpaid.
Parental involvement
Finders bristled at the school district's defense.
"They define it as 'life experience.' My son's not going to be going through trash cans when he's out of there," said Finders, a firefighter in Portland, Oregon, just across the Columbia River from Vancouver.
The Washington Protection and Advocacy System, a private, nonprofit legal organization, is investigating to see whether students' rights were violated.
The advocacy group filed a lawsuit in federal court last year to try to force the school district to release the names of parents with children in the special education program, so the group could further investigate Finders' complaints. The school refused, and the case was ultimately dismissed.
The lawsuit includes sworn depositions from Finders and another parent, David C. Upjohn, whose daughter was also enrolled in the special education program at Heritage.
Upjohn said his daughter, who was 16 at the time, was teased by other children and called "Stinky" on days when she had to pick up trash.
In depositions and in interviews with The Associated Press, Evergreen School District officials said the work program was strictly voluntary and parents always gave permission for students to participate.
But Finders said teachers never told him or his wife about the custodial work in numerous parent-teacher conferences. He found out about it only when his son mentioned it in passing last year, he said.
Finders said when he told his son that he wanted the trash collection to stop, his son was upset because teachers had told him the janitors at school needed his help. Since then, his son has worked at an auto-parts store and a clothing store as part of the program.
Deborah Dorfman, a director at the advocacy group, said she has received dozens of responses to an e-mail she sent to a discussion group for parents of disabled children, asking parents who may have similar complaints about Evergreen School District to contact her.
"We are very concerned," Dorfman said. "Vocational skills are important ... so long as the parents are involved ... and it doesn't create a situation where the child will be the subject of ridicule."
"It seems rather demeaning," said John Finders, whose son participated in the program. "The thought of him doing that in front of the normal students just drove me nuts."
Finders said his son, now 18, had been regularly digging through trash for recyclables, stacking cafeteria chairs and performing other janitorial tasks at Vancouver's Heritage High School, often in front of other students.
School officials said many special education students will do janitorial work after high school, so they believe the tasks are appropriate. The Evergreen School District's Work Experience Program is aimed at teaching special education students work skills that would help them get jobs and live independently after school.
Custodial work was part of the program because the district couldn't find enough outside work sites for the students, said Richard Melching, superintendent of the school district in southwest Washington state.
"I don't believe that there's anything wrong with the program, and I don't believe that the staff has done anything that it shouldn't have done," Melching said. "The entire situation wouldn't have arisen if it weren't for the fact that we don't have enough community-based worksites in the Heritage High School attendance area."
The janitorial work experience has been halted this year, although school officials say that wasn't in response to complaints, and the program may resume later.
Melching said the students weren't required to pick through the garbage, but did sort through the recycling bins to separate bottles and cans.
The 23,800-student Evergreen School District has about 100 students in its Work Experience Program. About 25 were doing janitorial tasks at Heritage High last year. Special education students at the district's two other high schools didn't do any janitorial work, officials said.
Other jobs in the program include mailroom sorting and retail work, such as stocking merchandise and folding clothes. Most jobs, including the school janitorial work, are unpaid.
Parental involvement
Finders bristled at the school district's defense.
"They define it as 'life experience.' My son's not going to be going through trash cans when he's out of there," said Finders, a firefighter in Portland, Oregon, just across the Columbia River from Vancouver.
The Washington Protection and Advocacy System, a private, nonprofit legal organization, is investigating to see whether students' rights were violated.
The advocacy group filed a lawsuit in federal court last year to try to force the school district to release the names of parents with children in the special education program, so the group could further investigate Finders' complaints. The school refused, and the case was ultimately dismissed.
The lawsuit includes sworn depositions from Finders and another parent, David C. Upjohn, whose daughter was also enrolled in the special education program at Heritage.
Upjohn said his daughter, who was 16 at the time, was teased by other children and called "Stinky" on days when she had to pick up trash.
In depositions and in interviews with The Associated Press, Evergreen School District officials said the work program was strictly voluntary and parents always gave permission for students to participate.
But Finders said teachers never told him or his wife about the custodial work in numerous parent-teacher conferences. He found out about it only when his son mentioned it in passing last year, he said.
Finders said when he told his son that he wanted the trash collection to stop, his son was upset because teachers had told him the janitors at school needed his help. Since then, his son has worked at an auto-parts store and a clothing store as part of the program.
Deborah Dorfman, a director at the advocacy group, said she has received dozens of responses to an e-mail she sent to a discussion group for parents of disabled children, asking parents who may have similar complaints about Evergreen School District to contact her.
"We are very concerned," Dorfman said. "Vocational skills are important ... so long as the parents are involved ... and it doesn't create a situation where the child will be the subject of ridicule."