Thread by @seanphughes99

Thread 1/12 Here's a short video (sound on) that my wife & I made teaching our special needs son some of the things that he would be learning if in person learning were available for special day classes in r public middle school. #COVID19 #specialneeds #schoolsreopening

2/12 We made this video yesterday, because I was off from work and therefore able to help with the lesson. As you can see from the video, teaching Aidan takes more than one person. Most days I can't help. And so this doesn't happen. #SpecialEducation

3/12 When schools are open, he in in a classroom that has a teacher and many aids that help him and the other students. He also has special seats and chairs and desks that make this easier. At home, he has some 10-30 minute video sessions with a teacher. That's all.

4/12 Some time ago, we, as a society, we decided we weren't just going to lock away our differently abled children to be forgotten. We decided we would include them & teach them in things that would help them lead a more meaningful, rich life; a life less of a burden on society.

5/12 In doing so, we learned that these children were quite a bit more capable then we thought. That they could learn. And that they just needed to be given a chance to learn in their own way. And so now we have children with disabilities that would previously have put them in

6/12 institutions, where their brains and thoughts would never develop and their lives would atrophy out of site, living rich and meaningful lives today. This is all possible because we've decided to create a different pathway into the world because of their different needs.

7/12 Today, in many schools, that pathway has been shut off due to #covid19. And while there is ample opportunity and willingness from parents and teachers to open up in an extreme limited form, many schools have decided to not to.

8/12 I have written, at length, on the dangers of #covid19 and the logistical challenges of opening up schools. By now though, there should have been a reasonable expectation to open up most or all schools for in person instruction for the most at risk special needs children.

9/12 We, in many instances, my school district of Sweetwater Unified High School in San Diego County included, have decided not to. They've also decided to keep the resources and funding they've received to meet the needs of our children.

10/12 As a result, my children, like my son are not receiving any sufficient education or services they are guaranteed, by law, to receive from their IEP. They are regressing. They are closing off from the world. And they are being unfairly impacted.

11/12 My ask is that schools either open to in person learning for special day classes or release funds to parents to help us solve this problem in the home. To pretend they are meeting their obligations is dishonest.

12/12 There’s ways to do this. You just have to criss the bridge in understanding that what’s happening now...is insufficient.