Original article posted on Redwood City Patch
Why I Filed a Child Abuse Report Against a Special Ed Aide
By Dorie Johnson, as told to Redwood City Patch Editor Stacie Chan
(Editor’s Note: Dorie Johnson was a former employee of the Redwood City School District until she left of her own accord after she witnessed some disturbing behavior from a special education teacher’s aide. She filed an abuse report with Child Protective Services, and through the district. All employees’ and students’ names have been omitted to protect privacy.
The Redwood City School District was not available for immediate comment, so Patch will be providing updates throughout the story as they become available.
This case is unrelated to the charges against Alexia Bogdis, who allegedly abused special education children.)
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My History with the District
Since the day my daughter began kindergarten in 1995, I have been an active parent at theRedwood City School District. My two other sons, Matthew, and my other son, who was a special ed student, also went through the district.
I never paid attention when my son told me that the special education teachers were mean. I knew they had to discipline the students and be firm at times.
I was a paid employee at the Redwood City School District for 10 years between 1998 and 2007. I worked at Adelante Immersion School doing various tasks, including yard duty and a three-year position as a volunteer coordinator. I took a five-year break to work at a family business, then resumed a position on Feb. 10 of this year as a special education teacher’s assistant with the district.
For the first day I was assigned to Henry Ford School, then two days at Roy Cloud School, and then moved to the Roosevelt Elementary campus on Feb. 15. I wasn’t told much, but happily obliged.
The K-2 classroom of eight to nine autistic children seemed pretty well run and efficient at first glance. But on the very first day of school, there was one aide of five who was constantly yelling. The aide would even yell at another aide to yell at the students if she wanted them to do her bidding. But the aide refused to comply, saying she wouldn’t yell. I felt instant discomfort.
Read the rest of the article on Redwood City Patch.
Photo by smithfischer
