In our society, for the most part, teachers are ridiculously undervalued. They often spend more time with children than their parents do. They manage emotions, behaviors, and the education of multiple children all at once. It’s the type of work whose importance we cannot measure, and most do it all quite impressively.
This fact is why it’s so hurtful when a teacher gets it wrong. One mother is sharing an experience in which her child apparently was mistreated by the adults who were supposed to care. She’s hoping that her speaking out will prevent other children from suffering in the same way.
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Disiree Peterson said her daughter's feet were purple and cold.
Disiree Peterson, of Marysville, Washington, said her 7-year-old daughter’s teacher sent her home without socks or shoes on her feet, just as Marysville was experiencing the first rainstorm of the season. “I looked at her feet and her feet were muddy, wet and so cold they were purple,” she told KIRO 7.
Peterson’s daughter, who is in a special needs classroom at Grove Elementary School, is nonverbal and autistic.
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Peterson's daughter had a behavioral episode in class.
She acknowledges that her daughter requires special attention, but now, she is worried for her safety, KIRO 7 reported. In response to Peterson’s concerns, her daughter’s teacher has been removed from the classroom, but the incident has left a mark on the 7-year-old. Peterson says her daughter still complains about it.
The incident began with a behavioral episode involving the girl. The teacher sent Peterson photos illustrating just how disruptive the student had been to the classroom. When the mom called, though, she didn’t receive a response.
Peterson blames the bus driver as well.
Later, Peterson received an email stating that the school sent her daughter home with no socks or shoes. “And she was screaming and crying when she got home that her feet hurt,” she said.
For Peterson, the issue goes beyond just the teacher: She believes the bus driver bears some responsibility as well, the news outlet reported. The driver put the girl in a safety harness to restrain her hands but left her barefoot. To add insult to injury, Peterson says the school is aware she could have been the one to take her daughter home that day.
“The school knows she needs one-on-one and she’s in an enclosed classroom due to autism,” Peterson explained. “There’s three people that can be there in fifteen minutes. And even emailing the teacher, I emailed the teacher to tell her I am on my way to get her – and there was no response.”
Peterson hopes to be a voice for other special needs children at Grove.
Although Peterson is glad that the teacher is no longer the classroom, her concern now is for the other children who may also be mistreated. She said her other daughter, who is also autistic, has shared her own experiences, claiming that her teacher doesn’t like her and is mean to her and her friends, KIRO 7 reported.
“So, if this is happening to my children, there’s other kids in the classroom are non-verbal and can’t speak up,” she said. Peterson hopes she can be that voice for them.
