S Austin
Butler, MO 64730

I have two children in the elementary school and have been pleased with each teacher they have had. One child has special needs and the evaluation process was thorough and knowledgeable. I believe the administration and staff are knowledgeable, approachable and considerate. I find it disheartening that often times it is the people with complaints that voice their opinion the loudest. I want to take this opportunity to express my kudos.

Overall, the extra credit opportunities are helpful, but there is a serious issue with the special education program. It’s not truly teaching us anything meaningful, even when it comes to basic life skills. There are no real challenges, no homework, and little effort to help us grow. When it comes time for testing, the only concern seems to be how quickly we can finish, even though some of us struggle with time limits.When we don’t understand certain questions—especially those written in complex English—the teachers rarely take the time to work with us one-on-one to make sure we understand. Then, during IEP meetings, they often give a false impression of our progress, making it seem like things are going well when they aren’t.On top of that, we’re judged by other teachers on whether we can live independently, and they often report only the things we’re struggling with to our parents. It feels unfair and discouraging.What’s even more frustrating is that sometimes the answers to the state test are just handed out, even though we were supposed to be learning and preparing for it all along. Also, the special education teachers keep changing throughout the year, making it even harder to build consistency or trust.If the goal is truly to help us learn and grow, then why aren’t they focusing on our weaknesses and helping us improve, rather than just repeating what we already know?