https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/inclusive-policy-covid-19-pandemic-learning-1.6011751
Rothesay mom begs for son with autism to be held back a year, but district says no
Tanya White is fighting to have her son kept in Grade 1, and feels the school system is failing him
· CBC News · Posted: May 03, 2021 4:49 PM AT
Tanya White has been struggling to keep her son Nikki in Grade 1 this fall, but was told by the Anglophone South School District, that it's not possible. From left to right: Eldest son Drew, 25, Tanya, Patrick, Luke, 16, Liam,14. Second row: Zachary, nine, Nikki, six, and Teehan,11. (Judith Mattie/Submitted)
A Rothesay woman is fighting to hold her son back a grade level after she was told he would be promoted to Grade 2, despite her arguing he isn't ready.
Tanya White says she's desperate for her six-year-old son Nikki, who has high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and is developmentally delayed, to repeat Grade 1.
"There's lots of evidence of kids graduating without functional literacy levels, and that is my fear," said White, who has six children, four of whom have autism spectrum disorder
In January, 2020 she was told by Nikki's school, which White did not feel comfortable naming, that her son would repeat kindergarten.
There was no curriculum. There couldn't have been, we were all dealing with, 'Daddy's going to die.'
- Tanya White
Then the pandemic hit and her husband Patrick was facing terminal cancer and several medical emergencies.
A few months later she was told Nikki would be pushed into Grade 1 come September of 2020.
"I wasn't able to battle a battle last year, when I was told in late spring he would be promoted to Grade 1," she said.
Nikki missed eight and a half months of school. White said, because of his dad's health issues, the family has been living on a roller coaster since last May, "surviving moment to moment, day by day."
Nikki returned to school in January, 2021, and his father died a month later.
"There was no curriculum," she said. "There couldn't have been, we were all dealing with 'Daddy's going to die.'
Promoted to Grade 2
When he returned to school this year, Nikki returned to a kindergarten class, even though on paper he was in Grade 1.
"We started the process to retain him again and let him actually do the Grade 1 curriculum ," she said.
But she was told this spring Nikki would be promoted to Grade 2 in the fall.
"Six weeks after my husband died, I had to fight," she said.
White said she was told a plan would come together for the next academic year to get the support he needs.
"There's nothing noting exactly what that will be," she said.
'I know what can be possible for Nikki'
She asked to appeal the decision and received documentation about why it was made, but she said the information was "vague" and based on a broader inclusive policy.
White also called the school.
"They wouldn't speak to any of it," she said. "They wouldn't tell me who made the decision, why the decision was made and what was behind that decision in terms of any policy."
While she believes in the inclusive policy, White said she's disappointed it doesn't allow parents the right to make any choices on their children's behalf.
Nikki and Patrick, one month before his dad died in February. (Tanya White/Submitted)
White said she and her husband have always supported their sons' development and believe parents should have a say in their child's best interest in school.
She said her son Luke, 16, who was retained in grade 5 and was moved to private school, now has a 92 per cent average.
"He's now absolutely academically excelling, but he was on the same path Nikki's on right now," said White, who has a Masters in social work.
"I know what can be possible for Nikki."
White said it made sense to push her son through the system in the pandemic to prevent the system from being clogged with students entering the same grade level.
But she said it does not hold in the 2020-21 school year.
"We're not jamming up a system."
Province explores inclusion policy
Education Minister Dominic Cardy said he doesn't have the authority to hold back a student in a particular grade and that it's up to each school district to make such decisions.
CBC News has asked the Anglophone South School District for an interview and is waiting for a response.
Cardy did say discussions are happening right now to create a broader inclusion policy.
"It's actually being ramped up as we speak," he said. "The goal is to look at areas like this."
Early last year, Cardy called for a review of New Brunswick's inclusive education policy while on a province-wide tour seeking feedback on his green paper on education reform.
Education Minister Dominic Cardy has been saying it's time to take a closer look at classroom composition in New Brunswick. (Maria Jose Burgos)
New Brunswick's inclusive education policy was last updated in September 2013.
Cardy, who said the policy discourages students from being held back a year, has heard of students getting passed to a higher grade level before they're ready, causing behavioural issues, stress and depression down the road.
"That is not inclusion," he said.
Cardy said New Brunswick's public school system needs to meet the needs of each student.
"I can't really say we're doing that if we're not giving them the tools to read and write."
Although Cardy hasn't spoken directly with White, he did welcome her to take part in an ongoing conversation about the inclusion policy.
"There's pretty clearly some failings in the system, where some kids are being left to fall through the cracks year after year after year, which is the definition of the opposite of inclusion," Cardy said. "This is exclusion."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Marie Sutherland, Information Morning Saint John
13 Comments
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanya-white-774062113/?originalSubdomain=ca
Tanya White
Clinical Social Worker, MSW, RSW
- Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada
Experience
![Gentle Path Counseling Services]()
Registered Social Worker, Counselor and Parent Educator
Company Name
Gentle Path Counseling Services
Dates EmployedMay 2015 – Sep 2016
Employment Duration1 yr 5 mos
Location28 Richmond Street
Providing counseling to adults, children, couples and families in the areas of: parenting, behavioural challenges, grief, loss, family stress, relationship issues, anxiety, and workplace stress.
Developed a cancer care counseling program where an individual and/or their loved one could receive 3 free hours of counseling support. This program was funded through a MindCare grant to meet the emotional needs of those touched by cancer. …
Education
http://mealsonwheelssj.ca/about-us/board-of-directors/
Board of Directors 2019 – 2020
Patrick White
Director
Patrick White was appointed Senior Finance Manager following the privatization of Bell Aliant into Bell Canada. Over Patrick’s 14 years with the Bell families of companies he has held the positions of Director Finance Operations Bell Aliant, Manager of Billing Operations for Bell Aliant and Manager of Credit and Collections for xwave.
Patrick has served on the Board of Directors for Meals on Wheels since June 2008 and has served as Treasure and has participated with many committees including Finance and Human Resources.
Patrick holds a Bachelor of Business degree from the University of New Brunswick with majors in Economics and Human Resources as well as a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick. Patrick also holds a certificate in Strategic Financial Analysis from the Ivey Business School at Western University.
Patrick lives in Rothesay New Brunswick with his wife Tanya of 24 years and their six sons, Drew, Luke Liam, Teehan, Zachary and Nikolaus. When Patrick is not at work, home or at his children’s activities he can usually be found playing around the greater Saint John area with his band York Point Riot.
Natalie Moore
Director
Natalie Moore is a Finance Manager at Bell Canada and has worked in Taxation, Capital Asset Reporting, and Network Finance over the 4 years she has worked there. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick Saint John and has her Chartered Professional Accountant designation.
Natalie has been with Meals on Wheels since April 2018.
Natalie lives in Hampton, New Brunswick and in her spare time she likes to read, hike and ski.
Ron Jones
Treasurer
Ron currently serves as Partner with Jones & Associates, looking into the needs of small businesses and their owners in Southern New Brunswick. Prior to his current venture, he was Controller for McDonalds Restaurants and also had a stint with Brookville Transport and Deloitte in his early career. Ron is a CMA holder and did his Accounting bachelors from UNB and attended Simonds High School. Ron is currently based out of Rothesay and a father of 3 children. In his idle time, he enjoys boating, hiking, golfing, driving his ATV and spending time at his cottage.