To the editor,

Since our family moved to Raymond in 1997 we have been so pleased with the school system. We couldn’t have made a better choice for a child who has difficulty learning. That is why I was outraged when I learned that the Special Education and Social Worker services are being cut and to some extent eliminated for Jordan Small Middle School.

Those proposing the cut suggest that our children do not benefit from these services, but are being given a disservice because they are enabled to be dependent upon their Special Education providers. Apparently, they believe that if our children with special needs are left to fend for themselves they will overcome their hurdles and start learning at the same level as their peers.

Maybe they will magically find confidence in themselves and never feel inferior to those that excel academically and socially. It’s a nice thought…but not a realistic one. As a parent of a child with a learning disability I have ached to watch my child struggle to learn, to see how much harder he has to work to “get” a concept. I have ached to watch him feel inferior and call himself stupid. It has only been the service of the Special Education Department of the Raymond School Department that has helped show my child that he can learn, maybe differently than other children, but he can learn and be successful.

My child will be headed off for high school in the fall, so he won’t need the services at JSMS anymore, but someone’s child will. Maybe yours. My question to those who wish to cut the Special Education Services is – If you had a child with a learning disability, which services within the school would you cut?

A final point – The Future, for our children and our society: Children with learning difficulties often become troubled kids and troubled kids turn into troubled adults. If these services are cut now it could save a small amount of money, but if the children that need the services do not get them, the long-term costs could significantly exceed the short-term savings.

Kelly Edwards

Raymond