I am a teacher of special education. I have some questions about Section 504. After a student has been tested for special education and doesn’t qualify, the teachers want him to qualify for 504 so he or she can have modifications. I am confused about this. Everything that I have read about 504 states that the impairment must cause a loss of a life ability that dramatically effects the way they learn. Our elementary blankets a lot of kids under 504 because they struggle, yet don’t qualify for sp.ed. I understand their motivation to bridge the gap for these kids, but I don’t know if we are following the guidelines for qualifying under 504. Does anyone understand Section 504 and how it is supposed to work in the school system?
My thoughts are that it shouldn’t take laws to convince teachers to teach students using techniques that will help their students be successful. Teachers should welcome the opportunity to communicate with parents and other professionals about what will help them be the most successful teacher they can be. If John is able to pay better attention and is less disruptive when he sits close to the teacher, wouldn’t you want to know? If Karen can’t write and listen at the same time, wouldn’t you want to have copies of notes made for her? If insisting that Mary write out her math problems is going to keep her from doing her homework, wouldn’t you want to have been given a chance to work out some accomodation? Unfortunately there are teachers who aren’t interested in what will encourage their students to learn, so there have to be laws to motivate the teachers to do what they should. I hope 504 can be applied to all students who would benifit.