Take Action for Students with Disabilities

by Kristina Chew · 2009-06-11 14:27:00 UTC
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Alex Barton on CBS News with his mother, Melissa Barton, from http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/images/2008/05/30/image4137627g.jpg
It was a year ago that then 5-year-old Alex Barton was voted out of his Florida kindergarten class by his classmates, as directed to by their teacher, Wendy Portillo. Portillo first had the students say what they did not like about Alex after which they voted "Survivor-style" about whether he could stay in the classroom. Alex was "voted out": The incident sparked national, and international, attention and Portillo was suspended for a year without pay and lost her tenure. Earlier this year, Portillo appealed the ruling, which was upheld. However, as reported in the June 10th TCPalm.com, the St. Lucie County School Board has voted unanimously to allow Portillo to "keep her professional contract with the county school district and the tenure protection it affords."

One has to wonder why ta school board----an educational entity---would stand behind a teacher who instructs her kindergarten class to take such an ethically questionable action towards a fellow student. Please let the St. Lucie School Board know that you do not agree with its decision to allow Wendy Portillo to keep her tenure and her contract by signing this petition.

Kristina Chew
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