1. A resource room is a separate, remedial classroom in a school where students with educational disabilities, such as specific learning disabilities, are given direct, specialized instruction and academic remediation and assistance with homework and related assignments as individuals or in groups.  (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_room)

According to Wikipedia, a resource room is an asset to education.  So why have they gone by the wayside?  Why can’t children with special learning needs access this help in the public school?

“A class room where a special-education teacher works with a small group of students, using techniques that work more efficiently with a special-needs population is resource room. A resource room provides needed students with additional help while letting such students remain generally with the mainstream.” (http://definitions.uslegal.com/r/resource-room-education/)

As stated above, U.S. Legal states the same information.  A resource room is a separate classroom where students visit, not stay, in order to get the specialized instruction they need.

Here is a link to a PPT that shows how a resource room works, presented by the National Association of Special Education Teachers.

So why don’t these rooms exist?  Maybe they do where you live, but not here.  This is why:

“Special education services should be delivered in regular education classes (not special classes, separate schooling, or other removal from the regular ed environment) except “when the nature or severity of the disability of the child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.””  (http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/?p=2823)

The nature and severity of many students in my county warrant the need for a resource room, even for only part of the day.  That’s not happening, and is not likely to happen any time soon.  I think that’s a disservice to our kids that need it the most.

I’d really like to teach in a resource room.  I never wanted to be in the gen ed classroom.  I used to have a self-contained classroom for children with autism.  It was the greatest job.  I’ve only ever wanted to work with special needs students.  Now I’m in the regular classroom where it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to meet my students’ needs.

The general ed teachers now have some very difficult students in their classrooms.  These teachers didn’t go to school for special ed.  They’re not equipped, and often don’t want to teach these populations. How is that beneficial to the students?

We need to bring back the resource room in public schools.  I don’t see it as a segregation of sorts.  I see it as it was intended~a room with minimal distractions for direct, specialized instruction for students with IEPs.  How is that wrong?