5 day suspension.

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
Its the mandate, handed down by the school board. Principal doesn't even beleive its effective for wee.

Actually, the mandate is 10 days, but he's reducing it to 5.

Either way, the message sent is the same thing that caused this whole dang scenario to start with.

I don't even know what to do. I'll panic for an hour or so, cry, maybe scream, then I figure out something, I hope.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
How many days has he been out now? Its got to be coming close.

I might have suggested they give him the 10 days just to put that change of placement into place. Obviously something has got to give for him.
 

nvts

Active Member
Shari, I'd check with Sheila and Marty on the Schools forum. There's got to be something that you can have put in his IEP to cover him in the future. If they're withholding any services that you've asked for, reconvene the team basing his outburst on their refusal. I'm sorry I'm not quite up to date, but I thought that there was something a few months ago that they wouldn't agree to.

Sorry for the situation!

Beth
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
Only thing I can think of is refusing a dedicated aid, but they came arround on their own on that.

But I learned that DESE is pushing positive behavioral support as opposed to suspensions...I'm gonna request a manifestation meeting annd push that.

Doubt I get anything done before the 5 days is up, but will see what I can get done. I could still spit nails.
 

flutterby

Fly away!
How many days has he been suspended for this year? If I remember correctly, a total of 10 days in one school year constitutes change of placement. What that entails, I don't know. You'd have to ask Sheila or Martie.

I'm really sorry. This is just a load of...stinky stuff.
 

whatamess

New Member
If the child's behavior is a result of the disability, they can't suspend him. He has an IEP right? Next is the behavior analysis so they can have preventative strategies available.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Of course you'll figure out something. In the meantime, have yourself a good cry. That's what I would do.
I am so sorry.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Oh this is just wrong. Seems like it is also highly illegal. Has that bully of a classmate also been suspended? I would go up to school and go into the class so I could see for myself. If SHE hasn't I would get a lawyer and get a lawsuit going FAST.

For one thing, this constitutes a hostile work environment for wee.

Why can these IDIOTS not see how they hurt him? How he WANTS to be a good kid but gets so scared and anxious and just cannot keep it together. But he is trying SO HARD and wants to do what they want so bad. in my opinion the fact that he still cares what anyone at any school wants him to do is a miracle, esp after all the abuse the teachers and other students put him through.

All of the half days count toward that 10 days. If you can access attendance records online I suggest printing off the records. I bet they count him there for a full day on the days they made you pick him up. I know you have it documented, if nothing else your posts here will document it.

Post what is going on, in detail, maybe as a timeline form? over on the School/Sp Ed forum. Those ladies will help you kick some school admin bewty and then hold their feet to the fire till they start acting right.

Let us know how we can help. Let the dev pediatrician's office know - get them to list specific things the school needs to do for wee. They used to be very good.

Give our weegfg a big hug. let him know that this is NOT because him - Auntie Susie says it is because the people in charge at the school are just not able to follow directions.

Give him a treat for me. Poor guy. You CAN get curriculum online to maybe keep him busy and interest him. I know one sight we used is very inexpensive and has 1st grade stuff. I cannot remember the name off the top of my head but will send it as soon as Jess wakes up.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Definitely request a manifestation determination if you are at a total of 10 days. I believe they have to meet almost immediately but I could be wrong on this. When difficult child's suspensions were getting out of control we had letters written from his therapist, psychiatrist, and neuropsychologist. that said his behaviors were directly related to his disability. That led to it being put in his iep that he cannot be suspended unless it is a level 4 offense (nothing they can do and generally involves the police at level 4).

That principal should have known better than to try and block him.

Hugs to you and Wee.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Oh this is just wrong. Seems like it is also highly illegal. Has that bully of a classmate also been suspended? I would go up to school and go into the class so I could see for myself. If SHE hasn't I would get a lawyer and get a lawsuit going FAST.

For one thing, this constitutes a hostile work environment for wee.

Why can these IDIOTS not see how they hurt him? How he WANTS to be a good kid but gets so scared and anxious and just cannot keep it together. But he is trying SO HARD and wants to do what they want so bad. in my opinion the fact that he still cares what anyone at any school wants him to do is a miracle, esp after all the abuse the teachers and other students put him through.

All of the half days count toward that 10 days. If you can access attendance records online I suggest printing off the records. I bet they count him there for a full day on the days they made you pick him up. I know you have it documented, if nothing else your posts here will document it.

Post what is going on, in detail, maybe as a timeline form? over on the School/Sp Ed forum. Those ladies will help you kick some school admin bewty and then hold their feet to the fire till they start acting right.

Let us know how we can help. Let the dev pediatrician's office know - get them to list specific things the school needs to do for wee. They used to be very good.

Give our weegfg a big hug. let him know that this is NOT because him - Auntie Susie says it is because the people in charge at the school are just not able to follow directions.

Give him a treat for me. Poor guy. You CAN get curriculum online to maybe keep him busy and interest him. I know one sight we used is very inexpensive and has 1st grade stuff. I cannot remember the name off the top of my head but will send it as soon as Jess wakes up.
 

jal

Member
Shari,

I'm just throwing some of this out there because a lot of what you are struggling with-pertains to what we've dealt with with our difficult child. He was diagnosis'd ADHD/ADD, Bi-polar, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), Sensory Integration Disorder (SID), Aspergers (I could go on and on), . The one thing that always sticks out to me in your sig is the anxiety that you see. I honestly did not see a lot of anxiety in our difficult child (except separation at a young age). Our difficult child is 7 too and had A LOT of the issues you describe with ur difficult child @ school. Granted we placed him into a therapeutic educational program in 1st grade (we had no other choice), but once there and a change in doctors (on our end) which included a change in medications and an addition of prozac his world opened up. A lot of his running, tantruming & behavior stopped. So much so he's been there for a little over a year and they are starting to mainstream him into reg classes in the first step to getting him back into district. He's in 2nd grade performing on a 4th grade level in math! The changes we've seen have been huge. Once the prozac kicked in, his learning world exploded.

Ours too has major impulse control (has gotten somewhat better) but also coordination issues, always has. Can hit a ball pitched overhand at the age of five, but can't walk on his own 2 feet. Just found out he has an ocular convergence issue which can be corrected by visual therapy. He starts next week. This kid has tripped over and bumped into anything from the time he was walking. Understand from the dr too, that this can cause MAJOR frustration in table top and focusing tasks. Probably his main reason for not staying on table top tasks in K and running from classroom and lashing out because of being frustrated.

We were gonners until the prozac, it really opened a door for him. We were lucky to have in home services 2X a week too and the therapeutic school. He's made huge strides. Graduated after a yr of in home. Perfect NO, but BETTER, oh yes.

My heart goes out to you - I've so been there.
 

DaisyFace

Love me...Love me not
Shari--

This is so frustrating! I cannot believe what an ordeal just going to school has become for your little one...
 

Marguerite

Active Member
Me, I'd handle it the Aussie way. Picket the board meetings until they let me speak. If still no go, and no result form lobbying through official or legal channels, I'd be going to the media.

The way I see it - this happened because wee's known problems were not catered for, in the extraordinary circumstances of SpEd being away with no appropriate alternative accommodation being made. That's when wheels WILL fall off. Things went awry with the IEP and wee's disability was the reason things went wrong - IT IS NOT HIS FAULT!

If you're even close to the 10 days, or the chance of it happening again is too high - I'd be talking about the next step now.

I really hate the "we have to send a message" views, because the kids are often smarter than the board members in tis; the kids know wee can't help it. Suspending wee only sends the message of "we are rigid and inflexible on all things." NOT suspending wee only tells the other kids, "We are strict but we are also fair and compassionate."

It is NOT weakness to make appropriate allowances for a kid's disability, especially when the IEP isn't followed. I know the failure of the IEP is not anyone's fault (except maybe the school for not having a good enough plan in place with an alternative person that wee can accept). But why should ANYONE be punished? And if someone, why punish wee?

I wish I could go there and 'reason' with the school board for you, Shari.

Marg
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
If the school board isn't listening, what about your county Office of Education? State Board of Education?

I wish I had an answer for you and Wee. Many hugs to you both.
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
The school board member I contacted was wee's Parents as Teachers person when he was tiny. When we knew something wasn't right, but couldn't figure out just what was wrong. She "got it" that the principal's actions were threatening to wee...I don't know why, but she seemed to get it right off. She asked persmission to contact super on my behalf.

She says they should at least be offering in home services...so maybe something will come of it.

I'm not holding my breath, but we'll see. Talking with her was positive.
 

Marg's Man

Member
Its the mandate, handed down by the school board. Principal doesn't even beleive its effective for wee.

Actually, the mandate is 10 days, but he's reducing it to 5.
Either a punishment is mandated or it is not mandated.

This makes no sense to me. If the mandate is 10 days and the principal is reducing it to 5 then why not reduce it to zero? He seems to know the incident was his fault and that wee should not be punished. Clearly this clown has enough freedom of action to reduce it to 5 and should reduce it further.

If this was us I'd be loading both barrels for bear, pulling the first trigger and starting to squeeze the second. Seriously folks, the school would be getting a visit from both of us together. A visit from Marg was always unsettling for the school or district office, to have me along as well really put the wind up them. In some ways they would have preferred the bear hunter.

We both fronted School District more than once. In this situation the individual Board members would getting these double visits.

This bloke has some freedom of action - go for him!

Margs Man
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
I totally agree with Marg's Man. Either it's mandate that this offense results in a 10-day suspension or it's the principal's discretion. A mandate means no choice, no wiggle room, that's the way it is.

Perhaps this principal is talking out of both sides of his mouth huh? If he is reducing the "mandated" suspension to 5 days, he can just as easily reduce it to nothing.

Sharon
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
District policy (mandate) is 10 days suspension on the third offense with police called.

It also falls under safe schools act, which gives the building principal the option of handling it on a case by case basis, which means, yes, he could reduce it to nothing.

I'm not sure the formal appeal process but I'm going along with what the board member said to do...as I said, conversation was very positive, she understood and finished a few sentences for me, and offered in-home services, which, so far, have not even been considered even when brought up.

I think she also "got" FAPE and IDEA, tho I didn't bring it up, she did. Wee is a 2nd grader with ED and an average IQ that is functioning at a preK level and has been kept out of school for half of the past year, and here we are, doing it some more...
 
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