Just had a call from the district

Ropefree

Banned
Ok, so once again I parent of the "team" have rattled the wires ringing bells hither and yon over the hokey program and the grade outcomes that I get after the fact in one form and as glowing testiment to my sons ablility in all other forms.
So to attempt to get the matter clear on my end I asked for meetings last week. That is now a week ago. The drag time is large. Today no meetings are set up yet...not this week not for next week...and the distric calls to say that my son "should" blah blah blah and I say "have you spoken with him about that?" answer is "no I have never met your son". So I say, well what I am trying to do right now is to understand from the teachers what they attribute this 3-8% lag in their classrooms to his tested abilities. And after that to attempt to devise a 504 plan that is proposeful for his next faze of learning after high school. And the trassion services that the school clipped off when they cut his IEP would have done something like that wouldn't it?
Oh his iep was changed last year.
Yes and this year the 504 is not working and I suspect if it is useless in the hands of the 504 specialist who wrote the paper it will be so tomorrow and next year and in college. I feel you are distracting from this moment by placing my attention to what you think a student you are not acquainted and who you are aware was not reevaled and therefor whose needs you are both glossing over and attempting to place into his hands in the future without use of fact pieces.
She was driving in her car while talking to me.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Doesn't sound like she was prepared to do much of anything when she called you, except to listen, maybe...

How frustrating.
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
Ropefree,

I have a couple questions. There's not much in your sig for me to pull out information. How old is your son again and in what grade is he in (having a profile sig with this information is helpful - with so many parents here, sometimes it's difficult to remember the specifics without a sig to make us say, "Oh, yeah")? What were the diagnosed issues that qualified him for the IEP in the first place?

Obviously you are aware that the 504 is not even worth the paper it's written on. The bottom line here is that if your son has had testing in the past three years that qualified him for an IEP before it was thrown out, and the circumstances of his disability did not change for the better, the team, including you, did not meet and you didn't sign off on the removal of the IEP, it was illegal for them to remove him from his IEP for strictly funding reasons (which I believe you metioned in another post). If it's been over three years since his last testing, request via certified mail, that your son be reevaluated. The school must comply with your request and has 30 days to respond and let you know about the scheduled meeting for you sign off on the testing - period, period, period.

Have you posted over on the Special Education board. There are some ladies over there that could really help you with drafting letters to the school and give you some links so that you can reference federal law in those letters.

Sharon
 

Ropefree

Banned
As I waited in the office to meet the vp who is so nice, like the principle, I heard the ispecial ed nit wit who is worthless tell her that even if I do file they do not have to do anything for 30 days.
I am aware that they have been breaking the law and I would not be the person who is going to go through all the fertilizing substances to achieve legal status for this as i have my own back issues and the only help I can get where I am is also just junk people who are so indifferant that taking the teachers one at a time and talking to each is the best plan I can do.
Today I met with the vp and one teacher that he is getting an A with. And the rest did not bother to show. One teacher who sent a note saying she can not respond on short notice and complained that his absences the past semester made extra work for her. ie blaming the student, the constrct on her time , ect. her class which he should have earned an A in that subject and she has had plenty of oppertunities to share as need info and as a matter of fact when i first met her she told me that she was just to busy to offer any attention to a 504 or iep student.

i will not be posting my personal details and what is here is sufficent for the type of advise possible.
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
I guess I don't understand then Ropefree. You know they are breaking the law, you come here and post and post and post about the illtreatement by the school of your son yet, in your words, "I am aware that they have been breaking the law and I would not be the person who is going to go through all the fertilizing substances to achieve legal status for this as i have my own back issues and the only help I can get where I am is also just junk people who are so indifferant that taking the teachers one at a time and talking to each is the best plan I can do."

You don't need to get any help from anyone. It will actually tax you more to deal with each teacher one by one (and that doesn't appear to be working either). YOU need to be the one who proceeds from here and fully advocate for your son. That is why I suggested the testing be requested by certified mail. It is also why I suggested you go over the Special Education board and find the regs so you can quote them in your letter. Very often, all it takes is a copy of your certified letter being sent to the district for them to understand they are not dealing with a dummy parent. Unfortunately, many school administrators will do as little as possible to help our difficult children because many parents do not know to what extent their child is guaranteed an education. A very sad commentary but true.

Often schools will see a parent coming in and think to themselves, "Oh, here she comes again to complain." There can see us as interfering and meddlesome. However, if they see us as knowledgable and versed in the law, it's a whole different matter. I can't tell you the impact I made when my son went to middle school. His first IEP team meeting included 7 various school and district attendees. I had my huge three-ring binder which included copies of all his IEPs, old 504s, all his report cards, all coorespondance with school since he was in second grade, copies of all his IEP testing from three years before, my regs and research.

When substantiating my request for technology testing (my difficult child has an issue with the actual process of writing) I showed them the results of some of his testing as well as a comment from his 5th grade teacher than his standardized testing in writing at the end of the year be modified for dictation since she saw an issue with the writing. The compliance person, district psychiatrist and behavioral specialists said they were really impressed with me. They had not seen a parent so prepared and stocked with backup. It comes accross as a parent who is a true advocate for their child not a worrisome mom.

And, let me tell you, my knowledge base is nothing compared to some of the warrior moms around here!!!!! It doesn't take much for a school to see that you mean business. But you need to show that you know the law and know that they are not compliance. Every school that has a Special Education has someone who is their compliance officer. Perhpas a well-worded letter to that person is in order.

In regards to you overhearing someone at the school make the 30-day comment, so what? It at least shows that someone knows the law. If you have to wait 30 days for them to realize you mean business, so be it. It is the law afterall. Many times those 30 days are times that parents brush up on the law and research various accoms and mods the can request in their child's IEP.

In regards to your information, I understand your resistance in putting too much information "out there" and respect it. However, knowing the age of your difficult child and what grade he is in can help those of us that have been there offer you age-appropriate suggestions. I did vastly different things for my difficult child to motivate him (like your difficult child he "smart as a button" but needs a shove) when he was in third grade, than I do now that he is 13.

I am sorry that you are in such pain with your back. I'm sure it makes everything in your life tougher. I don't post the above information to negate that pain in your life. I just know that getting him an IEP now that can follow him for years to come will make things easier for you in the long run. You can than hold everyone legally responsible for the failure to follow the plan. However, the best benefit will be trully tailoring an long-term education plan that meets the needs of your son. And, you need to stick it to those idiots!
Sharon
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I'm kind of confused too--if we don't know his age and grade it's hard to help. But you can STILL help him. Have you ever had a Parent Advocate? They are free and you can find one by calling your Dept. of Public Education. I refuse to go to any school meetings without one. They tried to pull garbage on me too and I called the Dept. of Public Ed on them. It worked a lot better than the SD Superintendent because if they break the law it affects their public funding. I got what I wanted like the NEXT DAY...lol. It lit a fire under their butts, that's for sure. Once THEY called the SD, suddenly what I said mattered to them.
I do think that Spec. Ed 101 forum is WONDERFUL. The ladies know so much and could help you a lot. They really don't need a whole lot of info other than the SD is breaking the law. It is making you sick to keep fighting them alone, and you really don't need to do it alone. Good luck!
 

Mandy

Parent In Training
I also agree that everything you do should be sent by certified mail and that trying to contact an advocate in your area would be the best thing. Thankfully when I read The Bipolar Child it gave all this information as well as a sample IEP. Now I know exactly where to start out this year with difficult child. I plan on starting his IEP right away and also from advice from the psychologist. (sorry I will get those acronyms eventually) LOL
 

Ropefree

Banned
LittleDudesMom: Bingo! That is correct. I have called,e-mailed and met with so many people. You have NO IDEA. the people who I have been doing this with assured me the switch from iep to 504 was required by the doe and the 504 teacher was so warm and assuring.
I am not misrepresenting the indifferance here and I would have to have someone in the next county be a legal advocate as none are here in this one.
Everyone here thinks I am "doing a great job" and the fact is my sons issues are minimal compared to the vast sea of neglect that is status quo here.
geSo,yes I post and post and post.
will it reallly be worth my while here to push further or will I be bashing my head on a system that is locked down on the do nothing level? The cases that get in the media go on for YEARS.
Yes they probalby would redo and reinstate the iep and then what? nothing as usual.
I checked and there are no advocates listed with this doe. The ones I have spoken to are other parents and they feel that I am 'doing great".
I can barely move around right now. I am in alot of pain and I can not make nice and do this. I NEED help. I can not even tolerate having the conversation where they 'get to know' this situation. i do not have that feeling like anything I do matters or helps.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I am thinking that maybe you don't live in the US, but you don't say. If you do live here, there are supposed to be advocates for everyone. Now if son goes to a private school (when you say VP I think of private school because they aren't called that in public schools) they aren't always under the same rules as public schools. You don't need to tell us if it's a public or private school. Just realize that a private school can break rules in most states. In fact, in our state, they don't even have to provide any services. Now if you are outside of the US, we may not be able to help you much other than to listen and to let you know that we have almost all been there at one time--until we learned the best way to get things done. Good luck again.
 

Ropefree

Banned
midwestmom: Called to determine if their is an advocate here through the doe. Nope. There are two groups both in another county who serve this one based on a grant and the availablity of an advocate to add more to their loads.
:faint:
 

Ropefree

Banned
It is a small county and not much here. The rich avoid the public school here and the public schools are way underfunded befor the economy that has been in recession for 18 months really started tanking.
I actually have done pretty well, like getting the intensive home therapy, for example.
But what the doh anddoe psycologists said was they need six more clinical psycologists and six more clinical psyciatrists just to match needs in the public schools now. then the funding was cut.
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
My advice is simple: stop talking and emailing. Start sending letters by certified mail, that kicks in the federal time lines. In addition, if you must speak or use email... send a certified "letter of understanding" to clarify the conversation. They will start to sense that you mean business if you keep all communication on official terms only.

by the way, funding for evaluations and services are not your issues. The SD must find a way to evaluate and accomodate whether they currently have the funding or not.
 

Ropefree

Banned
I am going to go up to the school and ask for the form in the office to fill out and then I will go certified mail send it. ANd I am meeting with the folks who have responded to my e-mails who were in the kids yellow pages and see what the people who are have to say. I am thinking if I can just get something that is actually what he needs and not some filler for the pretense of doing what the law requires.

Although this school may not be prepared to do anything he does need I want the tests redone so that we do know what he shows are his strengths and where the weakness is now. Why make these kids...or hey..any dkid try to find out with out the tools we have them.
We will see how that goes. Thanks for the encouragement.
 

DazedandConfused

Well-Known Member
Am I ever with TiredMommy on this one. Please start doing everything by certified mail. Start with whoever is director of Special Education and CC everyone else. Stop talking, write.

I work for SD and understand the issues of funding (basically it is NEVER enough even in the best of times), but when it came to my kid I didn't give a rat's patootie. When I wanted son retested a couple of years ago, I requested with letters.

I also understand that if they do not comply with the law, they risk losing funding. I'd be done with the school, I would be going much higher up to the state and federal level and I would send the SD (to the superintendent) copies of everything I sent.

Daughter had a one-on-one when she was in preschool (headstart) because it was in her IEP. On the sly, they decided to remove the one-on-one because "she was needed more elsewhere". "Oh really??" was my response. I continued, "Did you know that you are in violation of the law and if that one-on-one isn't with my daughter the next morning, certified letters are going to go out to the county office education and the federal department of education and YOU (the director) are the first name I am going to list as facilitating this violation".

That aide was back the next day.

I would be so holding up that district's feet to the fire.
 
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