This is his first offical suspension.

[Shari]

Just got this email from school.

We had a discussion about ways to handle wee difficult child's behavior in the future should we have an incident such as yesterday. The following is a time line that would be utilized should the need arise.
If we hear any type of explicit threats or experience violent acts in which a student or adult could be injured, Wee difficult child would be suspended. After the first time, it would be 1 day (which is where we are now.) The next time it would be 3 days, then 5, 7, 10. If it were to reach the point of 10 days, we would need to discuss an option outside of the public school setting.
This is all mandated by the Safe Schools Act.
Principal met with school superintendent to review all of this. If you have any questions please feel free to call him,

I thought any kind of plans had to have parents input? Guess I was wrong? We're so screwed.

 

[slsh]

Shari - actually, principal is a bit delusional. They can suspend a max of 10 days per school year, period, total. Then it is considered a change in placement and it's mandatory that an IEP be held. In IL, we also had a manifestation determination hearing after each of thank you's suspensions (didn't wait to hit that 10-day mark) where we reviewed his IEP and BIP.

Again - I really think you need to call for an IEP mtg, waive the 10 day prior written notice. You've got a behavior that they are suspending for now that has a specific trigger. If the presentation of reading isn't changed - you're going to be looking at yet another change of placement in short order.

Has an FBA been done, a BIP written and appropriately implemented?

Obviously, at 6 years old, this is ... a bit overkill in my humble opinion, and I think it's setting school up to be a really bad experience for him. Time to get SD onboard in terms of preventing the situations that could/will result in suspensions.

Edited to add: In re-reading my post - and your's - that "safe schools act" thing may actually be a very bad thing for difficult child. I'm wondering if they've now thrown in threats as something they can suspend for, regardless of IEP. Used to be only weapons and drugs were exempt from that 10-day rule but in today's climate, that Act may have changed it? Might be worth it to read the actual text of the act.

 

[bran155]

Oh my God!!

I so agree with slsh, overkill to say the least. He is 6 for pete's sake!!! I second the idea of you calling for a CSE meeting. I mean we aren't talking about a "bad" child we are talking about a child with special needs in which they are required by law to provide!!! There should be a plan, I agree, but not suspension. Shouldn't they be trying to help aleviate his triggers rather than punish him??? URGH!!! I am so mad for you.

Deep breaths.......

Keep us posted. You are in my thoughts.

 

[Shari]

Ok, here's the scoop. He started this school on Jan 12. His current IEP is expired, but it is my understanding that it holds until the next one is finished. We are currently in the evaluation phase of the new IEP. The current IEP had him going to the early intervention preschool.

I don't know where that leaves us with regard to all this. He had to be in school for them to see what was happening and know what supports he needs, but he's also there without a written plan (or was).

I don't think they can do a formal BIP on an IEP kid without the parental involvement. I'm checking on that now. We're working on an emergency meeting, as well. We need the advocate to be there, and since things seemed to be going ok til Monday, we haven't been in much contact with them, waiting on the evaluation to be finished to write the new IEP.

And i'm with you - if they KNOW this is going to set him off and continue to push him to do it, how's that his fault?

And no one expected him to go home last night and get that gun. Me included. That said, however, his impulse control is so poor that I am afraid, in the heat of the moment, IF something he COULD use as a weapon were in his grasp, he may well use it. On himself or someone else. I want things in place to prevent this situation from happening again, but I also want to send the message to him that there are serious consequences for a statement like that. I think the deputy taking the guns will give him a clear message. He loves his mama and she's gonna be hurt when her mounted shooting guns get taken away. I won't play around with it.

 

[DammitJanet]

Sue took the words out of my mouth. They are setting him up to completely fail and he is only six. There is no way in Hades that wee difficult child is gonna make it to the end of the school year without hitting the 10 day mark. Heck...he may hit it by the end of march if they keep asking him to read!

I completely disagree with suspending kids. I think it teaches them that if they want to get out of school all they have to do is act up. Gee whiz...I want to watch tv all day and eat junk food....think I will act like a jerk in school and threaten to kill everyone! I like ISS. Thats what they did when I was in school. I had to serve that a time or two and I didnt like it, let me tell ya!

 

[Allan-Matlem]

Hi,

As Slsh says , try and get the school to be proactive and look for ways to help your child with positive intervention avoid getting the suspensions. The suspensions don't teach the lacking skills or address the child's concerns thus helping him respond in an appropriate manner.

The Pathways Inventory or Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems or ALSUP .
For sure suspensions cannot rememedy any of the lacking skills that are fueling the behaviors.

I would get Ross Greene's latest book ' lost at school ' , an alternative intervention to traditional school discipline which is failing our kids.

Allan

 

[JJJ]

Tigger's first official suspension was over an outburst triggered by school staff that should have known better. I refused to support their decision, sent a letter explaining what staff did wrong and just told Tigger he had a special day with mommy (he was 6 as well). We had an IEP team and moved on from there.

I agree that the requirement to read needs to be dropped until he has developed better skills to deal with the fear/embarrasment/frustration he feels about it. Based on another post here, I bought "Lost at School" by Ross Greene and I'm about 1/2 done -- it sounds like it would help your situation as well.

 

[BusynMember]

They're in my opinion setting him up to be thrown out the district and maybe put into a different school.