IEP, Board of ed and beuracratic NONESENSE

[3sacharm]

Last year after having been thrown out of his parochial school where he had a 1:1 shadow, being home for 3 months while the school district scratched their heads, then being placed in a public school 12:1:1 where the teacher would call me regulararily to ask me what she should do with my son (until she discovered that if she does his afternoon work with him during lunch she did not have to put ANY demands on him in the afternoon and he then she did not have to deal with him raging) Yes, it worked, but that does not help him to learn how to function in school, what will be when he has a different teacher?!

This year I found a new school for him. 6:1:1 with an additional floating para. It is <u>intensively behavior mod </u>oriented and seems to really be working. It is however very expensive. In NY, families can get reimbursed for Special Education private education, but they are really putting me through the ringer. The BOE paid $30,000 a year for 3 years for a para and now they are giving me grief over $15,000, I look at it like a huge savings for them. They claim I needed to keep him in public school longer and try to have them work out all of the kinks. The kid is 8 years old, he tried it for 4 months, it did not work, I found something that did work, now pay me back!!! AARRRGGHHHH this is so frustrating.

 

[busywend]

I applaud you for being able to find such help. They for sure should pay, but I think it is the typical first step to try not to. Just keep fighting for your rights!

 

[Sheila]

I can't speak to NY State Education Agency rules, law, etc, nor those of New York City. The federal regs set minimum requirements for special education, and states can do more if they choose. It's very rare however.

Under Federal IDEA, for a parent to expect success in getting reimbursement for unilateral private school placement there are procedures that must be followed by the parent including notice of unilateral placement, state complaint procedures, due process, etc.

You might need to consider contacting an attorney in case there are actions you must take within specified timelines to be successful in getting reimbursement.

I found "City To Battle at High Court Over Special Education" at http://www.nysun.com/article/58773 an interesting read.

 

[3sacharm]

Thanks Sheila, I do have an attorney but it is so frusterating. We have had two IEP meetings and we are waiting a date for an impartial hearing. They feel my son is placed privately in "too restrictive an environmnet". But hey, he is doing well and it is working. All of the red tape just makes me nuts...

 

[Sheila]

The way I read your post was that NYC parents could just pull their kids from public school, place them in a private school, send the sd the bill, and expect reimbursement. I was thinking NYC sp ed is the best kept secrete in the USA :rofl: or somebody's missed the caveats. Reimbursement is not typically going to happen without following procedures to a "T" and then it's still iffy sometimes.

It is so frustrating to always have to be in an advocate mode with a school district that can't or will not provide services the student needs and blocks parent attempts at FAPE.

Glad you have an attorney and wish you the best of luck.