Letter to SD

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
It needs help. Lots of help. But I am just exhausted at the moment. Can you guide me to a better letter?

Dear Superintendent;

As I am sure you are aware, Wee has had two incidents at school in the past two weeks.

After the first incident, police involvement was threatened. After the second, he was reported to the juvenile authorities, and it was made very clear that another incident would likely result in Wee being taken in.

In the reports detailing both incidents, none of the interventions discussed and written into his IEP were utilized. Without appropriate intervention, as evidenced in these reports, there will be another incident. I can not, in good faith, return Wee to school knowing that inevitably he will be turned in to the juvenile justice system instead of getting the help and intervention he needs at school.

I realize and understand that Wee is a difficult child. He has multiple diagnoses that, individually, are challenging; he has them combined. I live with him. I know. His difficulties do not exist only within the school. But he needs help; not a criminal record.

I have tried to help the district and remain open and willing to help in any way I can, but until an appropriate placement is secured for him, one that is not threatening police intervention, I can not send him to school for fear that instead of being helped, he will be handcuffed and hauled in, a scenario which will be severely damaging to him.

I expect you will need to address his educational needs in the interim while finding or resolving this issue. Please call me to discuss what can be done.

I have attached his IEP and my reponse to it, and the incident reports, both as recorded on the data sheets and as reported to me, for your reference.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
It's short, which is good. I'm copying and pasting it in here, with my suggested changes marked with square brackets [...].

Dear Superintendent;

As I am sure you are aware, Wee has had two incidents at school in the past two weeks.

[These were... you need to briefly describe them, according to the school's report. I know you have the reports attached, but perhaps you should attach your response to those reports, pointing out what could have been done or should have been done, and at what point].

After the first incident, police involvement was threatened. After the second, he was reported to the juvenile authorities, and it was made very clear that another incident would likely result in Wee being taken in.

[I am concerned that in both incidents Wee could have been better handled by deflection and redirection. In fact, from what we can ascertain the incidents were actually escalated instead of defused, because of mishandling. The IEP was not followed; if it had been, these incidents would not have escalated to problem status.]

[Also you need to point out that you have been doing your utmost to work in cooperation with the school to equip them with the skills they need to best manage Wee's problems, within the school's own requirements. This has been a long-term problem which only fails when the proper procedures have not been followed by the school. You feel that the school appears to you to have given up, although there are two teachers and a para who are still willing to keep trying. However, if there are no changes or guarantees that the school WILL try to follow the IEP, then for Wee's sake and for the school's sake, you will not send him. Before you send him back, you need an assurance that any problems will NOT be dealt with by calling the police, but will be managed according to the IEP and procedures already discussed and agreed upon, repeatedly. Wee has been through too much, and every incident does more damage to his chances of getting the education the law insists is his right. If the school will finally admit that Wee's needs cannot be met by them according to the IEP, then please Mir Superintendent, please insist on the school transferring Wee to the placement where his educational needs CAN be met. Until then, you will keep Wee at home. Point out here that Wee loves school and is not simply choosing to be difficult in order to get out of it.]

In the reports detailing both incidents, none of the interventions discussed and written into his IEP were utilized. Without appropriate intervention, as evidenced in these reports, there will be another incident. I can not, in good faith, return Wee to school knowing that inevitably he will be turned in to the juvenile justice system instead of getting the help and intervention he needs at school.

I realize and understand that Wee is a difficult child. He has multiple diagnoses that, individually, are challenging; he has them combined. I live with him. I know. His difficulties do not exist only within the school. But he needs help; not a criminal record.

I have tried to help the district [outline what you have done and when, as well as what you are prepared to do now and what you have offered] and remain open and willing to help in any way I can, but until an appropriate placement is secured for him, one that is not threatening police intervention, I can not send him to school for fear that instead of being helped, he will be handcuffed and hauled in, a scenario which will be severely damaging to him.

I expect you will need to address his educational needs in the interim while finding or resolving this issue. Please call me to discuss what can be done.

I have attached his IEP and my reponse to it, and the incident reports, both as recorded on the data sheets and as reported to me, for your reference.
{As I said earlier, also attach your analysis of the reports giving indication of how it could have been handled better. You aim is not to find fault (as the principal claims) but to turn this into a productive learning opportunity.]

I do think it is a good letter. With the stuff I have suggested, put it in as attachments where possible so you can keep the main body of your letter to under a page. But you need to make it clear that this is not just about two recent incidents, but long-term problems and that you have finally had enough.

Marg
 

klmno

Active Member
I think the best step you could make is to request an IEP meeting to determine placement, ASAP. That is the proper procedure to get him into another school and cover your rear in the event that they try to go after you for not sending him to school. Unfortunetaly, most sd authorities will only back up what the others in the sd have already done. And in many cases, the teachers have done what they have because it has been a directive from the school board.
 

TiredSoul

Warrior Mom since 2007
I think the best step you could make is to request an IEP meeting to determine placement, ASAP. That is the proper procedure to get him into another school and cover your rear in the event that they try to go after you for not sending him to school. Unfortunetaly, most sd authorities will only back up what the others in the sd have already done. And in many cases, the teachers have done what they have because it has been a directive from the school board.

How soon can you get an emergency IEP meeting? Can Wee just be sick and stay out of school until then? I don't know what the ramifications would be if you willingly do not send him to school until they find another placement. I know you have spent the entire weekend worrying and fretting about this. I would be a wreck too. Can you just call him in sick tomorrow and start the ball rolling by requesting the IEP meeting like klmno suggested? Doesn't it feel like life is hard enough - that you wish they would just do what they are supposed to do so you don't have to spend so much energy enforcing what 'should' be? You need to find some peace for yourself too. Hang in there.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
Wish I had something to add, but will send hugs and strength as you work to get Wee the education he deserves.
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
The good news is that I told both SpEd Dir and super that I would be willing to keep Wee home on MOnday until they could address the situation with his staff (super was thinking more training). So, I want to get this letter to them tomorrow. But it doesn't have to be at 8am.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I think I would be dropping of a letter asking for an emergency IEP meeting immediately, get it signed for by staff, have two of them so both theirs and yours get signed. Also fax one to the SD and certify mail it. Cover all bases.

Like I said before, find the school that can educate wee. If you have to go to the one in the next district on monday to find out if they really said what you have been told, do it and get that in writing. Ask them where the next closest school like them is. Somebody somewhere knows where a school is that can educate wee. He isnt the only child like him in your locale. If he is, then they better get busy building a school for him! Or they will be paying to send him to a very nice boarding school!!! That is their only choice in this matter. Its at this point. Locking up an 8 year old for learning disabilities just doesnt cut it in the real world.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
We were in a similar situation with difficult child 3 when it was time to start high school. District wanted him to go to his intake high school, I wanted to test it to see but expected him to need Distance Ed. But District were planning on exercising their power of veto over Distance Ed as an option. We tested the school (which involved meetings plus difficult child 3 attending for a couple of days in the year before he would need to enrol) and it clearly was not going to work out. The high school principal actually said to me (in front of the District officer) that difficult child 3 needed to be placed "somewhere more appropriate" which gave me the chance to say, "There IS nowhere more appropriate. There should be a Special Education placement for kids like difficult child 3 in this area, but such a placement does not exist."

I was then able to tell District that they should either MAKE a placement possible, or allow difficult child 3 to enrol in Distance Ed. And to nail it all in place, I started a political campaign for an appropriate Special Education placement for children like difficult child 3 who live in our area. District did NOT like that! But they had painted themselves into a corner - we had clearly tried to make the mainstream placement work, and it clearly was not going to. The onus then was on District to ensure that difficult child 3 (and other kids like him) still had fair access to an education. I went to the papers, I set up websites, I got a lot of emails from people, I organised meetings - and it was worth it. Before the end of that year, we had the Special Education class for high-functioning autistics and Aspies who were otherwise too high IQ to qualify for the other Special Education classes. difficult child 3 chose to not enrol in that class, but to stay with Distance Ed. His choice. But at least it WAS a choice!

Marg
 

Farmwife

Member
I think you got a lot of great advice already. I'm glad you at least have a direction/plan/strategy to move ahead with, it sure beats the helpless angry feeling. :sick:

From one warrior parent who has survived a 9 month sd battle (and still needs some iep "polishing") to another ...I feel for you and hope they get their rears off of their shoulders soon. ;)
 

klmno

Active Member
Have you looked? Did you put in a request for an IEP meeting to discuss placement? Shari, they don't want to pay for him someplace else. The IEP meeting has legal weight if you get it written in the meeting documents that you are asking them to look at placement options- a letter to s superintendent and meeting there has no legal standing. Being that the sd doesn't want to place him in an alternative school, if you get it in writing that you ask for this consideration it legally documents more evidence that this school has no clue how to work with him right now. It legally forces their hand and gives you evidence if they don't take action. It appears to me that you are fighting for answer "A" to work when, in my humble opinion, you need to start fighting for objective "Z" to happen and get things legally documented that you followed proper procedure, etc. If you do this, they are much more likely to make option "A" work on their own, in my humble opinion.
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
Yes, I have looked. I have not looked at the entire state yet, but there is nothing within in hour of us besides the alternative school in the next district, and I will be confirming with them that they are truly denying to take Wee.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Sounds like you are on the right track. Do you know of an attorney who specializes in this kind of thing, just in case you need it? These people are just plain stoopid. Also, have you checked in over at sped 101? Those ladies may have some dynamit info (or just dynamite?) to help. I think Marg had a lot of good things to add to the letter.

It just shocks me that Wee is 8. He hasn't even had the chance at a kindergarten education yet. That is downright pathetic on the part of the schools. I know some of them were private schools, but still. It breaks my heart, and makes me ANGRY on Wee's behalf. If you want I will look for schools in the Tulsa area. I know that 2 phosps had day treatment and I am pretty sure 1 of them had a live in school.I have NO clue if it would work for him or not.

Do NOT give up. There is NO WAY that an 8yo should get a criminal record because the idiot adults at his school cannot figure out how to help him and teach him!! in my opinion it tells a whole lot more about the adults than it does Wee.
 
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