New "Love Letter" from the school

[iloveturtles]

I just received a letter from the school district yesterday stating they are referred difficult child to the Positive Behavior Team.

This meeting is on the 20th - we have a manifestation hearing on the 17th.

From the letter: After all the information is presented, the Panel will deliberate, make placement recommendations and develop an intervention plan. If difficult child fails to comply with the directives and interventions specified by the Positive Behavior Team, difficult child may be recommended for expulsion or other disciplinary actions as appropriate

From district website:

The district Positive Behavior Team shall be composed of a district Student Services Administrator, who acts as chairperson, and other representatives from the district, community based organizations, Child Protective Services, the County Probation Department, and the local police departments. The function of this committee shall be to consider cases of persistent student suspensions and to develop interventions which support school safety, and reduce student expulsions. The district Positive Behavior Team is designated to bring together a formal review board to assist in correcting student behavior that has resulted in ten or more cumulative suspensions.

I am feeling so frustrated and overwhelmed. This isn't feeling positive at all!

 

[LittleDudesMom]

They are covering their....um.......bases. The purpose of team is to REDUCE STUDENT EXPULSIONS. You have a M hearing next Monday and they are, in three days, going to assimilate a plan and outline it to difficult child? How much time and how many offenses will he be allowed before they MAY recommend expulsion? Bologna. Take it a day at a time and don't let them bully you (of difficult child).

Sharon

 

[iloveturtles]

Exactly my thinking. Also, isn't the IEP supposed to have the necessary interventions and such?

Taking it one day at a time that is for sure.

 

[JJJ]

Sounds like a form letter, triggered by his 10th suspension

 

[TerryJ2]

Turtles, I was wondering why the IEP, etc didn't help with-his issues, until I saw JJJ's response ... I didn't realize he had 10 suspensions.
Sigh.
Best of luck. Hold your head up and stay focused.

 

[iloveturtles]

He has had 4 suspensions equaling 11 days. It isn't a form letter it is something that the Student Services Coordinator from his middle school requested.

This is a separate process from the Manifestation Determination hearing that his 11 days triggered.

Then in today's mail is a postcard from the school inviting me to the 6th grade awards assembly since he is being honored for something. This is the Wednesday in between the Manifestation and the Positive Behavior team.

 

[TerryJ2]

Wow! Up and down! What is he being honored for?

 

[iloveturtles]

They don't tell you. I will find out on the 19th. I am assuming it has to do with his academics.

 

[susiestar]

I would not step foot into the Manifestation Hearing or this positive behavior thingy with-o an advocate and/or attorney. I have a feeling they are planning to try to push you into something that they cannot really do with the Manifestation Hearing, hence the other thingy. They may even try to pull the old "report to children's services" if you don't agree with whatever BS they want.

I really think that a doctor who will give you a diagnosis would help. It would give some idea of what interventions and medications might work. If they say he is bipolar you would stay away from stimulants and antidepressants and try mood stabilizers and antipsychotics first, for example. This "no diagnosis" bull leaves you clueless, in my opinion.

Regardless of what the doctor does, get an advocate or attorney to go with you to this meeting. Even if the advocate is just a friend or family member, do NOT go alone. If you DO have to go alone, get a copy of Wrightslaw and maybe The Bipolar Child (if you think it is BiPolar (BP)) or a book about Aspergers or whatever you think it is. Go through and put post-it notes on certain pages. Of course those about Manifestation Hearings, but also about FAPE in LRE (Free and Appropriate Public Education in Least Restrictive Environment), and whatever else catches your fancy.

Make SURE they see you put the books on the table. It is a ploy meant to help them realize you know your rights. I often could not get an advocate or even a family member or friend to attend the IEP meetings with me. My husband was useless (he cannot speak in those settings except to agree with whatever they want.) and others always had a conflict. REFUSE to sign anything other than notes that you were there if you do not agree with what happens.

At meetings where I had my books they often did not try to throw big words at me and they did not try to tell me the the law said that whatever had to happen. with-o the books I was told that he was not eligible for a resource room to spend time in when overwhelmed, that he was not allowed to take extra bathroom breaks or keep a water bottle with him even when medication side effects meant those were needed and the docs wrote rx's for as many bathroom breaks as Wiz thought he needed and for him to ALWAYS have a water bottle with him. They even tried to tell me that they couldn't keep an inhaler at school -that if he needed his inhaler for asthma then I had to drive to school with it, give it to him, and take it home. They tried other koi also, all of it against what the laws say. I got so much of that cut out when they thought I could pull out the laws from the books. It actually shortened IEP meetings by over an HOUR.

I did NOT know what all the post it notes were flagging, just certain key ones. They just THOUGHT that I did, and it made a big difference. One teacher kept insisting he was bipolar because she took a seminar on bipolar students (other parents told me she thought every student in her classes was bipolar - she taught jr high english!). She CLEARLY had not read The Bipolar Child and having it quoted to her got her to shut up, which was needed.

Whatever goes on, be gentle with yourself. Wear your rhino skin armor, and you can even borrow mine if you want a second set in reserve. We will be right there with you in spirit, sitting you your shoulders like the little angles whispering in your ear (or devils, depending - lol). Make SURE that you have some nice treat for yourself for after the meeting. Even if it is just a quiet cup of tea and a book to read. Just something all for YOU.

Hugs.

 

[dadside]

See my response in the Special Education section. I read the PBT approach as their way of doing the assessment and intervention plan required by IDEA if the behavior is a manifestation of the disability. (They apparently use the same approach with non-IDEA students and a non-manifestation situation, which ought to be a good thing outside IDEA.) Either way, I agree that you would benefit from having a trained advocate with you at the manifestation meeting.

 

[helpme]

Pushing susiestar's

get an advocate or attorney to go with you to this meeting

do NOT go alone

REFUSE to sign anything other than notes that you were there if you do not agree with what happens.

and dadside's advice

trained advocate with you at the manifestation meeting

Be prepared. An advocate will make you feel a lot better. And remember,
the school will react entirely different with an advocate or attorney present.

 

[iloveturtles]

I have the Dr. from his after-school/summer therapeutic camp program coming. This is not the doctor that doesn't believe in labels. I have another call into him in regards to the Positive Behavior Team. I am actually more stressed out about the positive behavior team than the manifestation determination. I guess because the Dr. is coming with me.

difficult child comes to the Positive Behavior Team meeting.

Hoping I can get the time off of work.