I'm sorry I haven't been around. Been crazy life! Tim was really sick this whole year, had broncial pnomonia (sp?), then right after that was diagnosis'd with mono. Missed 4 months of school, then got sick again when he started back, wound up having cat scratch disease! Had to have surgery on his lymph glands on his neck. Well he finally started back at school at the end of April. He is so far behind of course, 9th grade, is on an abbreviated day. Well then after that started complaining about his tooth, we had to stop the dentist appts. when he got so sick, so now he needs 3 root canals! This kid has been thru the ringer. Anyway, a few weeks after he started back 2 incidents at the school happened. Gang fight, which ended up with the cops finding 2 kids one with a loaded gun (and it was a girl) it was after school just let out, outside on school grounds. Then another kid who was suspended, got back into the school 2 days later after his supension, school police recognized him (thank God) and he was caught with a loaded 9mm handgun, inside the school!
So now, to present day, Tim doesn't want to go back there. He is anxious about these incidents (just so you know he suffers with a lot of school anxiety and this just topped it off) he missed so much school due to illness, he was on homebound for that time. He told me that they smoke pot in the stairwells, cigs in the hallway cupped in their hands, the kids are like animals, he is afraid to go in the bathroom as they rough you up in there and if you are in the stall they push open the doors. I've been to a few meetings already there and they are really crazy in the hallways.
Anyway, I've been asking about getting him into a Votech type of school. They do have one in the s.d. he is in, but it is a lottery based school and you have to take a test, etc. There is also another program I'm not sure how it works, there is a votech school that normally you have to pay to go, but this school he is in has some kind of deal with them where kids can go there on a part time basis or something. I asked for more information but of course never got it from the Special Education dr. When I had my last meeting a few weeks ago is when I discussed with them about a votech type of school, that his doctors felt he would do better in something like this instead of the "traditional school setting" they said well we don't do that here, we are strictly academis. You have to look into that on your own. Well I always thought the school is supposed to help the child be in the approriate placement. This other votech school also works with the OVR (Occupational Vocational Rehab.) in PA. They go thru a place called JEVS. Now I don't exactly know how this works, I always thought you had to be 18 to go thru OVR. The school said no, that's not necessarily true.
Now my thing is I have another IEP today and was wondering how much is the school supposed to help in getting a child the appropriate placement? If they think he would do better in a votech type school where it is more hands on and they really know how far behind he is especially since he was so sick this year, and they don't have this here at this school, but another school does in that district (but hard to get into), and another votech school they work with thru the OVR, wouldn't it be feasible for them to help me get him into one of those? What exactly is their responsibility in making sure he is in the appropriate placement, or is it up to me to go to these 2 different schools and see if I can get him in there? I don't really understand why it should be left up to me, when they have the resources and the connections to help.
My case manager is going to call the OVR and see what he can find out, but I could use some guidance if anyone has any suggestions or ideas in how to approach the school district and say hey, you guys have to help me with this? Does that make sense?
Also just to update you all on me, my brother passed away in January. The same day my heater pipe was busted, now I'm faced with an almost $3,000 gas bill because the company is trying to say that my meter was set at half at what it was supposed to be, which I had this meter in my house for 10 years. I'm fighting that, like it's my faulth their equipment was malfunctiong??? Jeesh! Then with Tim being so sick all this year, it's been a crazy life! Plus things are crazy at work!
So I hope you all have been well, I've been lurking in the shadows, trying to keep up with everyone
So now, to present day, Tim doesn't want to go back there. He is anxious about these incidents (just so you know he suffers with a lot of school anxiety and this just topped it off) he missed so much school due to illness, he was on homebound for that time. He told me that they smoke pot in the stairwells, cigs in the hallway cupped in their hands, the kids are like animals, he is afraid to go in the bathroom as they rough you up in there and if you are in the stall they push open the doors. I've been to a few meetings already there and they are really crazy in the hallways.
Anyway, I've been asking about getting him into a Votech type of school. They do have one in the s.d. he is in, but it is a lottery based school and you have to take a test, etc. There is also another program I'm not sure how it works, there is a votech school that normally you have to pay to go, but this school he is in has some kind of deal with them where kids can go there on a part time basis or something. I asked for more information but of course never got it from the Special Education dr. When I had my last meeting a few weeks ago is when I discussed with them about a votech type of school, that his doctors felt he would do better in something like this instead of the "traditional school setting" they said well we don't do that here, we are strictly academis. You have to look into that on your own. Well I always thought the school is supposed to help the child be in the approriate placement. This other votech school also works with the OVR (Occupational Vocational Rehab.) in PA. They go thru a place called JEVS. Now I don't exactly know how this works, I always thought you had to be 18 to go thru OVR. The school said no, that's not necessarily true.
Now my thing is I have another IEP today and was wondering how much is the school supposed to help in getting a child the appropriate placement? If they think he would do better in a votech type school where it is more hands on and they really know how far behind he is especially since he was so sick this year, and they don't have this here at this school, but another school does in that district (but hard to get into), and another votech school they work with thru the OVR, wouldn't it be feasible for them to help me get him into one of those? What exactly is their responsibility in making sure he is in the appropriate placement, or is it up to me to go to these 2 different schools and see if I can get him in there? I don't really understand why it should be left up to me, when they have the resources and the connections to help.
My case manager is going to call the OVR and see what he can find out, but I could use some guidance if anyone has any suggestions or ideas in how to approach the school district and say hey, you guys have to help me with this? Does that make sense?
Also just to update you all on me, my brother passed away in January. The same day my heater pipe was busted, now I'm faced with an almost $3,000 gas bill because the company is trying to say that my meter was set at half at what it was supposed to be, which I had this meter in my house for 10 years. I'm fighting that, like it's my faulth their equipment was malfunctiong??? Jeesh! Then with Tim being so sick all this year, it's been a crazy life! Plus things are crazy at work!
So I hope you all have been well, I've been lurking in the shadows, trying to keep up with everyone
