Well, I didn't see that one coming....

[Shari]

and I was nearly floored.

The meeting was to review the current placement and how it is going (self contained in the resource room). SpEd teacher, mainstream teacher, SpEd Director, principal, me, Ex-mother in law, county case manager, and advocate were there.

SpEd teacher had an agenda. First item was the current placement.

SpEd teacher and Principal wanted TO REDUCED HIM TO 2 HOURS A DAY!!!!!!!

Wee has been self-contained for 11 days now, counting today (and remember, this week is MAP testing, so there is no academic time with the SpEd teacher this week). I was utterly floored.

She has averaged that he is getting 48 minutes per day of academics out of the 5 hours he is there, so she wants to reduce him to 2 hours a day. No way. If we do that, she'll get 10 minutes of academics out of him!

Their "basis" for this is that he is "learning" that he doesn't have to do school work while he is at school.

So the solution is send him home???? Again???? Just what do they think THAT is gong to teach him????

I said no no and hell no. I told them that he is just doing what he has been taught, and that is that behavior gets him out of school and work. And its going to take more than 11 days to undo what has been a very negative 2.5 years of school experience in which very maladaptive behaviors have been "rewarded".

Advocate stepped up to the plate, too. She stepped in quickly and recommended a new FBA which is goinig to have to be done by someone outside the district because SpEd teacher is the one who handles FBA's for behavior problems in our district...and she's working directly with Wee now...so...can't be objective. She also recommended a lot of the AT recommended in the latest evaluations that identified nd labeled the Learning Disability (LD)'s. There will be an AT evaluation, also.

Then they didn't want to start anything this year because the year is almost over. I said, again, no no and hell no. We sat by "biding time" at this point last year, and I will not waste 6 weeks of school doing that again. They can at the very least get the ball rolling NOW.

He qualifies for ESY, and would get about an hour of SpEd time a day. Not sure its worth it.

After the meeting, advocate, ex-mother in law, county manager, and I met. We all feel they will place him elsewhere soon. Most likely the alternative school in the next district. There was some concern about them being able to address his Learning Disability (LD) needs, but advocate has been in contact with them, and they have folks in place now that can address that, at least as well, if not better, than he's getting here. She was also impressed with our willingness to step up and counter them, I didn't think we did anything really special...

So, I guess it was a "win" of sorts because he remains in the current placement for 5 hours a day.

I'm still just floored. Pretty sure that principal is behind this, so it was kinda fun watching her get totally shot down by everyone in the room (including the mainstream teacher). But I'm still floored. I'm almost ready to say skip the bs and just move him...I don't think this district can provide FAPE, and this principal is likely just going to be a roadblock for anyone who actually attemps to.

 

[KTMom91]

Wow...

 

[slsh]

Shari, I just spewed my cocktail all over my keyboard (thanks, hon). Two hours a day? You have got to be kidding me.

I tell you what - I would have countered with: "Ok, so out of 5 hours a day, he's currently getting 48 minutes of academic instruction, so you owe him compensatory education of, let's say nondisabled peers receive 5 hours of academic instruction a day, so I'll take (4 hours 12 minutes x however long he's been on this schedule *plus* 5 hr/day for the days he's missed because school called you to pick him up or because they didn't have staff (sped teacher out) *plus* 2.5 hours/day (to be generous) for the half-day garbage from last fall and the end of the last school year) in compensatory education, to be provided over the summer breaks (none of this 1-hour ESY junk) until you've caught up providing him FAPE in LRE."

I hope hope hope you got it in writing that he's currently receiving 48 mins of academics a day.

Honestly, have these people ever heard of IDEA???? They are out of their minds.

Glad advocate stepped up and *good* for her for nixing sped teacher doing FBA. Good woman. Glad AT is going to be reviewed as well.

I have to say, I absolutely agree with you. There is no point in subjecting him to anymore of this. It's really pretty abusive on the SD's part. Do the change in placement. Yes, the Learning Disability (LD)'s need to be addressed but if a child is unable to function in a classroom in the first place, the Learning Disability (LD)'s really become moot, in my humble opinion. The SD has already proven this. If he's not in school, he's not being educated, Learning Disability (LD) or no.

Two hours. Honestly.... unbelievable.

by the way, if the lowlights (2 hours, their request to postpone evaluations, their statement that he doesn't have to do school work in school to learn - hello???? what's the point of school days then?????) of the mtg were not documented in the IEP, please please please send a letter of understanding to the SD, certified, and ask that it be placed in his permanent file.

 

[klmno]

Yeah- 2 hours a day is almost homebound, which is the most restrictive environment in a way- at least it's the least education. I have no advice- just wanted to offer support. I feel for you.

 

[Wiped Out]

Good for you for standing up for Wee. You rock warrior mom!!!

 

[Shari]

Oh, and I might add that I was asked "what kind of 'not to say punishment, but...not sure what other word to use' is he given when he is sent home from school?"

I said, until it became daily, we did academic things on academic time; no tv and playing. When it came down to having to work from home to keep my job, I did that and let the other slide because it was obviously not having any sort of impact on the outcome with Wee...