After The Graduation Party is Over

There is a lot of angst amongst the HCDS people about something called Springboard. In today's Tribune, there is an article that leads one to believe that this Springboard gimmick may be more about how some people can make money disguised as an effort to increase accountability in education.

Maybe image is everything. After all, schools are supposed to educate students, and what better way to say that one is educated than to go off to college. The fact that someone makes money off of this may be just pure coincidence.

I see that at least one board member, April Griffin, is looking out for "all" of the students and recognizes that at least a few of them are not on fast or slow track to college. In fact, there may be a few of them that want to get on with their life outside of a formal education. I hear a few stories about how there are a lot of rich people who did not get a college education. What we don't hear about is how many people lead happy, productive lives without a college education. I think Marxist's are the one's who measure success by how much money or material possessions one has. There are other ways to measure success, especially by those who see themselves as successful. Not that I dabble in politics much, according to one of those guys running to be POTUS, if one owns a gun and goes to church, they ain't successful.

But what about the kids that ride the short bus with the little blue emblem on the side. BTW, it is my understanding of IDEA that kids in special education could ride the regular bus right along with their peers just like they can be in a classroom with their peers. For some reason, it seems to be wrongly entrenched in school systems that "special education" automatically means separate classroom and separate bus. It seems to me that sending two busses to the same bus stop would cost more money than to send just one with an aide on it, but I'm just a parent. Maybe it is harder to find aides than it is bus drivers is all I can think.

And then there is "Transition, Transition Services, Transition Planning". Wrightslaw can explain it better than me.

Some may wonder what the big deal is that I would write about this. It has to do with arrogance and ignorance. I will highlight some points that we should all know:

".....The phrase "further education" and the emphasis on effective transition services is new in IDEA 2004. Section 1400(c)(14) describes the need to provide "effective transition services to promote successful post-school employment and/or education. (See "Findings and Purposes" in Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition, pages 45-48)


"(34) Transition Services - The term `transition services' means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that-

(A) is designed to be a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child's movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation;

(B) is based on the individual child’s needs, taking into account the child's strengths, preferences, and interests;

(C) includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and, when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation. (See "Definitions" in
Section 1401, Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition, page 56)"

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A hint to all - this can not happen in the last one or two years of high school, and hit and miss approach. It has to start from day one with professional oversight.

Just like those regular ed kids.

And there may be where the problem lies.

CERT - No It's Not One Mint of Two

I decided to copy-n-paste my comment on my previous post. Maybe more people will get to read it. Because we all know the road to improvement is based on exposure.

Tell your friends.


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Considerations for Educationally Relevant Therapy

"CERT".


I have written several times about "parsing" of words. I have been in many, many IEP teams where services are denied because "it" wasn't "educationally relevant".

Next time you are around an ESE specialist or related service person, ask them to define "educationally relevant". Then ask them for their source.

It is my understanding that an IEP is to be developed to meet the individualized needs of the student with a disability. If the IEP team agrees that a student needs a related service, and we know by our formalized IDEA training that related services means,and is not limited to:

"§ 300.34 Related services.
(a) General. Related services means
transportation and such developmental,
corrective, and other supportive services
as are required to assist a child with a
disability to benefit from special
education, and includes speechlanguage
pathology and audiology
services, interpreting services,
psychological services, physical and
occupational therapy, recreation,
including therapeutic recreation, early
identification and assessment of
disabilities in children, counseling
services, including rehabilitation
counseling, orientation and mobility
services, and medical services for
diagnostic or evaluation purposes.
Related services also include school
health services and school nurse
services, social work services in schools,
and parent counseling and training.", the student receives it.


You state: "Usually, I don't get a kid assigned to my Caseload until they are eligible". I will try to clarify my previous post. Once a student has been found eligible for specialized instruction under the IDEA, it is my understanding that they do not have to then be "declared eligible" for any related services. This would be one of those areas where the parsing of words and meaning of intent comes in to play. Such as, if the District person, after presenting the CERT, says it (the CERT) is the recommendation of the IEP team, a knowlegeable person could argue that the CERT is simply another source of information, but that the CERT is not an IEP Team recommendation.

However, I have witnessed that (the District person saying that the CERT is the IEP team's recommendation) happening on more than one occasion, in fact numerous times. In one IEP meeting where I pointed out that the OT evaluation and the PT evaluation had the exact same language, I was told I wasn't properly educated to understand how OT and PT evaluations were done.

It has been my experience, and my opinion that the above mentioned CERT is treated by some District personnel as a secondary "finding of eligibility" for a specific related service, especially in the area of OT and PT.

Regarding your question about hiring outside services, it is my understanding that a Local Education Agency (LEA), which in our case is HCPS, is responsible for providing any and all related services that are specified in an IEP. It is also my understanding that how that is done is left to the LEA, but the services must be provided as outlined in IDEA. So, if the District has to hire outside agencies, then so be it.

I assume you read my post “Old News Is Still Bad News” about the OT/PT state investigation in Hillsborough County
HCPS OT/PT State Complaint
I never have heard what happened to the money .And just think about the negative image the District has from the people who heard what happened. Of course, we all realize that statistically, few know, but it sure meant a lot to the students and parents who were involved in not receiving the services.

Do I Want To Be An ESE Teacher?

I started what I thought would be a short answer to a comment on this post: Moron State Complaints.

But I couldn't just stop at one paragraph,so here is my response.


No thanks on being one of those ESE teachers, or any other position. I couldn't work in a system that depends on slight-of- hand relationships in order for the system to continue to exist. And hopefully, all that ESE teachers should expect from parents who have been deceived by the system is empathy. What is the difference of parents being dumped on and teachers being dumped on? We are all in the same dump.

For instance, if the District doesn't have the money to professionally develop and service IEP's, then why doesn't the District say so? Instead, the system has developed a set of shifting "hoops" that students and parents try to jump through, that frequently does not make sense.

Delay, delay, delay is the first hoop. "Observations, screenings or evaluations" take forever. There is nothing that says a student must fail first in order to be evaluated for a suspected disability.

A CERT is nothing more than a "double eligibility" scam. In other words, once a student is under IDEA, they are "eligible" for services "if they need it". An "IEP team", which includes the parent, can, and should, make decisions based on a variety of sources of information. Try convincing an OT/PT person of that one.

Have you ever studied the scoring system of a CERT? Just getting older lessens the "recommended eligibility score". How does that work, other than to diminish District costs for older kids.

And speaking of the words "recommended eligibility score", how many times have you seen where the CERT score is presented as "it is the recommendation of the IEP team....". Excuse me, but the "IEP team" includes the parent. But District people know better than to say: "In order for us to save money, the District is saying your child does not need (insert a related service here). However, in order for us to get some money from the State, but limit our expense, we will put a check mark for "consult services" on the IEP."

I do have empathy for teachers because they bear the brunt of the parent's anger when the parent starts to figure out they are being lied to. I may have labeled those posts under "administrative abuse of parents" and "parent/teacher conflict". I do not have empathy for teachers who actively go along with the deceit.

However, as one who has set through countless IEP meetings of my own and to assist others, it is little solace to parents when it has become evident that the IEP is not based on the needs of the student, or, it has become evident that the needs of the student were written into the IEP but the IEP is not being honored.

While parents and teachers are at each other's throats, the real decision makers are far away from the emotional toll it has on the teachers and parents and these distant decision makers don't have to face the truth in person. It is just paper work and check marks for them.

It's Raining, It's Pouring - And We Are Drowning

"Long as I remember the rain been comin down.
Clouds of mystry pourin' confusion on the ground.
Good men through the ages, tryin to find the sun;
And I wonder, still I wonder, who'll stop the rain." - Credence Clearwater Revival

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I've "pumped a lot "pain"" on my blogs. I've written about how I perceive the "HCDS system" having a propensity towards obfuscation, parsing of words and unprofessional actions that thwart parents when they attempt to advocate for their kids.

When I read of teachers, and a lone administrator, being treated in the same manner, it bothers me. I will keep banging the drum. I am more convinced that not only are there countless parents that are treated that way, but there are countless employees that are treated that way.

I can defend my allegations because I have the goods and the know how to present it. But it took me six years to realize I needed some specialized knowledge and a few more years to develop the skills. Most parents and teachers don't survive that long. I read the book "Death By Education" many years ago. It made sense to me, because I knew a lot of people within the school system that were caught between a rock and a hard place, or ethics and a job.

I am starting to believe more strongly that the one's who give up their ethics are rewarded - those who don't are dealt with severely.

Here is a case that I can relate to even though I am not an employee.

Follow the links.

Some day maybe the rain will stop.

Runaround Sue

Within the world of ESE, there is a lot of needed information to play the game. Very few players have that information. There is a lot of misinformation out and about about how some parents "sue the District". I think the HCDS once had a big meeting at the fair grounds to address the rumor mill about parents suing the District. I would love to hear some first hand accounting of what was said, and how parents were portrayed. The fact that money must have been paid to hold such a huge number of district personnel all at one time to get the same spin, I mean information, means it must have been important to the continued exemplary service of the District.

No doubt, the posturing of any school District to require parents to sue a District to obtain a parents desired outcome saves a District a lot of money. However, we know of at least one instance where this backfired, and cost the District a lot of money paid out to the parents, who "won" the case, and also paid out to the District's legal defense. Since that case took several years and ended in Federal court, there is a good chance it was a substantial amount of money. The fact that it was determined in Federal court that the District retaliated against the parents for advocating for the student is not something most would want the world to know.

So, who makes the decision within the District to force an issue to due process? Is there any conflicting interest in this process?

How many people who are responsible for the public money are fully informed about the details prior to the District drawing a line when the parent is indicating that they may go to due process to address an issue if that is what it will take?

Do these decision makers rely on just one person's assessment of the case? Does the District make decisions based on fear of setting a precedent, rather than the issues relative to an individual case?

Do these decision makers get to ask questions in a private one on one session and can they expect to get straightforward answers from those involved?

Do the one's who write the final check for the District's legal defense ever know if a case was about winning at any cost, despite any legitimate issues of the parent?

Just wondering. If any one has any answers, feel free to stop by for some fresh sweet tea and set a spell on the front porch.

Moron State Complaints

IEP season is getting near. ESE specialists are honing up on how to streamline IEP meetings with minimal distractions. This includes practicing a "set routine" of the IEP meeting process and remembering to delay addressing parental questions and concerns until the end of the meeting. Phrases such as "we will get to that later", or "we need to do these steps first" or maybe "we don't have to write that down, the teacher incorporates that in her daily routine", or maybe "all of the kids in that class get that related service - the District understands the importance it is to education, so we don't have to write that down."

Teachers are dreading IEP season because it means more paperwork. They want to know what happen to that slick program that came about last year where there was going to be an assistant that was going to ease the workload, do all of the paperwork and make attending IEP meetings less burdensome. Plus, they know they are going to face the brunt of the parent's frustration when the parent figures out they were given another snow job.


Back to state complaints. Another blogger had suggested that parents need to bring about "legal authority". I have never been through due process, which is a highly formalized legal proceeding, but I have watched a few cases from the sidelines. I have been involved in a few state complaints, the first one unwittingly because I didn't even know that was what it was.

I will agree with the other blogger that parental ignorance allows the system to continue to be dysfunctional. Along with this goes employee ignorance. When I started learning the real rules of the game, I started to see the decision makers, who had authority, were just ignorant to the fact that the way they do what they have always done was wrong.

It is by design. Knowledge is power, so keeping the masses ignorant is a must. Within a motel, there is always dirty laundry. Most parents think if they complain to "a higher person", the problem will go away. That is because they "trust the professionals" to be "professional". After they have been up the local ladder, only to be shoved off to the people they have already been dealing with because the District is strong on following the chain of command, if they write a letter of complaint, it gets sent to the state (it's in the rules).

Most people think an outside agency will bring influence into solving what is obviously a problem, say like kids not getting OT/PT services for months, even thought it is written in their IEP's. But, here is the dirty secret. When the representative from the state calls the parent about the state complaint, they will say everything and anything to get the parent to drop the state complaint.

The point is, the Feds monitor the number of state complaints. The fact is, there are far more "state complaints" that are never recorded as such because the representatives are zealous in their attempts to get the complaint dropped. To the untrained parent, it sounds professional and responsible. Options include Mediation and "Early Resolution". Or maybe they use statements that are similar to the following: "the District said they were going to fix this, they are professionals and really, there is no need for you to continue with this -0k?" "I am glad they were able to take care of this for you so quickly - it shows they care" -

If being nice doesn't work, trust me, they get just like the District and they use veiled "threats" and "intimidation". Despite years of frustration by a parent facing the same problem, they might even say something like "the only reason you are filing a state complaint is to punish the District".

It is a war zone out there folks. It is telling when District people won't commit to paper what is said or done. And then everyone blames parents for filing state complaints, or due process.