Behavior Teaching Must Not Be System Supported

Today's news#comment-133144565

Read the comment by "on shortchanged".


Where does one turn when one needs experts in behavior teaching? A teaching institution?

I thought each school in HCPS had a highly trained behavior specialist.

I thought each school writes comprehensive IEP's. How could there be a problem with behavior?

Here is a comment from one of my previous post's:

Anonymous said...

My child is often disciplined when it was due to his disablity. The IEP says we are to be notified prior to in school suspensions but we are rarely notified. In fact msot of the provisions of the IEP are ignored on a regular basis. The system is very broken and I wish this lawsuit great success.

I have first hand experience as a part of a disabled child at Ms Wieland's schools. She is not qualified in any way for her current position unless that qualification is to back up a corrupt, cruel District Administration in blocking help to students who are legally entitled to it.

October 2, 2008 1:58 PM

Where Is The Substance To The IEP?

Another article about yesterday's news can be found here:

State Complaint

We could examine this part of the article closely:

The groups also say the school district isolates students with disabilities through discipline. Disabled students in Hillsborough are 2 1/2 times as likely to lose as least 10 days of school to suspensions or expulsions as other students, they say.

But a veteran of two schools with exceptional student education programs says administrators often mainstream students with behavioral disabilities into regular settings.

"We really believe that every student begins in the least restrictive environment," said Joyce Wieland, a former principal and the district's director for exceptional student education.

It is through later assessment and discussion involving both school administrators and parents that placements change.

"Each student is seen as an individual, and we want all children to learn," Wieland said.

What we don't hear is that the supports and services that should be written into an IEP so that the student can benefit from the least restrictive environment are provided. Simply placing a student in the LRE is not the point. The point is that the teacher and the students need supports and related services. In a real professional ESE world, the change of placement would occur after it is demonstrated that the supports and related services that were written into a well designed IEP do not meet the needs of the student.

I didn't see that from what I read. How many teachers see that in their classrooms?

Two New ESE Administrators

In yesterday's Tampa Tribune, buried under the title of USF Charter School Changes Name, Management we find:

"The board also appointed: Joyce Wieland to general director of exceptional student education;
and
"Maryann Parks to supervisor of exceptional student education,...."

When I look at the current HCPS Exceptional Student Education Department's list of administrators, I note that there is the existing position of "general director", but I do not see the existing position of "supervisor of exceptional student education". I note there are 11 titles of "supervisors", but each seems to have a specific area.

Is this a new position of "supervisor of exceptional student education"?


Since I am curious about their background, my research brings me this information:

2003-2004
DALE MABRY ELEMENTARY Principal: JOYCE WIELAND

and then next we have

"Back to School 2005
For seven new principals, an inside look......They are...... Joyce Wieland, Westchase Elementary."

This leads one to wonder what type of ESE experience Ms. Wieland has to promote her to "Director of ESE"?

My research on Maryann Parks shows that she is the current ESE Dist. Resource Teacher on the same HCPS website.

I could not find any other information about her.

I wonder what their collective backgrounds are that qualifies them for their new positions.