Help Me Help Others to Collaborate

A link from The Gradebook:


Bus change for special-needs students worries parents - St. Petersburg Times

Please read the article for content as it speaks to "each side" (parent/LEA(local education agency))of the issue.

I take exception to this comment in the article:

so long as the district is meeting children's needs, officials say the district was not required to send notification about this year's changes.

This leads to a link to IDEA 2004:

IDEA 2004: Law and Regulations - Wrightslaw

I will provide excerpts from IDEA so you can compare what the article says to the word of the law. Please do not make the mistake many do and simply read one section of the law. I only provide specific citations due to lack of space.

Transportation (§ 300.34(c)(16))
...........Comment: Some commenters
recommended removing the term
‘‘special transportation’’ from the
definition of transportation because the
term gives the impression that adapted
buses are used for a separate and
different transportation system, when,
in fact, adapted buses are part of the
regular transportation fleet and system.
These commenters stated that adapted
buses should only be used as a separate,
special transportation service if the
child’s IEP indicates that the
transportation needs of the child can be
met only with transportation services
that are separate from the transportation
services for all children.
Discussion: We do not believe it is
necessary to make the change requested
by the commenters. It is assumed that
most children with disabilities will
receive the same transportation
provided to nondisabled children,
consistent with the LRE requirements in
§§ 300.114 through 300.120, unless the
IEP Team determines otherwise. While
we understand the commenter’s
concern, adapted buses may or may not
be part of the regular transportation
system in a particular school system. In
any case, if the IEP Team determines
that a child with a disability requires
transportation as a related service in
order to receive FAPE, or requires
supports to participate in integrated
transportation with nondisabled
children, the child must receive the
necessary transportation or supports at
no cost to the parents.
Changes: None.

Seems like the "new" procedures recognize the above, except they missed the "IEP team" part.



This is the area that I take exception to the District's statement that "they did not have to inform the parent" about the change in bus service.

LRE Requirements (§ 300.114)...........
Section 300.114, consistent with
section 612(a)(5) of the Act, requires
each public agency to ensure that, to the
maximum extent appropriate, children
with disabilities are educated with
children who are not disabled. Further,
§ 300.116 ensures that a child’s parent is
included in the group of persons making
the decision about the child’s
placement.Changes: None.

>‘(‘placement’’ refers to the provision of
special education services, rather than a
specific place, such as a specific classroom or specific school. (46630 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 156 / Monday, August 14, 2006 / Rules and Regulations)

If placement refers to the provision of special education services and transportation is a related service under special education services and the parent should be included in the group of persons making the decision about the child's placement, then it seems to me that there should be an IEP team discussion about the transportation setting.

Let me know if I am missing something.

This seems to me to be just a focus on the checkbox on the IEP under transportation. Paper compliance is the focus of the District. A parent is supposed to be an equal participant of the IEP. Did the parent have an opportunity to discuss the issues regarding the individualized needs of their child on a regular ed bus?

Based on the information I have from the article, the actions and mind set of the District continues to display arrogance with ignorance and maintains their cavalier attitude. The public can not seem to break through this barrier.

Mothers support parents of special-needs children

The challenge to parents of children with disabilities is found everywhere.

The disregard to the Federal law IDEA is rampant.

Keeping the majority of everyone within the public education ignorant of the true intent of IDEA is rampant and by design.

There is an almost a universal reaction by all educators when they are presented the actual words of IDEA and the actual context of the Procedural Safeguards and what "rights to a free and appropriate education (FAPE)" that the federal law is supposed to provide for special education students.

Obtaining what these "rights" are is a difficult task.

*********************



Mothers support parents of special-needs children
By Paulette Lash Ritchie, Times Correspondent
In print: Thursday, August 28, 2008



When Kaitlyn Pierce was 8 years old, she was diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia. Her mother, Nikki Pierce, didn't know what to do.

She researched federal and Florida laws pertaining to special-needs students so she could learn what her child's rights were and how to ask for them.

Kaitlyn is now 9 and in fourth grade at Chocachatti Elementary School. She uses technology to help her with her writing, which is affected by dysgraphia. Pierce said it wasn't until she educated herself to learn how to ask that her daughter was able to get what she needed.

Stacy Walsh is a parent with a son, Gavin, 9, who has Asperger's syndrome, a mild type of autism. He's a fourth-grader at Challenger K8.

She was organizing an autism awareness walk and contacted Pierce. "After that we just kind of clicked. Stacy and I got involved together at the end of the last school year," Pierce said.

Both women now coordinate the Special Students of Hernando Support Group. She and Walsh work with the Hernando County School Board as a community partner with the exceptional student education department.

"Our goal is to educate parents on the proper procedures to get what is appropriate for them," Pierce said.

Nikki Pierce lives in Spring Hill with her husband, Todd, a firefighter; Kaitlyn; and Kyle, an 8-year-old Chocachatti third-grader.

Stacy Walsh lives in Brooksville with her husband, Harry, who works in communications; Gavin; and Savanna, 11, a sixth-grader at Challenger K8.

When she started, Pierce formed the Dyslexia and Related Learning Differences Support Group. She realized, though, that parents of children with all kinds of special needs had to deal with the same issues, so the group was changed to Special Students of Hernando Support Group.

Pierce and Welsh have a Web site with contact information, related links, event notices and other information.

"We are here to help support and educate parents on their student's (child's) rights in the educational system. We are not attorneys — we are parents helping parents. We are all at various stages in our children's educational career and are willing to help other parents who may feel 'lost in the system,' " Pierce and Walsh say on their site, www.specialstudentsofhernando.com.

Nikki Pierce can be reached at nikki@specialstudentsofhernando.com and at (352) 584-5512. Stacy Walsh is at stacy@specialstudentsofhernando.com and (352) 232-1239.

They said they are happy to help any parent, caregiver or educator with questions. Both are volunteers.

"The primary focus of Special Students of Hernando is education of the Federal Special Education laws (IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504: Civil Rights Law, and similar). We want to help parents form a productive relationship with their child's school while understanding the correct process and procedures under the law. We want to see children obtain the most appropriate education, regardless of their disabilities or learning differences," the women state on their site.

The women are advertising a January conference sponsored by Special Students of Hernando and the Hernando County School Board Exceptional Student Education Department.



>>Fast facts

Weightslaw Special Education Law & Advocacy

A two-day conference for parents, educators, advocates, attorneys and professionals

9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 16-17, 2009, GlenLakes Country Club, Weeki Wachee.

For information, go to www.specialstudentsofhernando.com.

Professional Ugly Duckling Identifiers

We all know the story. A little animal faces adversity from it's peers. The little animal is shunned, mocked and ridiculed. Then one day, the little animal figures out that it can identify with others and suddenly the adversity disappears. At least in the story.


Thanks to the Gradebook, we have the link to this story: Teacher lets Morningside students vote out classmate, 5


... "After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.

By a 14 to 2 margin, the students voted Alex — who is in the process of being diagnosed with autism — out of the class."

...."Steele said the teacher confirmed the incident took place"


....."Barton said her son is in the process of being diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a type of high-functioning autism. Alex began the testing process in February at the suggestion of Morningside Principal Marcia Cully."

....."Children diagnosed with Asperger's often exhibit social isolation and eccentric behavior."

...."Melissa Barton filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said."

******************

I guess Alex Barton is what some school administrators refer to as the one's who ruin the "public school salad":


.....It is to be hoped that Principal Annette Grasty of Lakewood Elementary School in Sunnyvale, California is wilting with remorse for this thoroughly rotten analogy. Surely she did not intend to be insulting or hurtful.Her comments came about in reference to the penalty that schools face under the No Child Left Behind Act if they fail to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) in standardized testing conducted each spring. If even one subgroup of students (such as special education) does not meet the AYP goal, the entire school is labeled low-performing. Like many educators, Principal Grasty believes it is unfair to flunk an entire school for the low performance of a single subgroup.As reported in the San Jose Mercury News [Download wilted and rotten.doc] , she thinks education should follow a business model: "If I were running a business, I'd try to control the product coming in," she said. For instance, she said, a chef wouldn't prepare a gourmet salad with wilted lettuce or rotten tomatoes. In a public school, she said, "I can't control who walks in that door. I take kids with learning disabilities, I take everyone. They come in at different levels and with different ways of learning."

....


Once again the arrogance and ignorance of a professional educator leads by example. Spare me the "isolated incident" rationalization... this is 2008 and I have heard that excuse since 1990.

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)"

==========

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.

Myths and Co-optation

In late 1996, when I realized that common sense and normal interactions with many of the people-in-power within the public school system did not work, I sought assistance from other sources. One of these happened to be a book.

"You, Your Child, and Special Education" - A Guide to Making the System Work by
Barbara Coyne Cutler

It made a lot of sense as I connected to the issues that were outlined. Parents like me are found everywhere. What I liked about the book was how she conceptualized "the system" and "parents". For instance, she conceptualized some "myths". She stated "they are effective in keeping a smokescreen around the human and everyday limitations and imperfections of the people who work for school systems, and, to the extent that they silence or confuse parents, they provide security to "threatened" school personnel. However, the myths do not really benefit anyone, - children, parents, or even school personnel." pg 16

She wrote about "myths about educators". They include:
"Educators are super experts in their field"
"Educators are totally objective"
"Educators are free agents"

And then she says this: "Professionals caught in the super expert myth try to maintain the appearance of knowing all out of fear that otherwise parents or colleagues will question their competence. Furthermore, the need to appear super competent may become more imperative if school budgets are tightened and more people vie for fewer permanent school positions. School personnel may feel financially and professionally threatened if they confess they do not have all the educational answers at their fingertips." pg 30-31.

Having said all of that, Cutler goes on to outline ineffective ways to deal with the system. The one I choose to point out is what she calls "co-optation". While she talks primarily about parents, I can't help but think this same strategy works for "disgruntled" school employees also.

While reading some of the local blogs, I can't help but wonder if these strategies will be used to rein in the ones who are vocalizing issues.

Once members of this group grow weary from struggling, they become grateful for kind words and special relationships. "Some schools are experts at recognizing these parents and do just enough to keep them in an ingratiating posture: a few kind words.. a little threat... . Be careful of the teacher or administrator who tells you that you are not like the other parents(because you are so understanding and realistic), who shares his or her problems with you, who is always in when you call, and who is unusually prompt about returning your calls. "

"Co-optation is a hard pattern to change because the seduction... is gradual, even insidious, process during which you have may occasions to develop the habit of supporting and sympathizing with the school person."

In an earlier post I asked this question - how do some people sleep at night?

Maybe the answer is somewhere in myths and co-optation.

Activism or Advocacy?

Yesterday I wrote about misunderstandings a lot of people have about disabilities. This ignorance becomes critical when it has authority and power behind it. When this happens, it is an abuse of power.

The link is to a blog that is hosted by a real professional special education teacher. The post I am linking to has a lot of dynamics in it. Basically, the teacher blogger read a post (by original poster) on another blog, recognized incorrect information and responded to it with correct information.

The recipient of the new correct information (the original poster) was appreciative of the new correct information, and qualified her ignorance by having only been there nine months and her wrong information came from a 2005 article.

Tiny Bouts of Activism

What got my attention was when the original poster said she would forward the new information to her department director for further follow up. I then became curious about what system was the original poster in.

What I wanted to see was how much power and authority these decision makers had regarding the information on cerebral palsy and the role they played with the person with CP. I googled the original phrase and found the original source. Nova University


I found the original article on page 28. It is a typical article in awe of what a person with a disability can do. I first experienced this "awe" over 20 years ago. Since that time, across the United States and in Australia, I have witnessed people with disabilities doing things that are surprising.

I have learned that the "awe" comes from our ignorance and low expectations. If parents and educators understood the dynamics about their kid's specific disability from day one, understood the educational implications of the specific disability in regards to how each kid can learn in their unique, individualized way, all of our kids would have these amazing outcomes.

Understanding a disability is more than just knowing a label. Effective evaluations, done by professionals, should include the educational implications that are specific to each child.

Department directors should be up to date on the latest diagnostic and best practice teaching modalities so that they ensure that teachers are up to date.

Public Administrative Placement vs. Private Profitability

Another isolated incident and broad brush attack. The incident's keep happening and the brush isn't wide enough.

It's all about the money and ignorance on how to educate kids. No wonder the good teachers are leaving the public school system- their hard work is undone by an ignorance.


Click here: The News-Press, news-press.com, Education, Lee’s special ed program fails girl, and family

"Andrea Barrett would wake up at 4:30 every morning. She'd bathe, put on a golf shirt and slacks, and pour herself a bowl of cereal with milk.After breakfast, she'd make lunch, slathering peanut butter and jelly on bread that had the crust cut off.Then, she would wait up to an hour for the bus to come to take her Villas Elementary.
Andrea loved school. It's where her friends were and where she learned basic math, including simple multiplication and division, how to read at a second-grade level, and expanded her American Sign Language vocabulary.Now the 11-year-old south Fort Myers girl has a panic attack at the mere mention of the word school.
Andrea is autistic. She has trouble seeing and can barely hear. She communicates through sign language.

Her outlook on school changed after she was taken out of a class for autistic children and placed in another class all day, without her parents knowing or consenting, in violation of federal law. A Villas employee conceded in the minutes of a meeting held with Andrea's parents that the school was "out of compliance" with her education plan.When the class change happened, Andrea began having serious problems. She withdrew from her family and friends, stopped eating, and no longer bathed, brushed her teeth or dressed herself for school. As a result, her parents, Rebecca and Patrick Barrett, have been unable to hold down full-time jobs. "

****************************************************************

Click here: Business: Private company turns a profit with special education students

"ESA schools offer instruction for students with many kinds of disabilities, from mental retardation to high-functioning autism. One of its rapidly growing programs helps high school special-education graduates who want college degrees.
"The idea was that there are a lot of young adults with learning disabilities, and the expectation wasn't there that they were going to go to college," Claypool said. "And it should have been, because they're often quite bright"

Low Expectations vs Presumption of Entitlement

Click here: YouTube - Patrick Henry Hughes - Inspirational Story

This is a short video about a kid who is doing things because his parents and teachers did not accept what seemed so real to every one else. Pay attention to the infant picture and ask yourself what are your expectations.

It is not just me that talks about low expectations. It is written by congress in the IDEA re-authorizations and has been referred to as the "soft bigotry" towards people with a disability.

"Avoid Methodology Disputes
From Pete: Excellent strategy! If the parent insists that the school use a specific method, this insures that the school will NEVER use this method, come hell or high water. If a particular method needs to be used, I have the outside expert make this recommendation, not the parent.
From Pam: This is the power of "school culture." Many school personnel believe that because parents are emotionally attached to their children, they cannot be knowledgeable about the educational services their children need. According to a study of 5,000 school psychological evaluations, most school personnel believe that children's learning and behavior problems are due to family and child factors, and have absolutely nothing to do with inadequately trained teachers, improper curriculum, and over-crowded classrooms. Read article"

http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/ieps.tactics.session.htm

ALL ROOMS ARE THE SAME (ask at desk if luxury suites are available )

Yesterday, I vented. Over the years, I have been told many things from others as they express their thoughts about me as a father in relationship to one of my children. Most of these comments are positive, a few of them negative. I don't hear those same expressions about my relationship with my other children. My belief is that the absence of these expressions about my 'normal' kids is how society accepts the status-quo of kids growing up and becoming adults and that there is a wide range of expected and accepted paths that they can go.

The positive comments come mostly from people who have known me a while. I know the positive comments and the commenter are meant to express appreciation for the circumstances. The negative comments have been few and from "professionals".

After my rant yesterday, I spent some time thinking about what is in me that I choose to have such feelings. Maybe it has something to do with the path that my son must go and the fact that this path does not fit in the "wide range of expected and accepted paths" for the majority of people.

One of the positive comments that I have heard numerous times is that "God chose you to take care of his little angel". I will never forget the day a very well meaning person said that to me and I had the insolence to reject it. That was over fifteen years ago. Not sure if I knew the above Eagles' song then or not.

One of the negative comments that sticks out in this context is when a reporter asked me how I "felt about the perception of many that parents in your situation think the world owes them". I will never forget my reaction. What I said was something to the effect that if she and I had not been introduced in the manner that we were, I would tell her to get the hell out of my house right now. I gave deference to her position - the insinuation and implications of the word "many" to this day haunts me. That conversation happened around 11 years ago.

I have spoken about compulsory school attendance and school choice here and on other blogs. I have previously posted the contents of the "Wilted lettuce, Rotten tomatoes" missive and the implications of same. I spoke of the lack of control I have in choosing my children's strength and weaknesses in my profile.

I am coming to this. My son and I are fine with our path. It is when we are forced in to situations that are not good and then told we have to accept it because we are who we are just does not fit well.