Re: Flagpole mom, pt 4/ IT'S ALL OVER

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/4/2000 9:45:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

Michdock@... writes:

If your child DOES get your services, it is becuase someone was willing to

fight and educate the system before you came along. Let's support these

Moms!

>>

,

I don't think anyone was saying that this mom should not have been supported,

I know I wasn't. I was pointing out the meeting had not taken place yet and

what the school was agreeing to in public could be different when they

actually sit at the table!

I guess I might make everyone mad by saying that I don't think what this mom

did was more heroic than the many daily battles that parents (moms and dads

)wage with their school systems. This woman was also not in an isolated town

in the mountains.

I talked to a mom whose child was born deaf and she spent 5 yrs preparing the

school for this but did they ever manage to convince anyone to come to this

small mountain community with no jobs but this one? No, would tying herself

to the front of the school have changed things? No. Is there a solution yet?

No. There are a lot of realities out there.

As to nurses in every school, when I was working as an info spec for our

states parent advocacy ctr I had many phone calls from all over the state of

VA that leads me to believe the majority of schools from elem to high school

do not have onsite nurses. I never checked the figures on that though. I do

know that those parents whose children had diabetes had a tough road to hoe.

No school nurse on site, so you would think the classroom teacher would be

allowed to administer the " stick " and take action, but no of the 3 students I

knew of they had to go to the office and wait for the designated guidance

counselor.

All 3 of the students were in elem school and missing lunch waiting, missing

classroom instruction time waiting and risking their health waiting.

Realities are there is not enough money going around for a nurse in every

school and I don't think because a mom tied herself to a chair that a nurse

needs to be assigned to that school, in my opinion, its over the top.

Rejoice!

Amie

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/6/00 1:12:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time, AmieBell@...

writes:

<< No school nurse on site, so you would think the classroom teacher would be

allowed to administer the " stick " and take action, but no of the 3 students

I

knew of they had to go to the office and wait for the designated guidance

counselor. >>

Teachers do not want to be held liable for anything that goes wrong, and I

think their fear is valid. Schools should spend the money to hire the proper

personnel instead of placing additional responsibilities on teachers, IMO.

Cheryl in VA

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 09/05/2000 10:10:06 PM US Mountain Standard Time, AmieBell

writes:

<< but did they ever manage to convince anyone to come to this small mountain

community with no jobs but this one? >>

Then they should have trained someone on staff to do it! You need to look at

other alternatives! I trained the staff to use Mav's aug/com.

All 3 of the students were in elem school and missing lunch waiting, missing

classroom instruction time waiting and risking their health waiting.

Well, if that were my child I'd be at the school fighting for some changes!

And if in the process it benefited the other 2 children... WONDERFUL!

I don't think what this mom did was more heroic than the many daily battles

that parents (moms and dads )wage with their school systems.

And I AGREE with you here, but when those battles are not being won, you have

to do something more....and I DO applaud those who have the courage to go out

and do it....because WE all will win from more community awareness.

I am NOT saying that there should have been a nurse hired just for this

child, but that is the solution that the school district agreed on. If it

is more than what the mom asked for THAT' OK? Isn't it? I still feel that it

is going to be better for ALL the children in the school. I find it hard to

believe that her son is the only sp needs or mediacally needy child in the

school. And I think this mom was doing a favor to everyone.

I didn't hear that she was requesting a nurse just for her son, but someone

able to administer his medication when it was needed.

I didn't hear that she was requesting a sign language TEACHER, but someone

able to interpret his sign. She got much more than she was asking for, for

whatever reason and more power to her in my book. I guarentee the next

child with a hearing problem will use the sign language interpreter. I

guarentee the next child who needs meds will use the nurse. In the long run

she helped that school to provide services that can/will be used by all the

children. Is that wrong?

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/6/2000 6:43:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Wildwards

writes:

<< Teachers do not want to be held liable for anything that goes wrong, and I

think their fear is valid. >>

~~~~~~~

In these childrens cases, the teachers did want to adminster the testing as

they saw what was happening to their student! I agree with the liability

though.

Rejoice!

Amie

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/6/2000 10:05:31 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Michdock

writes:

< << but did they ever manage to convince anyone to come to this small

mountain community with no jobs but this one? >>

Then they should have trained someone on staff to do it! You need to look

at other alternatives! I trained the staff to use Mav's aug/com.

~~~~~~~``

Unfortunately, you can't force teachers to learn sign if they don't want to!

At least that is the response the parents were given.

All 3 of the students were in elem school and missing lunch waiting, missing

classroom instruction time waiting and risking their health waiting.

>>

These 3 were all at different schools.

Amie

[Guest guest]

I agree with Cheryl on this one too. As a teacher and a nurse (I teach

adults), I am able to dispense meds when a prescription is present. Our

students are adults however, and may self-medicate. I would not want to be

responsible without my nursing license to administer meds to children,

especially when I would not know the possible side effects or serious

reactions which could occur. All of us know that money is tight in

educational systems. We spend 10 or more times the money on the salaries of

professional athletes and actors in this country than on teachers and

police. We know where the nation's priorities are. We'll all pay for these

priorities in the future.

Elaine

Re: Flagpole mom, pt 4/ IT'S ALL OVER

> In a message dated 9/6/00 1:12:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

AmieBell@...

> writes:

>

> << No school nurse on site, so you would think the classroom teacher would

be

> allowed to administer the " stick " and take action, but no of the 3

students

> I

> knew of they had to go to the office and wait for the designated guidance

> counselor. >>

>

> Teachers do not want to be held liable for anything that goes wrong, and I

> think their fear is valid. Schools should spend the money to hire the

proper

> personnel instead of placing additional responsibilities on teachers, IMO.

> Cheryl in VA

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 09/06/2000 9:15:34 PM US Mountain Standard Time, AmieBell

writes:

<< Unfortunately, you can't force teachers to learn sign if they don't want

to! >>

If it is written in the child's IEP then SOMEONE has to know the sign that

the child needs. If there is no one from the district that can/or is willing

to.....then the state needs to provide someone from further away. This is

where the parents really need to fight, if they feel it is best for their

child. (And sometimes that means tying yourself to a flagpole!). THAT is my

point. WHY would the parents not be willing to go that far to get the

services, or medical treatment for their child. And if in doing so, the

school district goes OVERBOARD then celebrate and hope that others benefit.

[Guest guest]

At a meeting some years ago sponsored by BEH, we were told that if the

district says they cannot afford certain needed services for our kids we then

ask " Can you afford sports? Band? " If they can afford things like that for

the regular kids they can afford the necessary things for our kids. Jessie

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/7/00 11:53:36 AM Central Daylight Time, JB66111@...

writes:

<<

At a meeting some years ago sponsored by BEH, we were told that if the

district says they cannot afford certain needed services for our kids we

then

ask " Can you afford sports? Band? " If they can afford things like that for

the regular kids they can afford the necessary things for our kids. Jessie

>>

I wouldn't even ask that question. I just keep saying " we aren't hear to

discuss what you can afford, we're hear to discuss ___'s needs. "

An IEP is not a meeting to discuss your district's financial woes. It is a

time to discuss your child's educational needs.

Karyn

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/7/2000 9:54:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Michdock writes:

< If there is no one from the district that can/or is willing to.....then the

state needs to provide someone from further away. This is where the parents

really need to fight, if they feel it is best for their child. (And

sometimes that means tying yourself to a flagpole!) >>

~~~~~~~`

The problem with this is the family is in a very remote area of Western VA in

which it is literally hours from anywhere and yes, when I called and talked

to and then met key people in the VA state sup office they knew of this

situation but once again, like it or not you cannot force someone to do

something against their own free will. They were offering a very big salary

for someone to come there as well as it was advertised locally and

surrounding areas they would pay for the training and still no takers. This

may sound like an unusual case, but there are significant problems in this

area of VA and unless a family has the ability or can conceive of leaving

that area to a larger area, this is reality.

Rejoice!

Amie

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/7/00 4:28:01 PM Central Daylight Time, AmieBell@...

writes:

> The problem with this is the family is in a very remote area of Western VA

in

>

> which it is literally hours from anywhere and yes, when I called and

talked

> to and then met key people in the VA state sup office they knew of this

> situation but once again, like it or not you cannot force someone to do

> something against their own free will. They were offering a very big

salary

> for someone to come there as well as it was advertised locally and

> surrounding areas they would pay for the training and still no takers.

This

> may sound like an unusual case, but there are significant problems in this

> area of VA and unless a family has the ability or can conceive of leaving

> that area to a larger area, this is reality.

> Rejoice!

> Amie

HI

In my opinion the district should have taken measures alonggggggggg time ago

to meet this childs needs. They should have sent one of their own

professionals to some type of workshop, to learn sign. I mean come on, this

child is how old? and they didn't know this service might be necessary? I

know here in our district, a lot of the professionals attend workshops, paid

for by the system. Sara was the first child with any significant delays and

they moved a sped assistant who was trained in Lovas to her school. I bet

they knew in a few years some kids with autism were coming. Smart move

planning ahead

Kathy mom to Sara 8..............wondering why the school didn't plan ahead

with this 2nd grader

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/7/2000 5:28:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

AmieBell@... writes:

<< They were offering a very big salary

for someone to come there as well as it was advertised locally and

surrounding areas they would pay for the training and still no takers. This

may sound like an unusual case, but there are significant problems in this

area of VA and unless a family has the ability or can conceive of leaving

that area to a larger area, this is reality.

Rejoice!

Amie >>

Amie..advertising locally and the surrounding areas is not good enough.

Shame on that school for not advertising nationally!!! When was

without OT services at age 17 months and we went into state mediation, that

was one thing that the agency was required to do..go national with the

advertisements.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/7/00 9:11:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, c1ndysue1@...

writes:

<< Amie..advertising locally and the surrounding areas is not good enough.

Shame on that school for not advertising nationally!!! >>

EXACTLY!!! Just the same as rural areas trying to get doctors!!!

Cheryl in VA

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/8/2000 6:49:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Wildwards

writes:

< Shame on that school for not advertising nationally!!! >>

>>

I don't know that they did not advertise nationally. I just know what I was

told at the time. Good thing the parents wanted to learn sign!

Rejoice!

Amie