high school problems

[Guest guest]

Well, Jasmine went into high school this year. She was very excited about

going to high school, and so were we, although apprehensive.

Now, when I wake her up in the morning the first thing she says is " No

school! No high school! " It seems to me she doesn't like high school as much

as

she thought she would.

Her teacher says she is fine when she gets there, and has never said

anything to her about not liking school.

She is in the " higher functioning " sp ed class. She is not happy.

The only others sp ed class they have is a class for very low functioning

kids.

I asked her teacher last week if she was the " lowest functioning " kid in the

class. She said she didn't like that way of stating it, but she would say

that she was the most " challenged " kid in the class.

The problem is this: the kids in her class are higher functioning than her,

and the teacher is teaching them stuff that Jasmine has no interest in.

Things like how to write out a check, and how to balance a checkbook. New

words

like check, bank, deposit, balance, stuff like that. Things she doesn't

need or care about now.

The teacher has a set curriculum that she teaches. She goes over the same

curriculum every year forever. If a kid doesn't learn it, too bad, they will

get it again next year(her words). Maybe they'll learn it then.

I got her into a reg ed computer class, with a fight. I finally got her a

peer tudor, after another fight. The football coach is the teacher. We get a

lot of that here. He said she's doing good now. They did have her just

working on keyboarding skills while everyone else was working on formating.

When I found that out, it was time for a meeting. It took two meetings to get

her a peer tudor. She had the principle and the asst. sp ed director there.

Guess they thought thay would intimidate me. No way! Not now!

But the problem is this-before the end of the school year last year, we

visited the two classrooms there. Me, and the Moms from the other 5 kids going

into high school. We all agreed that for our kids, neither class was right.

One was too high functioning and one was too low functioning for them. We

tried to get the director of sp ed to start another class, an intermediary

class for the kids that needed it, not just ours.

She wouldn't do it. Even her teacher said that's what she needs. She said

the other class is not what Jasmine needs, but not hers either. But I know

she will never say that to anyone from the sp ed office. The teachers around

here are just like that.

So, after all this ranting, here's my question: does anyone know of any law

or anything that would say they have to start another class for these kids

if the class they have is not appropriate? That's what it's gona take, either

that or a call to the state director of sp ed.

Please help!

Toni-Mom of Jasmine

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and good

with ketchup!

************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

[Guest guest]

An IEP is not a program or a slot in an existing program it is an

Individualized Educational Program.

That being stated let me tell you what happened with my son. When he reached

HS they said her is the program for the SPED kids in this corner room.

Hmmmm. Well I told them that was NOT my sons program. His IEP says he is

included

in classes. So include him in Art,Gym,Photography, Remedial Math and so on.

Yes he went to the SPED room for help on stuff and to help learn what was

needed in those Regular Ed classes. He had Science and did the projects and

papers at his level for that class but worked on what he learned in the SPED

room.

He had history and learned about The President and the White house. Did he

learn about congress and republicans and democrats? Maybe but his class goal

was only to master a certain number of things in that class,to be tested on

ONLY those things he was supposed to learn NOT all of it. As the HS years went

along his classes became more verbal and we moved him into other things.

Sitting for 50 mins in a class that was only going to cause him to fall asleep

was

a waste of time for all.

Now at 20 he is still in the HS but has Speech,gym,photography(digital) SPED

room time for preparing his lunch/meals. He also does banking trips,buys

groceries and such during certain periods of the day/week.

He goes out and does Vocational training 3 periods a day 3 days a week.He

earns a stipend that he banks. He has simple bank sheets to teach him,it is an

ongoing process. He learns how to fill out time cards,take 10 min work breaks

and he also orders lunch out.

Some days he learns to take buses and plan social events as well as figuring

out how much money he needs.

Since I do not see him ever taking a bus on his own you might think this is

a waste but it is not. He is learning how to sit on the bus and behave in an

acceptable manner. He can now take that bus with a peer and be just another

person on the bus.

ANYWAY. What I am saying is that kids do NOT have to fit in a specific

program they do what fits THEIR needs not the schools. Get an educational

Advocate

or and Inclusion Specialist. Have one written into the IEP and they can help

make it work.

Jeannette

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and good

With ketchup!

************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

[Guest guest]

Toni,

What are her IEP goals? It doesn't matter what class she is in.. she is to be

working on HER INDIVIDUAL IEP goals. Perhaps you need to have an IEP meeting

and rewrite some of the goals so as to make them more able to work on.

If she is not ready for balancing a checkbook, I would doubt that that is one of

her IEP goals, right? So, what are her math goals? And when are they working

on them?

What are her reading goals? And when are they working on them?

I don't know the answer to your question regarding any laws that they have to

make a new class.. but they DO have to teach her according to her IEP. That is

your most useful tool.

Example: We just had Mav's first inclusion meeting at his new high school.

The reading class he is in.. a core reading class.. first time we have ever gone

to core classes.. anyway, this class is being taught at a 5th grade level. They

were going to move Mav out of it to a class for lower reading ability, but there

was a scheduling conflict.. so instead, they are introducing a new reading

program to Maverick, within this class. AND, the teacher feels that there are

a several other students who also need this level of program, so he will not be

the only one doing it and it will be like they will be having two reading

classes in one class. Thus, meeting the needs of ALL the students in the

class. Today they sent home some flashcards for the new class and it is SO

much better than the 5th grade level work that he has been being expected to do.

(I have to admit I cried.. they said they were going to do it and they followed

through within 2 days!!! This new school is so much better!!!)

[Guest guest]

My daughter is also the lowest in her class, but the teacher is scrambling to

find ways to teach at her level.

They are working off of her IEP. When they work on checkbooks, she will be

given something to work on within that lesson that is at her level. When they

get their spelling words, gets her own words. They can't just let her

sit there bored with nothing to do.

Donna

Re: high school problems

Toni,

What are her IEP goals? It doesn't matter what class she is in.. she is to be

working on HER INDIVIDUAL IEP goals. Perhaps you need to have an IEP meeting and

rewrite some of the goals so as to make them more able to work on.

If she is not ready for balancing a checkbook, I would doubt that that is one

of her IEP goals, right? So, what are her math goals? And when are they working

on them?

What are her reading goals? And when are they working on them?

I don't know the answer to your question regarding any laws that they have to

make a new class.. but they DO have to teach her according to her IEP. That is

your most useful tool.

Example: We just had Mav's first inclusion meeting at his new high school. The

reading class he is in.. a core reading class.. first time we have ever gone to

core classes.. anyway, this class is being taught at a 5th grade level. They

were going to move Mav out of it to a class for lower reading ability, but there

was a scheduling conflict.. so instead, they are introducing a new reading

program to Maverick, within this class. AND, the teacher feels that there are a

several other students who also need this level of program, so he will not be

the only one doing it and it will be like they will be having two reading

classes in one class. Thus, meeting the needs of ALL the students in the class.

Today they sent home some flashcards for the new class and it is SO much better

than the 5th grade level work that he has been being expected to do. (I have to

admit I cried.. they said they were going to do it and they followed through

within 2 days!!! This new school is so much better!!!)