Have to give shout-out to my elementary

[Guest guest]

I know that many list members are unsatisfied with their local school and/or

have opted to home school but I wanted to give a big shout-out to my local

elementary. Both of my twins' classes next year will be taught by special ed

teachers in enclosed class rooms! The boys already receive speech 3x per week

during dreaded P.E., have a QUALIFIED aid in the class room each, and have other

modifications in place but this is my absolute dream come true: an inclusion

class taught by a special ed teacher! I am so proud of our principal and her

staff to really put our kids first!!!

[Guest guest]

Super...what school is this?

Have to give shout-out to my elementary

>I know that many list members are unsatisfied with their local school

>and/or have opted to home school but I wanted to give a big shout-out to my

>local elementary. Both of my twins' classes next year will be taught by

>special ed teachers in enclosed class rooms! The boys already receive

>speech 3x per week during dreaded P.E., have a QUALIFIED aid in the class

>room each, and have other modifications in place but this is my absolute

>dream come true: an inclusion class taught by a special ed teacher! I am so

>proud of our principal and her staff to really put our kids first!!!

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> Texas Autism Advocacy

> www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

>

> Texas Disability Network

> Calendar of Events

> www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

[Guest guest]

This is Ault Elementary in Cy-Fair. My twins are 8 and have been at this school

since they turned 3 and qualified for the PPCD program. It does take a LOT of

advocating and really knowing not only what my rights are but also knowing HOW

to help my guys. But it defintely helps to have a principal and staff who really

listens and WANTS to make special needs kids successful!

[Guest guest]

I live in Cyfair and my experience is very different. I had clueless people

to deal with.

Re: Have to give shout-out to my elementary

> This is Ault Elementary in Cy-Fair. My twins are 8 and have been at this

> school since they turned 3 and qualified for the PPCD program. It does

> take a LOT of advocating and really knowing not only what my rights are

> but also knowing HOW to help my guys. But it defintely helps to have a

> principal and staff who really listens and WANTS to make special needs

> kids successful!

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> Texas Autism Advocacy

> www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

>

> Texas Disability Network

> Calendar of Events

> www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

[Guest guest]

I advocate very hard in our district.  However, they want to do things their way and they are very careless about the development of IEP's.  Then they do not really cover them.  I have a child who they say mastered thirty-three of thirty nine objectives in less than three months.  I have kept ALL my son's papers over the years.  I went back through and assigned an objective to EACH QUESTION from every paper.  What I see is them giving him a mastery grade with NO WORK whatsoever to back up the grades.

I gave them an observation checklist and I thought we agreed they would use it, but then they kept saying, " We wouldn't know how to do that. "   As if that were a good excuse!  When I gave them the checklist, I also gave them the directions on how to use it.  I was very clear that we would not accept " observation " as a criterion for mastery without the checklists.  They ignored our agreement, so I revoked that part of the ARD agreement.  They can no longer use " observation. "

I also noticed that very few tests have been given to my son to check progress.  Now I am having them do pre and post testing each six weeks.But none of this matters.  No matter how hard I advocate, they are never going to use programs nor methodology that will meet my son's unique needs.  And so here we are...I have a ten year old who cannot comprehend what he reads, and he can do simple addition and subtraction with help but has not been taught to add and subtract with regrouping.  he wouldnot have even learned any of this without some diligent advocacy.  They let me know early on their plan for my son was to keep him in self-contained forever, never teach him academics, and just pass him by.

I trusted them until I realized this and began to advocate.  I think I am the first parent in this district who  ever did advocate or knows about advocacy because the principal said, " We're not used to dealing with a special ed parent who's educated like you are. "   No, they are used to dealing with some unfortunate parents who think it is a take it or leave it scenario, and that is a travesty.

In my first year of advocacy they tried to manipulate me, isolate me away from other special ed parents, and then threaten me.  The superintendent even told me, " I have a problem spending any money on a kid who  is sick so much. "   Actually he screamed this at me one day.  Evidently I must have missed the part of the IDEA that says it doesn't apply to chronically ill children.  Oh, that's right --it DOES apply to chronically ill children.

It is hard to work with a district who is betting your child will DIE before he reaches maturity, and therefore, they don't want to spend any money educating him.  I have NEVER thought this way about my child.  Even though he has some chronic issues and some life-threatening ones, we deal with them and expect him to live a normal life expectancy, and we expect him to be prepared for adulthood by being able to read, write, and calculate.

Even after all this time, the reading/math resource teacher sat in the ESY ARD and kept rolling her eyes and making these noises to let us know she was disgusted and didn't want to be there.  Our specialist and I finally called the principal out in the hall and asked her to tell her to stop rolling her eyes and contribute once in a positive manner in the meeting.  This is the same teacher who has been making up grades for my son.

In the end standardized testing done by a qualified person tells the real story about whether a child has made progress or not.  School grades are too subjective.  The TAKS is tied to so much that creates conflicts of interests, so standardized testing outside the school is the real test, and the latest of that says my son has made no progress in a year and a half!

If this teacher cannot show proof that she covered my son's IEP, if she made up the grades and can't produce the evidence to back it up, then she has violated my son's civil rights, and this makes me rather angry. 

[Guest guest]

What school are they going too?

To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Sent: Sat, May 15, 2010 7:21:10 PMSubject: Re: Have to give shout-out to my elementary

Super...what school is this? Have to give shout-out to my elementary>I know that many list members are unsatisfied with their local school >and/or have opted to home school but I wanted to give a big shout-out to my >local elementary. Both of my twins' classes next year will be taught by >special ed teachers in enclosed class rooms! The boys already receive >speech 3x per week during dreaded P.E., have a QUALIFIED aid in the class

>room each, and have other modifications in place but this is my absolute >dream come true: an inclusion class taught by a special ed teacher! I am so >proud of our principal and her staff to really put our kids first!!!>>>> ------------------------------------>> Texas Autism Advocacy> www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org>> Texas Disability Network> Calendar of Events> www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

[Guest guest]

Ault Elementary, Cy-Fair, near Houston