Re: Fw: Re: Sleeping TEA Judge Resigns!!!!! ( state funded advocate comment)

[Guest guest]

I completely agree with ! I read a great deal of inaccurate and misleading "procedural" information posted on our group. Ethically, some of us MUST clarify and/or modify issues that are not accurate in a confidential setting. Thus, I welcome all of you to contact me privately. There is no cost in asking, only more information!Loretta,AdvocateSent from my iPad2

Aloha A precious post included a possible misunderstanding. The post indicated" Parents have the option of getting lawyers and advocates that are paid by the state, and quite frankly, does anyone else see the conflict of interest here?" "Most of us are "tapped out" money wise, so chances are if we find ourselves in due process, we would have to rely on these state funded lawyers and advocates" To my knowledge, there are no state funded atty or advocates for parents. The parents with less resources , are typically in the unenviable position of finding an atty/advocate that will take is on contingency ( there are few) or use one of the non- profits such as Disability Rights, Texas Civil Rights Project, etc . Also keep in mind the " due process hearing" is a relatively rare event. TEA stats indicate for 2010, there were 355 filed, only 25 went to an actual hearing. Most always resolve.I wanted to make a clarification as there are sometimes a misunderstanding on how atty or advocates operate.Please contact me off list if further clarification is neededMahalo, BeinkeThe SpecialEdMarine

[Guest guest]

Why not correct the information in public, so we all know what is accurate and what is not?  

 

I completely agree with !  I read a great deal of inaccurate and misleading   " procedural " information posted on our group.  Ethically, some of us MUST clarify and/or modify issues that are not accurate in a confidential setting.  Thus, I welcome all of you to contact me privately.  

There is no cost in asking, only more information!Loretta,AdvocateSent from my iPad2

 

Aloha

A precious post included a  possible misunderstanding. The post indicated " Parents have the option of getting lawyers and advocates that are paid by the state, and quite frankly, does anyone else see the conflict of interest here? " " Most of us are " tapped out " money wise, so chances are if we find ourselves in due process, we would have to rely on these state funded lawyers and advocates " To my knowledge, there are no state funded atty or advocates for parents. The parents with less resources , are typically in the unenviable position of finding an atty/advocate that will take is on contingency ( there are few) or use one of the non- profits such as Disability Rights, Texas Civil Rights Project,  etc .

Also keep in mind the " due process hearing "   is a relatively rare event. TEA stats indicate for 2010, there were 355 filed, only 25 went to an actual hearing. Most always resolve.I wanted to make a clarification as there are sometimes a misunderstanding on how atty or advocates operate.

Please contact me off list if further clarification is neededMahalo, BeinkeThe SpecialEdMarine

[Guest guest]

I and others have being doing so, as far as general information is concerned. However, it is to those, which have shared individual experiences and require individual suggestions that I, in particular, suggest to contact me directly. Loretta,AdvocateSent from my iPad2

Why not correct the information in public, so we all know what is accurate and what is not?

I completely agree with ! I read a great deal of inaccurate and misleading "procedural" information posted on our group. Ethically, some of us MUST clarify and/or modify issues that are not accurate in a confidential setting. Thus, I welcome all of you to contact me privately.

There is no cost in asking, only more information!Loretta,AdvocateSent from my iPad2

Aloha

A precious post included a possible misunderstanding. The post indicated" Parents have the option of getting lawyers and advocates that are paid by the state, and quite frankly, does anyone else see the conflict of interest here?" "Most of us are "tapped out" money wise, so chances are if we find ourselves in due process, we would have to rely on these state funded lawyers and advocates" To my knowledge, there are no state funded atty or advocates for parents. The parents with less resources , are typically in the unenviable position of finding an atty/advocate that will take is on contingency ( there are few) or use one of the non- profits such as Disability Rights, Texas Civil Rights Project, etc .

Also keep in mind the " due process hearing" is a relatively rare event. TEA stats indicate for 2010, there were 355 filed, only 25 went to an actual hearing. Most always resolve.I wanted to make a clarification as there are sometimes a misunderstanding on how atty or advocates operate.

Please contact me off list if further clarification is neededMahalo, BeinkeThe SpecialEdMarine

[Guest guest]

The first part was mine and I stnad by it.  I don't know who wrote the second part.I was speaking specifically of going to Advocacy Inc., which I think now goes by a different name.  They are state funded and do not charge parents.  However, I simply state that I have have occasion to question where some of these advocates loyalties lie.  Sometimes they are good and it seems the loyalty is where it should be, and sometimes it is blatantly toward the districts' point of view.  Sometimes the lack of FAPE is so obvious, but some of these advocates will still act as if it is a FAPE.  I can't be any more specific than that.

My point was that the deck is stacked one way, with districts having tax payer money at their disposal to hire better, more expensive attorneys, and parent having to deal with reality.The reality is I think in a document I saw, I believe which showed that in the years from 2002 to around 2006, Texas public schools spent roughly 58 million dollars in attorneys fees fighting special ed parents.  58 million dollars in a special needs educational trust and well managed could have taken Texas out of the basement regarding  special education.