Re: Help with shock of kinder orientation

[Guest guest]

Gwyn, Wow. As I read through your story, my mouth fell open in awe and I was

tearing up. It is almost as if they have made a statement 9hopefully NOT

intentionally) that your Mark is not a person. Gosh, I am just heartbroken.

As I continued to read, my first thoughts were, " Well, she has just gotten

ataste of public school. Boy, she is in for a whole lot more. " (Not meaning to

depress you any further; so, please do not think that. I just felt so badly for

all of you as I read your story.)

I did see one (only one) in your story: your child has a full-time aid! Wow, do

you know how many parents FIGHT in IEP meetings for that and never even get a

part-time aid? So, you have one lucky thing happening.

Now, secondly, I wondered, if he has a FT aid, why can't he be included

(inclusion) in the typical kindergarten class ALL-DAY long and pulled out for

therapies like speech, ot, pt, etc...(if he even needs that)? I am just not

grasping why he is not allowed in Ms X's class if that is where you oriented?

Apparently, somewhere along the line, someone told you he was to be in Ms X's

class or you would not have been there, right? I am a bit confused there.

Is the problem that there has been no IEP meeting to discuss where your child

will even be? I cannot grasp the problem (except for the obvious that they have

dehumanized your family and Mark.

Take a few deep breaths and write a tear-jerking letter to the superintendent. I

feel the school system, principal and all teachers involved owe your family and

your son a very heartfelt and deep apology and I think you need to let them know

they owe you this.

This is a really bad experience, but I cannot tell you all the other things you

will go through with public school is going to be a cake walk. There are some

parents here who just LOVE their school, their district, their teachers, and are

110% happy and satisfied with the services and treatment that their child gets

in public school. I can tell you that these families are in the minority and

they are few and far between. The public school system as we once knew it is

unfortunately failing quickly (as is everything else in our governmental

system).

I still have this picture in my head of your family with tears in your eyes and

no one saying anything to you or asking what is wrong; I guess I have that

picture because it perhaps happened and they did not see the err of their ways.

This is just so heartbreaking to me.

I guess it goes without saying that there is no way you can homeschool since you

mentioned having a job, right?

Not sure what state you are in, but in my state, there is a Special needs

Scholarship, which means after 1 year in a public school, if you are unhappy

with the school, then they have to pay for your child to attend another school

of your choosing (even and especially private school). -Sigh-

So, in the meantime, you have to try and deal with the stuation you are faced

with. Does your job allow you opportunity to be a class mom (where you can be

sure your child is being treated with dignity and respect and not forgotten

about)? Let's try to figure out other ways you can get involved and be at the

school as much as possible to keep an eye on what's going on. Without being able

to school Mark elsewhere, you will have to figure these ways out. If you can

homeschool, I *do* recommend it; however, I see this gets them what they

wanted...so, it seems. -sigh-

I do not know what PISD and ARD stand for. Could you enlighten me?

As for the afterschool program, I am waivering on that one. I do not think they

can DISCRIMINATE (which is what that is doing) for any reason against allowing

your child to attend the afterschool program. If they allow it for any other

child, they MUST allow it for your child and they might just have to hire the

aid to stay until 6pm. Such is life, and that is their problem. That one, I

would fight and go to due process (formal complaint) regarding.

>

> Hi all,

> I didn't know how to better word the subject line of the email. My husband and

I feel like our bubble has been burst. We have had such a good experience with

PISD so far that we expected this to continue. Clearly, by the title of the

email, it is not.

>

> We got our letter a couple of weeks ago from the school inviting us to kinder

orientation tonight. We were very excited as Mark is ready for a change and

looking forward to being a kindergartener. Well, we walked in the door, through

the hall, past the posters with the kinder teachers and the kids names and did

not find Mark's name. I asked the principal and she was like a deer in

headlights... " hmmm, I don't know.....um Ms. X! " our reaction was " um, ok " to her

but inside we were tearing up.

>

> We knew from the ARD last May that Mark would be in the essentials class and

spend what we thought was inclusion time in kinder class. What we learned

tonight (I still need to go reread the ARD papers) was that he would have an AID

full time. He will start his day in essentials and some time in kinder. I didnt

realize he would spend the whole time with an aid. I think the goal is to move

away from this but like i said, i need to reread the papers. He is young (turned

5 in May), and still is very curious, and will take off, until he learns the

routine.

>

> So we sat through orientation and went to the kinder class with all the other

happy parents (sarcasm) and found his kinder teacher but still no name and his

name want on the bithday list in the classroom either. Basically, not the best

reception. When asked if mark was in her class she responded with " no, he's in

Ms. Y's class but he can come in here for the kinder presentation. " Well, I

started crying immediately, found the asst principal and got the low down. They

basically " forgot " to add mark's name to the poster. I think this is BS and they

just forgot to assign a teacher. Ms. Y, his essentials teacher, was not there so

we did not get to visit her classroom.

>

> On top of this we found out TONIGHT that they will not allow mark to

participate in the PISD after school program b/c of his need for a lower ratio

(he has to fit into 1:18) but no one even let me know this. I had to ask about

it when the AP dropped this bomb! So glad I cancelled day care (I work full

time) and cancelled the bus. So I guess I'll be spending my day tomorrow writing

letters and making phone calls. Needless to say mark could read our moods and

proceeded to get very nervous about the whole night. It was not a night I want

to remember.

>

> I'm wondering why he wasn't placed with some of his peers from last year. I

know of at least 2 typical kids who loved Mark who are entering kinder at the

same school. And who choose Ms. X?

>

> I'm not impressed and loosing faith quickly. I need suggestions/ advice

quickly before I start yelling at someone to look at how beautiful my child is

and how much potential he has and how much he wants to learn!!

> Gwyn

>

[Guest guest]

Any service the school provides for one child, they must make available to the

child with a disability. File a Formal Complaint. If you back down on this one,

they will get to back down on other things.

Your child has just as much right to be in ASC as any other child. A consult

(often free) with a private special needs attorney (always a good move IMO, even

though some think not, because they know the law).

I will pray for wisdom for you.

> > >

> > > Hi all,

> > > I didn't know how to better word the subject line of the email. My

> > husband and I feel like our bubble has been burst. We have had such a good

> > experience with PISD so far that we expected this to continue. Clearly, by

> > the title of the email, it is not.

> > >

> > > We got our letter a couple of weeks ago from the school inviting us to

> > kinder orientation tonight. We were very excited as Mark is ready for a

> > change and looking forward to being a kindergartener. Well, we walked in the

> > door, through the hall, past the posters with the kinder teachers and the

> > kids names and did not find Mark's name. I asked the principal and she was

> > like a deer in headlights... " hmmm, I don't know.....um Ms. X! " our reaction

> > was " um, ok " to her but inside we were tearing up.

> > >

> > > We knew from the ARD last May that Mark would be in the essentials class

> > and spend what we thought was inclusion time in kinder class. What we

> > learned tonight (I still need to go reread the ARD papers) was that he would

> > have an AID full time. He will start his day in essentials and some time in

> > kinder. I didnt realize he would spend the whole time with an aid. I think

> > the goal is to move away from this but like i said, i need to reread the

> > papers. He is young (turned 5 in May), and still is very curious, and will

> > take off, until he learns the routine.

> > >

> > > So we sat through orientation and went to the kinder class with all the

> > other happy parents (sarcasm) and found his kinder teacher but still no name

> > and his name want on the bithday list in the classroom either. Basically,

> > not the best reception. When asked if mark was in her class she responded

> > with " no, he's in Ms. Y's class but he can come in here for the kinder

> > presentation. " Well, I started crying immediately, found the asst principal

> > and got the low down. They basically " forgot " to add mark's name to the

> > poster. I think this is BS and they just forgot to assign a teacher. Ms. Y,

> > his essentials teacher, was not there so we did not get to visit her

> > classroom.

> > >

> > > On top of this we found out TONIGHT that they will not allow mark to

> > participate in the PISD after school program b/c of his need for a lower

> > ratio (he has to fit into 1:18) but no one even let me know this. I had to

> > ask about it when the AP dropped this bomb! So glad I cancelled day care (I

> > work full time) and cancelled the bus. So I guess I'll be spending my day

> > tomorrow writing letters and making phone calls. Needless to say mark could

> > read our moods and proceeded to get very nervous about the whole night. It

> > was not a night I want to remember.

> > >

> > > I'm wondering why he wasn't placed with some of his peers from last year.

> > I know of at least 2 typical kids who loved Mark who are entering kinder at

> > the same school. And who choose Ms. X?

> > >

> > > I'm not impressed and loosing faith quickly. I need suggestions/ advice

> > quickly before I start yelling at someone to look at how beautiful my child

> > is and how much potential he has and how much he wants to learn!!

> > > Gwyn

> > >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Been praying for you. Hope it all works out.

> > > > >

> > > > > Hi all,

> > > > > I didn't know how to better word the subject line of the email. My

> > > > husband and I feel like our bubble has been burst. We have had such a

good

> > > > experience with PISD so far that we expected this to continue. Clearly,

by

> > > > the title of the email, it is not.

> > > > >

> > > > > We got our letter a couple of weeks ago from the school inviting us to

> > > > kinder orientation tonight. We were very excited as Mark is ready for a

> > > > change and looking forward to being a kindergartener. Well, we walked in

the

> > > > door, through the hall, past the posters with the kinder teachers and

the

> > > > kids names and did not find Mark's name. I asked the principal and she

was

> > > > like a deer in headlights... " hmmm, I don't know.....um Ms. X! " our

reaction

> > > > was " um, ok " to her but inside we were tearing up.

> > > > >

> > > > > We knew from the ARD last May that Mark would be in the essentials

class

> > > > and spend what we thought was inclusion time in kinder class. What we

> > > > learned tonight (I still need to go reread the ARD papers) was that he

would

> > > > have an AID full time. He will start his day in essentials and some time

in

> > > > kinder. I didnt realize he would spend the whole time with an aid. I

think

> > > > the goal is to move away from this but like i said, i need to reread the

> > > > papers. He is young (turned 5 in May), and still is very curious, and

will

> > > > take off, until he learns the routine.

> > > > >

> > > > > So we sat through orientation and went to the kinder class with all

the

> > > > other happy parents (sarcasm) and found his kinder teacher but still no

name

> > > > and his name want on the bithday list in the classroom either.

Basically,

> > > > not the best reception. When asked if mark was in her class she

responded

> > > > with " no, he's in Ms. Y's class but he can come in here for the kinder

> > > > presentation. " Well, I started crying immediately, found the asst

principal

> > > > and got the low down. They basically " forgot " to add mark's name to the

> > > > poster. I think this is BS and they just forgot to assign a teacher. Ms.

Y,

> > > > his essentials teacher, was not there so we did not get to visit her

> > > > classroom.

> > > > >

> > > > > On top of this we found out TONIGHT that they will not allow mark to

> > > > participate in the PISD after school program b/c of his need for a lower

> > > > ratio (he has to fit into 1:18) but no one even let me know this. I had

to

> > > > ask about it when the AP dropped this bomb! So glad I cancelled day care

(I

> > > > work full time) and cancelled the bus. So I guess I'll be spending my

day

> > > > tomorrow writing letters and making phone calls. Needless to say mark

could

> > > > read our moods and proceeded to get very nervous about the whole night.

It

> > > > was not a night I want to remember.

> > > > >

> > > > > I'm wondering why he wasn't placed with some of his peers from last

year.

> > > > I know of at least 2 typical kids who loved Mark who are entering kinder

at

> > > > the same school. And who choose Ms. X?

> > > > >

> > > > > I'm not impressed and loosing faith quickly. I need suggestions/

advice

> > > > quickly before I start yelling at someone to look at how beautiful my

child

> > > > is and how much potential he has and how much he wants to learn!!

> > > > > Gwyn

> > > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > >

> > >

> > >