RE: Lori/Margaret/Charlyne

[Guest guest]

Lori, Margaret, Charlyne,

I am so sorry to hear about what you and your kids have had to go through.  The

double standard is just sickening.  A teacher actually had Zeb

arrested!?!   

All I can say is, these terrible people will have to answer to God.  My

grandmother, who was a very religious woman, used to say that if we get to

heaven, it will be on 's coat tails.  The older I get, the more I agree

with her. 

All the best,

Irene

sister to

________________________________

To:

Sent: Thu, January 27, 2011 11:47:22 AM

Subject: Re: Lori/Margaret

 

Margaret, no, you cannot change placement without an IEP but then there is

another grey area about a school team predetermining placement prior to a

meeting, denying a parent meaningful participation. I have had similar issues in

this district with Zeb. He is not in lifeskills classes and the sped dept was

never happy with that decision. It's been a battle for his entire HS years with

made up and exaggerated situations. I wished these people the worst luck in

their lives. The teacher that had Zeb arrested a few years ago dropped less than

a year later at age 51. The sped teacher was recently divorced. I swear there is

carma surrounding this kid. I have had my share of experiences with school that

I wouldn't wish on anyone. It's exhausting to never be able to let your guard

down. The school districts cry poor to deny services but they have open

checkbooks for legal fees. The 50,000 your district paid was reimbursement for

legal fees, parents cannot sue

for money damages but recoup costs of evals and services except in some civil

rights issues/ ADA/504.

There is no equality with sped students. They are continually under the

microscope. I have had a few crisis situations with students in the past few

weeks with suspensions that do not come close to being offenses that warrant

suspension. I have filed numerous state complaints. In the past districts have

had to amend the ed files, remove suspensions and give compensatory education.

It doesn't stop them from repeated unwarranted suspensions. Eventually when and

if I establish a pattern the state does pay them a surprise audit. If no formal

complaints are ever filed the state is helpless to step in and nothing ever

changes. Our state has a no out of school suspension reg unless it is for drugs,

weapons or severe bodily injury. The sped kids or non white students always get

an out of school suspension regardless in some of the offending districts. The

reg would have never been to begin with if state complaints were not filed. It

does offer students,parents

and advocates some bite to deal with these issues.

On a personal note, my dh is having a hip replacement tomorrow. I plan to work

for the next week on my paperwork pile. If anyone needs anything you will have

to call me.

Charlyne

Subject: Lori

To:

Date: Thursday, January 27, 2011, 8:30 AM

 

<<How did you cope? It just breaks my heart when our kids are treated

poorly.

Not only did Isaac hear some other kid say it but they changed his schedule

on Monday without telling us they were going to do that. >>

Hi, Everyone....Lori....I didn't cope very well for those 3 yrs. It was

lawyers, constant IEP changes, due processes, and finally courts. But, I

refused to put him in a Life Skills classroom when he was reading, writing and

doing math just like the other kids. They cannot change the schedule or

classroom setting without convening another IEP meeting......right,

Charlyne? It's been so many years since we had to fight, that I have *blacked

out* those rules!!! Also, Gareth was in 5 different school systems because of

moves and only that one was the district from H*##. Is it possible to

have him placed in a better, more understanding school using the gist that his

current school obviously is biased towards him since other kids had

similar behaviors and weren't suspended. Document EVERYTHING that you see.

Also, I would demand that they return the points for good behavior......that

had nothing to do with the bad behavior.

The last time Gareth got suspended was because he was *punching all the

kids in the gut while they were coming in the door from recess* --- 2 weeks.

I flipped out....called the Principal and wanted to know where his 1:1 was

and the teacher while he was punching all these kids. Turns out, it was

the Spec Ed *lady* who wrote the report, the same one who wanted him in the

LS class. The Principal called the aide and the teachers in to discuss the

incident. Turns out, Gareth had door duty (holding the door open for the

kids) and was GENTLY tapping each kid on the head and COUNTING each kid!!!

I finally learned that all his extreme behaviors for the past 3 years were

nothing more a than exaggerated lies. We moved shortly after to Illinois

and the top 3 Spec Ed ladies were also gone form that district. Bottom

line, they didn't want to pay for the 1:1 and didn't want to bother with him.

It ended up costing the district $40-$50,000 in legal fees because of

their behavior....too bad we never saw a dime of it!!!

Take care, Everyone.

Margaret

[Guest guest]

I think I agree with your grandmother Irene!

I try to think about how far we have come and realize that inclusion of

people with disabilities is still in its infancy from a historical

perspective. 40 years ago I would probably not have been allowed to adopt

my boys. Partly because I was single and they are bi-racial and then they

have Down syndrome. 40 years ago my Tony probably would have died as a

baby. We will all have to keep working because their inclusion is to the

betterment of all of us.

Give us an update!

Lori

Mom to Isaac 14 and Tony 12

_____

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf

Of Irene Diamant

Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 2:14 PM

To:

Subject: Re: Lori/Margaret/Charlyne

Lori, Margaret, Charlyne,

I am so sorry to hear about what you and your kids have had to go through.

The

double standard is just sickening. A teacher actually had Zeb arrested!?!

All I can say is, these terrible people will have to answer to God. My

grandmother, who was a very religious woman, used to say that if we get to

heaven, it will be on 's coat tails. The older I get, the more I

agree

with her.

All the best,

Irene

sister to

________________________________

From: " charlyne1121@... <mailto:charlyne1121%40sbcglobal.net> "

<charlyne1121@... <mailto:charlyne1121%40sbcglobal.net> >

To: <mailto:%40yahoogroups.com>

Sent: Thu, January 27, 2011 11:47:22 AM

Subject: Re: Lori/Margaret

Margaret, no, you cannot change placement without an IEP but then there is

another grey area about a school team predetermining placement prior to a

meeting, denying a parent meaningful participation. I have had similar

issues in

this district with Zeb. He is not in lifeskills classes and the sped dept

was

never happy with that decision. It's been a battle for his entire HS years

with

made up and exaggerated situations. I wished these people the worst luck in

their lives. The teacher that had Zeb arrested a few years ago dropped less

than

a year later at age 51. The sped teacher was recently divorced. I swear

there is

carma surrounding this kid. I have had my share of experiences with school

that

I wouldn't wish on anyone. It's exhausting to never be able to let your

guard

down. The school districts cry poor to deny services but they have open

checkbooks for legal fees. The 50,000 your district paid was reimbursement

for

legal fees, parents cannot sue

for money damages but recoup costs of evals and services except in some

civil

rights issues/ ADA/504.

There is no equality with sped students. They are continually under the

microscope. I have had a few crisis situations with students in the past few

weeks with suspensions that do not come close to being offenses that warrant

suspension. I have filed numerous state complaints. In the past districts

have

had to amend the ed files, remove suspensions and give compensatory

education.

It doesn't stop them from repeated unwarranted suspensions. Eventually when

and

if I establish a pattern the state does pay them a surprise audit. If no

formal

complaints are ever filed the state is helpless to step in and nothing ever

changes. Our state has a no out of school suspension reg unless it is for

drugs,

weapons or severe bodily injury. The sped kids or non white students always

get

an out of school suspension regardless in some of the offending districts.

The

reg would have never been to begin with if state complaints were not filed.

It

does offer students,parents

and advocates some bite to deal with these issues.

On a personal note, my dh is having a hip replacement tomorrow. I plan to

work

for the next week on my paperwork pile. If anyone needs anything you will

have

to call me.

Charlyne

From: mfroof@... <mailto:mfroof%40AOL.com> <mfroof@...

<mailto:mfroof%40AOL.com> >

Subject: Lori

To: <mailto:%40yahoogroups.com>

Date: Thursday, January 27, 2011, 8:30 AM

<<How did you cope? It just breaks my heart when our kids are treated

poorly.

Not only did Isaac hear some other kid say it but they changed his schedule

on Monday without telling us they were going to do that. >>

Hi, Everyone....Lori....I didn't cope very well for those 3 yrs. It was

lawyers, constant IEP changes, due processes, and finally courts. But, I

refused to put him in a Life Skills classroom when he was reading, writing

and

doing math just like the other kids. They cannot change the schedule or

classroom setting without convening another IEP meeting......right,

Charlyne? It's been so many years since we had to fight, that I have

*blacked

out* those rules!!! Also, Gareth was in 5 different school systems because

of

moves and only that one was the district from H*##. Is it possible to

have him placed in a better, more understanding school using the gist that

his

current school obviously is biased towards him since other kids had

similar behaviors and weren't suspended. Document EVERYTHING that you see.

Also, I would demand that they return the points for good behavior......that

had nothing to do with the bad behavior.

The last time Gareth got suspended was because he was *punching all the

kids in the gut while they were coming in the door from recess* --- 2 weeks.

I flipped out....called the Principal and wanted to know where his 1:1 was

and the teacher while he was punching all these kids. Turns out, it was

the Spec Ed *lady* who wrote the report, the same one who wanted him in the

LS class. The Principal called the aide and the teachers in to discuss the

incident. Turns out, Gareth had door duty (holding the door open for the

kids) and was GENTLY tapping each kid on the head and COUNTING each kid!!!

I finally learned that all his extreme behaviors for the past 3 years were

nothing more a than exaggerated lies. We moved shortly after to Illinois

and the top 3 Spec Ed ladies were also gone form that district. Bottom

line, they didn't want to pay for the 1:1 and didn't want to bother with

him.

It ended up costing the district $40-$50,000 in legal fees because of

their behavior....too bad we never saw a dime of it!!!

Take care, Everyone.

Margaret