complaints against the school district

[Guest guest]

Hi. I'll try to make a long story short. We changed 's

nursery school last week because the old school had 23 kids and only

2 speech therapists. I found a class with another TOD with a much

smaller class size (mazimum 8 kids with 2 speech therapists when

there are more than 5 kids) - a far better placement for her.

I had contacted the state board for special ed about the size of

's old class and the person I spoke to suggested I file a

complaint against the school district since her IEP (and those for

all the kids in her class) states a 5:1 ratio. The state special ed

person felt there was a very strong case for a violation. is

no longer in this school, but I feel that I should still file the

complaint for the sake of the other 22 kids in the class. The

other parents are afraid to do this because their kids are still in

the school.

My question is, has anyone filed a complaint like this before.

I'm a little worried about negative impacts on 's services if I

go ahead with the complaint - will the school district try to get

back at me at 's expense?. Does that sound paranoid or

legitimate? I want to do what's right, but I feel I also need to

watch out for 's needs. I'd love to hear from anyone whose had

experience with this before.

Thanks for the advice.

Cheryl (mom to 4 1/2 sever hearing loss

and , 2 1/2 hears when he feels like it)

[Guest guest]

Cheryl,

I've offered before but I'll say it again. I'll gladly come along to any IEP

meeting as moral support. I don't know much about EI and what it entails,

but I'll read up. I've found that just having someone, a friend, sitting next

to you is enough to make the IEPs seem to go more smoothly. And I'll gladly

be the person in charge of the tape recorder, telling them all to talk one at

a time. After some of the IEP meetings I've had, that actually sounds like a

fun job. Politely interrupting and bossing them all around, with a smile of

course ... fun fun fun. LOL

Best -- Jill

[Guest guest]

Cheryl,

I've offered before but I'll say it again. I'll gladly come along to any IEP

meeting as moral support. I don't know much about EI and what it entails,

but I'll read up. I've found that just having someone, a friend, sitting next

to you is enough to make the IEPs seem to go more smoothly. And I'll gladly

be the person in charge of the tape recorder, telling them all to talk one at

a time. After some of the IEP meetings I've had, that actually sounds like a

fun job. Politely interrupting and bossing them all around, with a smile of

course ... fun fun fun. LOL

Best -- Jill

[Guest guest]

Cheryl,

I've offered before but I'll say it again. I'll gladly come along to any IEP

meeting as moral support. I don't know much about EI and what it entails,

but I'll read up. I've found that just having someone, a friend, sitting next

to you is enough to make the IEPs seem to go more smoothly. And I'll gladly

be the person in charge of the tape recorder, telling them all to talk one at

a time. After some of the IEP meetings I've had, that actually sounds like a

fun job. Politely interrupting and bossing them all around, with a smile of

course ... fun fun fun. LOL

Best -- Jill

[Guest guest]

Jeanette,

I can't thank you enough for your reply. It wasn't disjointed -

and the information was really useful. So many of the things you have

said make sense to me. I do have some questions and comments - first,

does the school district have to pay for an attorney if we fight them?

I assumed this would be an out of our pocket expense, even if we win.

Having a lawyer who is versed in DHH issues isn't one I considered

before - thank you for pointing that out!!

> As far as an attorney....your state department should have a listing

of attorney's and advocates. Within that listing it should name which

attorney's that will bill your SD for their services.

I took to clarke school for the deaf for an independent

evaluation last year - it was there that I learned that she was

underaided and that she was receiving inadequate services. You are

right - they are still very helpful to us and are the major reason

is doing sooo much better than she was last year. (My friends

have actually asked what happened since they can now understand her)

> I would look up a school in your state and contact them (via oral

deaf ed or AG bell sites). Every state has specific laws that pertain

to DHH. If you contact one of those schools they usually have a person

who does the mainstreaming. They would be your best resource. They

will know exactly what your child needs (after you brief them) and

what services would be best for her. That's how I began our quest.

I have contacted the state board for special ed about my rights to a

meeting. I am supposed to hear from his office today, but if not, I

will definitely put it in writing and start a paper trail just to show

their lack of cooperation.

> You shouldn't have to convince the assist. superintendent's staff to

get you a meeting. Just put it in writing. Then you can have a paper

trail of the lack of cooperation.

>

It's great that you mentioned this - I was debating doing this after

our last meeting of misinformation. I have also contacted the state

board for special ed about my rights on this one. I'll watch out for

the noise - I never considered they would stoop this low, but I am

unfortunately learning the hard way - thanks for the heads up!

> Once last bit of knowledge..........always ALWAYS record your IEP's.

This will keep them honest and if they are not. You have a record of

it. They cannot deny that right! They even do funny things like make

noises in your IEP, speak softly, talk over each other. slide things

across the table, have the air conditioner kick on and off. I've

literally said...can you please hold off on your sentence until we

have complete silence. Our tape recorder will not be able to pick up

your sentence in it's entirety and I don't want to miss a thing.

I'm trying to pass on the knowledge, but everyone seems reluctant to

accept it right now. Maybe things will change - I'm more than willing

to help - I know that other parents will need it just like myself. I

never would have known to take for the independent eval if a

friend who has a daughter with a CI hadn't asked how was doing

and I described all my problems. She was a huge help and I would

love to help someone liek that.

> Of everything I've learned this is my favorite thing to do. Pass on

the knowledge to other parents. There are millions of us parents with

special needs children on this earth. The sad part is that only about

15% of them know that there child is not being serviced appropriately

by there school district. I want to change those statistics!

>

Hopefully this message isn't too confusing since I broke it up with my

questions/responses. I really am thankful that you are willing to

share you experiences and help us out!

Cheryl

[Guest guest]

Jill,

Thanks again for always being soooo supportive and being willing

to use your ties with Ian's TODs to get info for us. It means sooo

much to have someone who is confident with the BOCEs staff who has

been through similar stuff to us - it gives me hope that some day this

won't be such a fight.

I have learned my lesson - I have asked my SLP and audi to attend

the meeting and am trying to get e to attend as well - that

should be enough professionals whose purse strings arent' controlled

by the district to tip the scalse. Also, the staff from her new

school will be there and they agree with my concerns. I'll also have

these people at the meeting with the special ed superinetendent if we

get that far - that was a great point. I was planning on bringing the

advocate, but the entire staff would certainly be better. (my

husband) has also agreed to take a more active role now that he sees

what's been going on. I'm thankful to have him by my side - I didn't

think I needed it at first, but I was wrong.

I think you and Jeannette are right about the state complaint - I

really have to do it, and if it shows the school district not to mess

with us, all the better. I'm also going to work at getting the other

parents to help.

I've gotta run get from school, but thanks again for always

being willing to help!!!!

Cheryl

>

>

> Keep at it, bring along those people to support her needs. CSE

chairs are

> famous for loading their side of the table with their own " experts "

so don't be

> afraid to bring along your own. That hospital proivides services to

all the

> local schools and they get to choice their providers. But I think

you'll be

> able to limit their involvement. Ian's FMS are provided through

them. The only

> thing they provide is care and service for the FM system. Nothing

else. The

> school hs even stopped sending us there for audiograms. They now

accept our

> doctor's. All other D/HOH services are through BOCES. Once is

school

> age, you get to use the BOCES system. I'll ask our TOD about the

younger grades

> and what they have available, so you can be informed about what is

availble

> aside from using that hospital. Forewarned is forearmed, as gramma

use to say.

>

> <<I'm also trying to meet with the asst. superintendent in charge

of special

> ed, but am having trouble convincing his staff that he needs to see

me -

> hopefully he can resolve some of this. Mediation is a step I am

seriously

> considering, but I'm nervous of the costs of getting a lawyer -

we'll do it if we

> have to, but I want to keep this as a last resort. I have enough

> documentation to prove our case, I'd just rather spend my time

focused on sarah then on

> this stuff.>>

>

> File the complaint. You might be surprised how quickly the CSE

chair/assist

> superintendent agrees to meet with you when part of your complaint

states

> that he has refused to having a meeting with you to resolve this.

>

> And when he does agree to the meeting, don't go alone. Bring along

your

> audi, your SLP. definitely bring along your husband. I know it

sounds sexist, but

> when I show up with my husband, even though he does not say much,

the CSE

> chair (also an Ass't Supertintentent) was more attentive and more

cooperative.

> The CSE team tried to double team me by appealing to him ... it was

almost

> amusing when he said about 2 sentences and put them in their place.

They use to

> smile and nod at me as though I was just an oversensistive,

overprotective

> mother when I was on my own. They don't do that anymore, but they

did at first.

>

> << is only in preschool and I can't believe the battles we are

having.

> It seems like the school district is set up against parents. I'm

willing to

> fight, it's just sad that I have to.>>

>

> Here I can definitely give you hope. After we finally won our

battles and

> the ineffectual personnel were replaced with competent people, life

has been

> pretty good. Middle school -- all three years, went by without a

single

> incident. Even the bad start to this year has been okay. Once you

get it all ironed

> out, it can move smoothly. I think that the problem you're having is

that

> you're not exactly fighting the district. You have too many entities

in play and

> that makes it harder. The hospital's people (supposedly experts) are

saying

> one thing and your docs saying another. The district is going with

the people

> they know. Unfortunately you have to prove those people wrong. If it

was

> just you against the district, you might be having an easier time.

>

> This year our school messed up Ian's schedule this year and had him

in all

> the wrong classes. The 504 director was moritfied when I told him

about the

> mistake. I had it resolved before he even knew about it. But I know

part of the

> reason he followed up so quickly is because he knew a complaint

would follow

> if he didn't. After Ian was in the right classes we found that none

of the

> rooms had smart boards. So, I called and complained about this,

saying that

> they had agreed to use those smart boards in our last 504 (like an

IEP)

> meeting. A week later the smart boards had been removed from the

wrong classrooms.

> Now they are being reinstalled ... one by one into Ian's classes

and the

> teachers trained to use them. It's been a slow start to the year,

but it is

> happening. Ian has the technology he heeds and the teachers have

good attitudes

> about dealing with an HOH kid in their classes.

>

> So, it can get better. But it didn't get better because I was nice and

> polite and patient. It got better because they were breaking the law

and we called

> them on it. Seven years ago, enough parents from our district filed

> complaints that the state came down on them like that cliche ton of

bricks. The state

> gave them a certain amount of time to address the issues and if they

didn't,

> all state funding for SpecEd services would be pulled from the entire

> district. It got their attention. The Ass't Superintentent was

replaced, the entire

> CSE committee personnel were replaced. There were new computer

programs for

> generating, tracking and evalutaion IEPs. Every kid in the district

benefited.

>

> I don't claim to be the one who did it, but I was one of several very

> stubborn and verbal parents who refused to back down or be

intimidated. And they

> did try. They even brought Social Services to one of my IEP

meetings. They had

> no explanation, and I made the woman leave. So, stay focused and

fight for

> what you know is right.

>

> Best -- Jill

>

> .

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Cheryl:

My name is Eileen and I have a 7yo son with bilateral sensoneural

hearing loss. We didn't " discover " it until he was almost 3 1/2.

To make a long story short, I discovered a web site (slaw) and

found the site invaluable in the basics of the SPED law.

I would strongly recommend logging on. I have also taken his 2

day " boot camp " which has invaluable info in it. His book " From

Emptions to Advocacy " is very easy reading and covers the basics of

what to do with all the paper to IEP meeting to making sense out of

your childs test scores.

Has anyone else had any experience with this site or camp???

Hope this helps.

Eileen

>

> Hi. I'll try to make a long story short. We changed 's

> nursery school last week because the old school had 23 kids and

only

> 2 speech therapists. I found a class with another TOD with a much

> smaller class size (mazimum 8 kids with 2 speech therapists when

> there are more than 5 kids) - a far better placement for her.

> I had contacted the state board for special ed about the size of

> 's old class and the person I spoke to suggested I file a

> complaint against the school district since her IEP (and those for

> all the kids in her class) states a 5:1 ratio. The state special

ed

> person felt there was a very strong case for a violation.

is

> no longer in this school, but I feel that I should still file the

> complaint for the sake of the other 22 kids in the class. The

> other parents are afraid to do this because their kids are still

in

> the school.

> My question is, has anyone filed a complaint like this before.

> I'm a little worried about negative impacts on 's services if

I

> go ahead with the complaint - will the school district try to get

> back at me at 's expense?. Does that sound paranoid or

> legitimate? I want to do what's right, but I feel I also need to

> watch out for 's needs. I'd love to hear from anyone whose

had

> experience with this before.

> Thanks for the advice.

> Cheryl (mom to 4 1/2 sever hearing

loss

> and , 2 1/2 hears when he feels like it)

[Guest guest]

Hi Cheryl:

My name is Eileen and I have a 7yo son with bilateral sensoneural

hearing loss. We didn't " discover " it until he was almost 3 1/2.

To make a long story short, I discovered a web site (slaw) and

found the site invaluable in the basics of the SPED law.

I would strongly recommend logging on. I have also taken his 2

day " boot camp " which has invaluable info in it. His book " From

Emptions to Advocacy " is very easy reading and covers the basics of

what to do with all the paper to IEP meeting to making sense out of

your childs test scores.

Has anyone else had any experience with this site or camp???

Hope this helps.

Eileen

>

> Hi. I'll try to make a long story short. We changed 's

> nursery school last week because the old school had 23 kids and

only

> 2 speech therapists. I found a class with another TOD with a much

> smaller class size (mazimum 8 kids with 2 speech therapists when

> there are more than 5 kids) - a far better placement for her.

> I had contacted the state board for special ed about the size of

> 's old class and the person I spoke to suggested I file a

> complaint against the school district since her IEP (and those for

> all the kids in her class) states a 5:1 ratio. The state special

ed

> person felt there was a very strong case for a violation.

is

> no longer in this school, but I feel that I should still file the

> complaint for the sake of the other 22 kids in the class. The

> other parents are afraid to do this because their kids are still

in

> the school.

> My question is, has anyone filed a complaint like this before.

> I'm a little worried about negative impacts on 's services if

I

> go ahead with the complaint - will the school district try to get

> back at me at 's expense?. Does that sound paranoid or

> legitimate? I want to do what's right, but I feel I also need to

> watch out for 's needs. I'd love to hear from anyone whose

had

> experience with this before.

> Thanks for the advice.

> Cheryl (mom to 4 1/2 sever hearing

loss

> and , 2 1/2 hears when he feels like it)

[Guest guest]

Hi Cheryl:

My name is Eileen and I have a 7yo son with bilateral sensoneural

hearing loss. We didn't " discover " it until he was almost 3 1/2.

To make a long story short, I discovered a web site (slaw) and

found the site invaluable in the basics of the SPED law.

I would strongly recommend logging on. I have also taken his 2

day " boot camp " which has invaluable info in it. His book " From

Emptions to Advocacy " is very easy reading and covers the basics of

what to do with all the paper to IEP meeting to making sense out of

your childs test scores.

Has anyone else had any experience with this site or camp???

Hope this helps.

Eileen

>

> Hi. I'll try to make a long story short. We changed 's

> nursery school last week because the old school had 23 kids and

only

> 2 speech therapists. I found a class with another TOD with a much

> smaller class size (mazimum 8 kids with 2 speech therapists when

> there are more than 5 kids) - a far better placement for her.

> I had contacted the state board for special ed about the size of

> 's old class and the person I spoke to suggested I file a

> complaint against the school district since her IEP (and those for

> all the kids in her class) states a 5:1 ratio. The state special

ed

> person felt there was a very strong case for a violation.

is

> no longer in this school, but I feel that I should still file the

> complaint for the sake of the other 22 kids in the class. The

> other parents are afraid to do this because their kids are still

in

> the school.

> My question is, has anyone filed a complaint like this before.

> I'm a little worried about negative impacts on 's services if

I

> go ahead with the complaint - will the school district try to get

> back at me at 's expense?. Does that sound paranoid or

> legitimate? I want to do what's right, but I feel I also need to

> watch out for 's needs. I'd love to hear from anyone whose

had

> experience with this before.

> Thanks for the advice.

> Cheryl (mom to 4 1/2 sever hearing

loss

> and , 2 1/2 hears when he feels like it)