Guest guest Posted June 4, 2003 Report Share Posted June 4, 2003 Tahna- Sorry- I didn't mean to come across that way! Sometimes it can be difficult to relay info via emails and have it come across the right way...I didn't mean to sound harsh Colin P. _________________________________________________________________ Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2003 Report Share Posted June 4, 2003 You're right, it is hard to come across the way you mean it by email.. You have a child with hearing loss or deaf, Colin.?. How old is your child? My daughter is 9 yrs old going on 16, if you have a daughter, you know what I mean. Glad you emailed back, Tahna -- Re: IEP & FM question Tahna- Sorry- I didn't mean to come across that way! Sometimes it can be difficult to relay info via emails and have it come across the right way...I didn't mean to sound harsh Colin P. _________________________________________________________________ Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2003 Report Share Posted June 4, 2003 As I work towards a degree in Audiology, I also find myself confronted with the information revealed in school and how it pertains to my daughter Marissa's education...and how the school district here does the absolute MINIMUM (if that) for kids here. Our school district is very large (3 high schools, 5 middle schools, and 14 elementary schools) and there are 1300 kids in Special Ed here...and they have no idea what to do with kids with hearing loss. It is so dismal that 8 hearing impaired students from this district are bussed 1 1/2 hours to another school in another district where there is a cluster of HI kids (not to mention the people that have moved so they would not have to work with the district here). It is so frusterating to be in a room with these people and know what your child needs, you know more about hearing loss, your child, and deaf ed that anyone else in the room, but since you are the parent you get no respect. Recently I think I finally earned that respect by handling some situations between me and the school district professionally and respectfully, as much as I may not have wanted to. I had a conversation with someone the other day who said they felt that being a Special Ed Director must be the worst job in the world...parents yellling at you all the time, very difficult monetary constraints that must be worked around or the district will face legal issues, and alot of kids that truly need services that they are entitled to, legally and ethically. I don't find it suprising at all that Special Ed directors are (from what I've seen and heard) generally tough, assertive, and a thorn in many peoples sides. They are, nonetheless, people we have to work with as long as our children are in school, so the better the relationship and the more respect you earn the easier things should be. Sorry for the long email...I haven't written much lately...this should catch me up! Also- the Family Meeting for Marissa's CI candidacy is Friday...I think they are finally going to say yes....I'll let you all know when I find out! Colin P. _________________________________________________________________ Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2003 Report Share Posted June 4, 2003 Actually, they have a special hearing/speech/language program, as part of a collaborative that my town participates in. For kindergarten, which my son will be attending in September, this is a self-contained classroom within the regular elementary school. The teachers are TODs and SLPs, there are no more than 10 kids in the class, and the focus is on language and speech. They are an auditory-oral program, so no manual language is allowed. They are very familiar with FM systems; in fact, my daughter has a soundfield FM in her 2nd grade classroom. on 6/4/03 10:13 PM, Tahna at tahnab@... wrote: > I agree, didn't mean to make you offensive.. I was just asking, wondering > if they > had any other schools involved other than the regular educational system.. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 5, 2003 Report Share Posted June 5, 2003 Colin, I can relate to your rant on Special education. I will say that not all places are like ours. Some of it seems to be attitude of the community on education in general. I like that your special ed dir gets yelled at. At least parents care enough to try. Winfield and I met yesterday with our interim spec. ed dir. (the last one yelled at me), school's attorney and 6 others to try to plead our case that a total communication h-i self-contained classroom can't meet our daughters need. Interestingly, the classroom is now referred to as oral even though they sign. I tried to explain that I don't have a problem with them having that classroom for those students who benefit and that meets their needs but ... that isn't going to help meet her oral objectives. They can't say it but in the end it all gets down to money. I stated during our meeting that I felt like had been a guinea pig with the medical component and educationally in our state. We had asked for success only to be given vague answers or " patient confidentiality " answers or no answer. My husband asked point blank yesterday where were their successful CI students (although we knew the answer because I have talked with everyone and put together the evasive facts that they have all left the state or were not " successful " as we define success (another little trick used against us)). They had to admit they didn't have any success. He then said that we couldn't gamble our child's education on their word as we had gambled on the medical facility and lost. It helps me to keep my perspective and understand my role as parent expert, parent advocate. (I have to make another plug for peter wrights book wrightslaw from emotions to advocacy as it helped me keep from yelling or crying.) We have chosen to retreat to higher ground and move to a place that can provide what she needs. We believe a child's education is of primary importance and are fortunate to have family that will help support us both emotionally and financially to make a big change. I've talked with lots of " people in charge " and can't fix the whole state. Our state supreme court has said that the state's education system is unconstitutional and must change. When a state has problems at that level getting anyone to listen, care and effect change regarding special education is impossible. I wish like Tahna that people had been more honest with me in the beginning about education and my child would have been better served and not having to continue to work so very hard to learn to talk. I also know that fighting a legal battle would take too much time, cost too much money and we aren't guaranteed a victory. I am choosing to spend our time and money better. I do thank those who fight the legal battle and hope you all win. I just don't like the odds here. Please forgive me for ranting, I love this list serve for all of the sharing and would prefer to share only the good but after our meeting yesterday and our past few months of family living 2 places I guess Colin brought up the topic at just the right time. For those of you with cooperative schools, tell them thank you and keep posting the successes. It was some of your posts that helped me see our problem and know that it doesn't have to be like that. Happy summer to all of you, I'll be packing and unpacking for the next few months. Mom to 10, 6 (n24 4/00) and 3 Re: IEP & FM question > As I work towards a degree in Audiology, I also find myself > confronted with > the information revealed in school and how it pertains to my > daughter > Marissa's education...and how the school district here does the > absolute > MINIMUM (if that) for kids here. Our school district is very large > (3 high > schools, 5 middle schools, and 14 elementary schools) and there > are 1300 > kids in Special Ed here...and they have no idea what to do with > kids with > hearing loss. It is so dismal that 8 hearing impaired students > from this > district are bussed 1 1/2 hours to another school in another > district where > there is a cluster of HI kids (not to mention the people that have > moved so > they would not have to work with the district here). It is so > frusterating > to be in a room with these people and know what your child needs, > you know > more about hearing loss, your child, and deaf ed that anyone else > in the > room, but since you are the parent you get no respect. Recently I > think I > finally earned that respect by handling some situations between me > and the > school district professionally and respectfully, as much as I may > not have > wanted to. > I had a conversation with someone the other day who said they felt > that > being a Special Ed Director must be the worst job in the > world...parents > yellling at you all the time, very difficult monetary constraints > that must > be worked around or the district will face legal issues, and alot > of kids > that truly need services that they are entitled to, legally and > ethically. I > don't find it suprising at all that Special Ed directors are (from > what I've > seen and heard) generally tough, assertive, and a thorn in many > peoples > sides. They are, nonetheless, people we have to work with as long > as our > children are in school, so the better the relationship and the > more respect > you earn the easier things should be. > Sorry for the long email...I haven't written much lately...this > should catch > me up! > Also- the Family Meeting for Marissa's CI candidacy is Friday...I > think they > are finally going to say yes....I'll let you all know when I find out! > Colin P. > > _________________________________________________________________ > Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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