Hired new advocate.....

[trek]

IEP Triennial meeting is tomorrow afternoon.

I have failed my child, I just hope the advocate can help us. My concern is she only reviewed his records this weekend and she has not yet looked at emails to/from school dating back to 2004. That is very telling more than the actual IEP minutes/parental concerns.

My one issues with the advocate is she is telling me that instead of ESY we will provide are own tutoring for Grant. She mentioned Sylvan Learning Center. That seems odd as clearly the school has not provided appropriate math education for Grant as he is over 2 years behind in math despite having math goals and several years of math resource on his IEP since kindergarten and he is now in 5th grade! Also, we have our concerns noted on the IEP where they moved Grant out of math resource in 2008 to co-teaching model for 3 and 4th. Along, with written proof that we still had concerns especially last year in 4th grade. The county also provided supplementary math program before school, math tutoring after school and still it was not appropriate. So why is she suggesting the above? I plan to ask either today or prior to the meeting since it does not seem right to me.

[fatcat]

I am admit I am not at all knowledgeable about this stuff, but I would tend to keep anything about getting tutors outside of school to yourself. The school still needs to provide anything and everything under the IEP, in my opinion.

But, I also just started my kids on Kumon math (1st and 3rd grades). I guess I have to adopt a little bit of Tiger Mother attitude finally. I'm sucking up the cost and we are in it for the long haul - I am figuring at least until the end of 5th grade. My nieces did it until the end of 8th grade and they are math whizzes. Meanwhile, I still count on my fingers and use a calculator. I know I never truly memorized my math facts. The kids who did are the ones who moved on to higher level math, I was in the "dumb" classes in high school math. I know, I know, it's nothing you can't do yourself and save the money, but I figure there are reasons you pay other people for the discipline, expertise, etc. and it's because I wouldn't put in the time an effort on my own.

[justour2boys]

Unless she is trying to get the SD to pay for tutoring... I would not mention anything you are doing outside of school.

I mentioned my DS attending Lindamood Bell to the school and they got uppity with me. So I said unless they wanted to foot the bill, it was none of their concern what I did privately for my DS. Well, that shut them up... fast.

[trek]

I am unsure what she is going for but that is what she said yesterday via phone "home bound program" via Sylvan Learning Center.

Already she has cost us $800 and we have not even met yet-this is why I held off-something better change or I will go

[pepperlc]

Good luck. I hope she brings you the help you need. You haven't failed your child the school has failed him. You are doing every thing you can.
karen

[Patrice1]

Good luck. I hope she brings you the help you need. You haven't failed your child the school has failed him. You are doing every thing you can.
karen

Perfectly said! It's hard not to feel that you're the one who failed, but you're doing everything you can. The system has failed him. I hope you get what you need.

[NancyR]

Here in NYC if the child's been "failed by the system, Sylvan Tutoring paid by DOE as

a means of having the child play catch up. This may be what your advocate is trying to say (uhm or should be saying!!)...

Peruse this site for ideas:

http://www.advocatesforchildren.org/

Make sure you and the advocate are on the same page as what you want out of the meeting. See if the advocate work with a well known educational attorney (if you're spending that kind of money on an advocate, the next step should be an attorney). The advocate can be your witness during the legal proceedings (should there be a need).

HUGS!! N

[dlp]

Hope this new advocate can get the ball rolling! Good lcuk, and I too am thinking she is trying to get outside services at district expense. Keep us posted!

[trek]

Meeting started at 2pm, still going on at 7pm, we had to table and reconvene on May 2nd. The issue now is elibility for Grant is still undecided so the next meeting has to address that before moving on to the annual IEP for next year. The problem is the meeting has to be finished on that date by 10:30. That will difficult.

During the meeting the SLP walked out and cried. The rest of the school team began to complain about feeding kids dinner, kids at home. They were shooting daggers when the advocate had them read back minutes-mainly because int he past nothing of parental concern is noted.

The best part was toward end of the meeting when the Resource teacher throws out AMENDING the testing accommodations-tomorrow the CRCT (state testing) begins. Advocate might have gone along with it but I spoke-no way, not the night before the test when he has been testing one way the rest of the school year. Plus, she could have amended without IEP if she has concerns like she did 2x last year for the very issue-testing accommodations.

I wonder really hope we get over this mountain and to the other side.

Thanks so much for being supportive. And ultimately it might require legal help.

[pepperlc]

Wow a 5 hour meeting. Unbelievable. Why was the SLP crying? I can't understand how this is so difficult. But I'm really pleased to hear you stand your ground. Accommodations for testing are one the most basic things you need from them.

k

[trek]

Yes, he has accommodations but last year they changed them twice w/out a meeting just via amendment. So whay did they wait until night before CRCT to want to make changes-he has been testing all year with out the test being read to him so making changes literally hours before the test (was today at 8am) is a red flag and also and issue as Grant had been with only 1 other student this entire year but if they had changed it he would have been in a group of probably 8-10.Again, he has not passed any benchmark (to access knowledge of standards) all shool year except last Quarter so they could have changed it. Nor was it shared with me 2 weeks ago when I picked up data from the Resource teacher.

The SLP was crying-because the advocate was saying that county guidelines do not trump state/federal educational law. She was coming down hard on the speech eval since it did not fully access language-just a screener. But the rest of the team denies that Grant is impacted educationally by deficits in pragmatics. The school may be correct but than they are arguing that the decline in academic achievement scores on the same test does not matter "the scores should not be used in isolation to make educational decisions". Um, that is what they do base the IEP compeletely on the CRCT test scores-scores from ITBS & Cogat and benchmark scores. So IEE will probably be requested as how can we ascertain Grant's present level of performance? Oh, and the supplementary math program has him on the same grade level as the academic achievement testing-2nd grade!

[BriNJ]

First, you have not failed Grant. To fail Grant would be to lay down, give up and let him ride out school however they see fit until he is 18. You havent done that- and while I understand why you feel badly, you need to realize that this is a war, not a battle.

As for the mtg, good- let them suffer. I have no sympathy for the school- they have had years to work with you, for the good of Grant. Ive seen no evidence that they even pretend to believe they are doing whats best for him, so who cares? Let them suffer. Callous, yes- usually I side with teachers. But your district...nope. They've spent more time and energy fighting instead of working together.

Please let us know what else happens. And I hope this advocate works out well and helps Grant get the education he needs.

[trek]

Thanks again everyone.

Awaiting reply about IEE- director's response so far is not promising:
"Mrs. M,
You are correct that there is no legal requirement for you to provide any more information. ...
However, I am surprised by this response as I have felt that we have always been able to work together. As the request for an IEE has to be approved by me as the Director of Learning Support, I will need to meet with the school staff to make my determination. You will have my response by the close of day on Monday."


Also, found out that went ahead and did not follow the testing accommodations on his IEP as it states small group and he was tested individually which was not the accommodation they tried to amend at the IEP meeting earlier this week. I find it odd that made testing amendments on his IEP 3 times last year as far as state/district testing


BRI-thought you would like to see the quote above in red. Also, the county was saying that I am unable to compare the Academic Achievement Tests that Grant took in 08' &11' even though they are the same test, same edition. I thought Wrightslaw said I could to show progress/lack of progress using such testing? They certainly did not like my graphs!

[Laura H1]

The issue now is elibility for Grant is still undecided...

THAT is absolutely OBSCENE and OUTRAGEOUS!

Like others have said, you have not failed your child; your school district is failing abysmally!

I'm so very sorry... I'm shaking my head in complete disbelief...

(((hugs)))
Laura