Hands Off from Kayt Jonsson on Vimeo.

Hands Off from Kayt Jonsson on Vimeo.


Hands Off from Kayt Jonsson on Vimeo.

I am NOT going to be Bullied!

Runcie wants to meet and connect with parents and community members to establish a channel of two-way communication and build support

BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWS RELEASE

DATE:   November 4, 2011        

CONTACT: Nadine Drew, Public Relations & Governmental Affairs, 754-321-2300

Broward Schools Superintendent Plans 'Listening Tour'

        Broward County Public Schools new superintendent of schools, Robert W. Runcie, will be “hitting the road” soon as he conducts a blitz of listening sessions across Broward County. The “listening tour” is part of the kick off his tenure as superintendent of the nation’s sixth largest school district.  

        Runcie wants to meet and connect with parents and community members to establish a channel of two-way communication and build support to improve student achievement and performance.  The perspectives, experiences, opinions and concerns expressed by parents and community members, will be used in developing the next District Strategic Plan.  The listening sessions, to be held at several high schools throughout the District, are open to all parents and community members.

        “In my meetings and conversations with parents, teachers, students, business and community members I’m finding a common theme.  Our school system is Broward County’s biggest asset, and everyone I speak with is tremendously proud of the Broward County Public Schools and the quality of education we provide to our students.  I hope to get our stakeholders’ perspective on that which we do very well and that which we can do better,” said Runcie.

The public is invited to take part in the conversation during one of these sessions. All sessions begin will begin at 6:30 p.m.:

• Monday, November 14 at Fort Lauderdale High School,     1600 NE Fourth Ave., Ft. Lauderdale 33305
• Tuesday, November 29 at Blanche Ely High School, 1201 NW Sixth Ave., Pompano Beach 33060               
• Monday, December 5 at Coral Glades High School, 2700 Sportsplex Drive, Coral Springs 33065        
• Monday, December 12 at Hollywood Hills High School, 5400 Stirling Rd., Hollywood 33021  
• Wednesday, January 4 at Coconut Creek High School, 1400 NW 44th Ave., Coconut Creek 33066  
• Monday, January 9 at Flanagan High School, 12800 Taft St., Pembroke Pines 33028
• Tuesday, January 17 at Cypress Bay High School, 18600 Vista Park Blvd., Weston 33332
• Thursday, January 19 at Dillard High School, 2501 NW 11th St., Ft. Lauderdale 33311

###

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the nation's sixth largest public school system and the largest fully accredited district with over 258,000 students in 234 schools and education centers and 76 charter schools. For more information about BCPS, visit (www.browardschools.com). Follow BCPS on Twitter (@Browardschools). Find us on Facebook at (www.facebook.com/browardschools).

WOW!!! Such Discrimination stories!! *it's 2011 folks!

MyVSY.com http://myvsy.com/The%20Story.htm
Click on the link above here to read some pretty incredible and upsetting stories from parents and their Children trying to obtain an education. 


I never really knew how much this was really happening around me! I have a son with ADHD and a daughter with Down syndrome, it hasn't been easy getting the two of them educated. I have had my own situations I could discuss here, but would rather have you check out this website called: My VSY.com ~ check it out!

BUS Schedules??...did YOU get one?

Did you get BUS info in the mail this week or last? I got a postcard in the mail for my high school son and a second reminder I received a Robo-Call reminding again of my son's bus scheduled time of pick up and what corner he needed to be at.

My daughter, well.....anxiously I have been looking in the mail box everyday waiting.....I even called the school a couple of times last week to let them know I was concerned because I had received my son's BUS info but hadn't heard anything about my daughter's BUS info for the start of the new school year.

Funny thing.....I spoke with 3 other mom's with Children that have Down syndrome and all three said they hadn't received any postcard in the mail or a robo-call or anything about time and place of pick up. One mom has a son that got his info a week ago...just exactly like I did for my son. Her son and daughter will be attending the exact same school that starts at the same time. When she called her school about her little girl, she was told by her ESE person....that because her daughter had DD=Developmental Disability that she would need to take a short bus....a SHORT BUS??!!! Did she really say that? I thought maybe my friend was retelling me what she thought she heard the lady say....and that she was retelling me wrong...but she assured me that yes the lady DID say to her that her daughter would have to take THE SHORT BUS!!!!

What is wrong with people!!...What is wrong with the very 'professionals' that work with our families and our Children and they continue to use such OUT-DATED terminology?

Why have 3 of us mom's not gotten our BUS info and we all have other siblings that also ride buses and the the other family members all received their BUS schedule but our Children with Down syndrome did not! What is going on with our kiddo's NOT GETTING our BUS schedule postcards in the mail or even the robo-caller that has gone out to our other Children? I just don't get it....how can it be such a coincident that 3 of us families all with a Child with Down syndrome have not gotten any info about their BUS SCHEDULES???...We all are WONDERING........WHAT'S UP?!!

Dad v. Autism: Dad v. Summer School

Dad v. Autism: Dad v. Summer School: "He probably could have been swimming... So Noah has gone to Summer School for the last three summers. It is paid for by the school system ..."


Thursday July 28, 2011         Dad v. Summer School

*Check out my cousin's blog....from Michigan before reading my post below.

I came to the same conclusion back when my little girl was in the 2nd grade! She took the 3rd grade FCAT and failed with flying colors! Because of that...she was 'entitled to attend' the 3rd grade READING CAMP for all 3rd graders that didn't pass the FCAT. That was a BLOG story I posted back then about when she was attending the Reading Camp. The Principal of the Summer ESY Program and the Reading Camp for 3rd graders, took one look at my daughter and very loudly (and unprofessionally) in front of the entire cafeteria filled with students and staff....told me that my daughter needed to 'go over to the OTHER SIDE' of the divider in the cafeteria where all the other ESY students were. She very rudely stated, that she needed to be in Mrs. SoInSo's classroom! I will find the date of that blog posting...it's a sad but true story of just how much PREJUDGMENT still goes on with people....especially Administrators that are 'in charge' of lots of our kiddo's! Here is the blog post from THAT wonderful experience!!
Blatant Socially Accepted Discrimination 3rd Grade Reading Camp? June 22 - July 24, 2009

ESY ~ Extended School Year for our Kiddo's that NEED the intensive help to gain academic skills so they don't LOOSE any of their academic progress over the summer time break is a great and wonderful program for students. ESY classrooms are filled with wonderful teachers and staff that work over the summer. ESY is NOT an INCLUSIVE General Education type classroom setting, the Children all have an IEP ~ Individual Education Plan/Program with the SUMMER TIME high priority academic and "educationally relevant" therapeutic needs to be worked on during the short and sweet time frame over the summer months.

I have personally gone and done OBSERVATIONS of her ESY classrooms on several occasions to each of the ESY school sites over the years from the time she just 3 years old till when she had just finished attending the 2nd grade. I personally meet her new Summer time ESY teachers, staff and principals at my daughters ESY schools. THIS IS A MANDATORY IN MY BOOK to do each year you send your kiddo off to ESY!! I tell parents all the time...give the ESY school site 3 days to 'get settled' and before the end of that very first week of ESY....make contact with the ESY office staff and set up an observation time. Once you have gotten a teeny tiny snap-shot of your kiddo's ESY day and a feel for the program, you will know without a doubt if ESY will be best for your kiddo! Sign up for it and attend....but do an observation and know more about what the ESY school day is really all about and meet and know who the teacher and staff are that will be responsible for your Kiddo!


Is there classwork and homework during the summer ESY program? Have you seen or not seen classwork coming home or notes from the teacher or staff?....do all you can to see and make sure it's going to be the BEST use of every ones time to have your Child continue into the 2nd week! You will know before the end of week 2 if it is going to be worth a darn. PS ...remember that observations are not the time to TALK or have big old long conversations about your Child with the teacher....it is an observation...and many times...not always a true snap-shot of how the 'academic' day really goes along. It might even be an observation of an ALL HANDS ON DECK type of situation...not real at all of how the day actually is.

Support staff....find out WHO ARE THEY? The main ESY teacher....WHO ARE THEY? What school do they teach at during the school year? What sort of classroom are they used to teaching and what types 'disabilities' do they have training and certification in to teach? It is just good practice as a parent sending your Child off to school, to KNOW the Certification their teachers hold. Here is the Teacher Certification LOOK-UP link for the Florida Department of Education: http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/public.asp  This link is something you should know how to use and be using on a regular basis for all teachers and staff! Mark it as a favorite and put it on the computer desk top for quick reference. Share it with other parents!! Know what all your teachers & staff are CERTIFIED IN to teach! Know the members of your IEP TEAM and what they are CERTIFIED IN TO TEACH! Make sure your IEP TEAM are the REQUIRED IEP TEAM MEMBERS and are CERTIFIED in what they say they are at the IEP meeting.

I am all for ESY ~ for students that need it! I am all for parents being INVOLVED AND ABLE TO SEE WITH THEIR OWN EYES WHO IS TEACHING OUR CHILDREN! I encourage everyone to make sure you get the first and last name of every single person that ever works with your Child. Look up their teacher certifications on the State Department of Education websites and know what they are certified in. I am NOT for taking hours and hours of total 'fluff' to determine ESY 'eligibility' and to also take hours to write an ESY IEP! I am all for DISAGREEING to anything you do and/or don't believe is what your Child needs from his/her ESY program.

Parents are taken on an EMOTIONAL ROLLER-COASTER RIDE of emotions over the IEP process as it is....why do 'they' put on such a show for the ESY ELIGIBILITY IEP meeting and waste so much time with what should be basically simple and easy to do for our kiddo's!! I have attended some ESY IEP meetings that turned into 4 hour Circus Acts and for what...for the fact 'the IEP determined' that the Child only 'qualified for 2 HOURS per week on a MONDAY!!! Really.....the Child has a MATRIX of 253-254 and would only NEED 2 HOURS PER WEEK ON A MONDAY?? That particular parent learned how to sign 2 different DUE PROCESS PAPERWORK THAT DAY! It did not go to Due Process and low and behold 'the right' amount of days and the right amount of time was provided to that Child for ESY that year!

ESY ~ It's a GREAT Program! It's the process of getting 'qualified & eligible' and the correct and needed amount of time the student will be able to attend the program for. Always remember it's 'the IEP TEAM that determines' how many weeks and how many days the student qualifies too attend for. Being told many times that, "the ESY Program is for the really BAD KIDS" or "it's for the REALLY INVOLVED kids"......(I have heard these similar type comments said way too many times when I attend IEP meetings with parents!) Getting it all written on the IEP document is all fine and dandy....but like any SPECIAL EDUCATION Supports & Services, YOU have to be part of the TEAM!!

ESY CAN BE WHAT YOU MAKE IT TO BE BY YOUR BEING INVOLVED!! Establish COMMUNICATION between home and ESY teacher and school. Ask for HOMEWORK and send it back to the ESY Teacher everyday. I had an ESY teacher that was so happy I wrote a daily note and said I was, "THE FIRST PARENT TO EVER DO THAT at ESY!!" (I really hope not!!) Do you know the Daily SCHEDULE and the OT, PT, ST person that will be seeing your Child and for how long and where? Do you know who the classroom assistant is and what they do during the regular school year and what school they work at? Do you know the age of the other classmates? Are they a lot older than your little one? What grade are most of the other classmates? Are they students with challenging behaviors that your Child doesn't have now and absolutely does NOT need to be 'watching n learning' from as well? THIS STUFF IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW! Our Children need a good classroom that is tailored to their needs, not tailored to the 'schools needs' or the 'teachers needs' or the Administrators needs....it IS about YOUR Child's needs! Be a confident advocate and do what is BEST for YOUR Child!

Raise the bar on EXPECTATIONS....from everyone! If you don't communicate to the ESY TEACHER & STAFF at which they probably did not attend the ESY IEP meeting or may not even ever see the IEP! Most ESY teachers are just meeting your Child for the first time and don't know your Child at all or may not have even laid eyes on your Child's IEP document or ever seen the ESY "PLAN".

Say YES 2 ESY! ~ Do YOUR part as a parent and go OBSERVE the classroom you are sending your Child to over the summer! MEET THE TEACHER & the ESYAdministrator!

Look for FUN over the summer.....HOME SCHOOL the ACADEMICS if you can....Create your own school work! YOU KNOW your Child BEST! Be the summer teacher....and have FUN with your Child!

School is around the corner....DUST OFF THOSE IEP's and start planning for the real goals that absolutely need to be mastered within 1 school year!

Have a FUN Summer!


*Share this BLOG with others on your FACEBOOK PROFILE & become a FOLLOWER of this BLOG! Let's pump it up everyone! Share the resources that are out there for parents and staff to learn from!

Pledge for Parental Involvement

Pledge for Parental Involvement

I pledge to support my child's education
to the best of my ability.
I will have high expectations for my child
to succeed in school and in life.
I will make my child's education a priority,
and model positive actions and attitudes.
I will partner with my child's school
to ensure I am informed and involved
in all aspects of my child's education,
and I will be an active advocate
for my child's education.
I understand that education is the key
to success, and will do everything I can
to nurture my child's ability to learn.

*November is Parental Involvement Month
I received this saying at a Title I Parent Training

Is she getting a good education today?

Just when you think you have the kinks out of all the school issues and things are running smoothly, something tugs inside of you to keep doing what we do and that is to continue to STAY ON TOP OF EVERY LITTLE THING that is or is not happeing at school with your Child, in my case with Mariah. When it comes to making sure our Children are being taught....really taught how to READ, WRITE & DO MATH, we have to continue to keep the lines of communication wide open regularly!

 With the long Christmas Break finally over and the New Year finally here...the first week of January is my time to send out a few emails to both Mark & Mariah's teachers and ask a few questions and make request for some help in a few of my areas of concern. I believe if parents get too comfortable with NOT being in contact with our Children's teachers and they don't have regular parent/teacher conferences or some kind of contact either small phone chats or emailing them it is easy for our Children to not be provided the support they need to help them learn.



I started my emailing the first day they were back in school and WOW what a whirl-wind of positive things start happening! When I inquire about certain things and they get back to me, it helps me know where I need to keep ON TOP OF THINGS better.



Parents if you haven't had a parent teacher conference in awhile or yet this year...absolutely it is time set one up and get reconnected to all the different teachers and have some discussions.



Emailing is my 'mode of communication' that I prefer to use when wanting to touch base and ask some questions on how things are going. I'm sure there are some teachers that dread any email coming from me or some parents, but to be honest..emailing teachers is the surest way to get the ball rolling with some good conversation about YOUR Child and how things are really going at school.



I encourage each of you to make contact with your Children's teachers & ESE Support people right about now, the first weeks of the New Year. Spring Break is just around the corner and in Florida we have the Standardized test called the FCAT. When its just before FCAT, that is ALL that is going on at school...preparing everyone how to do well on it! The end of another school year will be here before we know it. Make it a priority to keep good communication happening all the time with their teachers. Sending out an email once in awhile to get updates on some things is a good thing.



Set up a PLANNING MEETING with your Child's teachers, this is not an IEP meeting. This is a meeting that is alot more casual and free flowing with conversation about what's working, what's not working and what are some of the challenges teachers and you both are seeing. What are some of the wonderful things that are going on at home and while in school. I love doing MARIAH PLANNING MEETINGS in the middle of the school year especially when everyone comes to the table with an open mind and willing to share ideas and some possible new changes to how things have been going.



Right now, things are working out wonderful for Mariah's 5 grade year. She has 3 great teachers that are all good at emailing me back. The beginning of the year didn't start out so well because Mariah's homeroom/reading & math teacher refused to ever talk or communicate with me! She may have been good teacher but if she couldn't provide any parent/teacher communication...ever...not one email was ever replied back to, not one phone message I left for her was ever returned. I was a wreck at that time because of it! I wanted to have a parent/teacher conference around the 5th week of school just to touch base and discuss how things were going. We were having some MATH issues going on at the time. Needless to say, I finally had that parent/teacher conference close to the 13th week of school! If she wasn't going to ever talk to me than I guess I needed to be able to observe her classroom and to see how she worked with my daughter. What I saw during that classroom observation was my daughter being fully segragated and not included at all!! I was so upset by then that I had already spoken to the Principal and requested for a new teacher for my daughter.

Not only did Mariah get a new homeroom teacher, she got a new MATH teacher as well! Ever since the switch of teachers I have not had a problem with being able to communicate and have Mariah's teachers email me back. The classwork she brings home now tells me she is being provided an opportunity to be part of the classroom lessons and to do the best she can. She is learning so much this year in 5th grade!



If things don't seem right, chances are they aren't right! When things sent home from school show you that real learning took place, that is a great sign!. If you ever have a teacher that refuses to collaborate and communicate with you about your concerns for your Child's education and is unwilling to work with you on a regular basis, put in for a teacher change as quickly as you can! The school year goes by way too fast to waste a week or a month or a couple of months trying to make things work out with someone that probably doesn't believe in your Child like you need them to anyway. It's not about worrying about hurting someones feelings...it's about YOUR CHILD getting a good education and being able to have a good parent teacher relationship! If you have a teacher that doesn't give YOU the time of day...trade em in for a different one - QUICK!! It's all about PARENT INVOLVEMENT & if you have a teacher that doesn't want that or get that...request for a teacher that does! 



Mariah's new teacher is an absolute delight to work with! What a breath of fresh air to be able to have a teacher that actually wants to say hi to me and give me friendly updates about my daughter and on classroom stuff. It was not a fun time for me to have a teacher that refused to have any conversation with me about my daughter, it was something that totally took me for a loop, I just never expected it. *Isn't it part of a teachers job discription to talk to parents? .......sometime? 



Is she getting a good education today? Well..I know she loves going to school everyday and I know she has a good handful of nice friends that truly care about her. Her teachers are good people and they are doing the best they can helping my daughter do her personal best while she is in their classrooms. When parents & teachers are able to work together for the sake of the Child that is when everyone is learning! Teachers that embrace inclusion and aren't affraid of parents that want to be involved are the teachers become just better teachers because of it! Inclusion and having students with significant learning challenges in General Education Classrooms is not easy, I won't lie, but it is rewarding and at the end of the school year, that teacher with the open mind and the desire to teach ALL CHILDREN is the better teacher by far!! (Can I have an amen!) 



Having a student with Down syndrome fully included in a General Education classroom is not something that just happens overnight...it takes lots of collaboration and work from both parents & the teachers and it takes having 'talks'...either in person by having little planning meetings or shooting an email once in awhile or even a quick friendly phone conversation. Parents don't be affraid to have a NON-IEP PLANNING MEETING for your Child, some of the best ideas and ways your Child learns or how the teachers present lessons are talked about at these meetings.



Everyone touch base with your son or daughters teachers and get an update on things. Have a wonderfully productive January and a Healthy New Year!
 
www.dsadvocate.com

HOMEWORK POLICY ~ Broward Public Schools

HOMEWORK POLICY ~ Broward Public Schools
Hope this link (click above) is helpful!
It would be a good idea to print out the HOMEWORK POLICY and keep a copy handy whenever you have a parent teacher conference and need to make reference to your Child's homework. This policy says it all and I'm sure will be very useful for many!

Did you know it is suggested that the total time to do homework should be 10 minutes per the grade. So say a 5th grader should have a TOTAL of 50 minutes of homework and say a 9th grader should have a TOTAL of 90 minutes of homework assigned per day.

This homework policy was written by our school board members....let's be sure our Children benefit from it! Are teachers and staff aware of this policy and what it says? Tell another parent about this policy and share the link with them so they too can print it out and know what this policy states.

Enjoy!

Our 3 year olds...what are the PROFESSIONALS thinking??

I can tell it's a week before school starts! I received several phone calls just yesterday! ALL the calls were about the same exact thing...parents being TOLD (without it yet ever being discussed in any IEP meeting!!!) ...that their little one with Down syndrome HAS just one PLACEMENT OPTION and can ONLY attend a Disability only Developmental Preschool instead of the neighborhood elementary school that is nearest to the parents home!

What is wrong with people??! I just don't get those few professionals that speak up the most at these initial eligibility and PLACEMENT meetings! The oh so prejudgemental professionals read their wonderfully word-smithed initial evaluation reports and the parents are hearing these professional 'reports' for the very first time with lots of emotions and concern. Most of the time it's these new parents to the whole ESE 'ballgame'...that really don't have a clue what is happening! Hopefully they have taken another family member, friend or better yet an experienced advocate with them.

The professional PLACEMENT TEAMS seem to think that it is only their professional opinions that matter the most when making the PLACEMENT decisions about a 3 year old youngsters FUTURE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS!! What about what the PARENTS THINK IS BEST FOR THEIR OWN CHILD???  How can anyone really know what classroom set up is really going to be BEST, especially for a little guy just turning 3 years old? THERE IS NO DATA TO SUPPORT that a little 3 year old  absolutely needs a more restrictive classroom with fewer student to teacher ratio. WHAT IS THE NATIONAL TREND AND WHAT DOES THE NATIONAL RESEARCH SAY? WHAT DO DISABILITY SPECIFIC NATIONAL EXPERTS RECOMMEND AS BEST PRACTICES?

Our PROFESSIONAL PLACEMENT TEAMS in Broward want parents to believe that it is only the PROFESSIONALS that KNOW WHAT IS BEST for their Child!!  Please....give me a break!!  From what I am being told by several parents, now that have recently taken their little ones to be evaluated... that those professionals have only met, seen and worked with their Child for maybe 10 - 15 minutes total!!!  Of course if asked they will tell everyone they took a WHOLE HALF HOUR with the Child and now they KNOW BEST for that young child!  NOT!!!  (WOW a whole 10 to sometimes maybe
30  minutes...maybe.....to do an individualized evaluation for Speech, Occupational and Physical Therapy.)

The professionals not ever thinking to consider contacting and COLLABORATING with the private family therapist these little ones have been seeing for years! The private Speech, Occupational or Physical Therapist that has been working with the little one for over 3 years and actually KNOWS the Child really well!! Yes professional Part B therapist that do evaluations on youngsters with developmental delays are professionals, but when they start only listening to themselves and not ever taking into consideration what the parents concerns and what they as the Child parents feel will be BEST. It is the PARENTS THAT ARE THE REAL EXPERTS here at this point when it comes to where they would like to have their child educated and which school and why. I'm a firm believer that it's the parents that know THEIR CHILD THE BEST.

When there are IEP TEAMS of 8 plus professionals sitting around a conference table and pretty much all of the school system side of  INITIAL PLACEMENT TEAMS have a predetermined mind set on where and how a certain child with a particular or certain kind of disability should go to school...and not one of those people speak up and SUGGEST that maybe it would be ok and fine to have this little one  attend the neighborhood school that is just a few blocks away from their parents home that actually has the 3-5 year old "disability" program (PreK ESE Programs) designed just for little kiddo's that need a little extra help in their development.

I find it very sad that NOT ONE of those professionals thought the PreK ESE classroom MIGHT be a good placement for many of our 3 year old students with DOWN SYNDROME?? First of all when they don't even provide and discuss out in the open all the classroom and program options available...that seems then like it is a systematic decision that all students with a certain type of disability, like Down syndrome for example are only to be suggested to attend certain classrooms or certain types of placement decisions are already PREDETERMINED before ever meeting with the family! THIS IS DISCRIMINATION AT ITS FINEST and yes it is happening still today....but today it's not so much about race as it is about DISABILITIES today, and it is also about certain kinds of disabilities....Plain and simple it's about DISCRIMINATION AND IT NEEDS TO STOP!!

When IEP teams pre-determine placement before the actual meeting this is when their professional opinions and their PERSONAL FEELINGS to what they think is BEST for that child or how they usually do it...their feelings and their opinions don't mean a hill-o-beans! When there isn't and hasn't been professional collaboration going with the Child's private therapists and/or the
parents and there never was....they lose their creditability as the professionals they should be respected for! Personally they loose the repect they deserve as professionals...women usually...because they don't BELIEVE IN OUR CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME!! It is obvious by the well rehearsed same ol comments they provide to parent after parent after parent.

Why is it that placement after placement of our young Children with Down syndrome between the ages of 3 to 5 years old are more likely than not....to be  recommended placement in one of several Broward County School PROVIDER DEVELOPMENTAL PRESCHOOLS? These schools are not usually near to the Childs home and most times requires a long bus ride to attend them as well. Why are these little ones being PUSHED TO ONLY BE ABLE TO ATTEND ARC, ANN STORK, UCP or Broward Children's Center? Why are these Children not being offered the PreK ESE classrooms that are at our neighborhood schools? Someone please give me the data that supports the placement at a developmental preschool only as the best placement option always for so many Children with Down syndrome especially!

OUR LITTLE CUTIES WITH DOWN SYNDROME NEED SO MUCH CLASSROOM SUPPORT ABSOLUTELY AND LOTS OF POSITIVE PRAISE AND ENCOURAGEMENT, ESE SUPPORTS AND SERVICES! 

What I heard today during the initial evaluation and placement IEP "TEAM" MEETING for a particular cutie cute and oh so yummy sweet and delicious little boy....was that this team of Broward Public Schools Initial Placement Professionals INSISTED (almost dictated!) that he attend the very developmental preschool the parents had just pulled him out from just 2 months previous! THEY SAW THINGS THEY DID NOT LIKE AND DID NOT FEEL THIS PLACE WAS DOING WHAT THEY REALLY SHOULD BE DOING FOR THEIR SON, SO THEY PULLED HIM FROM THAT SCHOOL NEVER TO HAVE HIM GO THERE EVER AGAIN! So....tell me....why would parents want their little boy to go back to a place they knew to NOT BE THE BEST PLACEMENT OPTION for him?

I am sadden that we have so much PREJUDGEMENT AND PRE-DETERMINED PLACEMENT DECISIONS without parents having any say so in what they think might be best for their Child...so much of this is happening in our Broward school district! Our youngest and most vulnerable of students are being discriminated against and it needs to stop and quick! A STATE COMPLAINT MIGHT BE THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE OUR DISTRICT WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE WITH THIS ON GOING SITUATION THAT HAPPENS TO CHILD AFTER CHILD AFTER CHILD WITH NOT JUST DOWN SYNDROME BUT OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS!

If you or someone you know has had a similar situation happen to you at your Child's Initial 3 year old placement TRANSITION IEP, please write me an email telling me your story. I want to help make a positive change and I need your help! 

Email me your story: AngelKids4me@gmail.com

Online Parenting Special Needs magazine

Great online resource! Sign up and see!
http://parentingspecialneeds.org/

Why can't my 14 year old read?

How can a 14 1/2 year old not be taught how to learn PRE-PRIMER DOLCH words? How can a Child that scores a 5 on her MATRIX in the communication domain section NOT be considered for Assistive Technology for Communication needs over the years? So many 'things' that could have been provided or taught but everyone has their reasons why this or that basic skill wasn't taught or why a device was never tried out to see if it could or might help a student communicate and be understood. I will always have a hard time understanding why some of our schools and why some of our professionals that are making lots of educational decisions for our Children continue to have a low expectation for learning basic life skills. Why is there still in our society people that keep thinking that our Children don't need to learn the same educational skills as everyone else? There is so much today in the way of technology it's absolutely a shame if schools aren't pushing and preparing our Children for their future, which is once they leave school life they have some basic reading, writing, and math skills.

The school today told the mom she was NOT ALLOW to have a copy of the MATRIX that was just updated after the IEP today. When she asked them to write a statement saying she wasn't allowed to have a copy of the MATRIX that she needed them to provide her something "in writing", she was then provided a copy of the MATRIX. During the actual IEP meeting, I asked what was the MATRIX number and was quickly told that wasn't to be discussed at IEP meetings.

Ok....so if the student has a major disability with talking and being understood, and the MATRIX is a 254, I don't understand why this student is only ALLOW to be provided with just a 1/2 hour of Language services and just a 1/2 hour of Speech services. As far as I could tell by listening to everyone speaking at this IEP this student should have been provided  n Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device ahttp://www.abilityhub.com/aac/aac-devices.htm (here is a webpage that shows some ideas for these types of communication devices!) At the meeting it was told to mom that she had been using a devices but when I asked mom if she had ever seen what they were talking about, she was not aware of any such device was being used. Again, it amazes me what some of these IEP team members come up with and to make the parent think something is being provided when in reality nothing was being done.

Getting the supports and services is paramount to our Children's success in school and post school outcomes to be successful in today's real world past high school. Being persistant and asking lots of questions and providing your PARENT INPUT throughout the entire IEP document is part of the IEP Process. This is YOUR CHILD they are all sitting around a table talking about YOUR SON & DAUGHTER...this is not someone that deserves a little less or a lot less...everyone is there to talk about what YOUR CHILD NEEDS...so let's STOP PLAYING ALL THESE IEP GAMES AND START EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN!

Parents...listen up! If you don't take some time to read up, attend trainings, disability specific conferences & conventions, meeting and getting to know other parents, being part of a disability specific support group....your CHILD will be missing out! Parents being told by other parents all sorts of stories and real life situations only helps each of us to understand how I can better help my Child be all he or she can truly be! We need to make sure the schools we choose for our Children has a great principal that is willing to work with you as a parent and the school has good teachers that are open to TEACHING CHILDREN ~ ALL CHILDREN and that means YOUR CHILD...no matter if you Child has a disability or no disability......NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND was signed into law for a reason...and that reason is YOUR CHILD!!

Read parents....research and go to trainings...make the time...take the time to educate yourself on how to be your Childs BEST ADVOCATE! Your Child is depending on you!

Here is a link to the Florida Sunshine State Standards....is your Child being taught these? If not....why not?

 http://floridastandards.org/page24.aspx

NEW BOOK TO OWN!!! Wrightslaw: All About IEPs

Wrightslaw: All About IEPs by Peter W. D. Wright & Pamela Darr Wright; Sandra Webb O'Connor
http://www.wrightslaw.com/bks/aaiep/index.htm#order

If you purchase just one book this year to help you in understanding the whole IEP process....any book by Peter and Pamela Wright gets my highest recommendation! This is their newest released IEP book! Order one today, order a couple as gifts for your friends!

Wrightslaw: Peter and Pam Wright are the most respected Special Ed Advocates in the country! If you haven't attended one of their weekend BOOTCAMPS or heard them speak at a conference...you are really missing simply the best training that all parents dealing with Special Education MUST ATTEND at least one. I have attended 4 already and can honestly say, I learned all I know from Pete Wright!!

Thank you Pete and Pam for the tremondous help you continually provide to parents and families across the country!

SP&P Guide ~ State & Federal IDEA Law *LINKS*

**ESE Policies and Procedures (SP&P) Listed by DISTRICT in a handy-dandy-drop-down-list!! What a concept!!! This is my personal baby for the past 4-5 years to get our State Dept. of Ed to do....to create a DROP DOWN LIST OF ALL the districts SP&P Guides! Whoo whooo...advocacy DOES PAY OFF!! Be sure to print one out and put it into a 3-ring binder...this is an invaluable tool!! Enjoy!



ESE Policies and Proceedures
http://www.fldoe.org/ese/ppd.asp

Section 1003.57(1)(d), Florida Statutes (F.S.), requires that district school boards submit to the Department of Education (DOE) proposed procedures for the provision of special instruction and services for exceptional students once every three years. Approval of this document by DOE is required by Rule 6A-6.03411, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), as a prerequisite for district’s use of weighted cost factors under the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). This document also serves as the basis for the identification, evaluation, eligibility determination, and placement of students to receive exceptional education services, and is a component of the district’s application for funds available under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

IMPORTANT STUFF to be a GREAT ADVOCATE!

Florida ESE documents!

IMPORTANT FLORIDA ESE STATE DOCUMENTS
http://www.fldoe.org/ese/ppd.asp

FLORIDA'S RED BOOK ~ ESE RULES
http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/1b-stats.pdf

FEDERAL IDEA LAW - it's the Federal law!!!
http://idea.ed.gov/

ALL OF THESE LINKS WILL HELP YOU KNOW FOR A FACT WHAT THE RULES OF SPECIAL EDUCATION ARE.....IF YOU GET TO KNOW THESE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE POSTED TO OUR STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONS WEBSITES....YOU WILL CERTAINLY BE A CONFIDENT ADVOCATE AND KNOW WHAT YOUR RIGHTS ARE TO SUPPORTS AND SERVICES TO SPECIAL EDUCATION! PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO KNOW ALL OF THESE, DOWNLOAD AND MAKE THEM INTO YOUR VERY OWN 3-RING BINDERS. CALL YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THEY CAN PROVIDE YOU A COPY IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER TO PRINT THEM OUT.

ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY TO BECOMING AN INFORMED AND KNOWLEDGABLE ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CHILD, THEY NEED YOU TO KNOW THIS IN ORDER TO HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL AND BEYOND!

I LOVE THIS STUFF! .....learn to like it yourself! 'o)

"It's an IEP Team Decision"......ever hear that?

Ever heard this before? "It's an IEP Team Decision"... What does it really mean? When you are at your Child's IEP meeting, have you ever heard this said before? Yes parents are part of the IEP team, it's good when you speak up and provide your input, concerns and suggestions....but when it comes to  having the document really say exactly what your input or your suggestions are, it's like a knockdown drag out fight to get the simplest of support or service actually written in. Even the SUPPORT & TRAINING FOR PERSONNEL piece of the document...egads those working closest to and with our Child, should be "required" to receive some training!...how do we parents ever know if teachers and para professionals have actually been trained? We never do! Where does it say specifically that they actually have to 'be trained' and by what date?...usually....this too shall become nothing on that IEP document...it's a legal document right?

I can not believe how the majority of IEP team members are usually on the 'opposing team' to what the parent is advocating for. There is no "IEP team decision"...it's a district wide decision many times ESPECIALLY when it comes to PLACEMENT of our Children with certain 'eligibilities' into a certain type of classroom environment!...only to hear repeated like it's the mantra 'they all chat' while brushing their teeth in the morning before going off to attend yet another one of 'those meetings' with one of 'those parents'....they get paid for attending these IEP 'team' meetings day in and day out! These meetings don't give them diarrhea like it does the mom's of those Children! Parents are STRESSED OUT and fighting hard to have their Child provided a good classroom with good supports to help them be successful! Parents know best, but are never really heard and often times their suggestions or concerns are not really 'taken into consideration'......usually shot down at every corner they turn...every real concern or support the parent suggest many times falls on deaf ears of the entire IEP team!

The majority of our 'school society', and that means teachers, principals and especially district administrators and staff, schoolboard members and Superintendents even....still do not really believe our Children with disabilities should be 'allowed' to be taught in a GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM with their friends that live in the same neighborhood! I am sickened by the uneducated and outdated way of thinking that so many running our schools have today in 2009!

They call themselves professionals and say it "at us" in a degrading sort of way...during our IEP meetings, as a way to talk down to parents! Because 'they have' this or that degree in Speech and Language Pathology ~ THEY ARE THE PROFESSIONALS!!! Of all people that should understand the most about fine motor delays in speech and language and communication....some of the so called 'most educated' from a BOOK...have NOT-A-CLUE what it means to provide a support or service to a Child that needs it the most! (They have been instructed from their 'higher ups' on what to say and provide!..do not go over!!! Everyone wants to keep their job and that paycheck coming in!) Most times the highest degreed IEP 'team members' are the very ones that have no idea what it's like to really help a Child be all they can be! Mainly because they don't believe certain individuals will ever really amount to much....they went to school to get that degree for?...for what? To deny the very support or service they could provide to help a young mind learn skills they struggle with, so they can be better at it in the long run..for life!

Why do people go for the Professional degrees they have, to work with Children with disabilities in the first place? IMHO: To make money OFF the delays and disabilities of the very students they don't 'really believe in'? I think our Children with Disabilities are a COMMODITY...seen only as a means to earn a living off of them! If this is not true to some degree...why are the professionals providing MINIMAL support across the board and only giving out a one size fits all service, no matter how hard it is to understand a person 'communicate' or 'write'.....needing OT-Occupational Therapy...or how funny they may walk because of certain genetic conditions...if they can stand up and walk and they ''can navigate the school campus''...what more do we want from those professionals during the school day?

I see too many IEP 'teams' act as though they haven't a clue about doing the right thing in providing WHAT THE CHILD NEEDS and only go by what 'they are instructed' to carry out by the end of that IEP 'team' meeting...us against them....who's gonna win.....well certainly not the Child!! Two opposing teams...certainly not all on the same team, but out to deny!!

It's been a stressful day of advocating for the rights a Child to be educated in a General Education Classroom today. Trying to secure the needed supports and services so the Child can be successful....I am up against 'the district'.....THE DISTRICT wants this student where they WANT THAT STUDENT and that's the bottom line! THEY WANT TO SEPARATE and put this Child in of 'those cluster classrooms' without ever once providing an opportunity or chance to attend a regular general education classroom with all the supports and services to be successful...why???...because for one..."it's an IEP Team Decision"!! and THE TEAM believe that Child "NEEDS" that type of most restrictive setting! Do they even care what the parent wants and knows their Child needs? NO THEY DO NOT CARE WHAT THE PARENT WANTS FOR THEIR CHILD!!.....The Professionals...THEY HAVEN'T A CLUE!!.....many times they aren't even a parent.....and of course they aren't raising a Child with Down syndrome or Autism or any number of unique learning challenges...how could they possible know what we know....we didn't get our EXPERT KNOWLEDGE from attending college....we shed our blood for these Children!!!

Our 'school society' is pushing our Children with Down syndrome especially, away and into SEPARATED and out of sight SPECIAL classrooms...usually in a portable or a back classroom, away away away from the general population! Oh let's not forget they will "INCLUDE THEM" during lunch and recess and specials!...might get lucky and get an entire 15 minutes of GEN.ED time during a REGULAR KINDERGARTEN CLASS CIRCLE TIME!...15 WHOLE MINUTES!!!....and that's ONLY if the Child BEHAVES for those 15 minutes!! Oh assuring the student would get ALL THE SUPPORT he needs!!...We should be grateful we have such caring and knowledgable professionals making Individual Education Plan Placement decisions for our Children! We are GRATEFUL!

I will wake up again tomorrow to fight the good fight all over again....certainly not making a regular paycheck doing it either! I am trying to contribute financially to our family expenses, but am I doing these 'advocacy fights' for the money....for the most part no! I work for FREE much of the time! I do this with a passion because I believe in the Children that need us the most! I believe in their futures and their abilities to do great and wonderful things...so I fight for them! They can't.....many times their parents can't.....but everyone is learning. I see myself as a coach to parents! I love what I do, I love the little kiddo's I am speaking up for, I believe in their futures and I believe in their RIGHTS TO AN EDUCATION! I am a parent to a Child with Down syndrome, all of my friends have a Child with Down syndrome or Autism or Prader Wili or CP or any number of things...these Children are NORMAL to me and my friends...they are our Children!

I hope...when it's all said and done at the end of the day, everyone that sits in on an IEP team meeting...that they can honestly say....they spoke up and supported the parents hopes and dreams for their Child. That they believed in that Child and did the right thing. What would you want if it was YOUR CHILD we were talking about? You would want the IEP team, to do the right thing! You would want your Child going to 'regular' classes....like everyone else!

I know more than anything, bottom line...everyone wants to keep their jobs and they have their instructions to carry out from their 'bosses'....it is so obvious that it's a district wide 'thing'....nothing is going to change unless those running the entire school district open their minds to 'doing the right thing'!!!

Elections for Schoolboard members when those come up....get to know who you will be voting for! Do we need schoolboard members that still call our Children MONGOLOIDS?! I think not!