A REAL High School Diploma ~ Now we're Talking!!

*Click on Photo above to enlarge photo.

SB 850 2014 ~ Florida

STANDARD DIPLOMA for Students with Disabilities!!!!!!!! 

Now maybe it's safe to go back to Public Education! 

*BTW ~ THANK YOU to EVERYONE that has Advocated Hard On The Steps 4 CHANGE!!! Today there is New Progress with the MIND-SET & LAWS in the EDUCATION BUSINESS pertaining to our many Students with UNIQUE ABILITIES and their RIGHT TO EARN A STANDARD HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA!!!

THANK YOU FLORIDA ADVOCATES!!

Nancy Linley-Harris 

August 8th, 2014 

Here is the link to the PDF Doc. that explains about SB 850 Click highlighted link below here:

http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-7134/dps-2014-136.pdf

Nancy's doing the HaPpY Dance...the HaPpY Dance!!!

Can't wait to see how IEP meetings DO THINGS NOW!!!! Maybe it's Safe to have Mariah Elizabeth attend a Broward County Public Schools again?? Nahhhhhh not yet!! We're having too much Fun doing things OUR WAY right now! Not ready to go thru the IEP Process again....yet.

God Bless everyone during your 2014-2015 school year IEP meetings! 

This is BIG CHANGE to the Mindset and maybe the attitude of some, I hope so anyway. I know a few people that should now be BLUSHING IN SHAME for the way many of our students have been shamefully NOT Educated to Learn & Earn a REAL High School Diploma! I know that's all I have ever thought my children would Graduate with! 

Dreams really do come true folks!!

Inspire Inclusion By Dr. Julie Causton ~ VIDEO #2: Legal Aspects of Inclusive Education

Inspire Inclusion

Video #2: Legal Aspects of Inclusive Education Dr. Julie Causton 

http://www.inspireinclusion.com/video-2-legal-aspects-of-inclusive-education/ HERE

IDEA Supplementary Aides & Services Check List to take to IEP meetings! HERE

http://www.inspireinclusion.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/checklist_full.pdf HERE

I am thankful for and inspired to share with you one of the Top Experts in supporting Inclusion for ALL students into neighborhood schools & classrooms they would attend if they didn't have a disability! ~ Dr. Julie Causton

Her Video's and website are JAMMED PACKED with the tools needed to Advocate for our Children to be provided an Inclusive Education. Sign up to receive more useful resources Dr. Julie Causton provides!

This is the Meat & Potatoes!!!!
Have a Great Day!
Pass it on!! 

Nancy and Mariah
321 Fun ~ Mariah's Life!

* OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ~ A Due Process for an IEE in Broward County 5/21/14

Who wants to sit in on a Live DUE PROCESS HEARING to LEARN the "PROCESS" of a Due Process? A Due Process with a ALJ / Administrative Law Judge for an IEE / Independent Evaluation in Broward County. 

A Broward Mom has requested for it to be OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! Let me know! Come and LEARN the "Process" of an IEE Due Process at 9AM - May 21st, 2014.

The Hearing site is on Commercial Blvd. South side of Commercial Blvd West of 95 at: 
1400 W. Commercial Blvd. Fort Lauderdale

This below address was not the correct place for today's meeting. 
(*The 'game played' on that is another blog story!) 
This below address is where Due Process Meetings could be held, so I am keeping the address listed on the blog for future reference.

Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims 
Building I 
Suite 200 (2nd Floor at top of the Stairs)
4500 N. State Rd. 7 
Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33319
(954) 714-3400 Ext. 111

Let me know if you will be there for the hearing!! 
Great Learning Opportunity to learn the PROCESS of a DUE PROCESS.

SPD = Sensory Processing Disorder ~ The Chronicles of Ellie Bellie Bear

Sensory Processing Disorder ~ The Chronicles of Ellie Bellie Bear

So What Exactly Is SPD? 

If you happen to be like me, Sensory Processing Disorder [SPD] is a new experience and a bit confusing.  Okay, it is really confusing.  As you start to read all of the checklists and behaviors that might be associated with said disorder, you start to think “hey, I have that.” or “OMG, my child has that for sure!”.  The fact of the matter is that everyone has some of the behaviors on the checklists and that is absolutely typical.  It is true.  What makes it a disorder is that it affects one’s ability to complete tasks, learn, and / or communicate.  The sensory issues are so severe that they impact daily activities of living [ADL].

History:
While SPD may seem like a relatively new phenomenon, it was studied by Dr. Anna Jean Ayred, PhD, OTR since the 1960s where she coined the term “sensory integration dysfunction”.Ever hear of the book “The Out-Of-Sync Child” by Carol Stock Kranowitz from 1995?  This author touches on SPD and that was in the mid-1990’s. Since then, starting around 2007, Sensory Processing Disorder and Sensory Integration Disorder have become more widely studied.   HOWEVER, there is no actual ICD-9 medical code for SPD. . . YET.  An ICD-9 is a diagnostic code used by medical providers, OTs, etc.  For example, Down Syndrome has a ICD-9 code of 758.0 Without an ICD-9 code, billing to insurance and obtaining therapies is rather difficult.  

How is it that a disorder that has been around for over 50 years does not even have its own diagnostic code?  How is it that there is no definitive diagnostic tool for SPD?

http://ellietheurer.blogspot.com/p/sensory-processing-disorder.html

The Chronicles of Ellie Bellie Bear continues because I want the world to see what I see just how wonderful and utterly perfect my daughter is, designer genes and all.  That our little Bear-Bear has more determination and motivation than most adults I know and that she is surpassing all of our expectations.  That, yes, there are challenges and yes, sometimes thing are hard, but Ellie is our beautiful, sassy daughter who completes our family.

*A note from DS Advocate Blog writer, Nancy Linley-Harris: I like to share fellow bloggers stories that help educate society to a better understanding of 'our world' of raising a wonderfully unique person with Down syndrome. If you are interested in having one of your stories featured and shared on one of my blogs please send me a link to your story. 
HaPpY Blogging!! 
Nancy ~ DS Advocate

SURVEY ~ PT & OT ~ ESE Services in Florida Public Schools

Take the Florida PT & OT Survey! 
PT & OT ~ ESE Services in Florida Public Schools

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3DW85N7 
Click here to take survey

Share and Pass this survey on! 
Post it to your FB page and let others know about it.

Thank you,

DS Advocate
http://www.dsadvocate.com/

Parents upset at common core forum's 4PM start time

Parents upset at common core forum's start time
Well at least the State of Florida Department of Education held 3 PUBLIC COMMENT FORUMS across the entire State. 
(*click on highlighted link to play video)

The PUBLIC COMMENT Forum held in Broward County was scheduled at 5PM till 8PM I believe. There were 111 Speakers SIGNED UP to provide PUBLIC COMMENT and our Commissioner of Florida Department of Education stayed till the very last speaker spoke! That was till about 11PM that night! I have to say she was concerned to hear from ALL OF US THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK and I appreciate that. I would have liked to see more than just 3 Public Comment Forums held around the State so that some people didn't have to drive from 4 hours away to attend after a full day of working as one Florida school teacher did.



I know this video is about 'what time' of the day (4PM-6PM) the public comment meeting was being held in Albany, New York. The person in the video said, she feels it's like they really DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY by the time that it was set for and with only 3 days notice!!!

I have seen over the years...this is how they do things. Short notice, not enough of the meetings being held across the State so people don't have to travel hours to get to a meeting. 

People ~ Educate yourselves on exactly what this COMMON CORE that's being talked about like a wildfire out of control!! It's like a Choo Choo Chooooo Train that is coming to town, so get out of the way!! Coming to a Town near you!!

In FLORIDA ~ Here is a GREAT RESOURCE FACEBOOK PAGE to help educate yourselves on all the hoopla-la on Common Core and why we need to:
STOP COMMON CORE IN FLORIDA!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Common-Core-in-Florida/516780045031362

Public vs. Private vs. Charter Schools ~ Great Schools website

Public vs. private vs. charter schools
http://www.greatschools.org/school-choice/6987-public-private-charter-schools.gs?page=3

Cute little Video & some good posts in the "comments" after the video. 
In the world of school choice, private schools are a viable option (even when you think it's not).
http://www.greatschools.org/school-choice/private-schools/7068-private-schools-video.gs

Nancy Linley-Harris Public Comment to Broward School Board members on June 11th, 2013

6/11/13 Nancy Linley-Harris 
     This is MY STORY and I have no reason to lie about what a craZy and stressful school year my daughter's Middle School had put me through! This is my speech and my Public Comment as to some of the main reasons WHY I felt my daughter would no longer be able to receive a "World Class Education" if she continued to attend a Broward County Public School.

Just 18 days prior to my speaking publicly before the school board on June 11th...I had officially withdrawn my daughter on May 24th, 2013 from Public Education in any Broward County Public School. This was not something I would have ever thought I would do. I feel I was FORCED to remove her from Broward Schools because enough was enough, there was no trust in the ESE Department anymore. I was also being forced to file a 2nd Due Process within a 7th month time period, Mariah's 6th grade school year. Personally, I believed nothing was ever going to be in Mariah's favor because of a corrupt Special Education Department, with the school based ESE Specialist probably being given permission or orders to keep moving forward with what the ESE District and/or ESE Legal staff 'wanted on Mariah's IEP'...so much had been taken away from my daughter's education via the "IEP Process."  She was forced off the regular diploma, and at each IEP meeting, school staff keep pointing the document in a direction that was leading to the most restrictive classroom placement and not including Mariah in regular classrooms any longer, except to continue to allow her to attend her STEM MAGNET Class time only in Gen ed. I told them they were nuts to think I would agree to that!! My daughter was part probably the first person with Down syndrome part of the STEM Magnet Program at Parkway Middle School in Lauderhill, Florida. 

I think the Parkway ESE staffers, (the ESE Specialist mainly) did all they (she) could to tear down my daughter's inclusive education, because they (she), I feel was given 'permission and the go-ahead' from the higher up ESE Department Administrators to do whatever they (she) could to STOP and prevent me from advocating for the Public education I thought was best for my daughter. My main concerns for my daughters Public education was that the district no longer was allowing her to be educated to earn a regular high school diploma and then Mariah was being forced out of being able to attend all regular general education classes. She has always been fully included and this school knew how important that was for me for my daughter, but none of them cared what I thought about anything pertaining to my own daughter's education. 

Mariah's READING & MATH IEP GOALS WERE  MALICIOUSLY REMOVED

Parkway Middle School can be a great school for some students especially if your Child is interested in the ARTS and loves dancing, acting or singing and if your child is Gifted and also if your Child would be suited for the STEM MAGNET Program. Parkway Middle is not a good school if your child has an IEP and needs Special Education and has Down syndrome. Especially if you're looking to have your Child fully included in with the general population of students, Parkway will hold so many IEP meetings and will make sure the IEP is not anything a parent wants by years end or sooner! 

The Intensive reading teacher and the math teacher assigned to my daughter were not teachers that should have ever been allowed to be my daughters teachers for longer than 6 weeks. Neither of them should have been allowed to have my daughter as long as they did in their classrooms! Those two teachers were more interested in showing that Mariah didn't fit in their classes and they just wanted to show my daughter as failing and telling the IEP team only negative. Those two teachers were not interested in teaching Mariah and certainly didn't care to teach her reading and math!! How disappointing to have to deal with teachers that didn't believe in your child or respect her as a wonderful student or her mother! To be honest, what a nightmare to even deal with such negative teachers not interested in helping a great student be successful in Math and Reading! It would be great if parents would be allowed to grade their children's teachers....the truth would be told about some really crappy teachers that are inflexible and closed minded to teaching diversity and teaching ALL students. What a shame they are allowed to pick and choose which students get educated or go to the 'expensive babysitting program' aka Special Education for some (MANY) ESE Students!

Parkway Middle School 'started out as a great school' for Mariah, because of the STEM Magnet Program she was in...too bad Mariah didn't get the kind of support she really needed to get more out of that program. The STEM Program is a really awesome program for ANY & ALL STUDENTS!

In my speech before Superintendent Runcie and the School board members on June 11th, 2013....I sound mad....because I was! I was mad for sure!!! I was so mad that my daughter had been pushed out of being allowed to be educated academically like I wanted for her. I was so mad at all the nonsense the ESE Specialist had put me through while my daughter attended that school. She was not a nice person to me and she was personally doing all she could to make Mariah's IEP document just the way SHE WANTED and was making sure each step of the way and each and every long drawn out IEP meeting after IEP meeting that my parent voice advocating for what I thought was right for my own child...she was a nightmare staff person without a doubt that I wouldn't wish on any parent to have to deal with!

With all the ESE Budget cut backs being talked about for the next 2013-2014 school year in Broward Public Schools, it would be my suggestion and in the best interest for students at Parkway if the ESE staff and a few teachers are hopefully those losing their jobs! They all have shone me that they absolutely do not care about students like my daughter....a student with Down syndrome. 

My daughter lost a years worth of academic education at Parkway Middle School because the ESE staff, the reading, math and language arts teachers sabotaged her legal IEP document to be written just the way they were wanted and "instructed to write it!"

This is MY STORY and I speak the truth of what happened to me and my daughter's Public education at Parkway Middle School in Lauderhill, Florida via the IEP "Process." Personally I feel what has happened to me this past school year is a form of bullying and retaliation by the corrupt ESE department very much including the school ESE staff and the Legal and Due Process Department employees.

Enough is Enough!! I WITHDREW MY DAUGHTER FROM BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON MAY 24th, 2013 ~ This District doesn't care about teaching my daughter, teachers don't believe in her....she has Down syndrome. 

My Public Comment is MY STORY! 

Why remove Mariah from PUBLIC EDUCATION in Broward County, Florida?

WHY?
....This decision to remove my daughter from PUBLIC Education in Broward County, Florida is not something I ever thought I would be doing, especially with SB 1108 passed into law and going into effect on July 1st for parent rights at the IEP. 
FLORIDA SENATE BILL 1108 SUMMARY
http://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/BillSummaries/2013/html/474

The way I have been treated as an involve parent in my daughter's education here in Broward County, especially at the IEP "team" table is not anything I would wish on any parent!!! At this time, I have to do what is right for my daughter Mariah! She (we) need to get back to basics without so many district level hands in the decisions happening at the IEP table and of course with the many "glitches" with their computer EasyIEP program and then certainly in relation to my daughter's academic education via the IEP process here in Broward Public Schools as been nothing but a roller-coaster ride of bullshit and unnecessary stress!! 

This coming up Tuesday 5/28/13 will have been the 10th IEP MEETING for me this year!!! Really? Currently the PLACEMENT OPTION discussion and decision for Mariah is to have her sent to the MOST RESTRICTIVE PLACEMENT!! (aka FULL TIME ESE Classroom) ...for ALL of Mariah's classes except not for her STEM classtime!! The MOST RESTRICTIVE CLASSROOM PLACEMENT WILL BE - FORCED ONTO Mariah's IEP Document no matter what this Momma Tiger suggests, wants or advocates for! Those that know me, know this is not an option for Mariah!!! 

The direction and the way things have gone via anything pertaining to ESE at the Middle School level is so wrong on many levels. My input, my concerns, my ideas, and my suggestions to help my daughter be academically educated and for her to be all she can be is not welcomed or taken seriously at our many IEP "team" tables. *Parent Team vs. School Team....certainly not ONE TEAM in support of and for my daughter's education.

How can it be right to have parents be subjected to so many contentious IEP ROUND-TABLE discussions trying to get the proper supports and things in writing on how to educate their Child for a school year? With way too many school district employees being paid to attend all these IEP meetings and calling themselves the professionals at least once or twice in the course of our IEP meetings, to justify why their input is what... more important or better that what a parent suggests or wants? What do parents know? How can it be right that ALL those school professionals never seem to agree to what the Parent suggests, brings up or wants written onto their Child's IEP document? 

It's time to walk away from the IEP boxing ring...Mariah needs to leave now. I am not up for filing a 2nd Due Process in the same school year! That's what they encourage and tell you to do anyway! This District is going to do what they are going to do when it comes to HIGH PROFILE Parents like me...parents that ADVOCATE for their Children's Special Educational needs. I have given way too much of my Mommie Volunteer Hours this entire school year!! I have been spent a great deal of my volunteer time working on just the cat & mouse email games that go on. *Emails & Paper documents are the only evidence you have when you have s DUE PROCESS. So my advice to my many parent friends is for you to keep on top of your emails and hold your Child's school accountable for every little thing they are doing or not doing! Document it all in writing your emails. 

I'm sure there will continue to be some GLITCHES in the EasyIEP Program pertaining to my daughter's FINAL IEP Document. The May 2nd, May 3rd, May 14th interim IEP's are all still in a DRAFT form. What could have been the coming up 10th IEP for this school year....which is suppose to be held on Tuesday May 28th....what will they do now? I'm pretty sure they will go ahead and proceed without me even though Mariah will NOT be a Broward Public School Student come Tuesday May 28th, 2013. Who knows what FUNNY FUNNY stuff they (this District) will do now to her FINAL IEP document even though it was never finalized and was still as a DRAFT doc., as of the May 14th meeting. 

No matter what happens now....I am NOT AGREEING OR TRUSTING TO ANYTHING THIS DISTRICT WANTS TO FORCE ON ME OR PROPOSING FOR MY DAUGHTER'S EDUCATION OR PLACEMENT AND/OR WHAT THEY WANT TO GET WRITTEN INTO HER IEP Document. 

It seems as if this district in not interested in what the parents have to say about their Child's education...at least that's been my experience, and what I have been part of and witness to, when I attend my other IEP meetings. 

It has been pure craZiness via the "IEP Process" this ENTIRE school year more so than previous school years...absolutely!!! 

What's different? What is happening at the ESE District level? Is it because I FILED A DUE PROCESS? What is going on with ESE in Broward County Schools? Something or someone is controlling what is or isn't "allowed to happen" at our Children's IEP meetings!!!! These are INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PLAN = IEP meetings...what has happened with the INDIVIDUAL?

These last 12 months ~ from May 2012-May 2013 in Public School District of Broward County has been nothing but contentious, hateful, manipulating the IEP goals and closing them out and completely removing her goals without my full parental participation or an actual sit down resolution meeting. I have certainly felt bullied at times and it seems as if IEP's are district level controlled now with the Due Process Coordinator making all the final decisions and that person is not even sitting in or attending our IEP meetings!  

I have had to Advocate for my daughter's educational rights like never before this past year! In fact May 30th will mark the one year anniversary when my daughter's end of her 5th Grade IEP document was part of a hostile-take-over last May and this was as she was going into Middle School. I had signed her up to participate in the STEM Magnet Program and she was accepted into it. This is a school I thought was the best fit for Mariah to grow academically throughout her Middle School years. The ESE Staff in place at this school will not be a good fit for me for another 2 years!! Why? Why not change to another public school? .....because they all get their directives from the same top level management from downtown!! It would be more of the same at a different school, with the same "ESE/IEP" crap!


Mariah and I found a perfect little Christian School for her to attend. I am "retiring" from the IEP "process" that Broward Public Schools puts good parents thru!!! Those sitting in leadership positions here in this district don't seem to care at the mess ESE is in here. Not one person sitting on our school board gives a noodle about the nonsense the ESE Department dictates and put parents and families thru and ultimately it's the student that misses out...misses out in the opportunity to be educated to earn a high school diploma!!! I want to get back to basics without SO MANY PAID DISTRICT EMPLOYEES CONTROLLING how or what gets written onto my daughter's IEP document!

Mariah has made some friends with several students at her Middle school. Many students have come up to me out in the community and tell me Mariah is so nice and they like her. I am grateful for the students that have accepted Mariah and are friendly to her. Isn't that what it's all about too? Making friends in school? ....especially in Middle school!


Mariah and I are both HaPpY there will be no more IEP meetings or her going to Parkway Middle school anymore! She and I know what we are doing and what we need to do!! Everyone needs to either support us or get out of the way!! Mariah is looking forward to her NEW SCHOOL in the Fall!! A nice little private Christian school!

*This goes hand-in-hand with the how the ESE Department treats ESE Families in Broward. Hibbs challenge to Mr. Runcie and the Broward County School Board.

http://youtu.be/DrHjXDqfNKs?list=PL6sB2rcvqtoDvQIwZnELfODhqksNgJlTw

Reposting from:
Juliet Hibbs YouTube.com Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/HibbsforChange
Published on Hibbs4Change

"Be The One" ~ It Starts with A Voice ~ Starring Lauren Potter

"Be The One" {Music Video} from Life Stage Films on Vimeo.
from It Starts with A Voice - www.itstartswithavoice.com

"Be the One" Written, Recorded, & Produced by Amy & Ben Wright
Starring Lauren Potter
Directed by Matt Davis of Life Stage Films - www.lifestagefilms.com
Purchase the song on iTunes to benefit Best Buddies International

"Like" us on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/ItStartsWithAVoice?ref=hl

Step off of the sidelines and be the one who makes a difference in someone's life. www.BestBuddies.org

Parent of special needs child ‘exhausted’ by education struggles - Your Houston News: News

Parent of special needs child ‘exhausted’ by education struggles - Your Houston News: News


"Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Known as IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a federal program which provides funds to states and school districts to support education for children with disabilities age 3 to 21, according to:
Kids Together  www.kidstogether.org.
According to the site, the principle of the law is that children with disabilities should not be denied the same opportunities offered to everyone else, everyone gets access to public education and therefore so should children with disabilities.
When a child meets the disability requirements of the law, school districts are obligated to prepare and implement an IEP designed to meet the unique needs of the child. The IEP becomes a legally-binding document."

To read full article, click here: http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/tomball/news/parent-of-special-needs-child-exhausted-by-education-struggles/article_dfe56468-7922-5601-b806-3fe7a4053a89.html

WOW!! This sounds just like what is happening in South Florida, in Broward County especially only more sloppy in how they sabotage well written IEP documents illegally! Parents ~ WAKE UP and stand together no matter what the disability of your Child! If the School District is systematically doing pretty much the same thing to all of our Children, then it absolutely is time to make sure you FILE Complaints with OCR! (Office of Civil Rights) 
How to file an OCR Complaint - Office of Civil Rights Click above link to learn more about Filing an OCR Complaint.

Little Children & Due Process

Today it's Aniah's day in COURT! Broward School District filed for a Due Process Hearing. Aniah's mother DID NOT AGREE WITH the content of the Psycho-Educational EVALUATION that the school Psychologist wrote up about her. Mom was in disagreement on several things, one mainly being that she was evaluated from the schools perspective as if she were a child with Autism and not a child with Down syndrome.

Mom disagreed with several inconsistencies pertaining to her daughters true academic abilities that the school psychologist had written into the report. So she disagreed with the PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL REPORT and the school district believes it was accurate. Therefore the School District takes the Parent to Due Process!

*Parent requested a second opinion or an IEE=Independent Educational Evaluation at PUBLIC EXPENSE. Parent Request was DENIED!

It has been a Roller-Coaster Ride of emotions and stress to say the least on the entire family. Not only that but a financial burden as well.

Today at the Due Process Hearing, mom took her daughter, Aniah with her to meet the ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE. Aniah was a perfect Angel during the entire proceedings that lasted a few hours. She finally was able to go ask him what his name was and snap a few photos when the Due Process Hearing was over.

Having a school district TAKE YOU TO DUE PROCESS is no fun, absolutely but the "process" is an amazing opportunity for parents & the entire family to learn just how "nasty" the schools legal department can make things on an involved parent, that is advocating for their Child's Education!

Outcome of this Particular Due Process Hearing: Our Children's Individual Educational Planning is NOT UP TO THE DISTRICTS LEGAL & DUE PROCESS DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES!! 

....for the record....we have THAT in writing via the COURT REPORTER on the TRANSCRIPTS from Aniah's Due Process Hearing!

Glad this chapter is over!

2/5/13 Broward School Board Meeting ~ ESE Parents Speaking Out

BECON-TV Video
M_02-05-2013 

Entire Broward Public School Board Meeting held on Tuesday Feb. 5th, 2013. Several ESE Parents Speaking out at the 2/5/13 School board meeting starts at 116. on the video. 

ESE REFORM is needed now!

Please share this video!

Steps 4 Change is needed now!

https://becon223.eduvision.tv/Default.aspx?q=IsahXh4JBPSXSCmY0VGDVg%253d%253d#

Broward parents demand more rigor for special-needs students - Schools - MiamiHerald.com

Broward parents demand more rigor for special-needs students - Schools - MiamiHerald.com

Some Broward parents with special-needs children complain the school district pushes their students off the path for a real high school diploma.

BY MICHAEL VASQUEZ
MRVASQUEZ@MIAMIHERALD.COM
In testimony that was at once angry and tearful, a group of Broward mothers told School Board members Tuesday that their special-needs children are being forced into less rigorous classes that don’t result in a standard high school diploma.

The parents insisted their students are capable of earning a regular diploma, but the children are instead placed on the path to a “special diploma” that has little practical use.

Parent Nancy Linley-Harris told board members that the district’s methods of evaluating special-needs students are “toxic” and for parents the process amounts to “being in a war zone for our children.”

Nearly 33,000 special-needs students — with disabilities ranging from minor to severe — attend Broward district schools. In interviews after the parents’ harshly critical public appearance, district leaders stressed that it was only a small group of parents (joined by a few children and other supporters) who were complaining.

School Board Chairwoman Laurie Rich Levinson said thousands of parents with special-needs children “are thrilled with the education they’re receiving.”

“You have, just as you do with anything, some parents who are dissatisfied,” she said.

Some of the upset parents told The Miami Herald they’d been forced to pursue legal action to fight the district.

Linley-Harris said her 14-year-old daughter, Mariah, who has Down syndrome, was placed on the special diploma track last year. Mariah wants to one day become a veterinary technician, and attends Parkway Middle School’s STEM magnet program.

Mariah’s new classes, her mom said, are “a very expensive babysitting service for our kids. They water down the goals.”

Linley-Harris has a pending legal case against the district, alleging her child’s “due process” rights were violated.

Those lawsuits are the last resort for parents unhappy with how their special-needs child is being served by the school system. But Kathrine Francis, executive director of Broward’s Exceptional Student Education department, said there are other ways for parents to resolve disputes with the district.

A simple talk with the child’s school might be enough to solve any problems, Francis said, and when that doesn’t work, the district offers its own in-house conflict-resolution service. Francis said parents filing due process lawsuits represent less than 1 percent of special-needs students served by the district.

Still, Francis said the district is always looking to improve and is conducting a satisfaction survey with special-needs families in the coming months.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/05/3219059/broward-parents-demand-more-rigor.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy


* I tried that "having a simple talk with my Child's school"....6 IEP's later and 1 "in-house conflict-resolution service." (...service?)

This is not what I had in mind this school year to be an INVOLVED PARENT WITH MY DAUGHTER'S NEW SCHOOL & EDUCATION! This level of Advocating for my daughter has taken me away from Volunteering at my daughter's Middle School, like I had plans to do. My school district has not been 'reasonable nor workable'.....throughout all the "simple IEP meetings" that I had a Lawyer with me at everyone! Thank you Disability Rights Florida for helping me get my "sea legs" back and encouraging me to REPRESENT MYSELF in my Due Process. www.disabilityrightsflorida.org

No one can REPRESENT THEIR CHILD BEST THAN THE MOTHER!!! (...or FATHER!!!) I know every detail of the 'chain-of-events' that this districts ESE Department Administrators, Program Specialist, ESE Specialist and my Elementary School Principal has taken me on!! I know my daughter, Mariah is entitled to a WORLD CLASS EDUCATION ...ha!! The SPECIAL DIPLOMA IS NOT SO SPECIAL when it amounts to NOTHING in the real world for my daughter, or anyone's daughter or son for that matter...Who the heck created this SPECIAL DIPLOMA 'track' in Florida? 

I don't believe I am part of the "less than 1%" and I certainly am not, the parent that doesn't care...I DO CARE!! I care so much, last year that I sat on 6 different Advisories, as an ESE "Parent Voice." I am a Special Needs Advocate. I absolutely know what families experience during IEP meetings in Broward and other Florida Districts! What is and has been happening here for so long is going on in the entire State of Florida and beyond! It's a mess everywhere!

I would encourage parents to learn all you can about your CIVIL RIGHTS and the Special Ed Federal Laws, IDEA and become familiar with your State Department of Education Special Education Laws. Attend National Conferences specific to your Child's Disability. Get connected with a group of parents you can relate to and learn from one another. Attend each other's IEP meetings. Wrightslaw is any parents best friend when learning about your Special Ed Rights & IDEA Federal Law. www.wrightslaw.com 

I AM TAKING THE STEPS 4 CHANGE!

"NEW ESE THINGS" ~ Can District ESE Departments really do these?

My post today is to inform and educate ESE PARENTS and the Public on things.....today it's about a few of the "NEW ESE THINGS" that are of great concern to me....and should be a concern to others as well!!

Excerpt taken from:
Exceptional Student Education
ESE Advisory Council
Report to DAC - District Advisory Council
October 10th, 2012

To read the entire report click on this link:
http://www.browardadvisory.org/agendas-minutes
Look at the top of the list for: 
121114 DAC Nov Agenda Packet.pdf

The Advisory is currently examining the changes in the IEP documentaion: namely closing out the IEP goals prior to the meeting of the Annual IEP, elimination of signatures on the IEP document, elimination of the names of participants at the IEP, the elimination of the Title "Advocate": on the IEP document. Titles of participants still appear on the IEP. ESE parents have expressed concerns that these changes do not help the collaborative process between the parents and the schools and that the general population of ESE parents were not 
informed of these changes.

The ESE Parent Exit Survey has been drafted by the Advisory Committee is currently being reviewed by the Department of Research and Evaluation for future distribution to ESE parents at the end of their child's IEP. Data will be examined to review any areas of the IEP process that may need improvement or reform.

.....I'm just curious WILL THE ESE PARENTS be "manning this EXIT Survey?" Will it be anonymous? 

Excerpt taken from:
Report to School Board Meeting
ESE Advisory Council Meetings
School Board of Broward County
November 7th, 2012
K.C.Wright Building, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Parents have expressed great concerns and disagreed with the changes to the IEP that was put into place without proper notification to our ESE parents. 

These changes include the following:

a.) Elimination of any IEP team discussion with the parent concerning the mastery of goals, unless the parent "requests" such a discussion for a given goal at their Annual IEP. Parents will not be afforded the opportunity at the Annual IEP to review current data that supports any decision concerning the mastery or revision of goals on the previous IEP.
b.) Elimination of names and signatures of attendees at the IEP's
c.) Elimination of the title "Advocate" as a category for an invited person to the IEP.

While these changes may be legal, the question to ask is will it promote collaboration between a school and a parent when such changes only create further questions of school accountability. 

Click here for direct link to website with this public information. Click this link to the District Advisory Council aka DAC website for Broward Schools, click her to read the entire report click:

http://www.browardadvisory.org/agendas-minutes

Look at the top of the list for:

12114 DAC Nov Agenda Packet.pdf

Are these ESE Parental Concerns something that the general population really even cares about? Probably not. Unless you are an ESE Parent on the receiving end of some of these "NEW ESE THINGS" that are being presented at the ESE Advisory Council and reported about at the District School Board meetings, these "NEW ESE THINGS" can and do go quietly UNNOTICED by the General Population of "parents & school board members".!! UNLESS as I said, you are an ESE Parent or Student on the receiving end of some of these NEW & IMPROVED way that the "NEW ESE THINGS" are being done here in our school district.

Just wanted to inform and educate the general population that the "NEW ESE THINGS" that are NOW taking place. I believe this is all WRONG anyway you look at it!!

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WRIGHTSLAW.COM
http://www.wrightslaw.com/
Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities. 

Begin your search in the Advocacy Libraries and Law Libraries. You will find thousands of articles, cases, and resources about dozens of topics:

IDEA 2004 l Special Education l  Law l Advocacy 
Books, DVDs, Websites

Are PARA PROFESSIONALS being trained? If NOT ~ WHY NOT?!!

I am curious if your child has his or her own 1:1 Unique Aide or Para Professional, do YOU know as a parent IF your Child's Aide has actually ever taken any real Training to work with your Child on a daily basis? How would you know? Who do you ask? What kind of training IF they did get any training? Who provides the training IF a training were available? Lots of questions many of us parents have, yet they never get answered..... UNLESS you are a persistently pushy parent like myself and dig deep to find these sorts of things out! I didn't have to go far....I found so much great info on our very own school district ESE Department / FIN Department webpage! It's 'hidden in there'.....but it's there!! I am posting this story in light of all the terrible terrible things that happen to our wonderful children that need the most support to be successful at school.

What has happened in the Hillsborough County School District this past year should never ever should have happened to even just ONE STUDENT! Let's make sure ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE TRAINING those that work with our Children with Unique educational, medical, behavioral and emotional needs. Let's HELP our STAFF HELP our STUDENTS be successful!

What I found from my personal research is this; FIN~Florida Inclusion Network is the department within Broward County School District that's in charge of these types of Para Professional training. They also have a couple of BECON TV Video's that are suppose to go along with the actual training manual. 

How often are the Para Professional's suppose to 'renew or update' their training? ...that I couldn't tell you. If someone is going to be working with your Child, starting from the very first day of school, are they required to take any training before meeting and working with your Child everyday? I would HOPE SO because in one of the video's it even mentions that YES they should! ...but again that I can't tell you. What I CAN TELL YOU is this; that our FIN rep CAN TELL YOU IF your Child's Aide has ever taken the Para Professional Training. If you find out your Child's Para simply has never taken this most basic & simple Para Professional training, can we ask that they do take it? I think we can, we just need to ask the Principal or one of the Assistant Principals that's in charge of the Para Professionals on your Child school campus. Ask if they could please make sure the 1:1 Unique Aide that works with your Child please take the training provided by FIN, in Broward County Public Schools. It should be that simple!

I am posting the actual Para Professional Training here  below in my post, so everyone can see that it's a pretty nice training and the 2 video's that are provided on BECON TV, that are suppose to go along with the FIN training are also pretty good. Are they DISABILITY SPECIFIC? No they are not, but if your Child has some Disability Specific things that need to be known, I don't see why the Principal wouldn't approve of you the parent, that knows your Child the very best to TRAIN or be allowed to talk to the very person that will be the person working with YOUR CHILD everyday....if not....WHY NOT? Why wouldn't the school want the parents of those unique children that need the support of a 1:1 Para Professional provide some basic training to that staff person hired to take care of OUR Child. After all aren't the parents the one that knows that Child the best? If our schools WON'T ALLOW parents to talk to and help make sure the HIRED STAFF know what the heck they are really doing to HELP our Child, I would have to ask......WHY!? I don't think the parents are going to charge the school any money to help TRAIN THE AIDES that will be working with our Children. Why wouldn't the school want to know what the parents have to say? This would be just like parents going over a few things with 'the babysitter' before going out for the evening. How should this be any different? Unless the person hired to work with MY CHILD actually had a Child with the same unique 'special needs'.....which you and I know is very unlikely! Then I would say they need to listen up and pay attention to what the parents would like to be able to share and say to the staff person that will be fully 100% in charge of MY CHILD each and every day when he or she is at school under the school districts care. 

"Paraprofessionals and Inclusive Classrooms" 

"Paraprofessionals are vital members of the support team. "The Paraprofessional's Role in Inclusive Classrooms" is an interactive video resource for paraprofessionals supporting students with disabilities in general education classrooms. The video and print materials were created by West ED, California Department of Education and California State University in San Diego. The video provides introductory information on the roles and responsibilities of paraprofessionals who are supporting students with disabilities in general education elementary and secondary classrooms."

Above was taken from Broward's ESE Department webpage. Click highlighted to go directly to their webpage if you want.

Florida Inclusion Network (FIN)

Supervisor: Gwen Lipscomb

Facilitator: Barbara Krakower

E-mail: barbarakrakower@browardschools.com
Phone Number: (754) 321-2200

Click Here for: 
The PARA PROFESSIONAL MANUAL ANSWER KEY . All the ANSWERS are inserted into the blank spaces. The answers are actually pretty good! I LIKE this Manual and the Answer Key! What it's training is actually pretty good! Now IF we could only make sure ALL our Para Professionals are ACTUALLY TAKING THIS TRAINING the way it was intended! The school administrators and other staff member should be involved in this training as well, a school wide training...why not!? This way it's across the board that there are MORE STAFF that have taken this fabulous training as well. The more that know the information and content of this absolutely wonderful training, the better for more of our Children that we entrust to our schools with protecting and taking care of every school day!

PARA PROFESSIONAL TRAINING MANUAL without the answers inserted in the blanks.

Para Professional's Role in Inclusive Classrooms Part 1* 
Introduction to Inclusion* 
Your Role as a Paraprofessional* 
Working as Part of a Team* 
Communication* 
Social Relationships* 
Teaching New Behavior* 
Positive Reinforcement* 
Challenging Behavior*
Para Professional 
TRAINING VIDEO #1 



Para Professionals's Role in Inclusive Classrooms Video #2 
Introduction(to part 2)* 
Overall Considerations* 
Instructional Strategies* 
Materials and Adaptation Development


Para Professional 
TRAINING VIDEO #2

An ESE teacher, ESE Specialist, or Administrator may choose to facilitate a discussion at the end of each BECON Video Part 1 & 2 to provide supplemental information or information specific to the student being supported. 

For the sake of the safety and support that many of our Children / ESE Students need in order to be successful in school and with their education, I hope this DS Advocate BLOG POST today HELPS many many people, parents, teachers, principals and most of all....Let's get our Para Professional / 1:1 Unique Aides TRAINED!!!! 

PERIOD

*If you are a Principal... 
~ DO THE TRAINING YOURSELF SO YOU KNOW!
*If you are a General Education Diversified Teacher... 
~ DO THE TRAINING YOURSELF SO YOU
 KNOW!
*If you are an ESE SPECIALIST at your school... 
~ DO THE TRAINING YOURSELF SO YOU
 KNOW!

*If you are the staff person hired to work with MY CHILD with Unique Learning, Medical, Behavioral, Emotional Needs... 
~ DO THE TRAINING YOURSELF SO YOU KNOW!

ESE Protest Rally being held at The Children's Board of Hillsborough County at 2:00 pm on Thursday, November 29, 2012

If the treatment of children with disabilities is important to you, please consider attending the Protest Rally being held at The Children's Board of Hillsborough County at 2:00 pm on Thursday, November 29, 2012. http://myemail.constantcontact.com/PROTEST-RALLY-IN-SUPPORT-OF-CHILDREN-WITH-DISABILITIES---NOV-29-IN-TAMPA.html?soid=1102546453320&aid=KBG7_qSe4yk   

Click above link to view the PROTEST FLYER

Be sure to CLICK ON THE LINK at the bottom of the PROTEST FLYER to read LOTS more articles pertaining to this issue in Florida! The stories are very sad and a testament that THINGS NEED TO CHANGE AND CHANGE NOW for all our students with Special Needs and how they are or are not educated by our PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 

Maybe it's time for ALL of Florida to WAKE UP on these very real issues that many ESE Parents have been saying all along!! Pass this RALLY INFO on to many others!

Just Like You! ~ Cool short video

THANK YOU Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City!! 
This is a PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL short video especially for October being Down syndrome Awareness Month!! 

October is National Down syndrome Awareness Month ~ My Recommendation for Broward County Public Schools

My Recommendations for Broward County Public Schools: Provide training that is ACADEMICALLY meaningful to those that will be working with students that have Down syndrome. 

Our children are not lab experiments to go to school only to have LOGS & CHECK MARKS taken on them for doing every little thing pertaining to how 'they act' while in school.

If only schools staff would track what they are TEACHING ACADEMICALLY to our Children instead of looking for so much "stuff" that they (school teachers, aides, administrators) turn into and create into negative behaviors they then want to focus in on instead of teaching our kiddo's with DS.

School staff are encouraging and creating many of the negative behaviors they are tracking!!

Our children with Down syndrome need sound academic support, not negative 'data' created that only tracks every little move they do.

What about tracking and creating data that shows; WHAT ARE THEY TEACHING TO OUR CHILDREN.

Teachers and all staff working with students with Down syndrome NEED DOWN SYNDROME SPECIFIC TRAINING provided by NATIONAL EXPERTS!

Has anyone from Broward County Public Schools ever attended any Down syndrome National Conventions?

How many teachers and aides actually attend Down syndrome specific training...bet there are more teachers and staff attending and looking into Autism specific training from National experts.

Our students with Down syndrome need academic support with sound researched based practices.

Bring in National EXPERTS to TRAIN this District on, "How to teach students with Down syndrome."

Thanks ~ that would be my recommendation for Broward schools. ....especially those teaching and working with students with Down syndrome. That includes the LEA and AREA PROGRAM SPECIALISTS that attend our children's IEP meetings. THEY NEED THE TRAINING THE MOST because they are the ones CONTROLLING OUR CHILDREN'S IEP MEETINGS TODAY here in Broward County.

OCTOBER IS NATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS MONTH ~ Let's do something POSITIVE for our Students and their families this month especially!!