BENSON HaPpY!!! Priceless!!!

BENSON HaPpY!!! Priceless!!!!!!

Awe Mommie!!!! I am so HaPpY for Benson and You!!! This is what has been needed for so long for Benson......SUPPORT!!!! 

Thank you Community!!

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/

Digital 5 What Parents Need To Know aka "ALL" 5th Graders in 27 schools get a LAPTOP! Broward Public Schools

Digital 5 What Parents Need...: Digital 5 video with quesions and answers for parents.

"ALL" 5th Graders in 27 schools in Broward County Pubic Schools will be getting a LAPTOP! Laptops that they will 'eventually' be able to TAKE HOME for in the classroom and for homework.

Do you have a 5th grader in one of the 27 Elementary schools? Is your 5th grader on an IEP? Is your 5th grader in an ESE ONLY Classroom and not on the Regular Diploma Track?

I do hope ALL of my 5th Grade DS Peeps attending one of the 27 schools listed, is provided a laptop. Stay on top of this wonderful program that Broward County Public Schools is now rolling out for "ALL" 5th Graders in the 27 Public Elementary Schools that are slated to receive them. 

Did the video say 3000 students total will be receiving a laptop? How many of those students are ESE and in an ESE ONLY CLASSROOM? 

It would be nice to know.....

Here is the list of the 27 Elementary Schools in Broward County Public Schools:
Bennett,
Broadview
Broward Estates
Coral Cove
Coral Park
Coral Springs
Davie
Eagle Point
Harbordale
Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Park
James Hunt
Lauderhill Paul Turner
Lloyd Estates
Maplewood
Nova Blanche Forman
Palm Cove
Pembroke Lakes
Pompano Beach
Quiet Waters
Sanders Park
Sea Castle
Silver Lakes
Tropical
Watkins
Westchester

Wilton Manors

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

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.

Educational Crimes against Students with Disabilities

My stomach is in knots today. It is devastating to know our Children with unique learning challenges (disabilities) are systematically targeted mainly for the $MONEY$ they bring into a School District. Children with Special Needs not being provided a World Class Education as districts advertise on their websites and often times the districts phone message while waiting on HOLD so often is a LIE for many Students today! 

Those that draw a salary within the EDUCATIONAL BUSINESS today on all levels starting with our ESE Department District Administrators, Supervisors, Principals, School Psychologist and team leaders, school office staff and let's not forget the many Program Specialist on down to the School District Corporate Chain of commands from School Board Members the Public Voted them into their position to our Children's Teachers. These Educational Employees are the New CROOKS, THIEVES and LIARS known as the FAKE PEOPLE or the School District ROBOTS doing what they are instructed and told to do by someone in a higher position than them! It's a Dictatorship absolutely!! School District employees on all levels give you that oh so FAKE smile and canned conversation to make you believe they care. They may even say a friendly hello (like a cold dead fish!) and only give you the most minimal of small talk that avoids addressing any of the real issues of the day.  

District Level Administrators and the school Principals are only interested in your Child's $ MATRIX $ MONEY $ FUNDING $ and how to USE IT for things other than Educating our Children.

EDUCATIONAL CRIMES on the backs of ESE Children that generate the $FUNDS$ into a school district. It's not about education anymore, it's about babysitting and stealing our Children's education, future goals and dreams. They all should be ashamed, it is so disgusting all the LIES & COVER-UP that goes on everyday in our Schools and the District!

Our Children are being raped of an Education! 

How do so many School District Employees SLEEP-AT-NIGHT, when they do what they do on a daily basis as part of their JOB DUTIES? It has to create some sort of Criminal Mentality & Callousness towards people. How can so many school district staff employees systematically partake in daily EDUCATIONAL CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN as part of their daily job duties? It has to create A Stone Cold Heart in those people. How can so many Educational Employees do what they do to STUDENT after STUDENT, CHILD after CHILD, PARENT after PARENT and FAMILY after FAMILY? 

I think it's important to inform the Public how the Broward School District Legal Department Lawyers & Due Process employees TAKE OVER & CONTROL Special Education for the Districts Ultimate AGENDA. What that AGENDA is exactly I'm not sure, but there most certainly is an AGENDA. The Legal 'team' stop good parents from helping their Child or Children from receiving a 'world class education' from this school district. The Legal Department feel they have the power to illegally REWRITE and REDO a student's IEP, especially when a Parent exercises their Procedural Safeguard and ends up FILING for a DUE PROCESS. This has happened to me personally. 

This District is doing all they can to dumb down Student IEP goals and provide some students with a canned set of goals on IEP's, all with the very low grade level expectations. Sometimes the IEP goals are what the Student is already capable of doing, yet they push to get IEP goals written to be something that allows teachers and staff to bring down and dumb down ESE Students all around, starting with lower grade level IEP goals. It is disgusting what IEP teams are pushing & promoting at IEP meetings, daring parents to go ahead and FILE for a Due Process.

Stealing our Children's Education & Dreams for their Future is an EDUCATIONAL WHITE COLLAR CRIME! Educational Criminals should carry a FELONY CHARGE!

I have witnessed first hand the amount of LYING & HALF-TRUTHS turned into a complete lie, just to move on a School District's AGENDA and school Principal's AGENDA. I have experienced first hand blatant disregard, first of all for FEDERAL IDEA LAWS and more importantly disregarding Civil Rights of our Children.

It is time for parents of students that are daily being victimized by our Public School Districts Agenda's to NOT PROVIDE "A World Class Education" to our Students with Disabilities. Students and Families that have instead experienced many forms of EDUCATIONAL CRIMES that are systematically being done daily to our Children in Special Education need to band together. This goes for our General Education Students and Families as well, as they too NEED Special Education Services but are being delayed and denied evaluations or interventions that would help them be successful...in the CURRENT school year!

I have experienced first hand in Broward County Florida, just how much our Public School District on all levels, absolutely does not care about our (my) Children's Education. 

Our school district is in the business of using our Children's Special Education $FUNDS$ to do any number of things on the School Boards AGENDA, and certainly not the AGENDA of Providing a World Class Education to ALL Students, as part of their Advertising campaign.

From the TOP DOWN, it is my personal experience that they are all EDUCATIONAL CRIMINALS (...and liars...) that should be slapped with FELONY CHARGES for GRAND THEFT many times over!!

What is allowed to continue to go on with our Children's Educational Funding Dollars also known as the ESE Students MATRIX FUNDING is DISGUSTING!

Parents of ESE Students in Broward County, it is time for ESE REFORM! A group of Parents in Broward County, Florida has recently formed a Grassroots group called; 
ESE REFORM TASKFORCE S.FLORIDA. 
Visit us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/EseReformSFlorida

We are about ALL Students being provided a World Class Education.

Differentiated Instruction....is FUN!

Differentiated Instruction...is FUN!

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!

As My ESE World Turns in Broward Public Schools

As My ESE World Turns 

in Broward Public Schools

My Daughter's CIVIL RIGHTS ARE BEING VIOLATED and her Public School Education has become what the ESE Department & the LEGAL Department of our Broward Public School District wants it to be!

I am amazed at how much EVERYONE LIES!! Those that work for Broward County Public Schools have taught or are teaching my daughter! Teachers that I thought cared, care more about keeping their steady paycheck instead of telling the truth under oath! District level Program Specialist who's only real job duty today is...to make sure the "IEP TEAM" does what the ESE Department Administrators want to have happen at a particular IEP 'team' meeting. 

It does not amaze me about ESE Specialist and what they do, cause they have always done whatever they were told to do...they are the Tiny Robots just doing what they are programmed to do...they do as they are instructed! They are the good workers of parent manipulation! The ESE Specialist are the ones doing what they are told to do, they can't help it...they love their jobs! They need that paycheck!! They are the best at being robot like when dealing with ESE Parents! They are good at it too!! I have only met ONE that was 'human' and seemed to care....and that was only because she was new at her job! I don't care how 'nice' an ESE Specialist acts, they are the ones that have to carry out what the ESE Department instructs and demands of them to do!....if they want to keep their jobs!

Do you have AREA PROGRAM SPECIALISTS or now called DISTRICT PROGRAM SPECIALISTS attending and sitting in at everyone of your IEP meetings? It is hoped that this person should know IDEA and the State & Local Laws very well. I have found there are some really Intelligent & Smart Program Specialist that can really be helpful with knowing the Laws and the implications when something is about to change during an IEP meeting. Now it seems there are sometimes two Program Specialist attending our IEP meetings. I have had the pleasure of working with one of the most amazing Program Specialist during my daughter's elementary school years. Definitely needs to be more of the 'good ones' attending our Children's IEP meetings. When one is 'sent' by the ESE Department, a switch out of the one that normally attends your IEP meetings, that almost always smells of trouble on the horizon! Program Specialist can make or break your good intentions when putting together a quality IEP for your Child....because they have the 'final say-so' at the table.  

PARENT LIAISONS ~ Ever heard of a Parent Liaison that was ACTUALLY FOR THE PARENTS CONCERNS? Not in Broward County Florida! That job is given to the one that has the most hardened heart of them all. That person in no way acts in anyway for the parent but most certainly is the final ax when it comes to anything a Parent is trying to add to or help their Child's Individual Education Plan via the IEP 'team' process. This person can do much of their work via a few emails without anyone really noticing, they are also doing what their 'job' requires them to do. Get the job done no matter what!...oh and as an added bonus to their job status, go ahead and piss the parents off as much as you possibly can! "What a Job!" 

I am amaZed at the Total Disregard for the Educational Rights of our Children Today! It's all about how much $$MONEY$$ they 'gleen' from our babies and then not provide a REAL EDUCATION that leads to an Academic Diploma aka the High School Diploma ~ Academic Track. It doesn't amaze me today how bad it has become in not being able to have our Children's IEP Documents written in such a way that even the parent would fully agree to what has been written into their Child's IEP. Instead today it's about the District by way of ESE Support Robots...they attend IEP meeting to do what the District is trying to shove down our throat this time. 

*ESE Parents..."the LESS THAN 1%" out there not happy with 'things'...y'all need to FILL THE ROOM at the KC Wright School Board Building downtown. The mirrored glass building across from the County Courthouse. Starting tog on the corner of SE 3rd Ave. and SE 6th St tomorrow...and continuing to attend the School Board Meetings on a regular basis. Our Voice needs to be hear...in numbers. Not just the same couple of parents, but all of us! 

OUR SCHOOLBOARD MEMBERS ~ They were ALL VOTED IN their positions! When I hear a few of them Speak....I am sickened by how much they have changed so quickly after being VOTED into their positions. They can just as quickly be VOTED OUT!

I am an ESE Parent Not Happy with How Things are Going ~ I Am the Less Than 1%

It is time to stand up for what is right!

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!

A mother pleaded with school board members for ESE review after her daughter almost died

A mother pleaded with school board members for ESE review after her daughter almost died - click to read full story.

Here is another story of an ESE Parent that went to School Board Meeting after School Board Meeting...each time speaking on behalf to CHANGE THE WAY Special Education handled 'things'.....hmmmm this reminds me of someone we have here in Broward County that was doing the same thing before her son 'aged out of the school system'....and yet nothing changes here too.

Parents of Students receiving Special Education Supports and Services, we need to band together and support each other and SPEAK UP about what is really happening or NOT happening with our Children's education! After all, isn't about EDUCATION?

It's about Educating our Children! It's about our Children being safe while attending school. It's about having QUALIFIED teachers and staff that work with our Children.

The 2 deaths that have happened in the Tampa area are a WAKE UP CALL FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY and how Children with Special Needs are Educated!! If 2 deaths have occurred in one School District in Florida, you can bet this is happening across the Nation!

ANOTHER Broward special ed teacher probed = GOOD!!!!!

Broward special ed teacher probed
If any of this is may POSSIBLY happen and go on inside a particular SPECIAL ED CLASS just once....and we only KNOW ABOUT IT because she got caught!!! Curious to know how many times 'co-workers' told the Principal about it. You can TRUST THAT THIS SORT OF THING IS HAPPENING MORE THAN ANY OF US WOULD EVER WANT TO IMAGINE OR BELIEVE!! 

How easy is it for PARENTS of students sitting in CLUSTER CLASSROOMS to have an opportunity to come in and visit, observe, VOLUNTEER in our Children's Cluster Classrooms? Hmmmmm this would be good data to see IF ANY or HOW MANY ESE Parents are ever visiting or volunteering in Cluster or Resource Classrooms. Maybe this would help some of those teachers that are getting OLD and need to go.....those that are showing signs of verbal and physical abuse on ESE Students.

Time for our Children to have CAMERA'S IN ALL SPECIAL ED CLASSROOMS!!!

Click the link above to read the full article. 
POST A COMMENT ~ What to YOU think? 

Read the full article and tell me this allowed every day "OUR CHILDREN" go to school and we TRUST OUR SCHOOLS TO EDUCATE OUR SPECIAL ED CHILDREN IN CLUSTERS??? Get our children into MAINSTREAM classrooms and INCUDE them into REGULAR Classrooms where it's the real world...and not a 'special ed world' that this sort of nonsense goes on more than many want to admit! Parents ....pay attention and inquire, ask, request, continue to ask your Child's teacher(s)....WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR CHILD'S EDUCATION! Get daily notes home that satisify YOU, don't be satisified with the "BEHAVIOR NOTES" the schools want to provide...but request what is your Child doing ACADEMICALLY each day. Make sure you recieve daily notes home pertaining to WHAT your Child did in school that day.


"According to the administrative complaint filed in July, Cohen used "inappropriate restraints to control or manage autistic and exceptional education students" while teaching last year.

The complaint alleges Cohen told one of her students, "you're the cripple, what are you going to do, beat up the retard," referring to a student in a wheelchair.

In another instance, Cohen apparently had the class mock a student who was twirling her hair, the complaint states.

She is also accused of calling a student a "brat" for needing to use the toilet and unplugging the battery cord to a student's wheelchair and then saying, "Who has the power now? I'm the queen of this class and I have the power over you."

IEP "Teams" with NO NAMES!

Great ANOTHER THING Broward ESE Department comes up with to be Parent Friendly & it certainly seems more COLLABORATIVE during the IEP PROCESS!! NOT!!

I would HOPE now with being able to NOT HAVE TO LIST the "school district" side of our parent friendly IEP Teams Via the Parent Participation Forms aka PPF's that PARENTS also will NOT HAVE TO let them know WHO WE WILL BE BRINGING!!! ....like the Newspaper reporter friend of mine or the CAMERA MAN from any number of TV STATIONS with their RECORDING NEWS CREWS!! This could be very good for parents as well cause we too wouldn't have to put OUR NAMES ON THE PPF EITHER!!

Well this just goes to show how COMBATIVE & UNCOOPERATIVE it has become just to hold an IEP Meeting to ensure our children are EDUCATED!

Hmmmm.... will we be able to get PARENT SIGNATURES on our IEP's then?? That has always bothered me that Parents don't have to sign the IEP!! So now will we be able to get the signatures of ALL that attend? What about the EXCUSAL FORM? How do we excuse "NO NAME" IEP Team Member? This is such nonsense!!

Bet this was the brainchild from a corner office on the 9th floor of the KCW Building...always coming up with yet another way to BLOCK ESE PARENTS from having collaborative IEP Meetings. This may be another of a list of BEST PRACTICE POLICIES that can't be produced in writing to us.

BROWARD ESE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO STOP THE UNDER-HANDED SNEAKY NONSENSE!!

How do they go to "work" day after day collecting their paychecks just to keep on keeping on with all their nonsense they "come up with" to keep THE DOORS CLOSED TIGHT ON SO MANY ESE PARENTS-FAMILIES & STUDENTS!!?

Time 4 CHANGE! The Time is NOW!!!
Time to get rid of a FLOOR full of ESE ADMINISTRATORS &amp and some of those Nasty PROGRAM SPECIALIST!!! Most are trained to FIGHT with the Parents!! Nasty some of them are for sure! 

Tell me it isn't true...that Broward ESE Department is going to get away with this......because...why...because "they can~!!?"

BE SURE & CLICK TO READ THE REPLIES & COMMENTS BELOW 

WON'T YOU POST A COMMENT TO MY BLOG POST YOU JUST READ?

Interesting reading from my followers! 

CRAZY Broward School BUS Schedules ~ SO WRONG!!

I just got the School BUS Schedule Cards for my 2 children in the mail just now!! PLeaZzzzze tell me WHO is working the bus schedules cause they are both soooo wrong!! Absolutely CraZY!!!! ...and not only the STREETS ARE FAR AWAY from my home but the streets they have listed on the cards are being called by a name the streets are not what they really are called!!! Who is reading the MAPS when putting together our children's bus schedules?

They have Mariah scheduled to be picked up ONE HOUR & 30 MINUTES before school starts!! Not only that they have her needing to walk and be picked up 2 BLOCKS AWAY on the corner of a BUSY in the morning 4 lane DAVIE BLVD!! (All those coming to attend St. Thomas High School and AM Morning Commuters going into Downtown) On the bus card they are calling it EBOUND PETERS Road!! Her school is maybe a 10 minute car ride away from our home! 

She has ESE Bus Support and details clearly and specifically written into her IEP in that little box which is totally being disregarded and not being considered at all! NONE of her IEP was considered! She has DOOR-TO-DOOR Closest Safest Stop written into her IEP.

*Broward is Out of Compliance.....AGAIN!!

Well guess we will be passing on the school bus transportation this year, the hassle is SO NOT WORTH IT ANYMORE!!! I am not up to dealing with all the BULLSHIT that comes with using the Public School Buses...especially the ESE Buses here in Broward County!! I am not willing to deal with the blatant disrespect anymore either, that I witnessed everyday from the ESE Bus DRIVERS & ESE Bus Aides and they all 'get away with it' on a daily basis! 

NOT DOING ANY OF IT THIS YEAR!! I was very patient dealing on a daily basis with Mariah's ESE bus people ALL last year!! Her bus aide last year would NEVER say good-morning or a simple hello to her and daily would GRAB & YANK Mariah's backpack off her shoulder before my daughter ever put her foot on the first bus step! It was sickening to watch everyday! I complained about it, but nothing changed....and that was her ESE Bus Aide helping and 'assisting' my daughter? THAT WAS NOT what was written on my daughter's IEP for that kind of assistance. Do any of these Bus people ever READ that little bit of information that we FIGHT to even get written into our children's IEP documents under Transportation?

I have no more patience for any of the disrespect and nonsense anymore!!

My High School son has been using the CITY BUS for the past two years. NO COMPLAINTS getting him to and from his school on time everyday! NO HASSLES & DISRESPECT from the Bus Driver...ever! City Bus Drivers TALK to you!

Tell me ~ do you have ESE Bus concerns? Post a comment and SHARE your positive experiences and not-so-positive experiences with using the Public School Bus Transportation.

*Here is what WSVN had to say about the BUS CARDS and Parents being upset with not knowing accurate pick up and drop off information for the start of school tomorrow. (Click link below)
http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21008311264392/broward-parents-upset-for-lack-of-school-bus-info/

EVERYONE ~ HAVE A GREAT FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Another recent article pertaining to Broward's Bus situation. 
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education/highered/fl-broward-school-buses-runcie-20120824,0,7556040.story#tugs_story_display

*Be sure to look for the teeny tiny link just below here to read the COMMENTS to this post. I don't know why I can't get the COMMENTS to be visible.

AMENDING an ANNUAL IEP without holding an IEP

When the IEP Team Meets ~ click to read great www.NICHCY.ORG resource about IEP meetings.


Great info on AMENDING an Annual IEP 

New Provisions in IDEA 2004: Amending the IEP Without Meeting

(4) Agreement. (i) In making changes to a child’s IEP after the annual IEP Team meeting for a school year, the parent of a child with a disability and the public agency may agree not to convene an IEP Team meeting for the purposes of making those changes, and instead may develop a written document to amend or modify the child’s current IEP.

(ii) If changes are made to the child’s IEP in accordance with paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section, the public agency must ensure that the child’s IEP Team is informed of those changes.

(5) Consolidation of IEP Team meetings. To the extent possible, the public agency must encourage the consolidation of reevaluation meetings for the child and other IEP Team meetings for the child.

(6) Amendments. Changes to the IEP may be made either by the entire IEP Team at an IEP Team meeting, or as provided in paragraph (a)(4) of this section, by amending the IEP rather than by redrafting the entire IEP. Upon request, a parent must be provided with a revised copy of the IEP with the amendments incorporated. [§300.324(a)(4)-(6)]

http://nichcy.org/schoolage/iep/meetings#nomeeting 
*Click above link to read entire article and reference resource.

IEP Meetings and Changes to the IEP

Individualized Education Program (IEP), 
Team Meetings and Changes to the IEP


U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education 
IDEA Regulations
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP) TEAM MEETINGS AND CHANGES TO THE IEP
(See also Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Secondary Transition)


The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was signed into law on Dec. 3, 2004, by President George W. Bush. The provisions of the act became effective on July 1, 2005, with the exception of some of the elements pertaining to the definition of a “highly qualified teacher” that took effect upon the signing of the act. The final regulations were published on Aug. 14, 2006. This is one in a series of documents, prepared by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) in the U.S. Department of Education that covers a variety of high-interest topics and brings together the regulatory requirements related to those topics to support constituents in preparing to implement the new regulations.1 This document addresses significant changes in final regulatory requirements from preexisting regulations regarding IEP Team meetings and changes to the IEP. 


IDEA Regulations


1. Identify the members of the IEP Team.


The public agency must ensure that the IEP Team for each child with a disability includes:
• The parents of the child;
• Not less than one regular education teacher of the child (if the child is, or may be, participating in the regular education environment);
• Not less than one special education teacher of the child, or where appropriate, not less than one special education provider of the child;
• A representative of the public agency (who has certain specific knowledge and qualifications);
• An individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results and who may also be one of the other listed members;
• At the discretion of the parent or the agency, other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and
• Whenever appropriate, the child with a disability.


In accordance with 34 CFR 300.321(a)(7), the public agency must invite a child with a disability to attend the child’s IEP Team meeting if a purpose of the meeting will be the consideration of the postsecondary goals for the child and the transition services needed to assist the child in reaching those goals under 34 CFR 300.320(b).
[34 CFR 300.321(a) and (b)(1)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(B)]


2. Identify instances when an IEP Team member may not need to attend. 


A member of the IEP Team described in 34 CFR 300.321(a)(2) through (a)(5) is not required to attend an IEP Team meeting, in whole or in part, if the parent of a child with a disability and the public agency agree, in writing, that the attendance of the member is not necessary because the member's area of the curriculum or related services is not being modified or discussed in the meeting.


A member of the IEP Team described in 34 CFR 300.321(a)(2) through (a)(5) may be excused from attending an IEP Team meeting, in whole or in part, when the meeting involves a modification to or discussion of the member's area of the curriculum or related services, if:
• The parent, in writing, and the public agency consent to the excusal; and
• The member submits, in writing to the parent and the IEP Team, input into the development of the IEP prior to the meeting.
[34 CFR 300.321(e)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(C)]


3. Provide for inviting representatives from the Part C system.


In the case of a child who was previously served under Part C of the IDEA, an invitation to the initial IEP Team meeting must, at the request of the parent, be sent to the Part C service coordinator or other representatives of the Part C system to assist with the smooth transition of services.
[34 CFR 300.321(f)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(D)]


4. Require that the notice inform parents of other IEP Team participants.


The notice required under 34 CFR 300.322(a)(1) (regarding an IEP meeting), among other things, must inform the parents of the provisions in 34 CFR 300.321(a)(6) and (c) (relating to the participation of other individuals on the IEP Team who have knowledge or special expertise about the child), and 34 CFR 300.321(f) (relating to the participation of the Part C service coordinator or other representatives of the Part C system at the initial IEP Team meeting for a child previously served under Part C of the IDEA).
[34 CFR 300.322(b)(1)] 


5. Revise requirements for when transition content must be included in an IEP meeting notice.


For a child with a disability beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns 16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP Team, the notice required under 34 CFR 300.322(a)(1) (regarding an IEP meeting), among other things, must:
• Indicate that a purpose of the meeting will be the consideration of the postsecondary goals and transition services for the child, in accordance with 34 CFR 300.320(b) and that the agency will invite the student; and
• Identify any other agency that will be invited to send a representative.
[34 CFR 300.322(b)(2)] 


6. Set forth provisions regarding consideration of Individualized Family Services Plans (IFSPs) for children aged three through five.


In the case of a child with a disability aged three through five (or, at the discretion of the State educational agency (SEA), a two-year-old child with a disability who will turn age three during the school year), the IEP Team must consider an IFSP that contains the IFSP content (including the natural environments statement) described in section 636(d) of the IDEA and its implementing regulations (including an educational component that promotes school readiness and incorporates pre-literacy, language, and numeracy skills for children with IFSPs under 34 CFR 300.323 who are at least three years of age), and that is developed in accordance with the IEP procedures under Part B. 


The IFSP may serve as the IEP of the child, if using the IFSP as the IEP is consistent with State policy and agreed to by the agency and the child’s parents.


In implementing these IFSP provisions, the public agency must provide to the child’s parents, a detailed explanation of the differences between an IFSP and an IEP. If the parents choose an IFSP, the public agency must obtain written informed consent from the parents.
[34 CFR 300.323(b)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(2)(B)]


7. Require that the IEP be accessible to teachers and others responsible for its implementation. 


Each public agency must ensure that:
• The child’s IEP is accessible to each regular education teacher, special education teacher, related services provider, and any other service provider who is responsible for its implementation; and
• Each teacher and provider described in this provision, is informed of his or her specific responsibilities related to implementing the child’s IEP and the specific accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided for the child in accordance with the IEP.
[34 CFR 300.323(d)] 


8. Address the IEP for a student who transfers to a different school district in the state. 


If a child with a disability (who had an IEP that was in effect in a previous public agency in the same State) transfers to a new public agency in the same State, and enrolls in a new school within the same school year, the new public agency (in consultation with the parents) must provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to the child (including services comparable to those described in the child’s IEP from the previous public agency), until the new public agency either adopts the child’s IEP from the previous public agency, or develops, adopts, and implements a new IEP that meets the applicable requirements in 34 CFR 300.320 through 300.324.
[34 CFR 300.323(e)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(2)(C)(i)(I)]


9. Address the IEP for a student who transfers from another state.


If a child with a disability (who had an IEP that was in effect in a previous public agency in another State) transfers to a public agency in a new State, and enrolls in a new school within the same school year, the new public agency (in consultation with the parents) must provide the child with FAPE (including services comparable to those described in the child’s IEP from the previous public agency), until the new public agency conducts an evaluation pursuant to 34 CFR 300.304 through 300.306 (if determined to be necessary by the new public agency) and develops, adopts, and implements a new IEP, if appropriate, that meets the applicable requirements in 34 CFR 300.320 through 300.324.
[34 CFR 300.323(f)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(2)(C)(i)(II)]


10. Address transmittal of records for students who transfer.


To facilitate the transition for a child described in 34 CFR 300.323(e) and (f) (who transfers within the State or from another State), the new public agency in which the child enrolls must take reasonable steps to promptly obtain the child’s records, including the IEP and supporting documents and any other records relating to the provision of special education or related services to the child, from the previous public agency in which the child was enrolled, pursuant to 34 CFR 99.31(a)(2) (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)) and the previous public agency in which the child was enrolled must take reasonable steps to promptly respond to the request from the new public agency.
[34 CFR 300.323(g)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(2)(C)(ii)]


11. Add a new provision for AMENDING the IEP without another meeting. 


In making changes to a child’s IEP after the annual IEP Team meeting for a school year, the parent of a child with a disability and the public agency may agree not to convene an IEP Team meeting for the purposes of making those changes, and instead may develop a written document to amend or modify the child’s current IEP. 


If changes are made to the child’s IEP in accordance with 34 CFR 300.324(a)(4)(i), the public agency must ensure that the child’s IEP Team is informed of those changes.
[34 CFR 300.324(a)(4)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(3)(D)]


Changes to the IEP may be made either by the entire IEP Team at an IEP Team meeting, or as provided in 34 CFR 300.324(a)(4), by amending the IEP rather than by redrafting the entire IEP. Upon request, a parent must be provided with a revised copy of the IEP with the amendments incorporated.
[34 CFR 300.324(a)(6)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(3)(F)]


12. Encourage consolidation of IEP meetings. 


To the extent possible, the public agency must encourage the consolidation of reevaluation meetings for the child and other IEP Team meetings for the child.
[34 CFR 300.324(a)(5)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(3)(E)]


13. Provide for the review and, as appropriate, revision of the IEP.


Each public agency must ensure that, the IEP Team reviews the child’s IEP periodically, but not less than annually, to determine whether the annual goals for the child are being achieved and revises the IEP, as appropriate, to address:
• Any lack of expected progress toward the annual goals and in the general education curriculum, if appropriate;
• The results of any reevaluation;
• Information about the child provided to, or by, the parents, as described under 34 CFR 300.305(a)(2) (related to evaluations and reevaluations);
• The child’s anticipated needs; or
• Other matters.


In conducting a review of the child’s IEP, the IEP Team must consider the special factors described in 34 CFR 300.324(a)(2) (development of the IEP).


A regular education teacher of the child, as a member of the IEP Team, must, consistent with 34 CFR 300.324(a)(3) (participation of regular teacher in development of the IEP), participate in the review and revision of the IEP of the child.
[34 CFR 300.324(b)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(4)]


14. Authorize alternative means of meeting participation.


When conducting IEP Team meetings and placement meetings pursuant to subparts D and E of Part 300, and carrying out administrative matters under section 615 of the IDEA (such as scheduling, exchange of witness lists, and status conferences), the parent of a child with a disability and a public agency may agree to use alternative means of meeting participation, such as video conferences and conference calls.
[34 CFR 300.328] [20 U.S.C. 1414(f)]


1 Topics in this series include: Alignment With the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act; Changes in Initial Evaluation and Reevaluation; Children Enrolled by Their Parents in Private Schools; Discipline; Disproportionality and Overidentification; Early Intervening Services; Highly Qualified Teachers; Identification of Specific Learning Disabilities; Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team Meetings and Changes to the IEP; Individualized Education Program (IEP); Local Funding; Monitoring, Technical Assistance and Enforcement; National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS); Part C Amendments in IDEA 2004; Part C Option: Age 3 to Kindergarten Age; Procedural Safeguards: Surrogates, Notice and Consent; Procedural Safeguards: Mediation; Procedural Safeguards: Resolution Meetings and Due Process Hearings; Secondary Transition; State Complaint Procedures; State Funding; and Statewide and Districtwide Assessments. Documents are available on the IDEA Web site at: http://IDEA.ed.gov.


http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cdynamic%2CTopicalBrief%2C9%2C