Showing posts with label Superintendent Robert Runcie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Superintendent Robert Runcie. Show all posts

Friday, August 8, 2014

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


*Click on Photo above to enlarge photo.

SB 850 2014 ~ Florida
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:

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.


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!!


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Up to their games already in Broward for ESE parents via emails

It's very upsetting to know some Broward School Principals are ALREADY UP TO THEIR GAMES THEY LOVE TO PLAY WITH ESE PARENTS!!! 

The bantering of emails already ~ The TIME & EFFORT Principals & ESE Staff from 2 different Broward Public schools are already putting in back and forth to these parents is not a way to create the good customer service talked about so often in our district. 

Must be a 'green light' given to Principals from District Administrators or a new training on how to respond to ESE parent emails. 

*This information is coming from 2 different parents that have children with Down syndrome.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Hibbs denied right to speak. Nancy Linley-Harris reading MY speech! Bullying Issues at Deerfield Beach High - DBHS



Reposting from Juliet Hibbs YouTube.com Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/HibbsforChange
Published on Hibbs4Change 
Jul 1, 2013
By Juliet Hibbs: This is the video where I am denied the right to speak on June 25th, 2013. 

I did get the policy and I am afraid they don't understand it. It is ok! I will educate them! It is RIGHT after they see this parent give MY speech that Dr Osgood reponded......


http://youtu.be/wIQt7KY4dHQ?list=PL6sB2rcvqtoDvQIwZnELfODhqksNgJlTw

Hibbs denied right to speak. 

Nancy Linley-Harris reading MY speech! 

She did an AMAZING job!

June 25th, 2013


Deerfield Beach High School Bullying and Abusive Administration


Published on~
Jul 3, 2014
This is an interaction...assault under the law...of a student by Kenneth May, Assistant Principal at DBHS. First he STEALS the chips the student pays for...assaults the student...pushing the students around, up against a wall ...then student didn't even do anything wrong enough to even WRITE up for anything Just sends the student to class. This is HIS administrative style, supported by the Broward County School board (they saw this video...that too ME two years to get MY hands on, Robert Runcie and Jon Marlow...Principal at DBHS. This is abuse and Bullying of a student in Broward schools Watch as Mr. May blocks the student then assaults him over a bag of potato chips. this is ABUSE!! If a parent did this they would go to jail. If a teacher can be charged with assault because they placed a sticker on the student.

Please keep the stories and videos coming. Together we can make Broward schools better...we MUST come together to stop the abuses against students, staff and parents. 

Tax payers This is YOUR tax dollar at work and REMEMBER they want to INCREASE YOUR TAXES in Novemeber 2014 ~ Say NO. 

Do not forget this is the leadership of Jon Marlow; Principal of Deerfield Beach High school. DBHS

Hibbs challenges Mr. Runcie and the Broward County School Board.



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

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Stand Up for What You Believe In and Be Proud To Be An American Advocate! The James Kaleda story~removed from testifying before the New Jersey Senate!


James Kaleda is A True American Advocate we should be proud of! If you had been sitting there in the New Jersey Senate chambers that day on April 30th, 2013, would you have been the one that STOOD UP 4 CHANGE and supported him? See the woman in the 2nd video clip at the bottom of my post today. 

Breaking News Story: James Kaleda ejected from hearing by New Jersey State Troopers



Published on May 8, 2013
James Kaleda explains that the proposed NJ Gun Bills will not save any lives but will endanger them. He is ejected by Committee Chair Senator Norcross. This took place at the NJ Senate gun control hearings in Trenton on April 30, 2013.

Be Sure To Read The Top Comments!

My gut feelings watching and seeing this happen, turns up all sorts of emotions to exactly how it seems to have gotten at IEP meetings this past year in Broward County. My PARENT VOICE, MY PARENT INPUT to her IEP document, my suggestions for her yearly educational goals, my advocating for my own Child for her educational needs and her right to receive a quality education and to be educated to learn so she too can earn a REAL HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA at the end of her school years. My ideas and suggestions go on deaf ears with public school employees aka the 'educational professionals' and their idea of what 'they think is best'. Parents know their Child the best in all areas of their Child's life. Speaking up for my own daughter is also about speaking up for many many other students with *IEP's! Mariah and I testified before the Florida Senate Education Committee, WE WERE HEARD & SUPPORTED by the Florida Senate and the House!
*Individual Education Plans


Why Parents Could Get More Control Over Their Child’s Special Education Plan http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/2013/04/22/why-parents-could-get-more-control-over-their-childs-special-education-plan/ 
Hear the words spoken so perfectly by Mariah Harris as she read her first Pubic Speech as she testified before the FLORIDA SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE on March 18th, 2013 on SB 1108.


If James Kaleda, seen here in this You Tube Video, testifying before the New Jersey Senate on a proposed Gun Control Bill being looked at and all those in the audience didn't get up and stand up for him as he was denied his First Amendment Right to speak.....is shameful that "We The People..." are not supporting each other when one is speaking out for the people.

The COMMENTS to this are worth reading as well, because the comments support James Kaleda and our FREEDOM OF SPEECH!

Stand Up for What You Believe In and Be Proud To Be An American Advocate!

We need to Stand UP and Support Each Other!


Published on May 8, 2013
After a late start, and a "ten minute break" that lasted more than a half hour, the NJ Senate committee on gun control decides to cut off public comment on the proposed gun control bills at 4 o'clock. The chairman and most of the committee then refuse to honor the pledge of allegiance. This took place at the NJ Senate gun control hearings in Trenton on April 30, 2013.



YES!!! THEY ALL STOOD UP TOGETHER AND RECITED THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! 

Support those that speak up on your behalf!

Thank you James Kaleda-a true American Advocate!





Sunday, December 16, 2012

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 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!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

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!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Hillsborough County School District ~ Student with Down syndrome found dead after walking off campus.

Click here for full story about JENNY in Riverview  
"Jennifer had been at the school for about six weeks, Cobbe said. She had very limited verbal skills and could speak only Spanish. Earlier in the day, she had hidden beneath the bleachers and had to be coaxed out by the physical education teacher, Cobbe said. The girl often would run away and hide when she heard strange voices so the sheriff's office had Jennifer's mother walk with searchers, calling out her daughter's name through a bullhorn. The father called other friends and relatives to make sure none had picked up the girl from school." 

She was in a class with 20 Special Needs Students with 6 (SIX) AIDES and the little girls classmates TOLD them that they saw that 'Jenny' walked away....and the SIX....1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 adult aides there to WATCH 20 STUDENTS and not one of them was WATCHING Jenny leave the area as well? Someone should have been paying better attention so they could have at least RUN AFTER HER!!!?? I can't stress enough to those that DON'T HAVE A BEAUTIFUL CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME HOW MUCH YOU HAVE TO WATCH our precious children 24/7! I guess with the 1:3 RATIO for that class of 20 still wasn't enough eyes for Miss Jenny!!

I have sat in on many IEP meetings for families with a child with Down syndrome, having much discussion about the need for an aide for our kiddo's. Parents concerns seem to be viewed as being overly protective or something other than a real concern of our parents for their child's safety while at school. The "IEP team professionals" that work for public school districts more often than not, want to disregard parents pleas for help to make sure their son or daughter is watched more closely because the parents KNOW their child WANDERS OFF and RUNS QUICKLY when they do wander off. Parents KNOW their child the best, parents are the EXPERTS on their child at IEP meetings. IEP meetings many times end without the parents knowing exactly who will be responsible for the safety or our children once they come to school. Many times parents are not allowed to talk or communicate with the child's aide....if they do finally get one. Parents concerns need to be taken seriously. Our children's lives depend on Adults keeping them safe!

Attending advocacy trainings with speakers telling us to make sure you get it written on the IEP about needing an Aide, but for whatever reason our Public School Districts are getting very clever to make sure parents are not able to get 'it written into the IEP document' that their child needs the support of their own aide. This is real folks, safety of ALL students when they leave home to attend school everyday is a real issue more and more today! When certain individuals with certain types of 'special needs' like Autism and Down syndrome, they are more likely to WANDER OFF or LEAVE a classroom or the school campus.

Having had to call the police on a couple of occasions myself because my sweet little girl with Down syndrome was 'missing' for more than 6 minutes was the most helpless feeling a parent should ever have to go thru. I know how blessed and lucky we were that my girl was found, but in this most recent case in Riverview, Florida with Miss Jenny....her parents worst nightmare came true.

I am so sad and so sorry for her parents, family and friends to know that Jenny will not be coming home from school today! 

Prayers to Jenny's family!! 
{{oxoxox}}

Click here for full Bay News 9 article on: Answers sought in Down syndrome girl's death

Thursday, October 4, 2012

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!! 

Sunday, September 30, 2012

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."

Friday, August 24, 2012

BROWARD ESE ADVISORY 8/29/12 6-9PM 1st Meeting

Put in your Calendar for the 1st 
"Meet and Greet" 2012-2013 School Year!
Broward ESE Advisory Council 

Wednesday, August 29th, 2012 
Piper High School 
6:00PM - 9:00PM
*Meetings will be starting 1/2 hour earlier this year promptly at 6PM

~ School Board member, Robin Bartleman will discuss what has changed in our School District and the challenges ahead for the school year. 

~ Any question concerning Exceptional Student Education and IEP's will be answered by a panel of invited Agencies and ESE Deprtment Staff. 

~ BUS Transportation will be addressed

BROWARD ESE ADVISORY is on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/238143282951552/

If you are unable to attend the meeting the 
Phone Bridge will be available by calling in at:
(754) 321-0810 ID# 978006

*!* IMPORTANT PHONE-BRIDGE CALL-IN INFORMATION  *!*
If your phone does not have a MUTE feature ~ use the #5 button anytime during the conference to mute & unmute yourself or everyone can hear you doing the dinner dishes or the TV volume in the background. Thank you for MUTING the Phone-Bridge Call-in! 

SEE YOU THERE!

Friday, July 27, 2012

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.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Florida State Complaints Reports ~ Great Summer Read!


Here's a web link for interesting Summer time reading on all the different State Complaints from all the different Public School Districts in this wonderful Sunshine State of Florida! This one in particular is a good one, because it involves 5 students! Broward schools ESE Department is now onto other things they do to make life difficult for good parents with wonderful children! But read this one first so you know that they DO HAVE TO DO  CORRECTIVE ACTIONS every now and again like in this complaint.  Click here to read about the November 25th 2008 - February 15th, 2009 State and Federal Complaints filed on behalf of FIVE (5) students in Broward County!! click on this highlighted link: http:www.fldoe.org/ese/complaints/pdf/2009-008-RES.pdf  


STATE COMPLAINTS FILED in FLORIDA over the years
Here is the web-link to the Florida Department of Education website so you can read for yourself from school-year-to-school-year all the different State & Federal Complaints that parents file on throughout the entire State of Florida. Interesting reading for sure! What I find amazing is how our Districts 'get away' with so much nonsense complaint after complaint after complaint! click on this highlighted link:
http://www.fldoe.org/ese/complaints/default.asp


Read for yourself and tell me what you think.............


DUE PROCESS FILINGS ACROSS THE STATE of Florida
If you enjoyed reading about the different State Complaints coming out of the different Florida School Districts you will enjoy reading about the different DUE PROCESSES filed as well. Here is the direct link to all of the Due Processes filed up to the school year Jan.-June 2011. click on this highlighted link:
http://www.fldoe.org/ese/due-order.asp


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Florida Department of Education / FAMILIES / PARENT INVOLVEMENT Resources

Great Resource link to the Florida Department of Ed for Families to be Involved in their Children's Education.
It's about INDIVIDUALIZED Education for each Child who have their own Unique Educational Needs.
Be sure to SAVE the page and research all the great links on the left and right of FLDOE.org/Families webpage. Good stuff to know!
http://www.fldoe.org/families/

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Broward County Public Schools ESE Department is NOT for our children!! ~ What has happened to Mariah's Individual Education Plan is PROOF!!

Mariah's ESE Wilson Reading Teacher and ESE Specialist and some STRANGER PROGRAM SPECIALIST all followed the leader of systematically DUMBING DOWN my daughters Individual Educational Plan! THIS IS WHY I DON'T BELIEVE IN ESE TEACHERS TEACHING MY DAUGHTER! THEY HAVE THE LOWEST EXPECTATIONS for children with disabilities ~ the very students they 'serve'. My ESE Specialist became a ROBOT like the rest of the ESE Department in Broward Schools. 


My daughter has been LET DOWN from the very staff members that always 'claimed' they cared for Mariah's best interest. 


*I know my CAPITAL WRITING is going to OFFEND some really WONDERFUL ESE TEACHERS and I'm sorry for that! I know there are plenty of ESE Teachers that are the BEST Teachers out there working their tails off doing a great job with our children with unique learning challenges ~ Mariah has received SES TUTORING from some really WONDERFUL ESE Certified Teachers.....but I am hurting here by the ESE Teachers/staff that I have had my daughter under their care and they have crapped on me and trampled on Mariah's freedom to continue working hard towards earning a REAL HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA!!! I have every right to be ?FUMING MAD!! 


Mariah has taken 4 FCAT's already!! What the heck is going on with so many school staff acting so UNFRIENDLY and COLD HEARTED LATELY? I know the new principal likes to CENSOR all my emails and not allow staff to email me back...that's ok...I can still write my emails and blogs! 


If Mariah was being kicked by a group of adults would ANYONE STOP THEM? This is what is happening to her now! But it is all being done on her legal educational documents! 
Mariah deserves YOUR HELP & SUPPORT!!


I will get to WHO IS BEHIND all this nonsense! 
I need lots of prayers ~ as I fight for my daughter's quality education that I have fought so hard for thus far and don't intend to stop now.


Too bad there are BAD PEOPLE with BAD INTENTIONS that work in our schools to make a paycheck only ~ working for  the 6th largest school district in the Country!  Teachers & Staff sitting in our IEP meetings saying they are the Professionals? Really....? Mariah's ESE teacher & ESE Specialist  spit on my daughter's future educational dreams and expectations!!


...Mariah ~ I will make things right for you ~ I always do...I'm your mother! 
The momma tiger is MAD!!


Broward County Public Schools ESE Department is  NOT for our children!! The department head does not have the BEST INTEREST of our ESE Children as her highest concern ~ What has happened to Mariah's Individual Education Plan is PROOF there is a SYSTEMATIC WAY OF DUMBING DOWN THE IEP Process & our children's education ~ and sending in ESE Program Specialist to ARGUE RELENTLESSLY with good parents of wonderful children.....if they can get away with it!!...and they do plenty!!


I would like an INTERIM like I have been asking for since MARCH! When will Stephen Foster Elementary School give me a date for my interim IEP? THEY IGNORED setting up a meeting for me till 5/30/12 and then the ESE Department sent in ROBOTS to come sabotage and ARGUE!!


My daughter's Annual was not due till September 22nd, 2012. WHY WAS I BEING FORCED TO HAVE AN ANNUAL and not the IEP update Interim or end of the year IEP I have ALWAYS HAD EACH YEAR?


DISPICABLE & DISGUSTING!!



Friday, February 24, 2012

CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS by ESE Parents & Advocates

Dear ESE Parents & ESE Parent Advocates of Broward Public Schools,

When ESE Parents and/or an ESE Parent Advocate request an observation of an ESE Student in their classroom settings in preparation of upcoming IEP ~ FBA ~ PBIP ~ TIEP meetings, this is the BTU Article Five that ESE Parents & ESE Parent Advocates are quoted. 

I have highlighted what pertains to us as ESE Parents & ESE Parent Advocates.
Please read the BTU contract Articles I have included pertaining to OBSERVATIONS.

As good ESE Parents & ESE Parent Advocates we all need to become keenly aware of all sorts of policies & rules, even the BTU ~ Broward Teachers Union Policies. Here is the direct link to all the Broward Teachers Union Policies. 

ARTICLE FIVE
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
O. Interruptions to Teaching:   
Unauthorized personnel shall not be allowed to interrupt or otherwise disturb an employee during the performance of his/her professional responsibilities.  

Observations of an employee's class by persons other than school system personnel shall be allowed only after consent has been granted by the principal or his/her designee, notification to the employee, and proper security clearance has been granted.  The visitation shall be scheduled no sooner than two (2) workdays after notification, except in extenuating circumstances as determined by the affected principal. Such observations shall be no longer than one (1) hour in length.  Upon request, a building administrator shall be present in the employee’s classroom during the entire observation period. 

District personnel visiting an employee’s class during a formal and preplanned visit for purposes of observing either the employee or students in the employee’s classroom shall do so only after the employee has been notified by the principal.  Each visit shall require the observer to provide feedback to the employee within a reasonable period of time.
Employees should be able to perform their professional responsibilities free from unnecessary interruptions or disturbances.  To the extent possible, maintenance, custodial and construction work will be done at a time or in a manner which will not result in interruptions or disturbances of the employee's professional responsibilities. The same shall apply to the use of intercommunication systems.


Inclusion of students with disabilities in gen ed classrooms.
http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/employeerelations/BTU_PDFs_for_Website/ARTICLE35_BTU.pdf
ARTICLE THIRTY-FIVE
INCLUSION
A. Training Plan:  
When the affected school's IEP Committee recommends placement in a regular education classroom for a student with a severe disability who is already attending a Broward County school, a training plan shall be developed by the receiving school, with the input of the sending school staff and the receiving teachers, prior to the student attending the regular classroom.  Health and Safety training components of the plan will be completed prior to the student's placement.

B. New Student to District:    
When a student with a severe disability with an IEP that includes placement in a regular class transfers to Broward County from another county or state, a training plan shall be developed by the receiving school, with the input of the receiving teachers, no later than ten (10) days after the first day of the student's attendance in a district school.  Health and Safety training components of the plan will be completed prior to the student's placement.

C. Students Placed With Volunteer Teachers:
Recognizing that special needs students who are placed into the regular school program are more likely to be successful when the teacher receiving the student has volunteered for the assignment,the district shall seek teacher volunteers for the Inclusion program.

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Closed Door Policy 1.1

I have a story I want to write....a story that many will be able to relate to. It's about being a mom...or a dad of child that has unique learning challenges and requires special education while at school. Our Public Schools today have lots of students with Special Needs ~ with the increase in students with Autism and many other learning and developmental disabilities and students with Down syndrome attending our local neighborhood schools, our Public School System is not like it was just 20 years ago. 


Today if you are a parent with a son or daughter with a disability you pretty much need to go to as many parent trainings, disability support groups, disability specific conferences and national conventions just to learn how to navigate special ed services and the IEP process and basically how to help ensure your son or daughter receives a quality education via the Public School System, and that's no matter where you live!


I became an Advocate first for my own daughter and son and eventually started helping other parents learn how to be a good Advocate for their children. It has been a learning experience to say the least!


One of the things that is starting to really bug me is all this talk about Parent Involvement, especially here in Broward County. Parent Engagement is the new saying, as I have recently been hearing, I like that better. I am an involved parent in both of my children's education! I was an involved parent before I officially became a 'parent' even! My future husband, while I was dating him...I was involved in his 7 year old son's education. I eventually had him tested for possibly being gifted. I attended several of his school events before I officially was his stepmom. Education is important to me and helping children do well in school is very important to me as well!


Today, I am a proud parent to a beautiful & talented 13 year old daughter with Down syndrome and a keenly creative 16 year old son with ADHD. Both require me to always be on top of things when it comes to both of their school grades, assignments, homework and all things! To say the least, I am an involved parent ~ I have to be!


I really became a Special Ed Advocate when my daughter was born 13 years ago. As a parent to a little one with Down syndrome I learned very quickly that I needed to fight for each and every therapy service she needed. She received a great many therapies and services back then, I was a TIGER MOMMA back then as I still am today. I knew I needed to make sure my daughter had her OT, PT and Speech Therapies if I wanted her to be all she could be in the years to come! So I learned quick that it was going to take a lot of my time and dedication to my daughter to help her be her best. I was always making all sorts of phone calls to secure therapy & doctor appointments. I had to drive her to all her many different appointments daily or some came to our home when she was real little. Of course I'm devoted to her well being today as much as I was when I started on my wonderful trip to Holland. It has become my full time 'career'...to help her and others. It is my passion, to help teach parents to become confident advocates for their children. I love what I do!


My son is in the 10th grade and taking High school all in stride, his grades are still consistently inconsistent, but over all he is an amazing talented and creative soul. My daughter will be going into Middle school next year! I am so not ready for a whole new group of teachers, staff, principals and administrators that don't know my daughter at all and will give me a hard time for what I know to be the best educational classrooms settings for my girl! She has only been educated in the regular general education classrooms. This year for the first time she is now receiving an hour of Special Ed services in an ESE classrom. This is for some extra reading help using the Special Ed Wilson program, with an awesome ESE Teacher! This is the only ESE special ed class she has ever attended other than her daily 1/2 hour Speech and Language school based sessions. She is doing well included in General Education aka regular classes....as long as we have teachers & staff that fully support her.....and me too..... things can get sticky & tricky sometimes, especially if the lines of communication are not fluid. There has to be a line of open honest communication with at least ONE staff person, one that can be the 'go to person'...hopefully it's your child's teacher. My daughter has a Gifted endorsed Science teacher as her homeroom & science teacher this year and he was also her teacher last year as well. He is the role-model gen.ed teacher for others to follow in the way that he communicates with all his families on a daily basis. He sends me an email update on what my daughter did in school that day and what pages classroom lessons were on. He is teacher of the year at my daughter's school ~ with good reason! His door is always open for honest parent involvement/engagement and academic collaboration with his student's parents...and special ed parent absolutely benefit from that the most! I started a blog in his honor, because I have been so impressed with his over-the-top way of how he has provided my daughter a full inclusive classroom experience both last year and this school year. 
Please take a peek at my other blog in honor of Mr. Jeffery Allagood Mariah's 5th grade teacher: 
Down syndrome Inclusive Education www.downsyndromeinclusiveeducation.blogspot.com 


Today I want to talk about my friends. My other Special Ed / ESE Parents that are also involved and care very much about their child's education. My friends are involved and caring parents. They may ask more questions because they have a real concern about things happening at school, yet for the most part they seem to get the run around. These same parents ask to volunteer for things and are told those positions are filled. They ask to observe their child's classroom and it takes forever to set up a simple classroom observation or are asked to come into the Principals office for a little talkie-talk. Instead many ESE parents are ambushed with staff members & the principal and then told their child will have be taken out of their teachers classroom and have to go into a different classroom, starting the next day!! This particular parent just wanted to have an opportunity to observe what was going on during her son's math lessons where some behaviors were noted in written notes home to the parent. This mom just asked for a classroom observation, but instead was told her son needed to be pulled out from that classroom and wouldn't even be in that classroom again! ....Really?


Over the years many of us ESE parents have been called to come pick up our child. "Your child has a runny nose" or the best one, the most common one is, "your child has diarrhea". Like good parents, we run to the school to pick up our 'sick child'....only to find out they don't have diarrhea at all!! It seems maybe our child went to the bathroom (poo-poo) three times that day. There must be an unwritten POOP POLICY out there in our school districts that says; if a child poops 3 times while in school, they need to be sent home! Especially if that child has Down syndrome and still needs adult supervision or assistance in toileting for hygiene and wiping themselves! *This is happening way too much in our schools that maybe our top district administrators and school board members or even the superintendent is not aware of. 


I'm asking....
IS there a POOP POLICY Broward Public Schools has in place? That if a child poops 3 times, the child needs to be sent home?? ESE parents are called and told their child has diarrhea and it's all down their leg, you have to come pick up your child! Only to get there and the pants are not 'soiled'.....all down their leg!! I am not making this up! 


The runny nose one is also a very common one too. The other day a close friend of mine, was called and her daughter was not sick, just her daughter did need to have her nose wiped and blown. Mom had used Saline Solution to clear out her daughters nasal passages, and her nose was draining because of the Saline Solution. (...this is a common thing parents of children with DS do daily at times.) Mom said she was not sick, she just needed her blow her nose and have it wiped and sent back to the classroom. Her daughter did not have a fever and was not sick in anyway. This little girl never had her nose wiped at school that day and was sent home with dried caked on crusted mucus all over her cute little face! The bus aide/helper was amazed at how badly her face looked with all that dried gunk all over her. The school retaliated by not wiping her nose at all while she was in school. The little girl was not sick, she just needed her nose blown & wiped and directed to wash her hands and face or directed to blow her nose even. This is a little girl with Down syndrome and blowing her nose is something that all of us mom's do everyday... several times a day. Children with Down syndrome have low muscle tone and blowing their nose is a learned 'skill' that they need help with and they need to be taught. Our kiddo's need to be told each step of the way to 'blow hard', go wash your hands. With two aids and a certified teacher in this little girls classroom, not 1 of 3 adults would or could wipe her nose? ....Really? Needless to say this ESE mom was not happy how the school retaliated and did not provide just a simple support of wiping her little girls nose that day and instead, neglected her basic needs. ESE parents would never get away with sending our children TO school with a filthy nose or face, we would be reported, but the school gets away with this treatment of our littlest angels?


ESE Parents are wanting to volunteer at the schools to do anything and are being told there is nothing to do, they don't need help. ....Really?  ESE Parents are wanting to get involved in SAF (School Advisory Forum) and are told that "that" position has already been filled, "you can attend and participate in the PTA or the PTO." ....Really?  ESE Parents request permission to go on class field-trips or as chaperones and are told either we already have our parent volunteers or "no parents are allowed, only staff will be chaperones on the class field-trip."...Really?  Some ESE parents want to be the Room Parent, again, "oh sorry...another parent has already gotten that position." ....Really? In my over 11 years at the same elementary school for both of my children, I have never been a room parent. Who are the room parents even? Do schools have room parents anymore?


ESE Parents are met with a CLOSED DOOR and are not talked to like the 'typical parents' that doesn't have a  child with a disability. Parents of ESE children know this for a fact. Staff and teachers either are instructed to not talk to us, or if they do, to refer us to an ESE Staff person or "you'll have to speak to Mr. Principal about that." ....Really? Teachers and staff can't have a conversation with ESE parents anymore?If ESE parents want to know how their child is doing in the classroom and that child has a 1:1 aide, or there is a classroom assistant in their child's class, those aides seem to not 'see us' and certainly will not talk to us. For the most part, it seems our aides & the teachers pretend they are just so busy in their jobs that they can't even look our way when we are on the campus. ....Really?  


Over the years I have had wonderful aides for my daughter, that respected and gave me their time. Not all ESE Students are even allowed to have 1:1 aides today, being told there is no funding. That is a whole conversation in itself! More of our children are being put into classrooms with several other students that would benefit by having a 1:1 aide but our schools instead will put several students into one classroom and share the aide between several students. That's alot to ask of one teacher and alot on 1 aide, now they are called a teachers assistant. The amount of the MATRIX funds generated from just a few students could actually pay for a few teacher assistants to fully support our children in their classrooms! Your child's Matrix numbers and Matrix funding and how it is actually spent is another topic of future discussion!


ESE Parents ARE INVOLVED Parents! They have to be, their child depends on them to be! Taking their child to endless hours of weekly therapies for years and years makes for a concerned involved parent. 


What is going on at our children's schools that more and more ESE Parents are being met with this unspoken rule that they are not to be talked to with a natural honesty and respect? Why are Principals now becoming more the Headmaster that has the final say so on all things to do with our ESE Parents concerns and issues relating to their child in their classrooms?


Where did this unspoken CLOSED DOOR POLICY SOCIETY come from? Why is it happening more and more that our ESE Parents HAVE NO VOICE and ARE NOT BEING HEARD? Is it a bigger problem here in Broward school District? Is is happening throughout our entire State and Nation? ESE Parents are being shut out and held back from being part of the school society. ESE parents are not being allowed to be that involved parent at all grade levels. I was sent an email the other day from a Middle school administrator that I am actually considering for my daughter to attend. This administrator wrote to me and said, "Middle school isn't like Elementary school, things are alot different in Middle school." ....her point is? Parents ~ ALL parents need and should be encouraged to become MORE involved at the Middle school level than ever before! I know I plan on it!


Being a Special Ed Advocate I have clocked my kazillion unclockable hours listening on the phone over the years, all the absolute pure nonsense way too many ESE Parents are being put through today and throughout the entire school year! ESE Parents are good parents, they want to be involved in their child's education and show their child and their school support by being a classroom mom or by volunteering on the yearbook committee or by being a chaperone on the field-trips. 


ESE Parents are being discriminated against on many levels sometimes starting with them just wanting to know how things are or what is going on or not going on or happening at the school pertaining to their child. ESE Parents are a valuable group of good parents that care, that really care not only for their own child, but for their child's classmates. These parents are devoted!


ESE Parents are met with a CLOSED DOOR in their faces more times than not and it needs to stop! ESE Parents are not the enemy, they are and can be a great resource to many, they can be a great help to their child's teachers! If principals and staff would just stop all this nonsense of shutting the ESE Parents out and start working with them from the start! Getting off on a good foot at the beginning of a new school year is important to all parents, especially to those ESE Parents! 


The CLOSED DOOR POLICY that is practiced throughout the land today and I am talking in particular in Broward County Public Schools. I know this is happening everywhere. This attitude needs to stop and be replaced with something different! Positive parent participation with real communication and a positive partnership of collaboration ~ the child is the focus and the reason, we need not forget this!


ESE Parents can help train teachers and staff. Many times the lowest paid staff person, the 1:1 aide that usually works closest with our unique children, the para professional aide or the classroom aide or teachers aides as they are now called, these employees would benefit by having a closer positive working relationship with the ESE Parents. Parents know their child the best, what a great resource! It seems they are not allowed to talk, communicate or write to the child's parents, if they do..it's the most minimal. Most good parents would never leave their children in the care of babysitters or respite workers that they aren't able to talk with...would they? Why are ESE Parents at schools treated like staff are not suppose to talk to them? This is all too common and it's a shame!  


The door is closed at just about every turn we go as ESE Parents wanting to be involved with our child's education. The CLOSED DOOR POLICY needs to stop! 


If you are an ESE Parent, please take a moment and comment on this post. Let's hear your personal story. Tell me if your school has open arms for your parent involvement. I know some schools are absolutely doing a fantastic job of making sure all parents are treated with fairness and I know there are many schools out there that are not allowing ESE Parents the same opportunities to volunteer on campus and especially in their own child's classroom as a room parent or the room mom. If you are an ESE Parent and are the room mom...write to me! Tell me the positive, let's hear from you in the comment section below this posting. If you have experienced the CLOSED DOOR POLICY and you can relate to much of what I am posting...let's hear from you too. Post a comment, society needs to know how it really is out there trying to be an Involved ESE Parent at your child's school.


Our schools are like a little society, if the attitude is warm and welcoming for all and yes that includes allowing ESE Parents some wiggle room to volunteer and ask questions, then it creates a positive happy society. If some parents are being treated unfairly, and not allowed to be involved, it creates anger, dissatisfaction and an unhappy society! Schools need to do a better job of being accepting of ALL parent volunteers, especially by allowing ESE Parents the opportunity to Volunteer period!


The CLOSED DOOR POLICY that seems to be a secret society that only fellow ESE Parents know to be true. Time for a change of attitude across the board! Let your local School Board Members know that, Yes this IS happening to you and you want to see it change too! Do your part and help make positive changes within your school, within your school district and State. Be a change-maker and be proud to stand up for what you believe and you know needs to change!


Parents are the child's first teachers, they know every little thing about their child. Parents will always be the best advocates for their child!