Segregation is still alive as a: Tampa mom fights to keep her son with Down syndrome in his neighborhood school!

Tampa mom fights to keep her disabled son in his neighborhood school

This advocate mom, Roberta Moore and her 10 year old son, who is also a student with Down syndrome, just like my daughter, Mariah is up against the SAME THING that I have been experiencing here in Broward Public Schools as well! It's parents like us with children like ours that are being DISCRIMINATED against on so many levels in the Public Education System, especially here in Florida. I have spoke before my school board, several times. This same thing is happening to so many students...everywhere! 

In Tampa, Roberta Moore attended an IEP and was absolutely against what was being suggested for her son's placement for his next school year. In Fort Lauderdale, an IEP was taking 10 meetings to write up with the suggestion from the school side of the IEP "team" leading towards having Mariah's class placement for her to be in FULL ESE CLUSTER ALL DAY FOR ALL HER CLASSES, with the exception for her to be able to 'come out' so she could attend her STEM MAGNET CLASS in a General Education Classroom. LUNCH TIME would be her other allowed time to attend school with her friends and peers without disabilities. This sort of special classroom placement suggestion was not anything Mariah was used to. Mariah has always attended the same classes as her friends she goes to school with. Mariah has always been educated in 'regular classes' and fully included in gen.ed. classes all her life. Now it seemed to be the push of her school and the IEP "team" that it would be better for her to only attend school in an ESE classroom. Same with Roberta Moore for her 10 year old son, this too was not what I wanted for my 14 year old daughter either! 

Senate Passes Bill Empowering Parents in Critical IEP Decisions

http://capitalsoup.com/2013/04/29/senate-passes-bill-empowering-parents-in-critical-iep-decisions/

I am not a teacher, but have always 'homeschooled' part-time because it is good for her and I know what is best for my daughter and her education. As her mother and her truest advocate, I know and believe in her plans for her future career choice! Mariah has always had the desire to work with animals and become a Vet Tech and go to college one day.  It's up to me to make sure that happens for her....all other's need to either support her in teaching her a quality academic education or just GET OUT OF THE WAY!

I withdrew my daughter, Mariah on May 24th, 2013 from Broward County Public School District. I enrolled her in a small private Christian school that has graduated many many students over the years! Mariah and I are very much looking forward to her new school in the Fall without so many 'cooks in the kitchen!'

I filed my official STATE COMPLAINT with the Florida Department of Education on June 7th, 2013. What's being allowed to happen to so many of our students with disabilities throughout the entire State of Florida, particularly students with Down syndrome is ripe for a CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT! Who's in?

If this same thing has happened to you, I highly recommend filing a STATE COMPLAINT! 

Senate Bill 1108 goes into law on July 1st, 2013!
click above link to learn all about what SB1108 is all about.

Public Schools get extra funds to help educate our children, but it seems instead, the Public School system is possibly using the $$MONEY$$ our special needs students generate. Our children's educational money is being spent however Principals and District Administrators want. Our children's special education funds are being spend on all sorts of things other than for those very students that need the extra support.

ESE Teachers in those ESE classrooms are not always provided the most basic of supplies that other teachers and classrooms are afforded. It's the ESE students extra funding that is attached to them for the extra they may need, yet the many ESE TEACHERS are not given a reasonable budget to spend on classroom supplies, so all the students suffer by not having what the 'typical' students receive at school each and every day. Let's talk TECHNOLOGY, TEXT BOOKS & CURRICULUM in ESE Classrooms! 

So instead of INCLUDING our children into regular classes, schools are using our children's special education funds aka as their MATRIX Funding elsewhere instead of for my child. Our Special Ed Students are a cash commodity for schools today! 

Schools and the Districts are pushing to have all Special Needs students in the same classrooms...it's called SEGREGATION & DISCRIMINATION! ~ This is 2013 people!! Martin Luther King would be applaud at what is still going on with Discrimination!!

Guess my leaving and pulling my daughter from Broward Public School "before" the big boom to herd all SWD=Students With Disabilities off to Special Schools and all ESE special classes and Special everything is a good thing that I WITHDREW my daughter completely from Public Education when I did! My daughter will be fully included at her new school, where she'll be respected and accepted for the wonderful student and person she is. 

Many SWD that have recently graduated with Standard Diploma's or what's commonly known as a REAL HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA have all 'just made it under the wire!!!" They are the LUCKY ONES today!!

It's time for us to work together to help all SWD and future SWD have the opportunity to be accepted into regular classrooms. This is not something we all should have to even worry about this day and age, but in Florida we do! Florida as well as many other States are still very much behind in treating people fairly, especially when it comes to our public education today and our students needing special education support and services. 

Being treated unfairly and being left out is not something new to SWD and their families, especially families that have someone with Down syndrome. We know all to often the feeling of things not being 'fair'. We have all felt discrimination and it hurts every time we are being discriminated against, for wanting what is every one's right and freedom...a PUBLIC EDUCATION! 

We all know that raising a child today is not easy, with or without a learning disability, but certainly if your child has a disability, our families experience alot more funky situations than most families would ever imagine and people take for granted. We have to deal with the unfairness on a regular basis because our child has Down syndrome. *or any other disability.

It's 2013 people ~ SEGREGATION & DISCRIMINATION need to STOP!

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/22567697/2013/06/12/should-special-needs-students-be-in-mainstream-classrooms#.UbiaH2fXW61.facebook

http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2013/6/12/mom_of_boy_with_spec.html

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_south_hillsborough/tampa-mom-fights-to-keep-her-disabled-son-in-his-neighborhood-school

To My Old Master ~ A CONFIDENT - Educated SELF ADVOCATE!

This letter is so beautifully crafted and perfectly articulated to get into writing a snapshot of what happened and trying to be collaborative in the process of providing written knowledge of what happened to him as a SLAVE for 32 years to his Old Master.


This is a letter that shows he ~ gets it ~ he understands what his rights are, he sought out getting himself educated on the laws and moved forward with enthusiasm, perserverence and pride to move on and make sure his daughters got the full package of a quality education! He is a proud and confident man!


I love this letter because, this is the sort of letter that shows true strong parent advocacy skills! 


If you are a parent working hard to make sure your children are receiving a quality education today and maybe your child has some unique special learning needs, then make sure you do your homework first and know what your rights are! Take the time to learn the policies and laws. Regularly added trainings and conferences to widen your knowledge base. Stay connected to others going through same and similiar things. Learn that if it isn't in writing......it didn't happen or it wasn't said. Document things that happen. 


Have you ever heard of writing a letter to a stranger? This is exactly that! Here we are reading something from years ago that provides a look into our History and how things were and the people's true Spirit! Write your letters like this man did, to his Old Master, so your pride and confidence shines through as his does in this letter!


Share this letter, it's worth reading this tiny snippet of history from a true advocate!


http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/to-my-old-master.html Click this link or Title of this post to read the letter to My Old Master.










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BENSON'S IEP UPDATE!!

Well...finally we tried to create a workable IEP document for this little guy. The first meeting we were "allowed to" meet for 2 hours, the 2nd time we were "allowed to" meet for 2 hours...and now the other day we were "allowed to" meet for ONE HOUR! We are so grateful for being "allowed to" meet on 3 different occassions to create and write up a quality IEP for BENSON that so was NOT PROVIDED what mom was told he would be provided at the school mom ended up using the McKay funds for him to attend. This school is in a section of Broward County that is very far for the mom to drive to, she refused to have her son attend a KNOWN CLUSTER SCHOOL that was in her neighborhood in the Pompano area and was not given much choice on WHERE HER SON COULD ATTEND SCHOOL because of how his wonderful IEP "team" wrote up his IEP document at the DEVELOPMENTAL PRESCHOOL. Mom input, concerns and wishes for her son was not included in her sons IEP from the Developmental Preschool. That IEP was done just a few days before school was let out and with no one 'working over the summer' to help create a well written IEP for her Kindergarten school year. This is why BENSON was NOT in school the first 2 months of this school year....the district IEP people would NOT BUDGE on their stand that BENSON was to only be provided 100% EXCLUSION & SEGRAGATION from his non-disabled peers for his Kindergarten school year! How does this sort of thing happen to our children? Why did it happen to BENSON? What was the real reason why BENSON was to be 100% in an ESE CLASSROOM and not provided with supports and services that would have helped him be successful in a gen ed kindergarten classsroom?

On Oct. 7th, 2009 Mom requested to have her son provided a FBA-Functional Behavioral Assessment and AT-Assistive Technology Assessment....this was in written form and provided to this 'nice school'......the person in charge...claims she never knew or received that written request. Oops....oh well....again...they didn't know...and my goodness wasn't it obvious that BENSON needed  that SUPPORT & SERVICE? Wasn't there any concern about his behavior & communication?? BENSON WAS NOT EVEN ASSESSED for AT or for a FBA this entire school year! ....was this because mom didn't put in for that support or service? NO!! This was because this school didn't care to do what was right! It was a written request from mom and provided and should have been included in his school files. It was talked about on several occassions and still nothing was done to move forward to have those assessments completed. Why?

When BENSON was finally enrolled in what was to be a good school in a good neighborhood far from mom's address....mom was told by the person in charge of running IEP meetings at this nice school that, "oh yes we are an INCLUSION SCHOOL!"......he would be included with a gen ed kindergarten here and there and for this and for that.....MOM DID NOT BELIEVE THIS and MOM'S GUT FEELINGS WERE RIGHT! This 'good school' did NOT provide any quality inclusion for BENSON. The Gen Ed K teacher did NOT even make EYE CONTACT WITH BENSON at a couple of observations that were held during the year. His HALF HOUR OF INCLUSION TIME IN THE GEN ED KINDERGARTEN was BENSON VISITING! He was NOT included as you and I would be included...he was WATCHED for any little movement he "might make".....those students in that "inclusion kindergarten' classroom were not BENSON'S friends...a student even said to the mom one time, "Is BENSON ALLOWED TO BE IN HERE?" ....wow.....why would a young kindergarten student even say such a thing? Was BENSON "allowed to be there".......this innocent comment from one of his 'kindergarten inclusion classmates' paints the real picture of the whole MINDSET of this particular kindergarten teacher, the classroom, school administrators & the entire school population!

BENSON WAS NOT INCLUDED like mom was told by staff on the day she enrolled him back on October 8th, 2009. That was BENSON'S first day of school......because the IEP "team" forced BENSON and his mother to have on his Individual Educational Plan without PARENT INPUT on what her concerns and wishes were for her son. Mom knows her son better than anyone that will ever attend his IEP's.

BENSON was LEFT BEHIND this school year. Mom is trying to make sure her son is not left behind again for next year! She wants him to be 'held back' and to have an opportunity to attend KINDERGARTEN like he should have this year! He was only allowed to visit kindergarten for a HALF HOUR....that is NOT being INCLUDED! That is visiting a kindergarten classroom! *Did he even have his own desk in there?

I have permission from BENSON'S mom to write all I want about her son on this BLOG so it can help others. I plan on making sure BENSON'S STORY is told to many...so what has happened to BENSON does not happen to others.

I will be updating and adding to the BENSON STORY...so those that have a personal interest will be updated on how things are working out for him and his mom in trying to create a well written IEP document. I want to be able to provide something for everyone to read and get updates so everyone has something to sleep on & ponder about with the BENSON situation, as I am so very sure there are many many Children and families out there that can relate to BENSON'S IEP process and situation.

Parents:
Tell me if you can relate to the BENSON STORY

Teachers:
Tell me if you can relate to the BENSON STORY

District:
Tell me if you care if BENSON was INCLUDED in Kindergarten or not.

State DOE:
Tell me if you are aware of more situations where certain disabilities are being forced into CLUSTER CLASSROOMS against parents wishes & desires.

BENSON'S IEP was left in a DRAFT FORMAT till the new 2010-2011 school year begins in August!! This was  after just 5 hours over  3 different times to meet and work on his IEP. (2 for 2 hours and 1 for 1 hour over a 2 month time period.) CAN DRAFT IEP's EVEN BE OPEN OVER THE SUMMER BREAK?? How does that really work out?

BENSON deserves to attend KINDERGARTEN like any other small boy!

POST UPDATE: Anonoymous comments are not allowed to this blog. If you want to leave a comment you do have to reveal your identity...thats all.

INCLUSION or EXCLUSION

The word inclusion from the dictionary means: to belong or part of. At school I think most of us would want to 'belong and be part of'.....but today, yup still today there is thinking out there that some people shouldn't belong or be part of, it's called exclusion, discrimination and segregation.

I have been part of many IEP teams in several Florida counties, my home is Broward County and I have to say I am witnessing what seems like a real push to segragate our children with Down syndrome from the general education classrooms and making parents feel like their Child has to go only  into special education classrooms or what is commonly known as the cluster classrooms instead of allowing them to be educated side-by-side their neighborhood friends and be taught in the general education classrooms with the support and services they would need to be successful. What I am seeing on a more regular basis is an increase in discrimination towards certain individuals, in particular our little 3 years olds with Down syndrome that are transitioning into what is called the Part B services (Dept of Education) with providing all the different educational options for our children with Down syndrome specifically. Busing children with disabilities to miles away from their neighborhood schools is still common practice today!

Today those with Down syndrome are being EXCLUDED from attending their neighborhood schools and in not being allowed to be educated in regular classrooms more and more! They are being pushed into or pulled out to leave and go to special education classrooms that are filled only with students that have a disability! Full Inclusion is not the first option on the minds of the educational professionals that are evaluating our Children and the certainly not the principals running our schools! There are some principals and schools that are doing a fantastic job of including students with disabilities, but the majority of our society still does not allow 'those kids' to go to all classes with everyone else!

I am sadden to know that there is still such discrimination happening in our county and in our world. There are many schools that don't even let those with disabilities use the front door of our Public schools....they use the back or a side entrance on another side of the school building!! Many time where the garbage dumpsters are located and the big garbage trucks come to pick up the school garbage! Yes the same door that was created for taking out the garbage!

WHY IS THIS DISCRIMINATION & SEGREGATION STILL HAPPENING TODAY?? I SEE IT WITH MY OWN EYES RIGHT HERE IN BROWARD COUNTY FLORIDA TODAY IN 2010!

WHY ARE OUR SCHOOLS HIDING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND MAKING THEM HAVE TO USE THE BACK OR SIDE DOORS?

WHY ARE PARENTS ALLOWING THEIR CHILDREN TO BE TREATED WITH SUCH DISRESPECT BY MAKING THEM HAVE TO USE A DIFFERENT DOOR THAN THE REST OF THE STUDENTS! STAND UP PARENTS AND DON'T ALLOW SUCH DISCRIMINATION AGAINST YOUR PRECIOUS CHILD! THIS IS ONE REASON WHY IT CONTINUES!

ROSA PARKS MADE A STAND ON WHAT SHE BELIEVED TO BE RIGHT! SHE PAVED THE WAY FOR MANY! DO THIS FOR YOUR OWN CHILD!