Broward ESE ~ Did the school FORGET to do the ESY meeting??

I just received a phone call from a dad that has an adorable little boy with Down syndrome who is 5 years old. He will be going into Kindergarten at the start of school in the fall. He was upset not knowing what they were suppose to do for their son to receive his therapy services over the summer. I asked if they had an IEP pertaining to ESY=Extended School Year before school let out. He said they were only told to enroll him in VPK. They went to do just that.....but were told by the VPK Preschool that 'they didn't have any teachers that could work with Down syndrome'. ARE THEY KIDDING ME? Discrimination is alive and well today....


I asked this concerned parent if the school ever did an IEP meeting to talk with them about ESY and they said they didn't think so, they only remember the school telling them to go enroll him in a VPK Program and didn't tell them much about what it was or where to go. He said they basically told he and his wife that the school 'couldn't do anything more for their son'! Really? Would a school IEP team say that?.......I am hoping this isn't really the case but will find out more when he calls on his lunch hour tomorrow. I will be showing this family how to contact the Florida Department of Education on a 3-way telephone conversation so they can talk with the State Education Program Specialist. Maybe I will teach this family how to file their 1st State Complaint on this situation. If more parents filed State Complaints maybe our school district wouldn't make these kinds of mistakes on the backs of our children's education!


Frankly THIS situation does not surprise me that a family is 'left hanging' and without much direction on where to go for help and support for their son or what to expect over the summer break for their little one that is in need of Special Education Supports and Services here in Broward ~ he needs his OT and ST services I'm sure of it! 
N o t h i n g surprises me anymore with how parents are left hanging not knowing where to go to for help, so their little one doesn't lose the skills they have been working on all school year long. How could the school not provide ESY services  for a little one with Down syndrome? VPK is a great 'plan' but this dad said they weren't provided with any information on what to expect over the summer or where they were suppose to go. They are very concerned about him not getting any of his therapies especially.


I hope to help direct this family to get their beautiful little boy enrolled in a VPK school near their home, that 'wants him' first of all and a VPK that will help him continue to gain the academic skills he will need when he enters Kindergarten in the fall.


Please stay tuned for the outcome of THIS STORY of a young family trying to make sure their little boy doesn't lose the skills they have all worked so hard on with him thus far.


It will be sad if the school never provided an IEP meeting before the school year ended to discuss ESY services for him.


....like I said.... n o t h i n g surprises me anymore here in Broward County Public Schools and how some of our school IEP teams do things anymore! This is showing me more and more with each phone call I receive from yet another ESE Parent needing help and direction.....that our schools and Broward's ESE department just doesn't care about our kiddo's!!
http://instructionaltech.browardschools.com/terms/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/2012ESY-Summer-Manual-4-day.pdf