Audit finds strong points for R-7
Too bad they didn't talk to the parents of children with special needs. This report would have been very different. I continue to get calls every week from desperate parents that are fighting with the district because they are not doing what is in the best interest of the children. Why don't they ever do REAL research when they publish this findings?
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
School Choice Week | StudentsFirst.org
School Choice Week | StudentsFirst.org
It's National School Choice Week, and we here at StudentsFirst believe that school choice is a critical tool for empowering parents.
Although education is sometimes described as a "great equalizer" -- a powerful social force that can level playing fields of opportunity among citizens -- our current education system only provides some kids with opportunity insofar as their parents can actually choose for them to attend good schools.
The primary way that today's parents exercise school choice is by moving to a neighborhood in which their children are guaranteed to attend great schools. Other parents -- parents who don't have the luxury of moving to a neighborhood filled with high-performing schools -- are usually left with little or no choice.
The Final 2 Survival Characteristics
The Final 2 Survival Characteristics
7. Being ruthless – Now this survival characteristic is a further extension on “determination”. What I am talking about here is the need, when necessary, to be as ruthless as the most hard-nosed business person when it comes to your child. To give you an example I have heard of parents who bake cookies and take other treats into IEP meetings to try and “win over” the teachers and other educators in the room. Now for a start this isn’t my favorite approach as I feel it can blur the boundaries of what can be a “battle ground” at times. However I know people who do it and get great results so who am I to argue? But my point is – what happens when the head teacher turns around and flatly refuses the extra social skills class that your child needs (whilst he’s sat merrily chomping on your best home made chocolate brownie)?
This is when ruthlessness needs to take over. If your son NEEDS that extra help then things may need to turn a little heated for you to achieve that. This may involve you a very stubborn attitude and continuing to question the school in terms of their legal and moral rights to deliver what your child needs.
It may also mean mentioning a third party agency with clout such as The Office of Civil Rights in the USA. They are a very powerful force and I got some great advice on this from an interview I did with a mom called Mary Romaniec several years ago, who told me…
“That’s something that a lot of people don’t realize how much power that has, even putting that into a letter. The Office of Civil Rights is the federal arm of the special education laws. And if by chance a school district is found to potentially be violating federal laws, the school district could have the federal attorneys come into their offices and be there, camp out for months as they comb through files and interview personnel, costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney bills. And all a parent has to do is just mention, “I believe that you violated my child’s federal rights.” And you put that in writing and you will be surprised at just how much a school district will finally start paying attention to what you have to say…”
So whether it’s mentioning an external legal or governing body, or the ability to stare the head teacher in the eye and quite openly question their commitment to your son (with an attitude that you don’t intend to take “no” for an answer) – then there is definitely a time and a place to be ruthless.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Jeff Grisamore Not: Who Will Take Care Of Him
Jeff Grisamore Not: Who Will Take Care Of Him
As I am packing my suitcase for my trip I am worrying about Jake. Not about my absence right now because there are adults that are going to look after him for the twelve days that I am going to be gone. I worry about what will happen to him after I leave this world.
Who will make sure that he has food? Who will make sure that he sees the doctor? Who will make sure that he gets his medication? Who will take him to the store for his video games? Who will make sure that his clothes are clean? Who will make sure that the world doesn't hurt him? I couldn't protect him from the school district and the emotional and psychological abuse that they heaped upon him, but I have learned so much since then and I protect him with all that I have now. Who will make sure that he has a place to live, heat, electricity, and air? Who is going to do all of the things that I will no longer be able to do?
Many times he has told me that he wants to die when I die. He tells me that he doesn't want to live without me. I don't want that for him. I want him to live to a very old age. But, what have we done to make him want to?
Why do we allow our teachers, principals, administrators, legislators, etc. to hold our children's lives in their hands? Why do we continue to allow these people to destroy our children's futures and lives? Why are these people not held accountable for their neglect and abuse?
What is going to happen to the other children like Jake? Society doesn't care. They see our children as a drain on taxes, a nuisance in the classroom, a hindrance to their children's education.
I have read more than one commentary that says that special education students shouldn't be in the classroom with their children. Their children are advanced students that will make a difference in the world and they need all of the resources that the school district has to help them attain their goal. Well, my child could have made a difference, too. But, the resources that he so desperately needed were not there. They were used on the students that would score high on tests and make the district look good. They were used on band uniforms that would make the district look affluent. They were used on AstroTurf that made our football team look better. They were used on a swimming pool to make the swimming team look better. They were used on an administrative center that make the district look as good as the county to the west.
I don't want anyone's pity. My son has blessed my life in so many ways. I want people to get angry. I want them to get as angry as I am and I want them to stand up and say, "I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore." I want millions to stand up and say that EVERY child is special and deserves a chance at a future. I want EVERY parent to go to bed at night knowing that their child has gotten EVERY chance at a successful future and that they can die without worry.
As I am packing my suitcase for my trip I am worrying about Jake. Not about my absence right now because there are adults that are going to look after him for the twelve days that I am going to be gone. I worry about what will happen to him after I leave this world.
Who will make sure that he has food? Who will make sure that he sees the doctor? Who will make sure that he gets his medication? Who will take him to the store for his video games? Who will make sure that his clothes are clean? Who will make sure that the world doesn't hurt him? I couldn't protect him from the school district and the emotional and psychological abuse that they heaped upon him, but I have learned so much since then and I protect him with all that I have now. Who will make sure that he has a place to live, heat, electricity, and air? Who is going to do all of the things that I will no longer be able to do?
Many times he has told me that he wants to die when I die. He tells me that he doesn't want to live without me. I don't want that for him. I want him to live to a very old age. But, what have we done to make him want to?
Why do we allow our teachers, principals, administrators, legislators, etc. to hold our children's lives in their hands? Why do we continue to allow these people to destroy our children's futures and lives? Why are these people not held accountable for their neglect and abuse?
What is going to happen to the other children like Jake? Society doesn't care. They see our children as a drain on taxes, a nuisance in the classroom, a hindrance to their children's education.
I have read more than one commentary that says that special education students shouldn't be in the classroom with their children. Their children are advanced students that will make a difference in the world and they need all of the resources that the school district has to help them attain their goal. Well, my child could have made a difference, too. But, the resources that he so desperately needed were not there. They were used on the students that would score high on tests and make the district look good. They were used on band uniforms that would make the district look affluent. They were used on AstroTurf that made our football team look better. They were used on a swimming pool to make the swimming team look better. They were used on an administrative center that make the district look as good as the county to the west.
I don't want anyone's pity. My son has blessed my life in so many ways. I want people to get angry. I want them to get as angry as I am and I want them to stand up and say, "I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore." I want millions to stand up and say that EVERY child is special and deserves a chance at a future. I want EVERY parent to go to bed at night knowing that their child has gotten EVERY chance at a successful future and that they can die without worry.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Abusive and Negligent Principal Facing Criminal Charges
Education News
The parent of the student, who has proven to be an extremely strong, dedicated, relentless, and passionate advocate for her son; willing to take on the entire school district in order to ensure a safe and quality education for her son, stated that, “Mr. Raymond does not care about my son, and has never cared about him. He has never contributed anything to my son’s education, and has only threatened, intimidated, and harassed me because I will not allow him to violate my son’s civil rights. The only administrator that has been fair, worked with us, and done what was best for my son is Assistant Principal Sharron Archer, but because she is African-American, Raymond will not let me work with her. He told me that I could only speak with Assistant Principal Anne Greene, who is a first-year administrator or himself, the two white administrators that have mistreated my son. No other person in the district has even asked my son how he feels about what is happening to him. He does not feel safe at the school. I do not feel safe at the school, or why would I request a police escort? Enough is enough. Now that my son is a possible witness against Raymond and the others, I know that I am not sending him back there. They could do anything to him so that he would not be able to testify against them. Moody Middle School is not a safe place, even if the Superintendent Russo’s children go there. He better watch Mr. Raymond with his children too.”
The parent of the student, who has proven to be an extremely strong, dedicated, relentless, and passionate advocate for her son; willing to take on the entire school district in order to ensure a safe and quality education for her son, stated that, “Mr. Raymond does not care about my son, and has never cared about him. He has never contributed anything to my son’s education, and has only threatened, intimidated, and harassed me because I will not allow him to violate my son’s civil rights. The only administrator that has been fair, worked with us, and done what was best for my son is Assistant Principal Sharron Archer, but because she is African-American, Raymond will not let me work with her. He told me that I could only speak with Assistant Principal Anne Greene, who is a first-year administrator or himself, the two white administrators that have mistreated my son. No other person in the district has even asked my son how he feels about what is happening to him. He does not feel safe at the school. I do not feel safe at the school, or why would I request a police escort? Enough is enough. Now that my son is a possible witness against Raymond and the others, I know that I am not sending him back there. They could do anything to him so that he would not be able to testify against them. Moody Middle School is not a safe place, even if the Superintendent Russo’s children go there. He better watch Mr. Raymond with his children too.”
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Appeals Court Backs Parents in Special Education Placement - The School Law Blog - Education Week
Appeals Court Backs Parents in Special Education Placement - The School Law Blog - Education Week
The school district appealed to the 10th Circuit court, where it was joined in a friend-of-the-court brief by the National School Boards Association and the state school boards' groups for five of the six states that make up the 10th Circuit: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Utah. (Wyoming is the sixth state in the circuit.)
"School districts should not be responsible for unilateral residential placements made for medical purposes," the NSBA brief says. "Such responsibility is not only beyond the range of their competence and funding but also exceeds the requirements of the IDEA."
Meanwhile, the parents drew the support of the Obama administration, with the U.S. Department of Justice filing a friend-of-the-court brief on their side that was also signed by a lawyer for the U.S. Department of Education.
"This court should join the majority of circuit courts of appeals and adopt a test that a school district is liable under the IDEA for the cost of a residential placement, less the cost of medical treatment that can be provided only by a licensed physician, if the child's mental-health needs are so significantly intertwined with his or her educational needs that educational services cannot be provided without some mental-health treatment," the federal brief says.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Missouri's Grade
Currently, Missouri's education policies do not prioritize great teaching, empowering parents with quality choices, or allocating resources wisely to raise student achievement. The state is behind when it comes to enacting critical education reforms. Missouri has moved to improve its educator evaluations, but the new system is not meaningful, and districts are not required to link student performance, educator performance, and personnel decisions. The state should free teachers locked into the state's existing pension systems by offering more attractive, portable retirement options. Missouri could empower parents more by providing meaningful information regarding school and teacher performance. The state recently strengthened accountability for public charter schools and expanded authorization, both positive steps forward. State policy should prioritize the establishment and replication of high-performing schools as well. Finally, Missouri should allow mayors to take control in low-performing districts and strengthen the state's ability to intervene in low-performing schools.
http://reportcard.studentsfirst.org/state-detail?state=Missouri&utm_medium=email&utm_source=StudentsFirst&utm_content=Get+the+grade+Find+out+how+well+STATENAMEyour+state+is+doing+on+everything+from+education+spending+to+school+choice&utm_campaign=20130107ReportCardLaunch&source=20130107ReportCardLaunch
http://reportcard.studentsfirst.org/state-detail?state=Missouri&utm_medium=email&utm_source=StudentsFirst&utm_content=Get+the+grade+Find+out+how+well+STATENAMEyour+state+is+doing+on+everything+from+education+spending+to+school+choice&utm_campaign=20130107ReportCardLaunch&source=20130107ReportCardLaunch
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