Showing posts with label Mary Beth Patry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary Beth Patry. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Lee's Summit R-7 School District: Missouri Statute On Bullying
Lee's Summit R-7 School District: Missouri Statute On Bullying
Missouri
Last Updated: 3/30/2012[ ]
Bullying/Harassment:Revised statute 160.775 (2009) requires every
district to adopt an antibullying policy. Policies must treat students equally,
not contain specific lists of protected classes who are to receive special
treatment, and must contain a statement of the consequences of bullying. Each district's
policy must require district employees to report any instances of bullying
which the employee has first hand knowledge and must address training of
employees.
Revised Statute 160.261 (2008) includes
harassment as an "act of violence" that requires mandatory reporting
by school administrators to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Harassment
includes the following: (1) Knowingly communicating a threat to commit a felony
to another person, thereby frightening, intimidating or causing emotional
distress to such other person, (2) When communicating with another person,
knowingly using coarse language offensively, thereby putting such person in
reasonable apprehension of offensive physical contact or harm, (3) To knowingly
frighten, intimidate or cause emotional distress to another person by
anonymously making a telephone call or any electronic communication
("cyberbullying"), (4) Knowingly communicating with another person
who is, or purports to be, seventeen years of age or younger, and in doing so
recklessly frightening, intimidating or causes emotional distress, (5)
Knowingly making repeated unwanted communication to another person, and (6)
Engaging in any other act with the purpose to frighten, intimidate or
emotionally distress another person.
district to adopt an antibullying policy. Policies must treat students equally,
not contain specific lists of protected classes who are to receive special
treatment, and must contain a statement of the consequences of bullying. Each district's
policy must require district employees to report any instances of bullying
which the employee has first hand knowledge and must address training of
employees.
Revised Statute 160.261 (2008) includes
harassment as an "act of violence" that requires mandatory reporting
by school administrators to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Harassment
includes the following: (1) Knowingly communicating a threat to commit a felony
to another person, thereby frightening, intimidating or causing emotional
distress to such other person, (2) When communicating with another person,
knowingly using coarse language offensively, thereby putting such person in
reasonable apprehension of offensive physical contact or harm, (3) To knowingly
frighten, intimidate or cause emotional distress to another person by
anonymously making a telephone call or any electronic communication
("cyberbullying"), (4) Knowingly communicating with another person
who is, or purports to be, seventeen years of age or younger, and in doing so
recklessly frightening, intimidating or causes emotional distress, (5)
Knowingly making repeated unwanted communication to another person, and (6)
Engaging in any other act with the purpose to frighten, intimidate or
emotionally distress another person.
Cyberbullying: Revised Statute 160.775 (2009) includes states
that bullying may consist of physical actions, or oral, including
cyberbullying, electronic, or written communication, and any threat of
retaliation for reporting of such acts. The statute requires every district to
adopt an anti-bullying policy. Revised Statute 160.261 (2008) includes
harassment as an "act of violence" that requires mandatory reporting
by school administrators to the appropriate law enforcement agency. This
includes knowingly frightening, intimidating or causing emotional distress
to another person by anonymously making a telephone call or any electronic
communication ("cyberbullying").
that bullying may consist of physical actions, or oral, including
cyberbullying, electronic, or written communication, and any threat of
retaliation for reporting of such acts. The statute requires every district to
adopt an anti-bullying policy. Revised Statute 160.261 (2008) includes
harassment as an "act of violence" that requires mandatory reporting
by school administrators to the appropriate law enforcement agency. This
includes knowingly frightening, intimidating or causing emotional distress
to another person by anonymously making a telephone call or any electronic
communication ("cyberbullying").
Hazing: No state policy addressing
elementary or secondary schools.
elementary or secondary schools.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
Special-needs kindergartner expelled from YMCA program : Parenting
Special-needs kindergartner expelled from YMCA program : Parenting
The bouncy kindergartner with blond ringlets framing her smiling, pixie face wants to talk about the SpongeBob episode she’s watching and sings while she skips around the room.
She’s the same little girl who threw a fit and screamed the F-word 40 times in after-school day care earlier this school year.
A few weeks ago, she was kicked out the after-school program run by the YMCA at her elementary school in the Fort Zumwalt School District. The giggly 5-year-old who ran out of her room to show me her blue Furby doll already has a thick file outlining her problems at school.
“You could not tell that she has anything going on inside. You could not tell all the havoc going on inside by looking at her,” her mother, Liza Pequeno said.
Pequeno, a single mother who works as a nurse and nursing home administrator, panicked when the Y Club expelled her daughter with little notice. They decided they could no longer handle her behavior. Pequeno had already used all her personal time at work in meeting with school officials trying to get a plan and services for her girl, who was falling apart and out-of-control so often at school.
Her daughter has been on medication for hyperactivity since she was 4 years old. She has been evaluated by a psychiatrist to see if she falls on the autism spectrum, perhaps with Asperger’s syndrome, and is waiting for a diagnosis. A diagnosis could help her mother advocate for a more specialized treatment plan.
But at that moment, Pequeno was in crisis mode. Who would take care of her child when she had to work?
“I get no child support. It’s all me. I can’t lose my job,” she said. “I felt lost.”
Already, the emails from the teacher describing all the troubles of each day left her in tears every night: Her daughter cursed at the teachers, threw toys, hit another child or had another screaming fit.
She wasn’t so out of control at home. Her mother knew how to calm her down. The other children, the frequent transitions at school overwhelmed her. She had previously been expelled from a private preschool until her mother found a preschool for special needs children.
With no other options, Pequeno asked her 70-year-old stepmother to pick up her daughter after school and watch her until she got home.
She could tell when her girl had a bad day in kindergarten. Her eyes would be red from crying all day. She would run and hide in her bedroom when she got home.
“Am I bad, Mommy?” her daughter asked her.
Pequeno knows her daughter’s behaviors are difficult to manage, but she refuses to believe she’s just “a bad kid.”
“I think she’s in there. She’s deep in there. We just haven’t gotten to her yet.”
A 2005 nationwide study by Yale researchers found that preschools expel youngsters at three times the rate of public schools. Where do the parents of the youngest children, written off at such an early age, turn? This little girl has the advantage of an educated mother, a strong advocate willing and able to navigate various agencies.
Ideally, her child should have gotten more help in learning critical skills to regulate her emotions and read social cues as young as possible. It makes economic sense to invest early in children rather than try to correct problems later. And if an after-school program expels a troubled 5-year-old, where do we expect them to go?
Pequeno has given up on the school district, where she says teachers and administrators never tried to understand her daughter.
“I feel like I lost all faith, hope, trust in the school system,” she said. And, she knows it’s difficult for a teacher who has more than 20 children in a class to try to carve out the time and energy to figure out what’s really going on with her daughter when she loses control. It’s easier to send her away, so the other students can learn.
She decided to put up their house for sale and rent an apartment in the Parkway School District, which is served by the Special School District in St. Louis County, specifically trained to work with special needs children. Pequeno hopes the teachers will be better equipped to help her daughter.
When I visited, she showed me a stunning, colorful portrait of a girl’s divided face her daughter drew in school.
“That’s beautiful,” I said, to her bubbly child who just wanted to play with me. “Who is it?”
“I don’t know,” she said, at first and paused for a second.
“It’s me.”
Saturday, March 8, 2014
School Finance Report
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Mirror Mirror, Who Is The Highest Paid Of Them All? - Show-Me Daily
Mirror Mirror, Who Is The Highest Paid Of Them All? - Show-Me Daily
Yesterday, the Missouri Auditor’s office released its audit of the Lee’s Summit R-VII School District. Relatively speaking, it was a pretty clean audit. The district has not been flouting state law by passing students on who are well below grade level. Nor has the district overpaid its construction manager to the tune of $1.2 million. In comparison, Lee’s Summit’s infractions are minor: more than $116,000 in no-bid contracts, not managing transactions on the 900-plus purchasing cards issued to district personnel, purchasing a piece of land for $775,000 without an appraisal. You know, no big deal.
What has shocked people the most about the audit may be the salary and benefit package that the superintendent receives. The report noted:
The district’s superintendent at June 30, 2013, was Dr. David McGehee. His annual compensation was $258,660, which included a deferred compensation allowance of $19,716, family medical insurance of $15,377, and association expenses of $12,000. He was also provided a district vehicle for business and personal use.
Let me be clear. That is $258,660 plus those other benefits. None of this should come as a shock to readers of the Show-Me Daily blog. In 2010, we published a policy study detailing the actual pay of public school superintendents in Missouri and we noted that many receive significant perks.
One of the things we highlighted in that paper was that there seemed to be no correlation between academic performance of students and the compensation of the superintendent. From just a cursory glance, this seems to be the case here. From 2009 to 2013, the percentage of Lee’s Summit students scoring proficient or advanced in math and language arts has remained almost unchanged. Other districts, however, have improved and Lee’s Summit has dropped in the rankings. In 2009, the district was in the top 35 districts in terms of performance on the math and language arts exams. The district since has dropped to 90th and 53rd, respectively.
In approximately the same time frame, the superintendent’s salary has increased dramatically. In 2007, he was paid a salary of $170,000. In the seven years since then, he has received a 52 percent raise. According to data that the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education collects, this makes him the highest-paid superintendent in the state.
Update: Lee’s Summit Superintendent’s Amazing Contract - Show-Me Daily
Update: Lee’s Summit Superintendent’s Amazing Contract - Show-Me Daily
Yesterday, I wrote a piece in which I noted that the Lee’s Summit School District superintendent earned $258,660. Indeed, this was the figure cited in the recent audit of the school district and it was an accurate figure. It is not, however, his current salary. Shortly after we published the post, an astute reader of the blog pointed me to the superintendent’s current contract. This year, he is earning $282,831. Yes, he received a $24,171, or 9.3 percent, raise from last year to this year. Next year, he is due to receive $294,463, and $306,735 the year after that.
One mistake I made in the post was stating that his fringe benefits were in addition to his salary. His new contract states that the salary “includes the value of certain fringe benefits,” such as deferred compensation, family medical insurance, association dues, cell phone, business expenses, and a vehicle allowance. So, for the most part, his benefits are included in his salary total. Still, this is a pretty nice salary. In addition to these perks, he is allowed up to $3,000 additional income to cover fuel expenses. And, he is given 30 vacation days on top of holidays.
Let’s not forget, the superintendent is also a member of the Public School Retirement System (PSRS). That means the school district must provide a 14.5 percent match to his retirement contributions. All told, the compensation package for the superintendent of the Lee’s Summit School District is north of $320,000.
Update: Following this post, we received the following tweet from Dr. David McGehee:
We Need To Ask These Same Questions Of Our School Board
Questions For Our School Board
Has anyone in our community been provided any justification as to how our school board has increased our Superintendent's pay from $137,589 in 2006 to $246,824 in 2013?
Dianne (Brown) Critchlow first shows up as an assistant superintendent in 2002 in the MO DESE data. She was paid $98,005 that year. She was promoted to Superintendent in 2006 and was paid $137,589 that year. As you can see by the numbers below she has had salary increases as high as 17% in a single year since being promoted to Superintendent. Those salary increases were given despite the poor economic conditions at the time.
Superintendent Critchlow speaks quite often about the Flawed Education Funding Formula. However, it doesn't seem to be affecting her salary whatsoever. Perhaps our school board has a Flawed Superintendent Pay Scale Formula which should be fixed!
Has anyone in our community been provided any justification as to how our school board has increased our Superintendent's pay from $137,589 in 2006 to $246,824 in 2013?
Dianne (Brown) Critchlow first shows up as an assistant superintendent in 2002 in the MO DESE data. She was paid $98,005 that year. She was promoted to Superintendent in 2006 and was paid $137,589 that year. As you can see by the numbers below she has had salary increases as high as 17% in a single year since being promoted to Superintendent. Those salary increases were given despite the poor economic conditions at the time.
Superintendent Critchlow speaks quite often about the Flawed Education Funding Formula. However, it doesn't seem to be affecting her salary whatsoever. Perhaps our school board has a Flawed Superintendent Pay Scale Formula which should be fixed!
Superintendent Dianne Critchlow's Salary Year By Year
2002 - $98,005
2003 - $102,633
2004 - $105,749
2005 - $108,663
2006 - $137,589
2007 - $152,068
2008 - $164,428
2009 - $192,586
2010 - $207,393
2011 - $215,276
2012 - $228,573
2013 - $246,824
Comparing Superintendent Salaries With Other Districts
Our school board is doing a great disservice to both our community and to all taxpayers across the state of Missouri by paying our Superintendent such a high salary!
School Budget Amounts
Fox's annual expenditures are half that of Rockwood and only about a third of the amount of Parkway. That seems like a huge reason to question why our Superintendent is being paid a higher salary than those other districts. The percentage of her salary compared to the annual budget is obviously much higher than those other districts. It definitely doesn't make sense that you would pay higher salary with half or 1/3 the annual budget of those other districts. Plus, you have to look at how much of that funding is coming from local taxes verses state taxes. Should Fox burden everyone in the state by paying our such a high salary?
Percentage of Local Taxes
What's wrong with asking 42.29% of the taxpayers in the state of Missouri to pick up the tab for our overpaid superintendent? Only 50.73% of Fox's funding comes from Local Taxes while 42.29% comes from the state and the remaining amount comes from federal taxes. Therefore, our school board is burdening state tax payers with having to pick up nearly half the tab of Superintendent Critchlow's over the top salary. If school districts like Kirkwood and Lindbergh want to pay their superintendents a large salary, at least they are putting that burden on their own community. Let's not forget that the school district (aka taxpayers) is also paying another 14.5% on top of all certified salaries into Missouri's Public School Retirement System.
Transparency Issues
Transparency has been one of Fox's biggest problems. This is probably the number one reason that we have such a problem at Fox. Who is to blame for this? Our Superintendent and our school board. Our Superintendent is required to keep the board and the public informed about what is going on within our school district. However, it is definitely to our superintendent's advantage to not be forthcoming with information. If the public is kept in the dark about what's happening in the district, you have no reason to be asking questions. If you do ask questions, you most likely won't get a response or the district will make it expensive or time consuming to obtain the information.
However, it is the school board's job to make sure that the public is kept informed about how the district is performing and how it is spending your money. Fox spent more than $135 Million Dollars last year of taxpayer money. Do you trust that they are handling your money wisely? Without your ability to review how your money is being spent, you will never know. The same logic applies to hiring employees, salary schedules and how much and on what the district is spending your bond issue dollars on.
It has become pretty apparent that we can't "just trust" what our Superintendent tells the community. Below are some of the questions that I have asked our school board and have never received responses for or have received unacceptable responses as to why they couldn't do things. By not responding, it becomes quite clear that the district doesn't want you to know what's going on.
If our superintendent is one of the top paid superintendents in the state, then she should be keeping the community just as informed as the other school districts that have superintendents making far less than she does!
Fox has only half the number of students as Rockwood and only a little more than half the number of schools as Rockwood and Parkway. Lee's Summit's superintendent is making more than Superintendent Critchlow, but Lee's Summit also has nearly a third more the number of students than Fox.
Academic Performance
Lindbergh has been ranked #1 in the state in academics for 3 years in a row. So, their superintendent has something to show performance wise to validate his high salary. So, how does our school board justify paying Superintendent Critchlow more money than Lindbergh's superintendent? It is a perplexing question.
ACT Testing
Well, Fox is way behind most of the districts in both ACT Composite Scores and in the Percentage of Students taking the ACT. Fox has 40% fewer students taking the ACT test than Rockwood, Parkway and Kansas City. Fox has the lowest percentage of students taking the ACT of the top 10 highest paid superintendents in the state and by a significant amount. So, that's not a good comparison to justify why she is being paid a higher salary as well.
School Supplies
Has anyone ever questioned why Ridgewood Middle School requests that each student bring in 2 reams of copier paper for school supplies at the beginning of the year? Perhaps our school board members should reduce Superintendent Critchlow's salary and apply that money towards purchasing enough copier paper for the schools. It would also be helpful if they purchased enough books for each school as well. Our superintendent should be budgeting for those types of items as part of her job. Perhaps she isn't doing as good of a job as she tells the school board she's doing. It takes good leadership skills to hold people accountable. Somewhere there is a breakdown of accountability and we as taxpayers are paying the price as well as our students in the school district. This year Ridgewood Middle School is requesting a $6 fee for a locker combination and a school planner. I thought the lockers were already in the building.
Summary
It simply appears that there just isn't much data to justify paying Fox's superintendent the 4th highest salary in the state.Note that this ranking was for the 2012-2103 school year. We still don't know what her salary is going to be for the 2013-2014 school year. Based upon last year's salary schedule and what she was eventually paid for the year, she may have a salary at or above $260,000 for the 2013-2014 school year. That salary amount does not include benefits. Last year, the taxpayer was paying an additional 14.5% (at least $35,789) in addition to her salary into the Missouri Public School Retirement System as well.
Our community needs to wake up and start calling and emailing your school board members to let them know that this is unacceptable! Fox is not making the grade compared to Lindbergh, Rockwood or Parkway academically. So, to pay our superintendent more than their superintendents gives the appearance that our school board is just pulling numbers out of a hat.
If you were to compare the percentage of students taking the ACT as a comparison ratio to the percentage of students taking the ACT at Rockwood, Parkway and Kansas City, then her salary should be reduced by 40%. That would put her salary more in line with what it should be.
Our school board is doing a great disservice to both our community and to all taxpayers across the state of Missouri by paying our Superintendent such a high salary!
School Budget Amounts
Fox's annual expenditures are half that of Rockwood and only about a third of the amount of Parkway. That seems like a huge reason to question why our Superintendent is being paid a higher salary than those other districts. The percentage of her salary compared to the annual budget is obviously much higher than those other districts. It definitely doesn't make sense that you would pay higher salary with half or 1/3 the annual budget of those other districts. Plus, you have to look at how much of that funding is coming from local taxes verses state taxes. Should Fox burden everyone in the state by paying our such a high salary?
Percentage of Local Taxes
What's wrong with asking 42.29% of the taxpayers in the state of Missouri to pick up the tab for our overpaid superintendent? Only 50.73% of Fox's funding comes from Local Taxes while 42.29% comes from the state and the remaining amount comes from federal taxes. Therefore, our school board is burdening state tax payers with having to pick up nearly half the tab of Superintendent Critchlow's over the top salary. If school districts like Kirkwood and Lindbergh want to pay their superintendents a large salary, at least they are putting that burden on their own community. Let's not forget that the school district (aka taxpayers) is also paying another 14.5% on top of all certified salaries into Missouri's Public School Retirement System.
Transparency Issues
Transparency has been one of Fox's biggest problems. This is probably the number one reason that we have such a problem at Fox. Who is to blame for this? Our Superintendent and our school board. Our Superintendent is required to keep the board and the public informed about what is going on within our school district. However, it is definitely to our superintendent's advantage to not be forthcoming with information. If the public is kept in the dark about what's happening in the district, you have no reason to be asking questions. If you do ask questions, you most likely won't get a response or the district will make it expensive or time consuming to obtain the information.
However, it is the school board's job to make sure that the public is kept informed about how the district is performing and how it is spending your money. Fox spent more than $135 Million Dollars last year of taxpayer money. Do you trust that they are handling your money wisely? Without your ability to review how your money is being spent, you will never know. The same logic applies to hiring employees, salary schedules and how much and on what the district is spending your bond issue dollars on.
It has become pretty apparent that we can't "just trust" what our Superintendent tells the community. Below are some of the questions that I have asked our school board and have never received responses for or have received unacceptable responses as to why they couldn't do things. By not responding, it becomes quite clear that the district doesn't want you to know what's going on.
If our superintendent is one of the top paid superintendents in the state, then she should be keeping the community just as informed as the other school districts that have superintendents making far less than she does!
- Why doesn't Fox Video and/or Audio Record school board meetings and post them on the district website like they do in other school districts? (Board meeting minutes don't reflect or document the meeting very well or very accurately on occasion. Our superintendent isn't going to publish details of Public Comments in the minutes that she doesn't want the Public to know about.)
- Why doesn't Fox post their Annual Budget on the district website like they do in Rockwood and other school districts?
- Why haven't 2013-2014 Salary Schedules been published?
- Why did it take more than 2 years of requests to get the school district to post school board meeting packets with check payment listings onto the district website? (The district just started posting board meeting packets in February 2013. An additional request had to be made to get them posted to the beginning of the school year.)
- Why won't the district post board packets dating back to the 2008-2009 to match the school board meeting minutes published on the website? (The board meeting minutes are pretty meaningless without the board meeting packets. This question has been asked several times with no response.)
- Why doesn't Fox publish the board meeting minutes within 3 days of a school board meeting like they do in other districts? (This question has been asked several times as well.)
- Why didn't Fox publish the August 2012 Bond Issue Budget on the district website until I requested it?
- Why did Fox remove the August 2012 Bond Issue Budget from the district website right after the Bond Issue passed when our Superintendent thanked the community? (I requested that the 2012 Bond Issue Budget get reposted onto the district website but received no response and the data has not been reposted.)
- Why did it take several years of asking to get the district to provide individual email addresses for our school board members?
Fox has only half the number of students as Rockwood and only a little more than half the number of schools as Rockwood and Parkway. Lee's Summit's superintendent is making more than Superintendent Critchlow, but Lee's Summit also has nearly a third more the number of students than Fox.
Academic Performance
Lindbergh has been ranked #1 in the state in academics for 3 years in a row. So, their superintendent has something to show performance wise to validate his high salary. So, how does our school board justify paying Superintendent Critchlow more money than Lindbergh's superintendent? It is a perplexing question.
ACT Testing
Well, Fox is way behind most of the districts in both ACT Composite Scores and in the Percentage of Students taking the ACT. Fox has 40% fewer students taking the ACT test than Rockwood, Parkway and Kansas City. Fox has the lowest percentage of students taking the ACT of the top 10 highest paid superintendents in the state and by a significant amount. So, that's not a good comparison to justify why she is being paid a higher salary as well.
School Supplies
Has anyone ever questioned why Ridgewood Middle School requests that each student bring in 2 reams of copier paper for school supplies at the beginning of the year? Perhaps our school board members should reduce Superintendent Critchlow's salary and apply that money towards purchasing enough copier paper for the schools. It would also be helpful if they purchased enough books for each school as well. Our superintendent should be budgeting for those types of items as part of her job. Perhaps she isn't doing as good of a job as she tells the school board she's doing. It takes good leadership skills to hold people accountable. Somewhere there is a breakdown of accountability and we as taxpayers are paying the price as well as our students in the school district. This year Ridgewood Middle School is requesting a $6 fee for a locker combination and a school planner. I thought the lockers were already in the building.
Summary
It simply appears that there just isn't much data to justify paying Fox's superintendent the 4th highest salary in the state.Note that this ranking was for the 2012-2103 school year. We still don't know what her salary is going to be for the 2013-2014 school year. Based upon last year's salary schedule and what she was eventually paid for the year, she may have a salary at or above $260,000 for the 2013-2014 school year. That salary amount does not include benefits. Last year, the taxpayer was paying an additional 14.5% (at least $35,789) in addition to her salary into the Missouri Public School Retirement System as well.
Our community needs to wake up and start calling and emailing your school board members to let them know that this is unacceptable! Fox is not making the grade compared to Lindbergh, Rockwood or Parkway academically. So, to pay our superintendent more than their superintendents gives the appearance that our school board is just pulling numbers out of a hat.
If you were to compare the percentage of students taking the ACT as a comparison ratio to the percentage of students taking the ACT at Rockwood, Parkway and Kansas City, then her salary should be reduced by 40%. That would put her salary more in line with what it should be.
The Missouri Education Watchdog website has an article from July 2013 titled, "You Might Need A New Superintendent If...". I recommend checking out this article as it is very appropriate.
Our school board members are accountable to the taxpayers that elected them to oversee our school district. They need to create a list of reasons as to why they believe our superintendent should be making this much money and post it on the district website.
Please contact your school board members and ask them to explain how our superintendent was worth $246,824 last year!
Please contact your school board members and ask them to explain how our superintendent was worth $246,824 last year!
Friday, March 7, 2014
Please Join Us At the Board of Education Candidate Forum
Lee's Summit residents. Please join Debbie Blair Shaumeyer and me at this forum. We need to make sure that our board members are doing what is right for the students. When you vote they will say to vote for three. DON'T do it. Only vote for one. That way you won't be voting for the people that you don't want in office.
The Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce and the Lee's Summit Journal will host a Board of Education Candidate Forum from 6 to 8 p.m. March 19 at the Stansberry Leadership Center, 301 NE Tudor Road. The forum is free and open to the public.
Candidates (listed in filing order) are Chris Storms, Bill Baird, Terri Harmon and Mark Ousnamer. Mr. Storms and Mrs. Harmon are current Board of Education members and were both elected in April 2011.
The Board of Education and municipal election will be held April 8. For more information about the R-7 Board of Education, visit our website.
The Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce and the Lee's Summit Journal will host a Board of Education Candidate Forum from 6 to 8 p.m. March 19 at the Stansberry Leadership Center, 301 NE Tudor Road. The forum is free and open to the public.
Candidates (listed in filing order) are Chris Storms, Bill Baird, Terri Harmon and Mark Ousnamer. Mr. Storms and Mrs. Harmon are current Board of Education members and were both elected in April 2011.
The Board of Education and municipal election will be held April 8. For more information about the R-7 Board of Education, visit our website.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Teacher with autism explains the best work situations for those with autism and those hiring them - wptv.com
Teacher with autism explains the best work situations for those with autism and those hiring them - wptv.com
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla - "You make small payments for the first five years and at the end of the mortgage everything else is done," Rachel Silverman says as she leads a small class of students at the Dan Marino Foundation.
In this classroom the students are between 18 to 24-years-old, are on the autism spectrum or have cerebral palsy. They are high functioning, and on this day the lesson is mortgages.
"We take 5, divide it by 2 and that's 2.5," she says, working out a mortgage math problem with them.
But another lesson is being taught here too, and that's for students to pick the right line of work.
"Unfortunately, many business jobs have higher social and sensory requirements requiring a lot of social skills and a lot of teamwork that are ill suited for autistic people," she said.
Rachel speaks from experience. Not only is she an instructor and an advocate for those with autism, but she's also on the autism spectrum.
Her advice for those with autism looking for a job is to select a field that can accommodate their needs.
"You need something that doesn't require you to work in face-to-face social interactions and a lot of teamwork," she explained.
She also has advice for employers.
"You have to talk to us directly and explicitly and if you're managing somebody you preferably want to give them written instructions."
The results can be beneficial for the employer.
"We are very detailed oriented, we are very focused, we 're very loyal to the employer, we're very hard working and we're very dedicated."
In her case she earned a degree in international relations, and a masters in taxation. As they rely on social skills, those jobs didn't work out. But they led her to here.
"Now I've found a job I love as a teacher," she said.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Lee's Summit R-7 School District: Teachers Being Bullied Into Not Doing The Right Thing
Lee's Summit R-7 School District: Teachers Being Bullied Into Not Doing The Right Thing
Why is a teacher removed from a building, told to resign, and deemed immoral to teach all because she made a mistake on an IEP? She was trying to help students. The district has destroyed her life and her emotional well being.
I have been in IEP meetings where personnel lied, denied services that were needed, ignored expert advice, and belittled parents concerns. Which is more immoral? Which deserves the removal of the employee? Which should be criminal?
Below are some examples of what I have seen:
Following are the concerns of the psychologist:
9. Jacob may benefit from more intensive, one-on-one instruction in multiplication and division. In light of his handwriting difficulties, he should be allowed to use a calculator when it is clear that he understands underlying concepts so he is not penalized for his motor skills difficulties. (Jacob still cannot multiply or divide)
The team felt that Jacob understood the concept of multiplication and division and that there was no reason to give him one-on-one help. They felt that letting him use a calculator would solve the issues that he was having with math. Mother disagreed. The team felt that Jacob understood math and most of his difficulties were due to his absences. Mother stated, many times, that his absences are a direct result of the anxiety that he experiences because of school. Mother stated that his psychiatrist believes this to be true, too. Mother stated that he was struggling with math before his absences. The team disagreed and stated that he was having no problems with math except for when he was absent
I discussed this issue with Jerry Keimig in 2005 and told him that my son wanted to die because school was just too much for him.
Why is a teacher removed from a building, told to resign, and deemed immoral to teach all because she made a mistake on an IEP? She was trying to help students. The district has destroyed her life and her emotional well being.
I have been in IEP meetings where personnel lied, denied services that were needed, ignored expert advice, and belittled parents concerns. Which is more immoral? Which deserves the removal of the employee? Which should be criminal?
Below are some examples of what I have seen:
Following are the concerns of the psychologist:
9. Jacob may benefit from more intensive, one-on-one instruction in multiplication and division. In light of his handwriting difficulties, he should be allowed to use a calculator when it is clear that he understands underlying concepts so he is not penalized for his motor skills difficulties. (Jacob still cannot multiply or divide)
The team felt that Jacob understood the concept of multiplication and division and that there was no reason to give him one-on-one help. They felt that letting him use a calculator would solve the issues that he was having with math. Mother disagreed. The team felt that Jacob understood math and most of his difficulties were due to his absences. Mother stated, many times, that his absences are a direct result of the anxiety that he experiences because of school. Mother stated that his psychiatrist believes this to be true, too. Mother stated that he was struggling with math before his absences. The team disagreed and stated that he was having no problems with math except for when he was absent
I discussed this issue with Jerry Keimig in 2005 and told him that my son wanted to die because school was just too much for him.
I met with Mr. Keimig for 15 minutes. I told him that I had read that most autistic children only respond to positive teaching. He told me that I couldn't believe everything that I read. I told him that I wanted my son in a class with a more positive teacher or in a modified curriculum. He told me that he may not be able to help my son in the future. I told him that my son was depressed and that being in this class was making it worse. He told me that it was a good life lesson for my son.
Jake has been told by teachers that his mom is making his life harder. That he doesn't have a writing disability and that his mom is making rules. He believes these people. That not only makes my job harder, but it makes the district's job harder as well because he is then resistant to the help that he so desperately needs.
Jake was given an Alpha Smart last year and it was kept in his 7th hour class and Ms. Jackson had to figure out how to use it each time that it was taken out of the closet that it was kept in. Therefore, Jake believed that it did not work. I stated this at the IEP meeting. Finally, Ms Jackson let Jake use a class computer, which I had suggested in middle school, and told Jake that "I have figured out a loophole around your mom's rules." That is unacceptable to me. Joyce Jackson admitted in the IEP meeting that she had said this. Jake came home and told me that I was making things harder for him because that is the impression that he received from this teacher. My advocacy for Jake should never be discussed with Jake without my permission and should never be used as an excuse to find loopholes.
I asked Jake why he was resistive to using the laptop this year. He said that it takes so long for it to boot up. This is a child with organizational issues and a child that can not follow more than two step directions. While he is getting his computer set up he is not being able to hear what the teacher is saying or what is going on in the classroom. He asked why he couldn't just use the computer in the classroom like he did before. So, Jake is not resistive to using AT, as is the district's position, Jake is resistive to using something that he feels is making things even harder.
His present level states that the district feels he is resistive. Once again, this should be addressed in a BIP. They put the following in his IEP in May, "Jake has been resistive to carrying the Quick Pad to classes." I asked that it be changed because the statement was not accurate. In August we had a meeting and the following is taken from my notes, "As for the issue about the assistive technology, they added a sentence that stated, "Mrs. Tucker believes that this was because he believed it did not work."
I told the team that I disagreed with that statement. The device didn't work in Jake's mind and that's why he didn't want to use it. He was not resistive to carrying the Quick Pad to classes. He was resistive to working with a machine that didn't work. The team refused to take that out. I was told that I am the expert on Jake at home and the district is the expert on Jake at school.
His present level states that the district feels he is resistive. Once again, this should be addressed in a BIP. They put the following in his IEP in May, "Jake has been resistive to carrying the Quick Pad to classes." I asked that it be changed because the statement was not accurate. In August we had a meeting and the following is taken from my notes, "As for the issue about the assistive technology, they added a sentence that stated, "Mrs. Tucker believes that this was because he believed it did not work."
I told the team that I disagreed with that statement. The device didn't work in Jake's mind and that's why he didn't want to use it. He was not resistive to carrying the Quick Pad to classes. He was resistive to working with a machine that didn't work. The team refused to take that out. I was told that I am the expert on Jake at home and the district is the expert on Jake at school.
I would like to state that I find that offensive and incorrect. If the district were an expert on Jake, at school, all of his teachers would be HIGHLY trained in his disability. I wouldn't have to go to meetings and explain Jake's actions, issues, etc if the team at school was an expert on my son. If the team were an expert on my son, they wouldn't have put him into a class that A) he was not qualified for and B) was totally inappropriate for a student with autism. If the team were an expert on my son they would not have recommended an art class for a child with dysgraphia or a music class that he surely would have been overwhelmed in. This is not the first time that the team has suggested a class that was totally inappropriate for Jake. It was disastrous before and I'm quite sure that it would have been again if Jake had qualified for the 1st hour class."
It also states the following, which once again proves that the district can't differentiate between typical behaviors and behaviors due to his disability. "Small group testing was changed to "Access to small group testing with rephrasing of directions." We had a very long discussion on what that meant. Joy Rose stated, "Historically Jake has refused to take tests in a small group and it resulted in meltdowns and shutdowns." I would like to know where that information came from because it is totally inaccurate and should not be in Jake's file.
It also states the following, which once again proves that the district can't differentiate between typical behaviors and behaviors due to his disability. "Small group testing was changed to "Access to small group testing with rephrasing of directions." We had a very long discussion on what that meant. Joy Rose stated, "Historically Jake has refused to take tests in a small group and it resulted in meltdowns and shutdowns." I would like to know where that information came from because it is totally inaccurate and should not be in Jake's file.
Jake always took tests in small groups at Prairie View. It was no big deal and it lead to higher test scores. When he entered Pleasant Lea they did not give him tests in small groups. His IEP stated that they were supposed to. Then they finally agreed to do it, but they asked if him if he wanted to. Most times he said no. That is not a refusal. That is a child being given a choice and choosing.
Had the district implemented his IEP throughout his ten years in this district, this would not be an issue right now. I have no problem with Jake taking tests in the classroom as long as he understands what the test is asking of him and he is able to take it. Making a child sit in the hallway is not my idea of small group testing and that is what has been offered on more than one occasion."
On that same discussion, I would like my notes added to the district's conference notes. The Lee's Summit School District refuses to allow parents to tape record meetings and it is not acceptable that the only conference notes in my child's file would be from the district's viewpoint. That is not allowing me to be a full participant on my son's IEP team. I been not been allowed to be a full participant in the past and I would like to see that change.
Also, I have been in contact with OSEP and my contact told me that it was inappropriate for the district to make the statement that the district is the expert on Jake at school and I am the expert at home. They also told me that Jake should have a dual diagnosis. One would be educational autism and the other would be ld because of his written language deficit and his dysgraphia. The team at the meeting yesterday told me that Missouri doesn't do that and I advised that I was contacting OSEP today to ask her why she would advise me to do that when it is not something my state does. She also advised me that she would like for me to seek mediation and I told I didn't feel that we were there yet and would like to handle this among ourselves. She is waiting for my report from my meeting yesterday.
Had the district implemented his IEP throughout his ten years in this district, this would not be an issue right now. I have no problem with Jake taking tests in the classroom as long as he understands what the test is asking of him and he is able to take it. Making a child sit in the hallway is not my idea of small group testing and that is what has been offered on more than one occasion."
On that same discussion, I would like my notes added to the district's conference notes. The Lee's Summit School District refuses to allow parents to tape record meetings and it is not acceptable that the only conference notes in my child's file would be from the district's viewpoint. That is not allowing me to be a full participant on my son's IEP team. I been not been allowed to be a full participant in the past and I would like to see that change.
Also, I have been in contact with OSEP and my contact told me that it was inappropriate for the district to make the statement that the district is the expert on Jake at school and I am the expert at home. They also told me that Jake should have a dual diagnosis. One would be educational autism and the other would be ld because of his written language deficit and his dysgraphia. The team at the meeting yesterday told me that Missouri doesn't do that and I advised that I was contacting OSEP today to ask her why she would advise me to do that when it is not something my state does. She also advised me that she would like for me to seek mediation and I told I didn't feel that we were there yet and would like to handle this among ourselves. She is waiting for my report from my meeting yesterday.
Heidi,
I was just making you aware of the issues that we are facing. I have been in contact with OSEP and have been sending her information on what families are facing. She has suggested that I go to mediation and that there are several things that the district is doing wrong.
I wanted to give you an idea of families in Missouri are facing. I have families from all over the state that are sending me their stories so that I can try to help them. I have forwarded those to OSEP as well.
The one thing I would like for you to clarify is about dual diagnosis. Or at least point me in the right direction. The woman at OSEP advised me that Jake should have a dual diagnosis. One for his autism and one for a learning disability. He has a written language deficit and dysgraphia. But, the district doesn't acknowledge those because it came from his physician. The district has only evaluated Jake twice in 11 years and their evaluations were inadequate.
When I approached the team they stated that Missouri doesn't do a dual diagnosis. I just wanted to know if that is true. If so, I need to let the woman at OSEP know that.
Thanks for your help,
Sherri
Dear Sherri,
In Missouri, a child is categorized by disability for reporting purposes (data purposes). The primary disability is reported. Many children have other disabilities or conditions. The category or “Label” used for reporting purposes does not drive the services. A child’s services are driven by his needs and the free appropriate public education (FAPE) standard. In fact, there are many states that do not even use categories of disabilities.
Your note appears to indicate that the school district does not agree with your physician’s opinion that your child, whose primary disability is Autism, also has a learning disability. So it sounds like the issue is not really whether a “dual diagnosis” is permissible, but rather whether in fact Jacob has another disability besides Autism.
As you know, mediation and due process are certainly options, if you believe that your child is not receiving appropriate services to meet his needs.
Sincerely,
Heidi
During the IEP meeting we discussed that Jake's short term memory was not just information that the parents shared from outside testing, but it was also very apparent from the district's testing as well. When I received the IEP it stated that "Parents share that outside testing also indicates learning disabilities in written language, short-term memory, and theory of mind. Teachers observe short-term memory weaknesses in the the classroom also." That is not what we agreed upon and it is not completely accurate. The district's tests also show a weakness in short term memory and we agreed that the Present Level would state that. Also, the reason that district tests do not show that Jake has a weakness in written language is because I gave permission for Jake to be given the OWLS test and the district gave him the CASL test. If the district had given him the OWLS test they would have the results that show that Jake has a written language deficit and that it needs to be addressed.
The present level also states that Jacob has shown improvement initiating, maintaining, and ending conversations appropriately, as well as identifying the emotions of others. Later on the same page it states that Jacob has difficulty joining in appropriately with peers to participate in conversations, understanding how to reciprocate with peers, It also states that Jacob's disability affects his functional and academic involvement and progress in regular education curriculum in the following manner:
Class participation, staying on task, understanding and following instructions, completing and turning in work on time, organization, self-advocating for make-up work, taking notes, expressing himself through lengthy forms of written expression, test-taking skills, understanding the emotions of peers and teachers, and general social skills.
Jake's psychiatrist and I do not believe that Jake has made any progress in the area of conversations or in identifying the emotions of others. Jake's psychiatrist has a practice of teenagers with autism and it is his opinion that Jake is not on the high end and that he is too affected by his autism to be able to be doing what the present level states.
I would like the sentence, "His forgetfulness or memory is reported to also be affected by inattention." That leads to the impression that he does not have an issue with his short term memory. I have stated above why I believe that he has an issue with short term memory and I believe that his IEP needs to address this fact.
Under strengths it states that Mrs. Tucker shared that she does not feel that Jacob has any strengths. That is taken totally out of context and is completely inaccurate. I was asked what strengths I felt Jake had for his future. I said that he didn't have any strengths that would lead to him living an independent "normal" life. I did state that Jake is great at math and reading. But, he was not given the tools to live within society because the district did not address his social issues when he started in the district at the age of 5. I want that statement removed.
On the Modifications and Accommodations page I specifically stated that I was not in agreement to As Needed being used. That is defined as to be determined by the special education and/or regular education staff and that is leaving an important party out of the decisions. I do not believe that it is appropriate to use that term on this IEP.
Under Regular Education Participation it states that Jake is rejected from less restrictive options because of lack of previous progress in regular education with modification, and with the use of supplementary aids and services. Jake has not received services or modifications. What does this mean? It also states that student's diverse learning styles require alternative instructional environment and Jake is in a regular education classroom. Finally, it states that student requires highly structured, small-group setting, and individualized instruction. Once again, this is not taking place. Jake is in a classroom of over 25 students with two teachers. That is not small group or individualized instruction.
Finally, we discussed a social skills class and my psychiatrist and I believe that it is totally inappropriate for Jake. He requires one-on-one instruction from a person that is HIGHLY trained in his disability. It is necessary for the person that is giving Jake services to COMPLETELY understand his disability so that they can understand the difference between one sided conversations and real conversations. Jake has made no progress in this area and has very little time left to make some progress.
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