Reporter misled in Special Ed article?

In today's Northwest Herald is a front-page (top of the page, even) article about Special Education. Reporter Chelsea McDougall mentions Harvard School District 50 and a recently-terminated psychologist. Also, she mentions a retired school psychologist and author.

Chelsea is in the ballpark, but the "experts" were tossing 98MPH fast balls at her. Let's slow down and see what is really going on.

I don't have experience with the Harvard school district, but I do have considerable experience with Woodstock District 200 Special Education. And I'd be willing to bet all the money in the Northwest Herald's bank account that the Special Education problems in Harvard are real, just as they are in District 200 and schools all over McHenry County and the State of Illinois.

Read the article at www.nwherald.com/2011/04/11/d-50-special-ed-moves-draw-scrutiny/avwh5yh/

District 50 Superintendent Lauri Tobias was quoted by her front-page photograph as saying, "We absolutely did not change IEPs with students. We have a procedure, and we go through the process beautifully."

I do not doubt that Ms. Tobias believes what she told the newspaper reporter. Believing it doesn't make it true. Yes, it is true that she believes it. And she probably believes what she is told about how the special education department operates. They will tell her that they always follow the laws and the rules. Would they dare tell her otherwise? So, based on what she is told, she believes that correct procedures, laws and rules are being followed. But that doesn't make it so.

Here is why I don't believe her statement.

In District 200 a third-grade student's IEP wasn't being followed. Of course, it's hard for a parent to uncover the facts, because s/he is not in school every day to watch what goes on. But after consultants from Project Choices (http://www.projectchoices.org/) visited the classroom of the student, they reported to the principal at an after-school meeting that the teacher could not arbitrarily change a student's IEP. They had made that observation during their one visit. What happened? The teacher stormed out of the meeting, and the social worker went with her "to see if she was okay." What should have happened was, the teacher should have been required to return the meeting and be accountable for her errors in the classroom.

Every year that student's IEP was violated. Later, in 9th Grade, a first-hour computer class was put in his schedule. It turned out there was no computer available and no room available, so the student was sent to study hall to twiddle his thumbs for an hour. No wonder he didn't want to go to school. His absenteeism in 9th Grade was over 60%, and he was never reported for truancy.

Parents of special education students are kept isolated from one another. This, of course, keeps them from exchanging information and forming groups to bring about change and correction.

I don't know Peter Koehn, the former junior high school psychologist who blew the whistle in Harvard. Somehow, though, I'm pretty sure I'd like him. He stuck up for the kids. Look where it got him. Fired.

And then think back to Huntley, where a Special Education Director was tossed out because she stuck up for the kids. Parents liked her; she knew the Special Ed laws and followed them. Of course, that got her in hot water with the district's administrators.

If you want to keep your job, you learn to keep your head down. Don't make waves. Don't talk to parents. Don't tell parents that their kids are not getting what they are supposed to. Be a follower; don't ever try to be a leader. Get tenure. Know your place. Just keep sucking at the public trough.

The former associate superintendent of District 200 told me that "every teacher is an advocate for every student." I almost fell off my chair laughing. Yeah, sure.... at the risk of their jobs, maybe. And they won't risk them by standing up for what is wrong in their Special Education departments.

Watch for following articles here to correct the wrong information that was given to the reporter. And, if you are parent of a Special Education student, get in touch with me. I'll help you find other like-minded parents in your school district.

How many?

How many students in Woodstock District 200 schools are enrolled in Special Education?

For this week's poll, visit a website created and devoted to these children (and their parents) who are among the most special (and perhaps least understood) in town.

Click here and go to www.specialkids-specialparents.info and vote your best guess.

What do you think the needs of these children are? And the needs of their parents? And the needs of their educators?

Parents of Special Education Students

Hello, parents of students in Special Education in Woodstock (or anywhere in McHenry County):

Would you like a support group in Woodstock? A support group that actually supported you?

If you would like a group formed that allowed you to participate in person, online, by email, by phone - a group that is convenient for you - let me know.

There are parents in Woodstock who would like this type of group. For those interested in a meeting, a meeting place can be arranged. There are several locations available close to the Square.

Tired? Burned out? Frustrated? Feel there is no sense trying to change something that doesn't want to change?

Let me know that you are interested, and I'll let you know when the group will meet. Plus I'll announce it here.

Email: gusphilpot@aol.com N.B., one "t" (although my last name has two t's)

Visit the new website: http://www.specialkids-specialparents.info/

Special Education - New Blog

In order to separate Special Education topics from other articles, I have created a new blog at www.SpecialKids-SpecialParents.info

There will be information there of interest to parents of special education students, resources, articles on advocacy, Illinois State Board of Education, parent support groups, announcements of meetings, workshops and seminars, and much more.

Please inform all parents with children in special education. Your help in spreading the word will be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Special Education Information for Parents

Do you have a child in Special Education in District 200 (or anywhere?)

Are you overwhelmed with paperwork, record-keeping, who-said-what, deadlines for evaluations and tests?

Confused about IEPs, IDEA, FAPE, LRE and all the other shorthand in this field?

An excellent resource is www.WrightsLaw.com This week's free weekly e-newsletter helps parents with information about how to organize your records and information. Pete and Pam Wright, from Virginia, are nationally known and have been publishing their information for ten years.

Go to www.WrightsLaw.com and subscribe to this immensely helpful newsletter. Pete and Pam have also published excellent resources in hard copy, principally "FETA" (or From Emotions to Advocacy) and other books well worth their prices.

Are you interested in a local parents' support group? Feel like you are the Lone Ranger at times? Most of the time? If there is enough interest in a local support group for parents of children enrolled in Special Education classes, a group will form here in Woodstock.

There is a new group forming in Algonquin-Lake in the Hills, and groups may also be formed for the McHenry-Johnsburg, Huntley, and Harvard-Marengo areas. The rule-of-thumb here is that "many hands make light work." If you are interested now or for the Fall of 2008, please let me know. You can post here or email me at gus@woodstockadvocate.com

Special Ed Parent?

Coming up soon is a 3-night free workshop at MCC for parents of students in Special Education. What could be better?
Right here at MCC.
Three evenings, Oct. 22, Oct. 29, Nov. 5
7:00-9:00PM
Go to http://www.specialedmoms.com/seminars.html for information and to register.
"IEPs: A Parent/School Partnership"
If this were only true.
How many parents of kids in special education would re-title the workshop to "How to Survive the IEP Parent/School Battles"?
Well, it's not supposed to be a battle. It is supposed to be a partnership - a team effort. And parents are to be important members of the IEP Team, as are our students.
Register now; it's free. Attend all three nights. (This is not one seminar presented three times. It's a 3-evening workshop.)
Leave the kids at home, please.

District 200 and Special Education

Be sure to read the article from Saturday’s (September 1, 2007) Northwest Herald about the family with the 5-year-old son diagnosed with autism. Read about this family’s experience with District 200.

The reporter did not cover in depth what kind of “hearing” the family is involved with. My guess is that it is either Mediation or a Due Process hearing conducted by the Illinois State Board of Education.

There are over 900 Special Education students in District 200 schools. Parents of these students desperately need to be educated on the legal rights of these students, their children. I heard someone say once, “If you don’t know your rights, you don’t have any.”

Please read the Northwest Herald article and comment there or here.

http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2007/09/01/news/local/doc46d92d2108f60326035735.txt