In need of school advice: Update

Please do not move this


My dd is has an IEP and is an intergrated class in our district. Yesterday with less than 2 weeks until school starts I got a phone call saying they are moving her out of her current school and to another school in our district. I seriously felt ill when I heard this news what I said to the woman who called me is all sort of blank right now because I felt like I was losing my mind. My dd is 7 and she loved her school, her friends, her teachers. I was very involved in her school, spent most of my summer planning PTA for events next year. Now I felt blind sighted. I spent an entire day yesterday trying to convince them to let my daughter and the 3 other children they choose to move from that school to stay. I ultimately lost. I had to tell my dd she was no longer going to go that school. The crying she did yesterday could only be compared to how she reacted to when her great grammy died. She sobbed, she begged me to let her go back to her school, begged me to make it all better and I couldn't. This ranks as one of the worst parenting days I've ever had. I sent an email to as many people as I believe had taken part of this decision making. I'm meeting with them next week and they keep saying they are open to my ideas. I know they really are not open to my ideas. They do this to the kids with special needs every year. I want to try to prevent this from happening again next year. I reached out to Septa. Are there other organizations that could maybe help. I can't bare to think of them moving her again next year. There are some kids who have been bounced between different schools their entire school career.

Update:
Had a meeting today with the administration and found out the truth. The 4 children were bumped by new cse classifications. I think I'm more angry now. I don't get why children who are already in a program should have to move for new children to come in. I was very firm and made is clear that if they pull this next year I won't go away and make nice. My dd is still upset as I am. Poor kid is always complaining of a belly ache because she is upset she had to leave her old school. I'm trying to get more involved in special education support groups so I can learn more on how to help prevent this from happening again.

Message edited 8/30/2017 10:15:37 PM.

Re: In need of school advice

I'm so sorry, that is horrible. How can they do that repeatedly to students and just two weeks before the start of school no less? Do you have an advocate working with you? If not, I would get one and/or perhaps mention you may seek legal counsel and see if that makes them change their tune.

Re: In need of school advice

Why are they moving the children from school to school constantly??

I know in our district the inclusion school rotates by grade level, so like last years kindergarten was inclusion in one school, the incoming inclusion class will be at a different school, but they will stay in whatever school they started in and the inclusion group will move up together.

That's really tough, I'm sorry for you and your daughter. Keep looking into, if they are still providing the services needed at her current school, try to look for other avenues to fight this.

Re: In need of school advice

Re: In need of school advice

No she stayed in the same type of classroom. She did K and 1st at one school and now 2nd grade at another. They choose 4 kids to leave and go to a new school because they needed to place other children who were classified over summer. Who can I reach out to to help me advocate on my daughters behalf? Someone on my local moms page said to reach out to department of education which I'm going to try to do.

My district has done this for decades bouncing kids where ever they can to save money so they don't have to pay additional teachers and staff. I feel sick over this. They target the kids who are the minorities in our district.

They have ruined our rest of summer as I now have to pick up the shattered pieces of our daughters heart. The real kicker is that they won't even tell me that they won't do this again to her next year. I've had it. Honestly my dh and I are considering selling our home but I would need to find a district who doesn't do this.

In need of school advice

Seek legal counsel. There are people who deal with special education law. I've been in CSE meetings where lawyers are present.

Re: In need of school advice

You need an attorney who specializes in special Ed.

Re: In need of school advice

Are you on any facebook special ed groups? I belong to one and they have an advocate that always gives great advice. My DS is is starting Kindergarten in one school, not my home school. I have a feeling I will be going through something similar withing the next few years that you are going through. I am so sorry.

Re: In need of school advice

Try to call the Long Island Advocacy Center. They may be able to offer some advice.

LIAC

This is so messed up of them to do so close to the beginning of school. I'm sorry.

Message edited 8/26/2017 1:54:35 PM.

Re: In need of school advice

Reading what you wrote broke my heart.
I have a DD the same age and I can't even imagine.
I'm so so sorry this is happening.

I feel like they are discriminating against children who have an IEP. Why do THEY get tossed out of the school and bounced around from school to school while the other children do not?
Discrimination?

Also- you said they are being moved to accommodate new students that were classified over the summer- well then why can't those NEW students be put in the other school?
Where is the fairness in this?
They wouldn't know the difference right?- since they never went to your school
Shouldn't current students of the school get priority?

If you can get a lawyer I would

Ugh this is heartbreaking

Message edited 8/26/2017 3:43:16 PM.

Re: In need of school advice

Re: In need of school advice

Marilee Shannon was used by someone in my family as a special education advocate. Only have great things to say about her.

Re: In need of school advice

My heart goes out to you and your daughter. Unfortunately, as a school psychologist with a lot of chairing and experience with se law, your district is not doing anything illegal, and unfortunately lawyers or advocates won't be able to really do much in terms of having the district change their minds about which schools house their ICT programs. There's nothing that can be "pressured" or "threatened". You can ask for a cse meeting and see if a different program offered in your original school could be a good fit (i.e. Resource room with an aide) - here an advocate may be helpful. You can also call state ed if you truly believe your district is making moves that discriminate against certain groups of children. They will then reach out to the pps office and investigate. In addition to septa, you should also attend board meetings and be very vocal to the board. This really really stinks.

Re: In need of school advice

Message edited 8/26/2017 8:56:24 PM.

In need of school advice

Unfortunately this is par for the course, and another way our children with special needs get the shaft. This happened to my son in third grade. Except the entire class was moved to another school, because this school (his home school, and school he had been attending), didn't want ANY special education classes in there for 3rd grade. So I put him in a gen ed class with resource room that year so he could stay in his home school, with his friends from the neighborhood. I was SO MAD about the entire ordeal, that we ultimately moved out of the district later in the year.

Message edited 8/26/2017 9:17:41 PM.

In need of school advice

I agree with ChristinaM128. I'm not a school psychologist, but I am a special ed. teacher... If you are happy with the integrated program she is in, then leave it be and keep an open mind about the new school building. It sucks to do the move, but I'm sure it will be OK. What pisses me off most is that many students with disabilities/IEPs succeed most when there is structure and routine. Moving a child out of their comfort zone and into a new setting can really throw them off. However, I've realized that if you don't show fear or sadness over it, your child will adjust rather quickly. Kids are funny that way.

With that said, if you think she could potentially do resource room or a lesser restrictive setting, then I would call and request a reconvene of her IEP and discuss the possibility of moving her out to that setting, and keeping her in the same building in that new setting. My personal feeling is that if she is pretty successful in the integrated setting, she could probably do well with a resource room/push in service. It might be worth a shot!

Re: In need of school advice

Message edited 8/26/2017 10:07:26 PM.

In need of school advice

I'm sorry you are going through this it's so wrong and thoughtless! Maybe consider the resource room/push in suggestion because although it still stinks she'll be switching schools to your home zoned school at least you'll know she won't be moved out the following year. Hope everything works out

Re: In need of school advice

That's terrible. Did they give you any reason why your daughter and the other three children were the ones chosen to go? In my experience, new children being classified and placed in the class do not get to bump out other children already placed in the class. It's not fair to your daughter.
As others suggested, you might want to think about getting a lawyer or an advocate involved. Even if they haven't broken any laws, having someone else on your side might persuade the district to stop bumping your daughter around.

Re: In need of school advice

In need of school advice

Is the class still available in the school your daughter was attending and they are just moving her for space reasons? If that is the case, call the superintendent and the head of special ed and tell them they do not have your permission to move her. Move the kids that were just classified. You need to call the school immediately monday morning and don't stop calling until you speak to the person in charge. Not a secretary or assistant sup.

If they are moving the inclusion class as a whole to a new school then unfortunately they are legally able to do that. They can move you anywhere in district that is housing the program. We just had to move my daughter in 4th grade for the same reason. It sucked but legally nothing I could do unless I wanted to give up her services.

In need of school advice

This is absurdly unfair and I'm so sorry for you and your daughter. I would call whoever is in charge- multiple times a day if necessary, or show up repeatedly. It disgusts me that all these long island districts put money before kids. Talk about a corrupt enterprise.

Also, I'm really surprised by some of these answers. "It's not illegal" is not an answer. Just because something is legal doesn't make it right.

I feel so awful for your daughter and hope it works out. I would give these people hell and not back down until something happens.

Re: In need of school advice

Re: In need of school advice

In need of school advice

That doesn't seem fair at all since they still have the class in the building. I wonder if the newly classified students are assigned to that school as their home school, and if that makes them get priority placement there over others? I would call the Superintendent.