Mandatory SpEd field trip...UPDATE POST 15!

[Theoretica]

UPDATED POST 15!

Background: My almost 16yo son is a sophomore in high school. He has a lot of SN issues, best summarized by going with ASD/autism to 'catch' all the issues. Anyways he's in a level 3 Resource Center (exclusion SpEd) for most of his classes but is taking 2 college prep classes at the mainstream high school with NT kids (and doing very well).

The Resource Center informed the students they will be taking a field trip to a local 'fall farm' this Friday, and that the teachers in any mainstream classes they are taking will be told that they are absent.



DS is really upset about them saying he has to miss class, and I'm pretty irked that they'd REQUIRE high school kids to go to a fall farm. To make matters even more infuriating, last week the younger (JH/Elem age) kids did the same trip and were given the OPTION of going or not...DS said several stayed behind. Now with the older kids they aren't giving them an option.

He worked really hard to be able to take these classes at the mainstream school (he's got Tourettes, Autism, and a host of other interferences that make life REALLY hard to function in). They don't even offer higher level classes at the Resource Center because there aren't teachers capable of providing instruction. It's not like he's taking underwater basket weaving or Home Eco. or something mindless...he's taking Pre-Trig/Calc and Chemistry (he's in with 11th graders for both classes)! Missing one day REALLY DOES MATTER!

Here's the letter I'm sending to school tomorrow...please critique...

To Whom It May Concern:

16yoDS has brought to my attention there is a field trip for the Resource Center students this coming Friday, and the field trip will be during the time period he is usually at his mainstream classes. I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding somewhere, in all possibility on DS’s part, but I just want to clarify that he will not be absent from any mainstream classes for this, or any other field trip. Regular attendance to all of DS's scheduled classes is very important to us, and while it seems highly unlikely that anyone at the Resource Center would advocate a student’s absence from a mainstream class, especially when he is taking such advanced and rigorous courses, I want to make sure there isn’t a risk of miscommunication between now and then.

To reiterate, DS does not have my permission to be absent from or late to any mainstream class without my authorization, and I expect him to be in full attendance to his mainstream classes this Friday. I realize I signed a field trip permission form at the beginning of the school year, but I ask that this notice take precedence over any previous form I have signed.

If I have misunderstood the timing of this field trip, and DS will not be late or absent to his mainstream classes by participating in this field trip, then DS has my permission to attend. In the event this is not the case, I appreciate in advance your cooperation in sending the message to DS that his primary job at school is to focus on his academic success.

Thank you for your understanding! Please contact me with any questions or should you need additional information.

Warmest Regards,

Theoretica

P.S. Please sign, date and return home for our files, feel free to keep the second copy for your records as well. Thanks so much!

[SunshineJ]

Wow. First off congrats to your DS for doing such an outstanding job with his mainstream classes!! That's huge! Second off, I think I'm going to ask you to write all my letters to school for me. That was very well written.

[Jennifer Z]

I would hand deliver it and get it timestamped and copied with the timestamp on it for your records, just to make sure that they can't use "we didn't see it" as an excuse. However, that is because my own experiences with SpEd were in a sucky school district, so it may not be an issue for you.

The letter sounds awesome. Great job advocating for him, and it is SO good to hear that he is encouraged to take mainstream classes in those subjects. I hope that we have the same success because ds seems to excell in math.

[Deefodil]

I think that letter sounds wonderful.

[Theoretica]

Thanks for the encouragement, I'll post an update if/when I hear anything

And he wasn't encouraged to take mainstream classes in those subjects. Actually he's just started both of those at the mainstream school in the last 4ish weeks, prior to that he was taking both courses on a bare-bones computer program that popped up green text questions on a black background with multiple choice answers. No graphics, no examples, just 'here's the question, pick the right answer from these four choices". That was their offering for higher level courses...

When he initially became eligible to take mainstream classes through his IEP (90% mastery of xyz, adequate tic/stress management etc) the Resource Center actually offered him Introduction to Culinary Practices. It isn't even a COOKING class, it's just a 'learn about the kitchen and make fruit salad' class. They wanted him to take THAT while he was plugging around with clicking the 'right answer' for both his science and math on this outdated computer dinosaur.

Technically he tested into AP Chemistry, but they were worried about his being out of his element with Seniors since he's a sophomore so he's taking 'regular' Chemistry with the older kids. I took AP classes when I was in HS and I can assure you he and his geekiness will fit RIGHT in...it's the 'dumbed down' classes that he'll have a really difficult time with socially.

Thanks for the kudos, I appreciate it

[bobandjess99]

Originally Posted by SunshineJ

Wow. First off congrats to your DS for doing such an outstanding job with his mainstream classes!! That's huge! Second off, I think I'm going to ask you to write all my letters to school for me. That was very well written.

ya, that.


i woudl just add that if the sped teachers are going to be gone all day on this trip with all the other kids, there literally might not be anyone around to be with ds during his regular sped time, therefore, it is possible you will need to just keep him home and then transport him to his mainstream classes, or make some other sort of special arrangements.

[Theoretica]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Z

I would hand deliver it and get it timestamped and copied with the timestamp on it for your records, just to make sure that they can't use "we didn't see it" as an excuse. However, that is because my own experiences with SpEd were in a sucky school district, so it may not be an issue for you.

That is a great idea! There's a parent communication folder that goes back and forth every day, so the letter (2 copies) is in there to be signed and brought home. If that doesn't happen I'll definitely hand deliver...great idea!

[Rosebud1]

I just want to second that you may have a career as a professional letter writer.... : )

And congrats to you and your son for fighting for the best education possible!

[annethcz]

Great letter.

I just wanted to reiterate that the problem might be that all of the staff members will be participating in the field trip. This is a very real concern at my kids' small school. If a child (or child's parent) elects to skip the field trip, a staff member has to stay behind, which leaves fewer adults to supervise the children who are going on the field trip.

[lindberg99]

Originally Posted by annethcz

Great letter.

I just wanted to reiterate that the problem might be that all of the staff members will be participating in the field trip. This is a very real concern at my kids' small school. If a child (or child's parent) elects to skip the field trip, a staff member has to stay behind, which leaves fewer adults to supervise the children who are going on the field trip.

That's a good point. A totally different situation but my DD's 6th grade class just went on a basically mandatory 2 day field trip to a camp for outdoor education. The two 6th grade teachers and the upper elem intervention specialist all went along. So the principal said that if any 6th graders did not go, they would have to sit in her office all day. This didn't happen because all the kids were quite excited to go.

But I can see HS kids not being excited about going to a farm. OP, if that comes up, is there any way you could keep your son home and just take him for his 2 classes?

[Theoretica]

Originally Posted by annethcz

I just wanted to reiterate that the problem might be that all of the staff members will be participating in the field trip. This is a very real concern at my kids' small school. If a child (or child's parent) elects to skip the field trip, a staff member has to stay behind, which leaves fewer adults to supervise the children who are going on the field trip.

I think this is very possibly the case with the entire staff attending the field trip. Regardless, I'm not ok with them handling staffing that way if it means my kid has to miss his mainstream classes. That's something they need to deal with, get an aide, whatever. I think the thing I'm most frustrated/angry about is that they didn't even let the parents know this was happening. It was just 'oh we're taking you on this field trip and you're missing class, like it or not'. We signed a 'transportation form' at the beginning of the year that supposedly covered field trips, but I assumed they'd let us know if there was an actual field trip ykwim?

Originally Posted by lindberg99

That's a good point. A totally different situation but my DD's 6th grade class just went on a basically mandatory 2 day field trip to a camp for outdoor education. The two 6th grade teachers and the upper elem intervention specialist all went along. So the principal said that if any 6th graders did not go, they would have to sit in her office all day. This didn't happen because all the kids were quite excited to go.

But I can see HS kids not being excited about going to a farm. OP, if that comes up, is there any way you could keep your son home and just take him for his 2 classes?

I wouldn't care if the mainstream school was out that day, or if the mainstream school also had a field trip to some other event, or whatever. My issue is he's being required to miss rigorous college prep classes without the option of attending, and he's being counted as absent on top of it.

FWIW the fall farm they are going to is literally 3 minutes away from the high school. It'd take NO effort on their part to run him to his classes for two hours in the afternoon. It's actually closer to the mainstream high school than the Resource Center.

Also I can't fathom why they think the HS kids would like this. It's a tiny farm with a petting zoo area and a field of horses. That's it. Younger kids, sure...but not HS kids?

Originally Posted by Rosebud1

I just want to second that you may have a career as a professional letter writer.... : )

Aww thanks! I have to ask, is there such thing as a professional letter writer? I've been told that before and I'd love to look into it...

[imagine21]

As a high school teacher I encountered this issue all the time for students that would be missing class for all sorts of reasons: band, choir, sports, etc... What I did is send a note to the instructor of the other class saying that the next class period that said student was expected to be in THEIR class, I expected that student to be sent to MY class for make up work. This tended to work well in almost all cases.

[aniT]

I have been having problems for the last three years with my child going on field trips and me finding out after the fact. My daughter's school does global permission slips at the beginning of the year, and while the school makes an "effort" in informing parents, this often does not happen with my ADD daughter who is on a 504 plan. I have spent the last three days trying to dry out her good shoes from a field trip to a park/river last week. Had I known she was going on this field trip I would have sent her to school in her OLD SHOES. And you can send all the notes home you want.... if they never leave her desk i don't see them. If I had to sign a permission slip for each and every field trip you could bet they would make it home.. or she would not be going.

As for the rest of the problems, if the student does not want to go on the field trip, he should have the option to not go. I have never heard of forced field trips before. Let us know what happens.

[staceychev]

Originally Posted by imagine21

As a high school teacher I encountered this issue all the time for students that would be missing class for all sorts of reasons: band, choir, sports, etc... What I did is send a note to the instructor of the other class saying that the next class period that said student was expected to be in THEIR class, I expected that student to be sent to MY class for make up work. This tended to work well in almost all cases.

Oh, I love this! Did it make your colleagues hate you? I think I might have to try it!

[Theoretica]

Update!

I meant to update the other day but got busy!

The note was returned the day after it was sent. It was signed by, and with a note from, the principal of the Resource Center. Here's the response, verbatim:

Theoretica, it is accurate that we are going on a field trip to the local fall farm. We do generally take all students with the awareness and permission of mainstream teachers and principals. We will honor your request and DS will stay here with me and just two other students who have much more extensive needs and are unable to attend off campus trips. DS will need to bring books to read and keep himself on task with his class work, or additional work will be assigned.

Friday came and the weather was frigid and rainy, so the entire thing was cancelled. DS thought it was hysterical because all of the other students were furious that their "free day" was taken away, AND they all had school packed sack lunches to eat. Since DS had planned on being at the school, he got a regular hot lunch. Supposedly the trip has been rescheduled.