I hate public school (rant about "special ed")

[Jenlaana]

My son was put into special ed classrooms because he could not sit still in a "normal" classroom, when he was in 2nd grade. We did extensive research into the program, monitored the class environment, interviewed basically every adult that he would interact with, and decided that it would be in his best interest to sign the paperwork and let him into the "emotionally disabled" category in order for him to go to a special class just for kids with ADHD who were at or above educational level but just needed to be redirected because they got distracted easily.

Fast forward a few years, and we moved from Altamonte Springs Florida to Myrtle Beach South Carolina. They reviewed his records and decided that Florida's classification of Emotionally Disabled = Emotionally Handicapped, and had me sign the paperwork to enroll him. (no big deal, right?) I didnt do the same amount of research because we moved in the middle of the year and he had already missed a few weeks of school due to us moving. The environment in SC is completely different. In the year and a half that he was here, he was basically put with every other kid that was classified as "Emotionally Handicapped" which is their category for any kid who has an emotional problem and cannot function in a "normal" class room. This includes kids with ADHD, withdrawn kids who do not communicate for non-physical reasons, and more importantly... angry aggressive violent kids who never learned how to properly express their frustrations, or came from a home environment where they were never taught how to function in normal "society".

My son has been nearly hit with chairs, learned words and phrases and ideas and responses and behavior that he would NEVER have had exposure to in a normal classroom (maybe in high school but certainly not in 4th grade). He has been beat up because he sat next to someone who went into a rage, and he has been locked in a closet (their "time out room" is a supply closet in the classroom). In his last school, they chose to do group therapy 3 days a week and individual therapy 5 days a week, and in order to do that, and still teach everything for those standardized funding tests, they took out all but 1 period of social studies every week and all but 2 periods of science (so a total of 1 of the 2 - 3 days a week)

I took my son out of public school when we moved, because I had hoped that we could start fresh and he could start in a "normal" classroom setting. He is not violent or aggressive or anything. He just fiddles with things and had trouble sitting still (which has been remedying itself as he has gotten older and has been "growing out of" his ADHD stage) The school flat out refused to allow him into a "normal" class room, and told me that I would have to take them to court if I didnt like it. We homeschooled him through the end of 5th grade (about half a year) and all of 6th grade. He has done GREAT. He has gotten straight As and his behavior and over all attitude about learning has been really improved. The problem being that there are zero options here for him to do any kind of sports or social activities outside of what the school provides (we live in a VERY tiny town in a VERY poor county) and there are seriously no social groups or karate classes or anything inside of a 45 min drive.

SO we decided to consider putting him back in school... i mean after almost 2 years they would have to reconsider our request to put him in a normal class room right? Since I am technically his teacher and counselor they would respect my position regarding his placement right? WRONG I was told on the phone that as a parent I had the final choice, but when I dragged DH out of work to go meet with them, they said that legally, they had every right to make him spend 30-60 days in special ed classes and then THEY would evaluate him and decide if and when they wanted to allow him to go back to a normal class environment. They said that since I signed the paper back when he was in SECOND GRADE he was in that system FOREVER until THEY decided to change it. They have been saying they want to "mainstream" kids since we started in the program, and never made any actual attempts to have that happen in my son's whole time there.

So basically I have given up my right to make the final decision about his placement. I'm just sickened by all of this, and have been crying since we got back. How is it that we can have our rights to guide our children's education so completely taken away without being told? I know that if I was ever told that I would no longer make the final decision and could not take my child out of "special ed" once i put him in, I would NEVER have signed the papers. (In Florida I was told that the final decision would be mine, but I did not ask all the questions again when we moved and apparently either they lied to me in Fla or the rules are different here).

Is it normal to loose your parenting "power" when you put your child in public school? Even if I waited until my son was in his last 2 weeks of 12th grade and then tried to enroll him, they would STILL refuse to accept my reccomendation as his parent and teacher (even though he would have been homeschooled for 6 1/2 years) and would insist on putting him in special ed classes "until or unless they determined he did not need them".

I'm just sickened by this. And honestly it makes me terrified to put my daughters in to school (I have a 2 yr old and am pregnant with our 3rd child, another girl). I dont WANT to homeschool. I just don't feel like I have any choice if they refuse to work with me or give me any say in my son's placement.

[lisalou]

I know in the school district my dh teaches in although it's not in your state, homeschooled children can take classes or participate in sports without enrolling full time. For his school district the homeschooled kids are usually taking AP classes or participating in band or chorus or sports. But maybe you could do something along those lines where for a certain class he attends so he could be evaluated in how well he does and he could also try out for some sports or whatever and then after this part time evaluation he could be "mainstreamed" into full time? It seems like there should be some compromise that could be worked out. I'm not sure how you could evaluate a child on how they'll perform in a regular class by putting them into a special ed one.

[Justmee]

I'm a little rusty because I haven't taught in 6 years, but I am almost positive they need to re-eval every 3 years to continue to qualify for special education (not the IEP meeting, but the full evaluation that give the diagnosis, shows the progress that was made, IQ test, achievement tests, behavior scores, etc). If he hasn't been evaluated in the past 3 years, he is not "in" the program anymore. You woud have to conset to a new evaluation to even get him into special ed or to qualify for an IEP. Even if he is evaluated, it is their responsibilty to put him in the least restrictive enviornment, and that environment is to be decided at each IEP meeting (which has to be held every year). Did he have an IEP meeting when you moved to SC? I woudl get yourself a parent advocate if you want him in school, teh parent is legally an equal member of the IEP team and tehy can't place him unless you consent. In any case I doubt from what you are saying they can even consider him special ed anymore under federal law because he hasn't had a full evaluation in 3 years (I assume).

Good luck and . I'm sure others will have more specific information, but I taught emotional handicapped and i just wanted to chime in that it's a very common problem and they ar trying to railroad you and don't let them!

[Dar]

What Rach said. He doesn't have a current IEP, unless you did one with the school while homeschooling, which I doubt. He was a right to be educated in the least restrictive environment, which would not be a special day class. You can fight this legally...

dar

[HarperRose]

That is HORRIBLE. How backwards!!! I was just reading or hearing something the other day about this very type of thing. In the past kids w/ ASD or AD/HD were just put in with juvenile offenders. Something about emotionally disturbed or something. I wish I could remember who I was talking to or where I read this.

Anyway, that is NOT where he needs to be and I am TICKED that the school is refusing to evaluate him ON THEIR OWN and dismissing the emotionally disturbed crap.

[Jenlaana]

Thank you so much for the responses. It gives me hope! I know that he had an IEP re-evaluation that I don't think was completed, right before he left public school (it was technically half of 5th and all of 6th that we homeschooled). There was no complete finished IEP in his stuff. But even if there was, I could just technically HS him for another year and then place him next year, if there was a 3 yr max. I thought they worked that way, but the lady kept saying "legally" this and "legally" that, every time I mentioned us starting over and treating him like a "normal" student until evaluated otherwise. I don't particularly mind the evaluation so much as I mind the idea that they are wanting to put him in a special ed class and see if he acts like a special ed or mainstream student. Of course if surrounded by special ed kids he is more opt to act in a way that will fit in there. (thats probably my DS's biggest still existing issue... that he tries to fit in, even if its not socially acceptable)

How do I find a parent advocate? Is it something the school has to provide or is it a version of a lawyer or?

[spedteacher30]

Actually... the placement from the last valid IEP is considered valid and legally the correct placement until another placement is decided on or an evaluation is done to exit out of special education.

transfers from one school to another are hard enough, from one state to another is even harder. Since programs are very different, even when considered the same level of placement, it is very easy for a kid to end up in a terribly inappropriate placement after moving.

I am so sorry you are dealing with this. Do you have a doctor who is monitoring your son's ADHD? If so, please get a letter from him/her about what an appropriate level of placement would be. If there isn't a doctor involved, please consider making an appointment with a counselor or psychologist to get an evaluation done...

I hate when I hear about schools doing this. We always would re-write an IEP upon enrollment and encourage parental insight into the decision.

[zinemama]

Again, what Rach said.

If you don't have a current IEP, what are they basing their stance on?

One thing that's not clear from your post: have you been talking just with your school admin, or is this coming from the district? I'm not an expert here, but I imagine that if you get a current evaluation and then take this to the district level, you may get some results.

[HarperRose]

Originally Posted by Jenlaana

I don't particularly mind the evaluation so much as I mind the idea that they are wanting to put him in a special ed class and see if he acts like a special ed or mainstream student.

Exactly! Evaluate all you want! But let's not consider him a problem kid or SN kid (who should NOT be put in the same room, imo!: ) unless we see prrof! Put him in MAINSTREAM classes. That's what they've done w/ my son and NOW they can evaluate him and see what SN changes he needs. AFTER he's been mainstreamed for an entire school year. He'll also be mainstreamed this school year but might need some minor changes, perhaps a little time in the SN classroom. The SN classroom is NOT the same as the one w/ kids with other issues. There's a whole separate school for that.

How do I find a parent advocate? Is it something the school has to provide or is it a version of a lawyer or?

My therapist and my aunt ( a school teacher and her ds has asperger's) are acting as our counsel on this w/ Max. That way we advocate for ourselves, but we have ppl outside coaching us. I'm not sure how you would find a parent advocate.

[Jenlaana]

Originally Posted by zinemama

Again, what Rach said.

If you don't have a current IEP, what are they basing their stance on?

One thing that's not clear from your post: have you been talking just with your school admin, or is this coming from the district? I'm not an expert here, but I imagine that if you get a current evaluation and then take this to the district level, you may get some results.

We had a meeting with the school guidance counselor and the district's school psychologist (there is only one for the whole district because its such a small county). It was the school psychologist who basically did all of the talking. She based this solely on the meeting notes from a previous IEP meeting (one where we were working through getting a new IEP but one had not been given yet) where it just marked in the upper corner that he was categorized Emotionally Disabled. There was not even any information as to why or in what areas, etc.

My son's ADHD is so under control at this point that he no longer has to take meds or require a physician or psychiatrist's monitoring (one reason why I felt he would be ok going back into mainstream school). But I would be fine with having him evaluated independently if that will help. I'll talk to DH about that today and see if we can get him an appointment to see someone.

We did actually write a new IEP in 4th grade when we moved to SC, but it was very rushed, and most of the evaluation part was skipped. They just used what was on the paper from the one from Florida. It was all done in a rush in order to get him into class, because of us moving in the middle of the school year. They made the classification based on what he was classified in Florida and we went along with it because we described the classroom situation in Florida and they said "oh that is just like this class" but it wasnt. In Florida originally we could not get him into special ed classes because he did not qualify for them, since he had no physician diagnosed illness, and he didnt score abnormal on any of the tests...he just kept getting in trouble for talking out of turn or not sitting in his seat in kindergarten/1st grade and they would send him to the principal's office, where they'd just put him in the conference room adjacent to the principal's office and let him color all day so he wouldn't "disrupt the other children" (and didnt write him up or tell me about it until it had been going on for quite some time and I went in and met with them for another issue)

Needless to say this is not the first issue I've had w/ my son and public school (at his first school they told me if he did not take meds for ADHD then he was not allowed to come to school - this was during the exploration phase in K/1st when we were trying to figure out if he had ADHD and how to treat it...they pretty much decided on the "how" for us)

[spedteacher30]

in our area, parent advocates can be obtained through the parent resource center and through legal aid.

At least in our state, a parent can request an evaluation of a homeschooled student at the expense of the district.

I think if I were in your situation, I would:

1. put a formal request for an evaluation in writing and deliver it to both your neighborhood school and the district level special education office.

2. put a formal request in writing for a new IEP (again to both sped and school).

3. find an advocate (a therapist, legal aid, a local professor/grad student in special ed, a parent through the parent resource center)

Only after all of that is in place would I approach the school about registering him for school--let alone sending him to school!

[Jenlaana]

I just talked to DH and we're going to see what we can do about trying those 3 things. Thank you for the checklist spedteacher30. DH wants to talk to the psychologist one more time, (we had our 2 yr old w/ us at the appt this morning) so he's going to call her and ask specifically about having him evaluated in a "normal" setting instead of special ed class, and if she says no, we're going to go ahead and see what we can do about getting the new eval/IEP and an advocate without having him in school. (the psychologist said she was not responsible for homeschooled children so unless we put him into school - under her terms of spec ed class - she would not evaluate him but maybe we can go over her head on this one)

[bigeyes]

OP, I just wanted to give you a

My dcs have reported to me that the children who don't speak english here get one day a week of english language instruction and spend the rest of the week ignored in special ed.

All of the parents with complaints are having a meeting in about a week and I'm hoping we get some answers soon. apparently our district is failing in many areas and if we don't make them shape up, they'll continue in the same fashion.

[Leatherette]

I would ask the district for a copy of "Procedural Safeguards". I think there are some federal guidelines for what has to be in the Procedural Safeguards. They are essentially a list of the parents' rights through every step of the process in Special Education (and use a magnifying glass to read it if you have to - it is so long that it is usually published in small print).

I have taught Special Ed. in Virginia, Colorado and Washington, and they all required a copy of the safeguards to be given to parents whenever requested, whenever there was an IEP meeting, an evaluation, basically any change or movement in your child's services or status.

I used to work for a very small district with very poor services, and I was asked to break the law on a regular basis - the district cried poor, and asked me to "do it for the children". I wouldn't enable their crappy services. And that is what the psychologist in your situation sounds like she's doing.

I am so sorry this is happening to your family. Please believe me that this is not the standard for special education services. You need to demand a re-eval and initial placement in general ed classes. I second the idea about finding college students/profs in your area with degrees in Spec. Ed. to use as advocates. District people may just cover for each other and the district.

Also, ADHD is not typically categorized as Emotional Disturbance. It is a health impairment, and can often be accommodated by a 504 plan. I would read all that you can and toss out terms so they know you are doing your homework and they can't push you around. Also, there are books for parents that tell you about your rights and how to navigate the special ed system.

L.