dreamer
New Member
The Special Education assistant director who was THe person for my difficult child who attended ALL our IEP meetings? Yikes, we had some very rough exchanges over the years.
Well, she has been made principal of a new school here near me.
Used to be the kids here all got clumped together in one classroom- several grades in one class, several issues in one class. My difficult child was the only girl- 8 boys, they had their own bus, their own school hours, were not allowed lunch in cafeteria, nor assemblies, field trips, band, chorus, library, sports, band etc. Their class had all the MR, juvenile justice kids and well, anone who could not fare well in mainstream classes.
The class was run on a point and level reward system, they met just barely enough hours to be considered a school day, it certainly was NOT an environment conducive to much academic learning or social skills learning, really. Fridays was party day.they brought music from home and had pizza brought in. Wed was some other non academic day.....and it was very common for the kids to gather together and plan "bad" days so they could ALL drop levels so they would not HAVE to be held to the higher standards the higher levels brought.
Altho in reality, even if/when any of the kids DID "succeed" and reach ALL their goals, the school never did progress them with the "rewards" written into the program. The kids soon caught on and it was no longer an incentive.
ANYWAY.this person is now the prinicpal of the new school- AND.....turns out ALL the things I fouught so hard with her for my difficult child? she is instituting (supposedly) in her new school! I am alternateing between bitter it took her so long to see these thngs as positive, and glad she does see them as positive, but also curious, is she being sincere, and will she REALLY do these things?
Usd to be once the kids were put into this classroom then they were gradually moved out and sent to different schools in different districts at great cost to our district. I remember for us, none of those schools wanted my difficult child becuz they said she did not meet their criteria, she did not have enough problems.LOL......eventually my difficult child was the only child left from her class that was NOT placed elsewhere.
I was concerned becuz they are useing a school that the district closed last year, saying the school needed more work than was financially feasible to continue operating. and now they are useing the entire building to school (day school) only 27 students! am also concerned where and how they suddenly magically are able to have their own sport teams? chorus and band teachers? etc.
SO- I am very confused.
On bad days I get angry they could not provide any of these things for my difficult child when she was in the regular school building, but in the special class. On good days I think, wow, look what I may have been part of changeing in our district? After our due process......our HS completely and totally revamped their entire special education department. - includeing almost ALL new STAFF! (In our due process it did come out that many of our sd staff did NOT have the proper credentials for the jobs they were titled with)
Sadly I sit here with my difficult child who sometimes cries over her lost HS experineces. (such as simply GOING to HS.......prom, chorus, etc)
I sure do like to hope things are improving.
Well, she has been made principal of a new school here near me.
Used to be the kids here all got clumped together in one classroom- several grades in one class, several issues in one class. My difficult child was the only girl- 8 boys, they had their own bus, their own school hours, were not allowed lunch in cafeteria, nor assemblies, field trips, band, chorus, library, sports, band etc. Their class had all the MR, juvenile justice kids and well, anone who could not fare well in mainstream classes.
The class was run on a point and level reward system, they met just barely enough hours to be considered a school day, it certainly was NOT an environment conducive to much academic learning or social skills learning, really. Fridays was party day.they brought music from home and had pizza brought in. Wed was some other non academic day.....and it was very common for the kids to gather together and plan "bad" days so they could ALL drop levels so they would not HAVE to be held to the higher standards the higher levels brought.
Altho in reality, even if/when any of the kids DID "succeed" and reach ALL their goals, the school never did progress them with the "rewards" written into the program. The kids soon caught on and it was no longer an incentive.
ANYWAY.this person is now the prinicpal of the new school- AND.....turns out ALL the things I fouught so hard with her for my difficult child? she is instituting (supposedly) in her new school! I am alternateing between bitter it took her so long to see these thngs as positive, and glad she does see them as positive, but also curious, is she being sincere, and will she REALLY do these things?
Usd to be once the kids were put into this classroom then they were gradually moved out and sent to different schools in different districts at great cost to our district. I remember for us, none of those schools wanted my difficult child becuz they said she did not meet their criteria, she did not have enough problems.LOL......eventually my difficult child was the only child left from her class that was NOT placed elsewhere.
I was concerned becuz they are useing a school that the district closed last year, saying the school needed more work than was financially feasible to continue operating. and now they are useing the entire building to school (day school) only 27 students! am also concerned where and how they suddenly magically are able to have their own sport teams? chorus and band teachers? etc.
SO- I am very confused.
On bad days I get angry they could not provide any of these things for my difficult child when she was in the regular school building, but in the special class. On good days I think, wow, look what I may have been part of changeing in our district? After our due process......our HS completely and totally revamped their entire special education department. - includeing almost ALL new STAFF! (In our due process it did come out that many of our sd staff did NOT have the proper credentials for the jobs they were titled with)
Sadly I sit here with my difficult child who sometimes cries over her lost HS experineces. (such as simply GOING to HS.......prom, chorus, etc)
I sure do like to hope things are improving.
