Just off the phone with our consultant after his meeting with principal, new DSS and asst superintendent (appearing by phone). Apparently principal was "marginalized" and the higher ups are handling it. He tried to talk mostly to asst super since new DSS now seems to be siding with principal. She proposed starting the year off without a color chart and introducing one after 2 weeks. That was flatly refused - consultant told them that we will not agree to a color chart in the classroom. Period. He requested a year without it while the district provides appropriate supports so we can try to resolve some of these issues before the next year. Funny, I said the same thing, over and over again, and got rebuffed.
They are now demanding a psychiatric evaluation. They had offered to pay for one when things were at the worst but I was warned off by a neuropsych I checked with being told that few psychiatrists actually do clinical work and most would be brought in just to adjust medication. I was told bad things about the psychiatrist the district contracts with. (ALL online reviews of him gave only 1 out of 5 stars. I have never seen another practitioner with such consistently bad reviews.) Once I finally got the name of one that sounded ok my phone conversation with him consisted of him saying what medications he would start DD on - WITHOUT EVEN MEETING HER. We said no way.
I recently found a DPsy who I am comfortable with but she has not yet been approved by my insurance. No idea how long it will take for her approval to be processed. Consultant has a psychiatrist he is comfortable with who has declined to medicate in the past. District is now claiming that they "requested" this eval and we failed to cooperate. Funny, as I recall you offered by saying "no pressure - it's there if you want to do it."
So their position is that IF they agree to remove the color chart and provide support services they are sure that we will come back with additional requests later. Really? I have been telling the same story, making the same request and giving the same reason for a year now. I registered on this site last summer asking the same question. I have been interrogated by person after person from the district and have never changed my story. I submitted written requests almost 2 months ago. And they have the nerve to say that WE might change our story?
You all have been through this with me - the unilaterally not allowing her to wear a hat after agreeing at an IEP meeting, the nurse refusing to follow medication orders from our pediatrician, their violation of the IEP (including written acknowledgement from the district) and the blindside from the principal on the next to last day of school. It has been CRAZY - especially after starting out so well.
So the district has involved their attorney to review our request. I am supposed to decide about this psych eval. Any input from the parent/experts here? Right now DD is happy as a clam - loving every minute of the enrichment programs that she is doing over the summer. I told the consultant that I don't think an eval now would be appropriate - she would need to be evaluated once the school year is underway and she is being triggered (or not as the case may be.) Principal (consultant said "I am NOT impressed - I would never hire her...") thinks it should be done by September. We have a neuropsych scheduled for October already. Consultant proposed it be done by January.
At this point I just want DD in a classroom that will not freak her out but I don't want to agree or disagree to something just to make that happen. We have already decided that we will NOT cajole, insist or bribe her to be in school. If they trigger school avoidance then we will expect them to deal with it - not us. (I liken it to parents who spend a fortune providing outside tutoring only to have their child turned down for services because he is able to pass everything by the skin of his teeth. I would remove the tutoring so the school can accurately assess his performance. In this case it is our interventions that would be removed. If that makes sense...)
As always any and all input is welcome. All of this is because of the principal's ego - nothing more. The thing that gets me is that thousands upon thousands of classrooms are managed everyday with positive behavior systems - color charts and punitive actions are not essential to an elementary classroom, This principal is just wholly unqualified for the position and doesn't recognize that she is insisting on something that doesn't HAVE to be there. Jeesh... I really just can't believe it...
