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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,733
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OP
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,733 |
I just wanted to say that I find that linked story so disturbing I have read it a couple times. If it can happen to a well-educated, well-to-do family it can happen to anyone. It reminds me so much of our school and I can see something like that happening here. They report families to CPS or the police without bothering to discuss the situation with the family or get the whole story, they fail to do evaluations when parents have concerns, gossip and talk behind the back of the family, falsify records when backed into a corner, etc. etc. etc. I think it's a disgrace that apparently nothing happened to the school or anyone in it. They didn't have to pay any damages? No one was fired? Schools do this because they know they can get away with it. No one ever loses their jobs and nothing ever happens. So, I was talking with a mom who has a child with special needs about getting an advocate, etc (she has been trying to get an iep and services for her disabled child for 6 moths now and getting nowhere)... And another mom chimed in with this comment: "Definitely get a lawyer or advocate to help you in {state county} because in that particular county, and in a few other neighboring counties, if you p*ss them off enough they will anonymously report you to CPS." She said that she has been working with Special Olympics for years and almost every family that she has dealt with in the certain state counties had been reported at least once and many 2 or 3 times - almost always around their IEP and getting the things laid out in their IEP. Pretty disturbing that this is apparently a strategy used by some schools 
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,157
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Member
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,157 |
I just wanted to say that I find that linked story so disturbing I have read it a couple times. If it can happen to a well-educated, well-to-do family it can happen to anyone. It reminds me so much of our school and I can see something like that happening here. They report families to CPS or the police without bothering to discuss the situation with the family or get the whole story, they fail to do evaluations when parents have concerns, gossip and talk behind the back of the family, falsify records when backed into a corner, etc. etc. etc. I think it's a disgrace that apparently nothing happened to the school or anyone in it. They didn't have to pay any damages? No one was fired? Schools do this because they know they can get away with it. No one ever loses their jobs and nothing ever happens. So, I was talking with a mom who has a child with special needs about getting an advocate, etc (she has been trying to get an iep and services for her disabled child for 6 moths now and getting nowhere)... And another mom chimed in with this comment: "Definitely get a lawyer or advocate to help you in {state county} because in that particular county, and in a few other neighboring counties, if you p*ss them off enough they will anonymously report you to CPS." She said that she has been working with Special Olympics for years and almost every family that she has dealt with in the certain state counties had been reported at least once and many 2 or 3 times - almost always around their IEP and getting the things laid out in their IEP. Pretty disturbing that this is apparently a strategy used by some schools Crazy, although I'm finding nothing shocks me anymore. Who knows what kind of ridiculous thing children might say or do that could be misinterpreted, and then the school will just say "well we're mandated, we have to report everything." I have found that threatening to talk to the "State" works wonders though, in terms of getting cooperation.  So it goes both ways. Especially since they know that I know laws have been broken and I'm simply being "nice" in not reporting them.
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 4,051 Likes: 1
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 4,051 Likes: 1 |
I have to say that this story really appalls me, especially as someone who works on the school side of things. If it truly is being used punitively, or to manipulate the family, it is completely unethical.
FYI, if you really want to scare a school system, invoke the Office of Civil Rights--as in, my child, identified with a disability, is being discriminated against, in the form of punitive actions against the family in response to advocacy for the child, or denial of services without a reasonable explanation. I would save actually filing for a last resort, though, as it will pretty much kill any remaining relationship you have with the school.
If OCR decides there are grounds for an investigation, they can turn over just about any rock they want to, including all kinds of things not that closely related to the original complaint.
...pronounced like the long vowel and first letter of the alphabet...
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,157
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,157 |
I always say it in a very friendly off-hand manner, for instance I'll cheerfully say something like "I hope we can get this figured out and I don't have to call and ask the woman with the State again." Or I'll casually mention certain mandates, and how it's a shame that the people with the school don't seem to be aware of them, because at some point someone is going to get fed up enough to sue them, it's just a matter of time. That seems to do the trick nicely. I've never filed an actual complaint but it came close to that when I discovered that DS was not being pulled out for services, I inquired, and was totally ignored. I talked to someone in upper level admin and suddenly the next day everyone was pulling him out. But still, no one ever got back to me with an apology or explanation. No one ever apologized or explained anything, which ticked me off more than the fact that he wasn't being pulled out.
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