A Readers Comment Highlighted II

Every once in a while a reader will post something under an older post that we feel is worth sharing. This readers comments were posted under 'Special Education Issues at MVRCS (Special Education Issues at MVRCS Posting). We know that this gentleman isn't the only one to have a child facing these same issues at MVRCS and want others to know that they are not alone. Unfortunately we feel the need to warn the writer and others that MVRCS does not take lightly to being challenged nor would they welcome parents joining forces. It is a well known (and frequently experienced) fact that those who dare challenge the Board or Administration (especially in regards to Special Education issues which we believe are many) are subjected to various retaliation tactics. Children of these parents are often times retained and/or subjected to increased disciplinary actions (i.e. card changes, office visits, detentions) that make their existence there miserable. We must admit that Paul also makes some very valid points. We also suggest that any parent with a child with any diverse learning needs (be it a learning disability, ADD, ADHD, etc) know Special Education laws and enlist the assistance of an attorney or advocate when dealing with MVRCS regarding their child's education. Check out our list of Educational Advocates and Attorneys HERE.

Anonymous said...

I have a son with ADHD at MVRCS. In my opinion they are trying to railroad him out of the school. They do absolutely nothing to help him. They take pride in giving him detention after detention, never trying anything new to help him avoid detentions. It appears they take greet pride in punishing students. What is it that MMVRCS actually does to help students ? Not much. They can take a B student and give him/her twenty extra days of school a year and maybe they become a B+ student. Is that such a great accomplishment ? Not in my eyes. The true test is what they do, or don't do with kids like my son with ADHD. The answer is that they do nothing, and they are prod of it. We don't need these statements to be anonymous. We should stand together and have our voice heard. HHope to here from others iin the same position. Paul

From Referral to IEP - A Timeline

We have heard time and time again from parents that they have been working with Kathy Kinnon and/or Special Education department for extensive periods of time in trying to determine if their child requires Special Education Services.  A few parents have mentioned that they felt as though the process is extensive and can take up to a year. This is NOT the case. Interestingly enough the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education have made mention within their visit reports of the school taking too much time to complete the process from referral to IEP. Many parents may not be aware that according to special education laws that the school is only permitted so much time between referral of a student to the convening of a team meeting. We’re providing some guidelines to help parents who may not be aware of the laws governing special education. We have much more information that we are happy to provide to parents with specific questions (especially regarding having outside evaluations completed, which we highly recommend). Most importantly, if you do not feel good about the IEP or the evaluation, don't just accept it! 

***PARENTS SHOULD RECEIVE A CONSENT FORM WITHIN 5 SCHOOL DAYS FROM THE TIME A REFERRAL IS SUBMITTED***

*** AN IEP MEETING SHOULD BE HELD WITHIN 45 SCHOOL DAYS FROM WHEN A PARENT SIGNS AND SUBMITS A CONSENT FORM***

The Special Education Process from Referral to IEP (information taken from DESE website)

1.      The Referral Process:

a.       Once a student has been referred for an evaluation by either a parent, teacher, or other professional, parents must be notified within 5 SCHOOL DAYS of the referral.

                                                              i.      Forms must meet certain requirements under state and federal law but mainly to seek parent consent for the evaluation to take place and allow parents the opportunity to meet with school officials to answer any questions, the reason for the referral, provide additional input, and what the evaluation will consist of.

2.      Evaluation Process:

a.       Once parents have signed the consent form and WITHIN 30 SCHOOL DAYS the school shall evaluate the child. The evaluation should:

                                                              i.      All assessments must be conducted by ‘appropriately credentialed and trained specialists’ per the DESE.

                                                            ii.      An evaluation should include all assessments that are related to the students suspected disability including:

1.      History of progress within general curriculum with input from teachers (we’d stress with both current and past year teachers for both background and perspective,

2.      Attention skills,

3.      Participation behaviors,

4.      Communication skills.

5.      Social relations with groups, peers and adults

                                                          iii.      Also to be included within this evaluation is a “narrative description” of the students potential, both academically and developmentally.

b.      Optional Assessments:

                                                              i.      A health assessment if a medical problem may limit the student’s success within an academic setting and/or academic successes.

                                                            ii.      Psychological assessment by a licensed school psychologist, licensed psychologist, or licensed educational psychologist, including an individual psychological examination.

                                                          iii.      A home assessment that may be conducted by a nurse, psychologist, social worker, guidance or adjustment counselor, or teacher and includes information on pertinent family history and home situation and may include a home visit, with the agreement of a parent.

c.       Assessment Reports and Results:

                                                              i.      A report shall be completed and submitted in writing what assessments were conducted, the results, and “shall define in detail and in educationally relevant and common terms, the student's needs, offering explicit (i.e. VERY SPECIFIC, DETAILED) means of meeting them.

                                                            ii.      Parents may request a copy of the summaries of assessments that are to be completed PRIOR to any discussion by the Team. These reports shall also be provided to parents at LEAST TWO DAYS IN ADVANCE of Team discussion.

3.      Development of the IEP:

a.       Convening the Team: WITHING 45 SCHOOL WORKING DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF A PARENT’S WRITTEN CONSENT to an initial evaluation or reevaluation, the school district shall:

                                                              i.      Provide an evaluation;

                                                            ii.      Convene a Team meeting

                                                          iii.      Determine if student requires special education services

                                                          iv.      Develop and IEP in accordance with state and federal laws (if deemed necessary)

                                                            v.      Provide parents with 2 copies of the proposed IEP and proposed placement

4.      Contents of an IEP:

a.       An IEP (Individualized Education Plan) is used for students who require special education services and is developed as a direct result of the evaluation and assessments that have been approved by the parents and conducted by the school.

                                                              i.      IEP’s describe what services and related services an individual student requires.

                                                            ii.      While developing a student’s IEP, the school shall consider the curriculum and standards of the school and develop and incorporate instructional methods that will allow student to progress effectively (i.e. identify what accommodations the student requires to succeed within the classroom)

b.      A few side notes on IEP’s:

                                                              i.       An IEP is a sort of road map of the student’s learning. Be sure that a starting point is identified (what the student can do now, reading level, comprehension issues, fluency, etc. and where the student will be and when).

                                                            ii.      DO NOT WAIT FOR A 1 YEAR FOLLOW UP MEETING, SET IT FOR 3 MONTHS TO ENSURE YOUR CHILD HAS PROGRESSED.

A Letter to the DESE

SIDE NOTE: We have since obtained a number of copies of other letters sent to not only Mr. Wulfson but also to a Mary Street, another DESE employee who is (or was) responsible for the oversight of MVRCS. It is disturbing to us that the DESE has had parents write to them in the past yet no actions have been taken. We must question at what point does the DESE begin to care about the questionable actions of our school enough to actually do something. It is beginning to look like the fox has been put in charge of the hen house.

This letter was sent to Mr. Wulfson a the DESE along with numerous other individuals we felt may have the answers we seek. In true UnOfficialMVRCS, this was also sent to a number of media and news outlets.

Dear Mr. Wulfson;

We would like to thank you for offering to be the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s contact person for our group. To clarify, we are a group of parents with children in Mystic Valley Regional Charter School who have become concerned with the operation and management of our school. As a result we have created a blog that can be found at UnOfficialMVRCS.blogspot.com with the hope of drawing attention to the issues. We have insisted upon anonymity out of fear of repercussions to our children on the part of the Board of Trustees and Administration of our school. We find it unfortunate that we feel the need to protect our identity but have heard from many parents who felt attacked and victimized by the school as a result of vocalizing their criticisms or questions. We do not imagine that the DESE approves of this practice or behavior nor would allow it to occur. Further, the need to conceal our identity has resulted in drawing attention away from our issues and concerns as our identities and motives are constantly being questioned.

Our purpose for writing to you at this juncture is to question the DESE as to what their exact role is in the oversight of our school. We have read numerous site visit reports (some of which are written by you) that draw attention to such issues as the schools refusal to incorporate term limits for Trustee members into their by-laws, the Boards failure to comply with the Open Meeting laws, specifically in relation to the Executive Sessions, and the concern that the Board may be too involved in the day to day operations of the school. We have also heard from numerous parents and teachers who have relayed their experiences when contacting your agency for issues such as discrepancies in reports, special education issues, failure to comply the IDEA, NCLB, retaliation of ADA laws, and issues related to the schools failure to report neglect or threats of harm regarding students. Our blog also brings to light such issues as violations of Charter school laws (specifically the re-admittance of relatives of the Administration), clear violations of the conflict of issue laws (including nepotism, preferential treatment to children of Trustees and Administration regarding the lottery and waitlist), the schools practice of including questionable language and restrictions within teachers contracts, and examples of the lack of respect Neil Kinnon demonstrates towards parents and in the hiring of highly qualified teachers, which has a direct impact on their high turnover rate.

Another Must Read (and Re-Read) Resource to Prepare for IEP Meetings

“If you’re not sure where you’re going, you’re liable to end up someplace else. If you don’t know where you’re going, the best made maps won’t help you get there.”  —Robert Mager, psychologist, writer, educator

We have seen a few IEP's from MVRCS and, as we've mentioned previously, have consulted with individuals who have many years within education and exceptional credentials. The feedback was less than positive, with a few of them being alarming. That being said, while we would welcome the departure of Kathy Kinnon as the Special Education Direction, we don't see that happening. The 'fix' to this issue is to educate our parents of students who are receiving services so that at the very least, parents can document the progress of their children. Many parents find the IEP and special education, services dance incredibly challenging, frustrating, and upsetting. It is difficult to know what you don't know and even more upsetting to find out too late that you didn't know something that mattered. We have come to the conclusion that education is the key, that is educating the parents on how to ensure their child receives the education they are entitled to and deserve. With that as a new mission and purpose to our blog, we will be giving much attention and information that deals specifically with advocating for your children.

 IDEA 2004 requires your child’s IEP to include:
a statement of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional 
performance, including how the child’s disability affects the child’s involvement
and progress in the general education curriculum . . . [and] a statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals, designed to meet the child’s needs that result from the child’s disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and . . . meet each of the child’s other educational needs that result from the child’s disability. 

Sounds confusing, right?

Reading, Spelling, & Writing ~ Upcoming IEP Meeting? You MUST Ask These Questions!

This is a copy of a publication from the Wrights Law website that is incredibly useful for parents preparing for an upcoming IEP meeting, especially for those parents with children who struggle with reading, spelling and writing. The questions provided within this (and it's counterpart, Reading) are crucial and will allow parents to focus on the issues and ask the 'right' questions. The best thing a parent can do (other than obtain an advocate or attorney) is to educate themselves and have a list of questions or topics they feel must be addressed to their child's success. We also recommend tape recording all meetings for future reference and to ensure no misunderstandings regarding your conversation or expectations. 
It was recently pointed out to us by a former staff member that the school does not do much independent writing and what they do write, little is done towards the craft of writing (specifically editing and revising). We have not heard of a writing program that the school uses although we have heard rumors that they may be working with a writing program vendor in the future. We respectfully request that all parents push this initiative as writing skills are developed through practice and this impacts all of our students.
Again, any edits or comments that were added by us have been placed in italics as this document is originally from Wrights Law.

Parents of children with disabilities who are receiving “special education” reading
instruction need information to participate in writing the IEP (Individualized Education Program) and in working with their children at home. When speaking with your child’s teacher(s) or education specialist, use the following questions to help you gather the information you need. And remember if you do not understand something, ask to have it explained thoroughly.

If You Have Questions about Spelling, ask . . .
1. What impact does my child’s reading ability have on his spelling?

2. How do you blend reading, writing and repeated practice activities in the classroom to help my child become a better speller?

Reading Related ~ Upcoming IEP Meeting? You MUST Ask These Questions!

For Parents going into an IEP meeting, here are some incredibly useful questions to ask during the meeting, Be sure to record the answers as you may want to refer back to them at future meetings. This too came from Wrights Law at Reading Related Questions You MUST ASK. This is one of the BEST tools parents can arm themselves with other than an advocate or attorney. Any additions or changes to this form will appear in italics as this document is a resource of Wrights Law.

Parents of children with disabilities who are receiving “special education” reading
instruction need information to participate in writing the IEP (Individualized Education Program) and in working with their children at home. When speaking with your child’s teacher(s) or education specialist, use the following questions to help you gather the information you need in the boxes provided. And remember if you do not understand something, ask to have it explained thoroughly.

                    If you have questions about your child’s overall reading progress, ask…

1. What is my child’s grade level in reading? What does that mean she can do?
2. Where does she need to improve?  
(Specifically phonics, decoding, vocabulary, comprehension,  or fluency)
3. Is there a difference between how well my child reads individual words and
how well she understands what she reads? If so, what can we do to improve
the weaker areas? (Specifically decoding v. comprehension)
4. Are you using a specific program to teach my child? If so, what skills does this
program teach? (The school uses Direct Instruction as their methodology but ask what specific book they are using, lesson, and grade level of book. What Reading Recovery or Intervention Reading program are they using?)

About Reading Improvement Questions Parents Can Ask…

Refusing Title I Funds....Because?

We've been looking into Title I funding as we found it curious that MVRCS has declined this funding in the past (even though they qualified for it), causing us toquestion why they did this, if they are still refusing Title I funds. It seems in these times of tight financial concern and equally unstable education funding (charter schools included), that schools would take whatever funding they could obtain (especially as they have been forced to charge for transportation this year). While we have been unable to identify justification for their decision, we did find more information on Title I funding and what is required to receive such funds.After reading through this, we question if the decision was based on the fact that by accepting these funds, the school would be under scrutiny of the Title I folks who would be looking for the following signs of a quality, successful education for all children.

The purpose of this title is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments. This purpose can be accomplished by —

Kinnons Efforts to Control - Us, Firefighters, Teachers, and ??

We have been accused of being school haters, union proponents, members of the Concerned Citizens of Malden group, and the list goes on. As we have addressed repeatedly, we are none of the above. As we stated earlier we listed the link to the Malden School Budget as a way to demonstrate that when a school has nothing to hide, they have no issues or concerns in submitting their records under the Freedom of Information Act as required by law. The fact that our school has chosen to break the law rather than follow the law causes us to question why they would the repercussions of breaking that law if they have not broken any other laws. We can also assure our readers that we are in no way affiliated with any unions or union actions. In fact, while we do believe that our teachers should unite for better working conditions, we don't feel the unions are the answer. In fact, we would prefer the teachers align themselves with the Pioneer Institute (www.pioneerinstitute.org) to address the improvement of their working conditions. They have done some wonderful research and made great strides towards education reform. Another group called Turn Exchange (www.turnexchange.net) is another organization that works with teachers and making great accomplishments.

A GREAT Resource for Parents on What Makes an IEP Effective

This article is incredibly useful for parents of special education students at MVRCS. We suggest having your childs IEP nearby for comparision (you should have received one at your last meeting but Kathy Kinnon would be able to provide you with a copy) as you read through this.

FAPE.org is also an excellent resource for Parents. Another useful article on how to tell if your child is making progress can be found at: http://www.pacer.org/parent/php/PHP-c78.pdf . The main index can be found here: http://www.fape.org/pubs/index.html.

“Facts-on-Hand” is an easy to read series on special education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).