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By Roth

The Virginian-Pilot

© April 13, 2008

VIRGINIA BEACH

For five years, every time Lona Hyde has gone to her son's school to

discuss his special education needs, she's brought along a paid

advocate.

" As a parent, you don't know the laws inside and out. I don't have

time to research the laws and know if they're telling me the truth or

not, " said Hyde, a mother of three.

Special education advocates were rare before 1997, when a federal law

began requiring schools to involve parents in placement decisions for

special education children.

Now, there are at least a half-dozen local advocates who say their

phones ring day and night. Some perform the service as an outgrowth

of their work with children or disabled people, while others dedicate

themselves full-time to advocacy. Some charge nothing, others cost

$75 to $125 an hour.

Most parents don't hire advocates. But like most parents who do, Hyde

said she is frustrated. She knows that her son, Trevor, has a legal

right to a good education, but doesn't trust the educators.

" It's the school system versus the parent. It is not a team, " she

said.

Hyde has used two advocates. The first was her son's psychologist,

Katz, who helped her set goals for her son with the school.

But when the seventh-grader got in trouble in November, Hyde brought

in Cheryl Poe, a parent of a disabled child who has made representing

other parents in schools her profession.

" I'm direct. I'm to the point, " said Poe, who speaks often at School

Board meetings. " My job is to make sure parents' needs are heard and

respected. "

Advocates are not always welcomed by educators. Sometimes, schools

perceive them as antagonistic.

Twice, Katz said, a school called in its police officer when he

asserted his right to attend a meeting with a parent.

" I've dealt with all kinds, " said , director of

special education for Beach schools. " Some come in and want to build

bridges. Others are aggressive and come in and challenge people. "

For Poe, her activism was spurred by her own experience. About six

years ago, while trying to get diagnosis and treatment for her son's

learning disability, she said a school speech pathologist told her

she was the problem, that she must have been speaking black English

to him at home.

" To assume that because I'm a different race, I speak a foreign

language that's confusing my child, that hurt my feelings, " Poe

said. " Nobody was there to help. It was horrible. "

Poe, who has a master's degree in urban education and counseling from

Norfolk State University, began to bone up on education law. She

attended seminars and training sessions and joined advocacy groups

online.

There is no test or certification to become a special education

advocate. That means the backgrounds and qualifications of advocates

vary. Locally, they include a parent, a teacher, a psychologist, a

medical professional, a testing expert and a service provider to the

disabled.

Schools are required to have an individualized education program,

known as an IEP, for every special education student. Under federal

law, at least once a year, a team of educators meets with parents to

decide the goals and services that go into a child's program. That

can include an array of teachers, a principal, a special education

coordinator, therapists and others.

" So many parents don't have a clear perspective on their rights and

responsibilities, " said Cheryl Baker, graduate program director of

special education at Old Dominion University. " The special education

process is a very complex process, and advocates can really fill that

role. It's very, very necessary for many, many parents who are

overwhelmed. "

Most advocates attend meetings with parents, conduct phone

consultations and make personal visits.

The state Department of Education is considering allowing school

divisions to terminate special education services without a parent's

consent. The state department plans to hold a meeting at Norview High

School in Norfolk on May 28 to hear from the public on the proposed

changes.

Gov. M. Kaine has said he will not support any changes that

would reduce the role of parents, a stance also taken by advocates.

Currently, a parent who feels a school is violating the law can file

a complaint with the state Department of Education, and advocates can

help them do that. Some parents also request a due process hearing,

but most advocates won't argue a case in court, leaving that to

lawyers.

" I've run into advocates who don't appear to know the law or special

education, and would be what I would consider a hindrance, " said

Kathleen Mehfoud, who has been practicing special education law for

30 years.

More often, the disagreement between parents and educators is

resolved at the school level.

" People come to me because things aren't working, " said Amy ,

a testing specialist who also does advocacy. " I would like parents

not to need me in the schools. "

Virginia Beach public schools have more than 10,000 students with

disabilities, one of the highest enrollments in the state. The

disabilities range from mild reading difficulties to severe mental

and physical impairments. A plan has to be written for every child,

said, and resources must be used fairly.

The remedies vary widely and include separate classes, one-on-one

therapy or instruction, individualized curriculums and specialized

equipment.

" If one parent is not satisfied, I'm concerned about it, "

said.

The School Board has recognized there is room for improvement. During

the summer, special education was chosen as one of the focus areas

for the year. A Florida company, MGT of America, was hired to audit

the program. It is scheduled to present its report in May.

The audit is evidence of how much has changed. In the early 1970s,

disabled children were barely educated – when they were in schools at

all. Now, enrollment is mandatory, and laws require schools to set

ambitious academic goals for special education students.

" I've seen an evolution in education, " said Honey Low, an advocate

for special education children for nearly 40 years. For the past

decade, she has focused on military families.

" There is always going to be a need for advocates in education, " said

Low, who doesn't charge a fee for her services. " I've been at this

since 1971. "

For Trevor Hyde, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and

anxiety, his mother and the division disagreed over where he should

attend school. His middle school recommended he be sent to the city's

alternative middle school. When Lona Hyde objected, the team proposed

he attend a different middle school.

In the end, with Poe's help, the school division agreed to pay for a

tutor to work with Trevor at home for the rest of the year.

" It's worth the money, because you're fighting for your child, " Hyde

said. " I'd spend it all again. "

Roth, , lauren.rothpilotonline

Link to article please post comments at this link:

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/04/virginia-beach-parents-enlist-help-

special-education-battle

Thx

Cheryl A Poe