[SPAM] Re: Has anyone ever filed a complaint with TEA?

[Guest guest]

Well, my response would be the advocate is unaware of the large number of

suits already filed against Klein. Klein is actually known in the advocacy

circles in Texas for being a particularly difficult district to work with

once you get into a dispute with them, so I’m surprised that your advocate

isn’t aware of that.

You know, a parent of a special needs child only has so much energy. Why

put all of your energy into a very negative fight against the school

bureaucracy? Take the energy you have and put it into your child and your

family. I made that choice too for my son and our family when he was in

first and second grade. It turned out to be a fabulous decision. He asked

to go back to a “building school” for third grade, so he’s in public school

for the first time. (He was kicked out of 2 private schools—something to

remember you pro-voucher people. Private schools do not ever HAVE to take

anyone. That’s why they are private.) He’s in third grade this year and

has made a successful transition to full inclusion—taking and passing all

his grade level testing so far.

Do you know how to connect to the homeschool groups in the area? Do you

know you need to write a letter to the school stating that you will be

homeschooling your child and will teach him reading, writing, math, and good

citizenship? There is also a group, LATCH, for homeschoolers of children

with special needs. Also HYPERLINK

" http://www.homeschoolingintexas.com/ " http://www.homeschoolingintexas.com/

Good luck,

S.

" Most people say that is it is the intellect which makes a great scientist.

They are wrong: it is character. "

Albert Einstein

From: Texas-Autism-Advocacy

[mailto:Texas-Autism-Advocacy ] On Behalf Of

Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 11:12 PM

To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy

Subject: [sPAM] Re: Has anyone ever filed a complaint

with TEA?

I was made to feel a little guilty by an advocate. I spoke to her

yesterday. She was very supportive of my decision to homeschool.

She felt this would be right for us.

But, she indicated that this is the reason our school district gets

away with what it does. (we're in Klein) She said that no one ever

calls them on this stuff, we just quietly pull our kids to

homeschool, and the district is just fine with that. She then said

it never improves for the next parent who comes along.

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9:26 AM

[Guest guest]

I think we all agree on reform of the system - I hope we can all work together

for that, and then help all

mom2boysplano wrote: I guess I am one of the

" pro-voucher " people. Something those who fought

scholarships might want to remember is, the last time I checked private

schools weren't in the practice of suing children with disabilities for

control of their education, nor using our tax dollars to do it. You can

chose to attend a private school, and when you leave a private school

you can take your dollars with you - even if it's not leaving by choice

- at least they're not holding your money and, by extension, your

children hostage. It's not a choice to pay a public school that abuses

or neglects a child and then turns around and robs parents through a

lengthy legal process designed to wear them down.

I had the most flabbergasting conversation with Advocacy Inc. today. One

of their attorneys told me that our Texas federal courts are

unsympathetic to IDEA claims, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is even

worse, and Supreme Court under Justice is notoriously hostile to

the disability community. Basically, he said, don't bother fighting.

Yes, parents have limited energy to fight a school. But apparently not

so limited that some parents who would rather not fight a school would

still muster up enough energy to fight the options scholarships would

bring and the resulting ripple effect that would wake up the TEA and

public school union behemoth. Instead, all we are left with is an

unwinnable fight as described by our federally funded state Protection

and Advocacy Agency.

>

>

>

>

> You know, a parent of a special needs child only has so much energy.

Why

> put all of your energy into a very negative fight against the school

> bureaucracy? Take the energy you have and put it into your child and

your

> family. I made that choice too for my son and our family when he was

in

> first and second grade. It turned out to be a fabulous decision. He

asked

> to go back to a " building school " for third grade, so he's

in public school

> for the first time. (He was kicked out of 2 private

schools—something to

> remember you pro-voucher people. Private schools do not ever HAVE to

take

> anyone. That's why they are private.)

>

> Good luck,

>

> S.

>

>

>

> " Most people say that is it is the intellect which makes a great

scientist.

>

> They are wrong: it is character. "

>

> Albert Einstein

>

>

>

M. Guppy

My autism journey isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning

to dance in the rain.... Texas Autism Advocacy: www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

" There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right to

compromise. We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No one should live

in one. We cannot debate who should get an inclusive education. Everyone

should. We cannot determine who does and who does not get the right to make

their own choices and forge their own futures. All must. "

[Guest guest]

Yes, I think we do. I wish we all agreed on the urgency of the

situation, and that the legislative changes to date are not impactful

or effective enough in a circuit that permits and encourages

non-compliance of federal disability law. How do we reform a system

like that, unless it is to take some of the control away from the

government agencies? This problem comes from the top.

The legal defense fund I thought of last year to help level the

playing field may end up being just another resource drain for parents

who should not be subjected to abusive due process with little hope

for true resolution. However, it may on some level prevent parents

from getting to due process in the first place, since the schools

won't have total financial advantage over parents. Basically, if the

schools merely know parents have it as an option, it may have utility.

Executed, it may make little difference in justice being served.

I think I'd rather see something that has nothing to do with funding,

since that is such a volatile and evasive issue (ie., where do the

funds comes from - can't take them away from the " already underfunded "

public schools, etc.) What if school ratings were contingent upon more

than TAKS scores, and schools that had a disproportionately high

number of SpEd complaints filed against them and students in private

placements or home-schooled, were negatively impacted by a lower rating?

Seems to be highly motivating when it comes to performance on TAKS.

Why not for IDEA compliance as well?

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > You know, a parent of a special needs child only has so much energy.

> Why

> > put all of your energy into a very negative fight against the school

> > bureaucracy? Take the energy you have and put it into your child and

> your

> > family. I made that choice too for my son and our family when he was

> in

> > first and second grade. It turned out to be a fabulous decision. He

> asked

> > to go back to a " building school " for third grade, so he's

> in public school

> > for the first time. (He was kicked out of 2 private

> schools—something to

> > remember you pro-voucher people. Private schools do not ever HAVE to

> take

> > anyone. That's why they are private.)

> >

> > Good luck,

> >

> > S.

> >

> >

> >

> > " Most people say that is it is the intellect which makes a great

> scientist.

> >

> > They are wrong: it is character. "

> >

> > Albert Einstein

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

> M. Guppy

> My autism journey isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's

about learning to dance in the rain.... Texas Autism Advocacy:

www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

> " There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right

to compromise. We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No

one should live in one. We cannot debate who should get an inclusive

education. Everyone should. We cannot determine who does and who

does not get the right to make their own choices and forge their own

futures. All must. "

>

>

>

>