Re: Great info to help negotiate your IEP

[Guest guest]

Great info! Thanks!

From: jon singer <jonathanleesinger@...>

Subject: Great info to help negotiate your IEP

Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 6:16 AM

 

I recently discovered something very interesting that might be helpful

when negotiating the IEP for your child.

Our daughter receives after school ABA services and I am having a

disagreement with our town about the number of hours provided and the

rate paid to the service provider. I feel the rate is too low and the

reason I care about it is that we pay the service provider in advance so

she doesn't have to wait a month or more for her checks.

When I asked for information from our town about the rates paid to

other service providers and their qualifications, they ignored my

request.

When I searched " freedom of information " in Google I found this terrific

web site:

http://www.sunshinereview.org/index.php/List_of_who_can_make_public_reco\

rd_requests_by_state

<http://www.sunshinereview.org/index.php/List_of_who_can_make_public_rec\

ord_requests_by_state%20%20%20>

It turns out that in New Jersey we have something called The Open

Public Records Act. This act mandates that our local board of education

is obligated to release most of their records within 7 days of a

written request (with some exceptions including anything with


personal identifying information). Most states have similar

mandates.

Once I requested the information under The Open Public Records Act, it


was amazing how quickly they responded.

Yesterday I received time sheets for every student showing the number

of after school hours they receive and the hourly rate and resumes for

all of the service providers.

There is a huge range of the number of hours provided (10 hours to 100+

a month) and rate per hour paid to these providers ($15 to $90 per

hour).

I just made a second request for information about physical,

occupational and speech therapy services received by every student in

town.

If you are in negotiations for your child's IEP, I encourage you to

make a freedom of information act request. I can understand if you are

reluctant to ask for this type of 
information because of concerns

that it might put you in an adversarial relationship with your board of

education and the potential for negative consequences.

If you feel that way, perhaps you know someone in your area, even in

another town, who doesn't have kids and therefore has nothing to lose.

Ask them to request the information as it seems like anyone can request

public records.

The board of education holds all of the cards and they clearly have the

upper hand. They have lawyers on retainer, they do this every day and

have no emotional stake in these matters. You are entitled to receive

this type of information and it may help your case.

I'll let you know what happens as we continue in our negotiations and

let me know what you find out in your state.

Jon

Drive4.org <http://www.drive4rebecca.org/>

###

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helps kids with special needs and win!

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[Guest guest]

Good info. Hope they didn't released the kids names? It will be scary.On Wed, Feb 16, 2011 at 6:02 AM, jon singer <singer@...> wrote:

 

I recently discovered something very interesting that might be helpful when negotiating the IEP for your child. Our

daughter receives after school ABA services and I am having a disagreement with our town about the number of hours provided and the rate paid to the service provider.  I feel the rate is too low and the reason I care about it is that we pay the service provider in advance so

she doesn't have to wait a month or more for her checks. When I

asked for information from our town about the rates paid to other service providers and their qualifications, they ignored my request. When I searched " freedom of information " in Google I found this terrific web site: http://www.sunshinereview.org/index.php/List_of_who_can_make_public_record_requests_by_state   

 It

turns out that in New Jersey we have something called The Open Public Records Act. This act mandates that our local board of education is obligated to release most of their records within 7 days of a written request (with some exceptions including anything with 
personal identifying information).  Most states have similar mandates.Once I requested the information under The Open Public Records Act, it 
was amazing how quickly they responded.Yesterday

I received time sheets for every student showing the number of after school hours they receive and the hourly rate and resumes for all of the

service providers. There

is a huge range of the number of hours provided (10 hours to 100+ a month) and rate per hour paid to these providers ($15 to $90 per hour). I

just made a second request for information about physical, occupational

and speech therapy services received by every student in town. If

you are in negotiations for your child's IEP, I encourage you to make a

freedom of information act request. I can understand if you are reluctant to ask for this type of 
information because of concerns that it might put you in an adversarial relationship with your board of education and the potential for negative consequences. If you feel that way, perhaps you know someone in your area, even in another town, who doesn't have kids and therefore has nothing to lose.  Ask them to request the information as it seems like anyone can request public records.The board of education holds all of the cards and they clearly have the upper hand.  They have lawyers on retainer, they do this every day and have no emotional stake in these matters.  You are entitled to receive this type of information and it may help your case.

I'll

let you know what happens as we continue in our negotiations and let me

know what you find out in your state. 

JonDrive4.org ###Help raise $1,000,000 for any charity that helps kids with special needsRaise funds for your favorite cause and win great

like iPods, Apple Store gift cards or an iPadhttp://www.Crowdrise.com/Advocacy4All Learn more about The Advocacy 4 All Cross Country Tour:

http://www.Drive4.org/2011CrossCountryTour.htm

Download great free resources and learn more about advocacy by

joining The Special Needs Parent Zone: www.SpecialNeedsParentZone.org 

[Guest guest]

Just to jump in, almost every state has a similar statute. (They are required by law to redact the names of persons receiving services.) However, I like the idea of having a third party request the info if you are concerned about retaliation -- however, I am assuming that if you are going to use the information to request more info, they are going to figure that out eventually. Anyone in the state can ask for records under these state statutes.

Good luck and great idea.

Autism and Aspergers Treatment CC: singer@...From: nlr2000@...Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:26:34 -0800Subject: Re: Great info to help negotiate your IEP

Good info. Hope they didn't released the kids names? It will be scary.

On Wed, Feb 16, 2011 at 6:02 AM, jon singer <singer@...> wrote:

I recently discovered something very interesting that might be helpful when negotiating the IEP for your child. Our daughter receives after school ABA services and I am having a disagreement with our town about the number of hours provided and the rate paid to the service provider. I feel the rate is too low and the reason I care about it is that we pay the service provider in advance so she doesn't have to wait a month or more for her checks. When I asked for information from our town about the rates paid to other service providers and their qualifications, they ignored my request. When I searched "freedom of information" in Google I found this terrific web site: http://www.sunshinereview.org/index.php/List_of_who_can_make_public_record_requests_by_state It turns out that in New Jersey we have something called The Open Public Records Act. This act mandates that our local board of education is obligated to release most of their records within 7 days of a written request (with some exceptions including anything with 
personal identifying information). Most states have similar mandates.Once I requested the information under The Open Public Records Act, it 
was amazing how quickly they responded.Yesterday I received time sheets for every student showing the number of after school hours they receive and the hourly rate and resumes for all of the service providers. There is a huge range of the number of hours provided (10 hours to 100+ a month) and rate per hour paid to these providers ($15 to $90 per hour). I just made a second request for information about physical, occupational and speech therapy services received by every student in town. If you are in negotiations for your child's IEP, I encourage you to make a freedom of information act request. I can understand if you are reluctant to ask for this type of 
information because of concerns that it might put you in an adversarial relationship with your board of education and the potential for negative consequences. If you feel that way, perhaps you know someone in your area, even in another town, who doesn't have kids and therefore has nothing to lose. Ask them to request the information as it seems like anyone can request public records.The board of education holds all of the cards and they clearly have the upper hand. They have lawyers on retainer, they do this every day and have no emotional stake in these matters. You are entitled to receive this type of information and it may help your case. I'll let you know what happens as we continue in our negotiations and let me know what you find out in your state. JonDrive4.org ###Help raise $1,000,000 for any charity that helps kids with special needsRaise funds for your favorite cause and win greatlike iPods, Apple Store gift cards or an iPadhttp://www.Crowdrise.com/Advocacy4All Learn more about The Advocacy 4 All Cross Country Tour:http://www.Drive4.org/2011CrossCountryTour.htm Download great free resources and learn more about advocacy by joining The Special Needs Parent Zone: www.SpecialNeedsParentZone.org

[Guest guest]

It's funny (not?) if not typical how they only respond to your requests (if not

your needs?) when you only do things a typical/formatted (programmed?) way.

That doesn't show co-operation or understanding (of communication) whatsoever,

but a narrow minded-set for a narrow goal-set that I'm more and more finding

typical of what a public (politicalized) education is really about. Thanks for

sharing. I wonder what other tricks they have up their sleeve to push their

agenda/curriculum

I got more lies and a run-around when I asked for my kids reports and such when

my child was in school. They wanted a day to organize it, and there really

wasn't much to it after that. I took homeschooling more seriously from there on

in

I consider going to public school an *outing* to the jungle of political

humanity, among the other things a public education can be good for.. I want my

children to understand as much as possible, where the main schooling is

homeschooling in that respect

I'm figuring they're (the political state, or whatever, of such group/s) always

one step ahead with their game(s) in that respect, of what they're about (I

Figure) but, hey, go with it, your approach, to see what you can get out of it,

I think is a very good thing to try. I consider it in the spirit of giving the

other the benefit of the doubt (!) where every situation is different, no less

Glavic

I ABA

ABA for Understandingmore

The theme of my curriculum/understanding, for Understandingmore.. . is

*justice.* (Where I treat everything otherwise as somewhat abusive/unreasonable

to that, in serving justice, that I Feel my educating does) I'm not very

sympathetic of that which isn't. Here's to us in that respect, of communication

if not such communication, that real communication would be for anything less

Indeed, it may in fact be based on the Socratic method, my ABA? Best wishes for

you and yours.

>

> I recently discovered something very interesting that might be helpful

> when negotiating the IEP for your child.

>

> Our daughter receives after school ABA services and I am having a

> disagreement with our town about the number of hours provided and the

> rate paid to the service provider. I feel the rate is too low and the

> reason I care about it is that we pay the service provider in advance so

> she doesn't have to wait a month or more for her checks.

>

> When I asked for information from our town about the rates paid to

> other service providers and their qualifications, they ignored my

> request.

>

> When I searched " freedom of information " in Google I found this terrific

> web site:

> http://www.sunshinereview.org/index.php/List_of_who_can_make_public_reco\

> rd_requests_by_state

>

> <http://www.sunshinereview.org/index.php/List_of_who_can_make_public_rec\

> ord_requests_by_state%20%20%20>

> It turns out that in New Jersey we have something called The Open

> Public Records Act. This act mandates that our local board of education

> is obligated to release most of their records within 7 days of a

> written request (with some exceptions including anything with

> 
personal identifying information). Most states have similar

> mandates.

>

> Once I requested the information under The Open Public Records Act, it

> 
was amazing how quickly they responded.

>

> Yesterday I received time sheets for every student showing the number

> of after school hours they receive and the hourly rate and resumes for

> all of the service providers.

>

> There is a huge range of the number of hours provided (10 hours to 100+

> a month) and rate per hour paid to these providers ($15 to $90 per

> hour).

>

> I just made a second request for information about physical,

> occupational and speech therapy services received by every student in

> town.

>

> If you are in negotiations for your child's IEP, I encourage you to

> make a freedom of information act request. I can understand if you are

> reluctant to ask for this type of 
information because of concerns

> that it might put you in an adversarial relationship with your board of

> education and the potential for negative consequences.

>

> If you feel that way, perhaps you know someone in your area, even in

> another town, who doesn't have kids and therefore has nothing to lose.

> Ask them to request the information as it seems like anyone can request

> public records.

>

> The board of education holds all of the cards and they clearly have the

> upper hand. They have lawyers on retainer, they do this every day and

> have no emotional stake in these matters. You are entitled to receive

> this type of information and it may help your case.

>

> I'll let you know what happens as we continue in our negotiations and

> let me know what you find out in your state.

>

>

> Jon

> Drive4.org <http://www.drive4rebecca.org/>

>

> ###

>

> Help raise $1,000,000 for any charity that

> helps kids with special needs and win!

>

> Raise funds for your favorite cause and win great

> prizes like iPods, Apple Store gift cards or an iPad

> http://www.Crowdrise.com/Advocacy4All

> <http://www.crowdrise.com/Advocacy4All>

>

> Learn more about The Advocacy 4 All Cross Country Tour:

> http://www.Drive4.org/2011CrossCountryTour.htm

> <http://www.drive4rebecca.org/2011CrossCountryTour.htm>

>

> Download great free resources by joining

> www.SpecialNeedsParentZone.org <http://www.specialneedsparentzone.org/>

>

>

>

>