Re:did you receive a letter from the Broward Country School Board? Plz

[Guest guest]

This letter sounds like an attempt to stir up a "privacy fear", as if a FEAR of lack of privacy somehow compares with the REALITY of automatic denial of necessary IEP services.

And sharing things "that you never in your wildest dreams would have shared"

with an attorney (who is actually doing something about this--for ALL "similarly situated children") is hardly a comparison to the living breathing, REAL nightmare of the Schools non-chalant attitude in not providing for the needs of each child--ESPECIALLY at the preschool level where SEGREGATION IS IN FACT the ONLY CHOICE~! (And WHERE in fact INTEGRATION could do the most good)

Does anyone know when segregation is appropriate?

IDEA says that segregation is appropriate only when it can be shown that a child CANNOT be appropriately educated in the general ed environment WITH all and any necessary supports that the child needs. Caselaw supports that the least restrictive environment is appropriate EVEN IF the child can be BETTER EDUCATED in a segregated environment.

How can the school district determine this for all the preschoolers when they are FIRST segregated without the CHANCE to be educated in a general ed environment?

Does anyone on this group have a child or know of any child, of any age, who has autism that attends a Broward County District School and has one-on-one ABA on their IEP and is in fact RECEIVING one-on-one ABA?

Given the scientific holdings of ABA and autism, if there is not ONE CHILD wih autism in Broward County that has one-on-one ABA on their IEP, don't you think that's a little (#$ & # strange?

And THAT is what I believe this attorney is setting out to show, and God bless him for it.

If him and his staff are pouring over records (You said of 5,000 children!) trying to determine if ABA was requested, considered, or denied, do you really think they are going to be concerned about the "wild dreams" input of any one parent?

I am going to contact the Plaintiff's attorney and personally see to it that he and his staff receive and review my child's documentation. And I would encourage all parents of "similiarly situated children" to consider doing the same thing. I'm afraid that some of my wild dreams might be overlooked if I don't!

[Guest guest]

P.S. The following statments are NOT true:

He (Plaintiff's attorney) has been turned down over and over in court and is now working to gain the records of 5000 children (students and old students) in Broward County in order to show this pattern of denial and in the hopes of gaining class certification (always kicks up the attorney's fees).

The TRUTH is he has not been "turned down over and over in court". Actually, the School Board at the last ESE meeting admitted, (and its public record--the District Courts records) that it is the SCHOOL BOARD who has filed MOTION after MOTION to try to DENY his access to the records. (What ever does the school board have to hide?)

Your e-mail says that the attorney "is now working to gain the records of 5000 children".

Actually, the Court has ordered that he WILL receive the records and thus the "Broward County School Board letter" in your subject line.

Also this statement is rather self-serving and short-sighted:

the hopes of gaining class certification (always kicks up the attorney's fees)

Don't forget the fact that if "class certifcation" IS achieved, then ALL "SIMILIARLY SITUATED CHILDREN" would be part of the Court's relief.

I'm wondering why you are discouraging this anyway?