Special Education where I live article | Autism PDD
It's nice that you have a place to vent and people who can listen and understand. 
I have learned so much here because any help or info you get you have to get yourself because the schools certainly haven't pointed me in the right direction.
I'm looking for an advocate to come with me to my next IEP (or at least counsel me) because I'm just learning how much my child is actually entitled to as opposed to what they'll give you.
There was an article that came out recently where I live...and my city failed when it came to special education.
Here's the Article LINK
The lady that heads up the parents advisory group replied to this article in this Link
I am not surprised that Hampton failed...not at all. Not after the hell that my son has been through since he's been going to Hampton schools.
This same lady that heads up the advisory committee had me in tears one day when I called her to get the name of an advocate that was local. This was in my search of an advocate at that time and she asked me what was happening and after I explained...she told me that I didn't need an advocate that I should "trust" the school to help me and I explained to her that the school had not been helping me the last 10 years that I had let them be in control. She said that things have changed and that I should trust the special education team to help me.
She then said a comment to me that I'll never forget. Her daughter has down syndrome
and she told me that a many a parent that she knows would love to be in my shoes and have a child with asperger's. At that point I was in tears...because I was already frustrated with dealing with just finding out what Greg had after all these years and then here I thought that she would be more helpful, but instead she made remarks that were so hurtful. Yes....I'm lucky that my son doesn't have Down Syndrome and yes...he could have moderate to severe autism like so many here are having to deal with on a daily basis. I know that it could be a lot worse....but she made me feel as if my son didn't deserve any more help than he was already receiving.
I thank God everyday that I found this board! It was the members on THIS board that gave me the knowledge to help my son....certainly NOT this lady that was local and right in my back yard practically.
I do feel that she has a close friendship with the director of Special Education and that is why she went to bat for Hampton when this article came out.
I still can't believe that she told me that I didn't need an advocate. And if you read the article she calls many parents of children with special needs "lazy or unaware." Hmmm....maybe because we go to the meetings and feel like small people when these educators take control of the meetings? It's them against us...the educators that know "everything" and make us parents feel like we're dumb and stupid when it comes to educating our children. She may be aware because she educated herself...but probably what needs to happen is that EVERY parent that has a child in special education needs to HAVE to go to a wright's law seminar or at least have someone that really cares about their child's education meet with them and talk to them about advocacy and the law??
The funny thing is that I met her in person when I attended the wright's law seminar. She seemed okay that day and so I thought that when I called her ..that I would have gotten the help I needed instead of trampled on.
There is NO way while she is in charge of the advisory committee for Hampton that I will EVER go to the advisory committee meeting. She talks down to parents instead of trying to be there for them!
Sorry for this rant....but it's been buggin' me for over a week and building up...that I need to vent somewhere.
Good for you posting this article! I love when people expose the problems in their school districts for the whole world to see! Otherwise, how can anyone do anything about it? Good for you being shrewd! Best of luck at your upcoming IEP meeting - I'm sure it will be interesting!
The lady was way out of line. I would hire an advocate anyways.
Here are 2 great websites for info on laws www.wrightslaw.com and www.copaa.org
That along with the confidence that I got from so many here ...and the couple of ladies here that helped me edit letters that made me really look like I knew what I was talking about. By the end...I did know what I was talking about. 
...well...I mostly did.
This person has "gone native" in a big way. I would not trust her further than I can throw her.
My local parents advisory committee has the same problem.
["gone native" is used in aerospace to mean that a government oversight person has worked overseeing a company for so long that he is not effective anymore since all his friends are in the company he is meant to be overseeing. He ends up covering for his friends.]
I think she's gone "native" too. I got that feeling when she mentioned that she knew the director really well and blah blah blah....I saw red flags.
Now don't misunderstand me...it was the same sp. ed. director that was able to move mountains to get my son in the special school, but I don't think that would have happened if she didn't see the writing on the walls from the paper trail that I had been leaving everywhere. I am just so glad that she did decide to help me, since it was the best thing to ever happen for my son.
Now I'm waiting for the school to contact me and let me know when the IEP meeting will be to discuss this coming school year. If I don't hear something by the end of this week, I'll be calling them on Monday to discuss why I haven't. (They have a due date of July 25th to turn in reports). I'll be out of town tomorrow....and trying to catch up on Friday.
I ended up not going out of town yesterday so I called. The lady I spoke to will need to speak to the head of sp.ed. to see if she's going to approve my son going back to the private day school in the fall. We're hoping she will. I won't know anything till Tuesday or Wednesday of next week....and from there she'll set up the IEP meeting.
I need to find out soon though, because if they decide not to send him back to the private day school, then we'll have to go with due process.....they won't want to deal with that or all the testing that I'll be requesting as well.
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