It's Been 24 Years

Half of my lifetime ago.

It no longer consumes my thoughts, but rather sneaks into them on occasion.

I wonder if a time will ever come when I can get through January 18th without going back to that time.

So many of life's memories have faded, yet that moment I walked into out loft apartment and found my husband with a gunshot wound to the head remains vivid - the colors - the feelings - the sounds - the smells - they stay strong.

1-800-SUICIDE 1-800-784-2433 National Hopeline Network

1-800-273-TALK 1-800-273-8255 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Suspended

The IEP ... not Cam.

The meeting went ... *sigh* ... as expected. We got through the IEP in about an hour, removing language that was clearly written into the IEP to sway placement. Things like:

• Cameron was suspended and arrested on 12/13/12 for battery and disorderly conduct when he pushed another student and the student fell to the floor. This caused the other student to retaliate and ended in a fight. (Cam was TICKETED for battery and disorderly conduct. The second sentence in this passage was removed from the IEP as Cam is not responsible for the actions of others)
• Due to Cameron's diagnosis noted in the 2002 report by Dr. Barrett, Cam displays behaviors that negatively impact his educational performance. (In an informal meeting, I shared an OLD diagnostic report with two people on the IEP team, prefacing the sharing with "I am working under the assumption that this meeting is off the record," to which they both agreed, yet they continue to attempt to include this "off-the-record" information in the IEP when Cam has a diagnosis from 2009 that indicated his first diagnosis was incorrect)
• Cameron has expressed that it would be difficult for him to graduate from high school in a traditional setting. (Cam has expressed that he believes he has been singled out - that staff is just waiting for him to do something wrong so they can send him back to the Dean's office. Cam's observations have been confirmed by both students AND staff)

I felt good about those changes. They more clearly reflect Cam's disability, struggles in school, and consequences of those struggles.

We then came to the issue of placement.

As I shared with you Monday, I was told four placement options would be considered, none of those placement options were Cam's home high school. When I asked whether placement at Cam's home high school was an option, I was told, "We have given Cam an exhaustive amount of accommodations and he has made no progress towards graduation." For the record, his only accommodations are extended testing time, credit for partial work turned in, and preferential seating. Not by any means an exhaustive amount.

There were also statements that Cam requires a therapeutic component to his education. Although I do believe Cam could benefit from a therapeutic component to his education, I know that component can be acquired outside of the educational environment, and at my expense. I articulated that I was willing to make that a provision of keeping his placement at his home high school.

Although it became clear that the team's focus was going to be on that therapeutic component (and the lack of that therapeutic component at his home high school), three of the four placement options they said they would consider do not contain any therapeutic component.

Hmmmmm ... that smells an awful lot like saying one thing, but only giving options for something completely different.

After letting the team know that I was not willing to agree to any placement without first visiting the programs, and having an opportunity to ask questions of those who run the programs, I was told that the "team" was going to change Cameron's placement on the IEP anyway - that my agreement was not necessary for them to do that. I suggested that the IEP be suspended until I was given a reasonable amount of time to explore the other placement options - 10 calendar days. They reluctantly agreed to give me 8 days.

The meeting will reconvene on Tuesday afternoon with a "modified" IEP team - just the LEA, the Education Services Generalist for Teaching and Learning (the meeting is scheduled for 3PM - teaching staff is not required to extend their day past 3:30 so they will not attend), Mike (hopefully), my advocate (hopefully), and me.

I don't foresee agreeing to any of the team's placement recommendations as none of them meet Cam's needs any better than his current placement, none of them are individualized, and none of them meet the requirement of Least Restrictive Environment that Federal Law guarantees.

This isn't going to be pretty ...

I Have An IEP Meeting At 3:15 Today

Photo Credit

The school called this one ... after Cam's suspension ... I hate to have a shitty attitude going in, but this isn't going to end well.

They want to discuss placement - specifically placement in a program other than Cam's home school. When I asked what the meeting was in regards to, the Local Education Agency Representative (LEA) stated "I am scheduling an IEP meeting to discuss Cam’s placement.  The school would like to discuss the following options for Cameron to best meet his needs.Please understand that these option should not be considered as pre-determination of placement and there is an understanding that this is a team discussion and decision based on the data reviewed.", yet they didn't include Cam's home high school as a placement option.

That sounds pretty predetermined to me ... which is against Federal Law and why the LEA attempted to cover his ass in his statement to me.

The options they are giving Cam?

Night School - a program held at a high school in our district, 17 miles from our home, and where there was recently an armed robbery of a student in the parking lot. The program runs from 6PM - 9PM, Monday-Friday and is core classes only, eliminating Cam's participation in music programs.
Ombudsman - an "alternative" on-line program, contracted for by the school district and held in an office in a business park 17 miles from our home. This program offers daytime hours, 10AM - 2:30PM, Monday - Friday, and is core classes only, eliminating Cam's participation in music programs.
District Alternative High School - A self contained program for students with Emotional and Behavior disorders, 17 miles from our home. The majority of students in this program are special education students who have been expelled from their home school for weapons and/or drug related offenses. This program offers a theraputic component (anger management classes, counseling, etc.) but is core classes only, eliminating Cam's participation in music programs.
Night School with 2 periods at the home high school - the same night school program mentioned above, but adding two classes (Band and PE - Cam's participation in Men's Choir would be eliminated) at Cam's home high school.

When I asked for information on all of these programs (student demographic data, school performance data - the things I am able to easily access for public schools but cannot access on any of these programs), I was told, "Representatives will be at the meeting to answer many of your questions.  Other information can be found on the district website and/or will be discussed at the meeting."

The problem?

These "representatives" were not listed on the IEP meeting invitation which violates Federal Law requiring prior written notice for IEP meetings.

I'm not sure how this will play out, but I do know that I'm done playing nice with people who refuse to offer me the same consideration.