4 replies to this topic

[olivia]

Ready for the 6th Director in 8 years? The job posting for Director of SELPA and Special Education closed April 22, 2013. The successful candidate will replace Salli Price Welsh. Denise Burns, former principal at Navigator Elementary School, is Acting Director until the new hire is made.

Parents are reporting that IEP meetings are more hostile and oppositional than ever before. Taking an attorney or advocate will help level the playing field for parents.

The CDE Special Education Verification Review is continuing. Any connection? When will the District finally realize a new direction is needed?

[supermom]

Parents are reporting that IEP meetings are more hostile and oppositional than ever before. Taking an attorney or advocate will help level the playing field for parents.

They are. I had a teacher in the meeting stop one of their staff and tell her to back down. Another staff person rolled her eyes at the staff member that was making comments that seemed off base and out of spirit of the situation. The only reason I didnt lose my temper and fly off the handle was that one of the teachers (whom I respect a great deal) spoke over that staff person and continuously changed the direction to try to make it less hostile. In the end, the staff person looked very unprofessional and the the rest of the people in the meeting were clearly bewildered by the staff person's behavior. However it did derail a great meeting and I walked out of the meeting feeling like something was amiss. It wasnt until I got home and spoke to my child's family advocate and counselor that I realized some important items had not been addressed. Since then, it has been difficult to get ahold of the teacher. This is unfortunate. It feels like a whole school year has been wasted.
The hostility and negativity in those meetings is taking away from children's futures. What a sorry mess. Equally embarrassing in all of it, my child was present in the meeting. He was incensed by the staff members behavior and swears he will not cooperate with that staff member in future IEP testings and meetings.
These are supposed to be ADULTS who care about the future of CHILDREN. It is a shame, embarrassment, disservice to our children when people like that are allowed to work for a school district.

[MikeinFolsom]

Yup. We had to bring an attorney into a few of our meetings. Horrible things happened at Oak Chan and we're getting ready to smack them right back into their place. A few of our IEP meetings were met with poop eating grins by the district staff and our attorney came in and straightened them out. Each meeting, there have been new players on their side of the table. Sounds like they are cleaning house. Terri Burns is worthless, just to let you know. Diane Youtcey is the one running our meetings right now. I believe she is the District Coordinator. Anyone need any help with Oak Chan, let me know.

[gottasmile]

I am not surprised that we are looking for another special education director. I am not surprised that IEP meetings are extremely hostile. The District has been in a steady decline since the original Superintendent and Special Education Director both retired back in 2005. Every time there is a "change in guard" I hope that things will improve. Sadly, they keep getting progressively worse. I no longer have any faith in our district that they have a true desire to help my child become a educated and functioning member of our society. These past nine years have reaffirmed a new belief that our district has a culture, facilitated at the top (really.....who is hiring these people!!) to poorly treat families of children with special needs and to under-serve and under-educate children with disabilities, with the hope that families will just leave and move away from FCUSD.

It is a sad, sad, sad day when parents have to face intimidation, bullying, and retaliation from district personnel.....the same district that is suppose to be educating their child and helping to mold their future. Too bad our special education department, and District, can't even follow its own Mission and Vision statement:

• Folsom Cordova Unified School District is committed to providing excellence in educational programs that carry high expectations for each student's achievement and success. (Mission Statement)
• Guided by the highest expectations, Folsom Cordova Unified School District provides our students with a board range of rigorous educational opportunities. (Part of Vision Statement. Too bad they haven't applied this concept to Special Education Students)
• Families are an integral part of the educational process. In recognition of this important role, family involvement is actively sought, encouraged, and welcomed. (Part of Vision Statement)

I guess I can again hope that the District will actually care about my child and children with disabilities and actually hire someone professional, ethical, and progressive to LEAD the special education department and make positive, effective, and necessary changes that will actually benefit a part of the student population that is mistreated and completely under served in our school district. And before you go off on me, think of this....if your child was NOT educated, year after year after year, no matter what you tried to do to help and change it (without success)....and in turn treats you like crap for trying to ensure your child receives a basic education...tell me how YOU would feel about that public education institution. This isn't a hoax....it's a reality!

[Not Again]

You've got to be kidding, right?  Not only did the Folsom Telegraph FINALLY write about special education today, they said "rumors" about the CDE Verification Review are "untrue".  And there is no mention about hiring of the 6th Special Education Director in 8 years. 

 

I'm guessing they didn't ask for the input of any of the 70 or so parents who were in attendance at the Parent Verification Review Meeting held by the CDE at the district office on March 13th. 

 

The print edition of the paper says, "To sound off on this story, log on to folsomtelegraph.com and leave a comment at the end of the story."  Here's a link to the article...http://www.folsomtel...ools-are-untrue.