Advertisements
Hi,I have a fs (13) who I just got his quarterly report card on his IEP. His regular report card he did well in this last quarter 2 c's the rest b's. Anyway - this IEP report card just states that he needs to read, write complete sentences 7 out of 10 cvc words etc. All she wrote was that T does his work with min. amount of effort. He needs to put more effort into all his work.Now here's the kicker - back in september when he started 7th grade I went in and met all his teachers on open house night. We were the only sped parents that showed up! Anyway - I told them that we expected out of this child as he was not uncapable of the work - he just doesn't put in the effort any basically nobody cared up until this point of being placed with us.So 1st summer reading book report - he needs to turn in 3. He turns in 2. One book I know he read - that's ok - 2nd he opened the cover - copied word for word and passed it in. (I called the guidance counclor and gave him a heads up) He brought home the paper - 2 reports, missing one - 80%. I trott my fat-arse into the school- request a meeting with the principal with the book and the report and then the sped teacher and the guidance councelor show up, but not the teacher who gave him the B!! They said to me all so concerned - you are pushing him to hard!!:grr:So now we have lowered the bar and he gets by with c's and b's just doing half-arsed work and the papers he passes in with incorrect spelling and incomplete sentences and missing punctuation is NEVER corrected - wouldn't you if you were 13 just lower yourself to their standards!! Why not just get by - its easier if nobody expects anything more from you.This school is WACKED. But I am the parent who pushes too hard...now your seeing what I warned you about! He has the ability, he just doesn't make the time. Now its my problem when there is only 6 weeks left of school!!
Like
Share
Is your son in a self-contained classroom or a "class within a class" setting? I am an 8th grade science teacher who has teaches 3 hours of CWC classes with mostly spec. ed. kids and a few "regulars" mixed in. I do not modify my expectations for these classes - they are expected to do the same amount and quality of of work that my other three hours do. I do allow some extra time and assistance as allowed by the IEPs. I think the problem of "low expectations" for these kids could be a combination of lack of effort by the classroom teacher, the resource teacher, and overall large number of kids in the classroom. In my CWC classes, I have 17 kids, 26 kids, and then 31! kids - way too high for CWC!. Your best results will be seen - I think - by constant direct contact with the teacher. Treat the teacher with respect - even if you don't agree with him/her. If the teacher has 160 students total (like I do) it really is difficult to keep track of every single one. Not making excuses - that is the reality of it. Does the teacher have emali? I sent out weekly emails to parents who request it to tell them of their student's weekly assignments, grades, etc. It is a great way to communicate and keep on top of things...Good luck - hope things will be better next year!
Advertisements
Is one of the accommodations on his report card that written language errors won't count against his grade? If so, teachers won't be allowed to mark any spelling or grammar errors wrong. If it is, you can fight to have that taken out either now, by re-opening the IEP (which the school will just LOVE, this time of year:) ), or push to get the IEP meeting in the fall moved up. Here's the way I see it: The schools MUST make you child rise to meet expectations on the IEP. Go through it with a fine tooth comb-don't sign until the goals are high enough that your son will have to work to meet them. The school will fight this. Fight back. Get an advocate if you need to. I guarantee that if you get the goals raised (not to unreasonable heights-even with an advocate this won't happen, and I doubt that you want it to), the teachers will work harder to get your son up to where he needs to be. Just some thoughts from a reg. ed. teacher/spec. ed. parent.:)
I second "Proud momma of two," as a school psychologist I would also go over everything with a fine tooth comb. I would not sign anything. If you need to have someone with you like an advocate, that should be fine, too. I have always welcomed advocates at my meetings. Anytime you call a meeting together, especially an IEP meeting. I would give them some notice to have everyone there. Certain people are required by law at an IEP meeting, even an IEP follow-up meeting: the regular education teacher, special education teacher, any related service providers (i.e.,speech, ot, etc) and the district rep which could be anyone who knows about how funds are allocated (principal, special ed coordinator...depends on the school and/or district). The only way that one of these team members doesn't have to attend is if you say that you don't mind they don't attend. This part may not be common knowledge yet because it's in the newly revised Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. If someone like the regular ed or special ed teacher doesn't show up at a meeting, I would not even have it and request that it be rescheduled ASAP since they were supposed to be there (emergencies do come up). The most common complaint I received from parents about the teachers in teh schools were that since the kids had "labels" they were not being required to be pushed at their limit. Of course, we can't expect a person who is in the 5th grade but at a 2nd grade level to perform perfect 5th grade work, but we can push the child to perform work to his or her ability and even slightly above (some 3rd grade work). The teachers ability to make appropriate modifications in the classroom is vital, too. Some teachers say they do it, but don't really. I would request to visit the classroom for a day. I would especially listen to Proud momma of two who is a regular education teacher with a special needs child....what a great resource. She sounds like she could really be a great advocate and support for you do to her unique qualifications!!!
This teacher also has a very good point. The higher you go up in grades, especially for the science and social studies, the harder it is for the students and teachers. The teachers are overwhelmed, the students don't get a lot of special needs help in those classes - the teachers most of hte time do their best to modify but it's very VERY hard. I wish that most schools could have a special education itinerant teacher in those classrooms to help the regular ed. teachers. Special Education kids, especially ones with reading disabilities, really struggle in Social Studies. A lot of my meetings surround this class - it is just so difficult for all involved.
Advertisements
Sorry for not responding sooner...with so much going on with the TPR trial and the school I just haven't been myself. Anyway - to answer you question it is not on his IEP to ignore spelling grammer - they just seem to. Like I said he is just did what was required to get by...he didn't put any effort...the sad part is he will be blunt say the same thing. He is in a class room setting with about 18 students and the sped teacher walks around the classroom to help out. He also is taken away from the class for 2 - half hour sessions with a reading teacher (who he gives a very hard time to!) I will take your suggestions to the next IEP meeting in the fall. I am now his pre-adoptive parent so maybe I have more of a pull - and he won't have the "label" poor foster kid. What I find funny is that I warned them all - and all of a sudden at the last month of school it was a problem. I gave each teacher my e-mail and phone numbers if there was any problems or concerns I wanted to nip it in the bud right away - but apparently the DSS office was informed and not me - it appears they even had meetings with fs and biomom before tpr trial to figure out how to keep things going smoothly after the transition home - unbeknowing to me. If I had an alternate school to send him to believe me I would.It is amazing to me how this school operates. It doesn't seem to be the same as when I was in middle school. I remember have hours of homework - my fs on the other hand is given maybe 1/2 each week.On the other hand what I see is there is a bright boy in there - that nobody has nurished - physically or mentally...but he is emerging regardless...and for that I am VERY proud of him. Thank you all for your suggestions and support.