Defining Special Needs

Thanks to that whole No Child Left Behind Law their pushing my daughter through grades when she should have been held back. Her reading skills have always lagged behind & now she's failing everything because of them. Tell me that makes sense! The kid dosen't have the basic skills from that grade but they'll pass her anyways. Her mother & I have to breath down the schools neck in order to get her any help. She's also got an after school tutor 2 days a week. I have to commend the guy for taking the steps necessary to help his kid.

Maybe the parent might learn a thing or two! haha Apart from the fact the parent's presence might keep better order in class I can't see any benefit to his son's education. In fact, I would have thought the son would be curling up in embarresment! If you buy a dog, don't wag your tail. If you put your child in school, leave the teachers to do their job.

Here in New York, a child must be 2 full years behind behind before they got an IEP, my son always seem to miss the mark - in the 3rd grade, I was told I would have been better off not taking him to a tutor, if he was farther behind they would give him the help he needed. Well, in 4th grade, I had him held back, he was still at a 1st grade reading level at the end of the year. I had to argue my case to hold him back before a board - they did not understand why I wanted to do this since he was not immature. His 2nd time in 4th grade with a 1st grade reading level, his IEP said he would get 30 minutes of help 3 days a week. I went in and screamed...yes I did at all of them and said if he did not make substantial progress that year that he would be going to a private school for kids with dyslexia - to the tune of 30K a year and they would pay. They should have recognized this sooner - I had a psychologist who specialized in learning disabilities who said she would go to court if it came down to it and could show their negligence. (My sons verbal vocabulary was at the college level). I told them that I would be in every Friday afternoon and would like to see what was being done with him and I wanted to see work customized to his problems. I also warned them, "the next time the dictionary came, my picture would be in it, next to the word 'b*tch' because I was going to redefine the meaning of the word". Three days later I got a new IEP in the mail, he would not get 2 hours of 1 on 1 help 5 days a week and 3 days - 30 minutes a day with a group. I continued to take him to a tutor that I paid $60 a week for. He finished the second time in 4th grade with a 3.7 reading level. Still over a year low, but much better. He was in 6th grade, when he got a great special ed teacher, she motivated him, she found books he could read and like and paid for them with her own money, she gave him exercises that she wrote in areas that interested him. She shared her life with him and he liked her. He finished the year ABOVE grade level. Should we have to force ourselves upon the schools? NO! but sometimes it is the only way to be heard. If that father had made an appointment and acted like all the other parents (I did that for 4 years), he would have been just one of the pack. He made them feel threatened and they did something. I commend him. He did what he had to do.

Since my granddaughter has Downes Syndrome her teacher has a notebook that goes home with her everyday and the teacher and my daughter use that as a form of daily communication. I think it's an awesome idea and keeps everyone up on what's going on. They also have weekly meetings to discuss any changes they think may be required. As in anything else some schools do a good job and others don't and it's a sad situation.

Here in Indiana we have a had a lot of success in as far as with the special needs program this year. I could see this parent having access to the school. In the US and in most states the school is Public. That is it is owned by the tax payers. If a parent has an issue they have a right to observe the class. Now granted it is proper to arrange for the visit. I believe that we have a long way to come to keep up academically. Of coarse there is much variation from state to state. An IEP should be visited as often as needed. At the school my daughter goes to we meet at least twice a year. but if at any time we or the teachers see an issue we can call a meeting.