FCPS Delays Report About Conditions at Day Schools

[Anonymous]

I find it absolutely appalling that the HEAD of FCPS Special ed did not visit these FCPS special education schools in YEARS. YEARS. She should be going to see the conditions at the FCPS Sped-only school, the "private" (not really private as they are funded by school dollars) special ed days schools where they send FCPS kids, etc.

[Anonymous]

I worked at Burke for a time. There are some saintly people there, doing the best they can with what they have. It's an abusive environment for sure - in terms of kids and the system abusing the staff. I couldn't hang, it was not for me. But kudos to all of them. I wish you had better support and resources.

[Anonymous]

The absolute stupidest thing was for them to no longer allow kids to go to Phillips. There are kids at Burke who run out of the building and directly into traffic. This happens daily. The police are there constantly. These kids are seriously mentally ill and need carefully used restraint and seclusion. Teachers are attacked constantly. Kids run all over the building, cursing and throwing things, but they can’t be restrained or forced to stay in a classroom if they want to leave it, because that is seclusion.

There are ED centers still, but they are not getting student referrals, because the bar is set so high to get them there. You’d think they were trying to send them to the JDC, instead of a small classroom with counseling and therapeutic supports.

It’s insane. It’s heartbreaking,

The plan now is to send a bunch of these Burke kids to residential placements, which will cost a ton, because we can’t send them to places like Phillips. Some of these little kids at Burke only attend for two hours a day, because they are so out of control. Let them go to Phillips and similar places that have helped students in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it absolutely appalling that the HEAD of FCPS Special ed did not visit these FCPS special education schools in YEARS. YEARS. She should be going to see the conditions at the FCPS Sped-only school, the "private" (not really private as they are funded by school dollars) special ed days schools where they send FCPS kids, etc.

And again. Why didn’t we have this discussion when changes were being talked about for special education ED centers? It should have happened then but no one came forward

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it absolutely appalling that the HEAD of FCPS Special ed did not visit these FCPS special education schools in YEARS. YEARS. She should be going to see the conditions at the FCPS Sped-only school, the "private" (not really private as they are funded by school dollars) special ed days schools where they send FCPS kids, etc.

And again. Why didn’t we have this discussion when changes were being talked about for special education ED centers? It should have happened then but no one came forward

Who is “we”? Plenty of teachers voiced concerns at the time, orally and in writing. Did anyone listen? No. Now there’s a staff survey that confirms those employees were correct and FCPS is trying to bury it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it absolutely appalling that the HEAD of FCPS Special ed did not visit these FCPS special education schools in YEARS. YEARS. She should be going to see the conditions at the FCPS Sped-only school, the "private" (not really private as they are funded by school dollars) special ed days schools where they send FCPS kids, etc.

And again. Why didn’t we have this discussion when changes were being talked about for special education ED centers? It should have happened then but no one came forward

Who is “we”? Plenty of teachers voiced concerns at the time, orally and in writing. Did anyone listen? No. Now there’s a staff survey that confirms those employees were correct and FCPS is trying to bury it.

At hearings? No they didnt

[Anonymous]

There are few to no beds at residential treatment centers, anywhere, for any price. Especially for elementary age kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The absolute stupidest thing was for them to no longer allow kids to go to Phillips. There are kids at Burke who run out of the building and directly into traffic. This happens daily. The police are there constantly. These kids are seriously mentally ill and need carefully used restraint and seclusion. Teachers are attacked constantly. Kids run all over the building, cursing and throwing things, but they can’t be restrained or forced to stay in a classroom if they want to leave it, because that is seclusion.

There are ED centers still, but they are not getting student referrals, because the bar is set so high to get them there. You’d think they were trying to send them to the JDC, instead of a small classroom with counseling and therapeutic supports.

It’s insane. It’s heartbreaking,

The plan now is to send a bunch of these Burke kids to residential placements, which will cost a ton, because we can’t send them to places like Phillips. Some of these little kids at Burke only attend for two hours a day, because they are so out of control. Let them go to Phillips and similar places that have helped students in the past.

What ED centers are you referring to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The absolute stupidest thing was for them to no longer allow kids to go to Phillips. There are kids at Burke who run out of the building and directly into traffic. This happens daily. The police are there constantly. These kids are seriously mentally ill and need carefully used restraint and seclusion. Teachers are attacked constantly. Kids run all over the building, cursing and throwing things, but they can’t be restrained or forced to stay in a classroom if they want to leave it, because that is seclusion.

There are ED centers still, but they are not getting student referrals, because the bar is set so high to get them there. You’d think they were trying to send them to the JDC, instead of a small classroom with counseling and therapeutic supports.

It’s insane. It’s heartbreaking,

The plan now is to send a bunch of these Burke kids to residential placements, which will cost a ton, because we can’t send them to places like Phillips. Some of these little kids at Burke only attend for two hours a day, because they are so out of control. Let them go to Phillips and similar places that have helped students in the past.

If they aren't going to restrain kids, they need basically a 2 staff to 1 kid ratio and huge facility improvements in order to implement other strategies and keep kids safe. FCPS is not staffing these schools correctly and the facilities are not being renovated.

[Anonymous]

To take care of these kids requires a huge investment. FCPS keeps trying to pass the buck on dealing with these these kids--the residential school idea is laughable. There aren't any. They can't dump them at Phillips any more (and Phillips only took a handful of kids a year, it was not much of a safety valve).

And yes, people who work with ED kids should be paid double.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are few to no beds at residential treatment centers, anywhere, for any price. Especially for elementary age kids.

+1. I know two separate families whose kids were both approved for residential placement--FCPS was willing to pay any price--they looked at schools charging 300k a year, and still neither family could find a bed. One family looked for two years. One family hired their own private consultant and he couldn't find anywhere to send their child.

The RTCs are very selective in who they enroll and everyone runs huge waiting lists and its way worse after Covid.

There is a separate universe of basically juvenile detention facilties for kids who commit crimes but most of the kids FCPS can't find schools for are not in the justice system, they have severe behaviors from autism and mental illness.

[Anonymous]

FCPS has the funds to build and staff its own specialty sped schools. They don't want to do it and were happy with the system where they dumped kids in shitty holding-pen day schools and just paid the bill.

[Anonymous]

ED Centers are now called CSS programs. They changed the name to reflect the huge number of kids with autism, that used to be called ED, back in the day.

The staffing makes a huge difference, but it’s also hard to find staff, because so many kids are aggressive, and schools don’t have enough space. Add to that the responsive classroom business and Ross Greene. These kids need behavior mod to get under control, in a respectful and supportive environment, with clear consequences and incentives.

Then there are the parents who refuse therapy or meds for their kids. It’s a mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ED Centers are now called CSS programs. They changed the name to reflect the huge number of kids with autism, that used to be called ED, back in the day.

The staffing makes a huge difference, but it’s also hard to find staff, because so many kids are aggressive, and schools don’t have enough space. Add to that the responsive classroom business and Ross Greene. These kids need behavior mod to get under control, in a respectful and supportive environment, with clear consequences and incentives.

Then there are the parents who refuse therapy or meds for their kids. It’s a mess.

Well, the strategies that work for kids with ASD are very different than the strategies for kids with mental health issues or ADHD. So lumping them all together in one room at a CSS site with 10 kids to 1 teacher in a grade K-3 class does not work. At all.

FCPS doesn't care about these kids and just wants to pass them along thru the system with as little investment as possible. Its amazing they get anyone to agree to work at the CSS sites or Burke/Quander/Cedar Lane. They need those jobs on a completely different salary scale.

[Anonymous]

School board and FCPS admin should be required to tour TJ and Burke & one of the FCPS contract schools on the same day, and then explain themselves.