Who at MCPS will help if a high school is not implementing a 504

[Anonymous]

Kind of an odd situation but a new teacher doesn't understand a 504 and the school won't really intervene.

Is there a person at MCPS who can be helpful here?

If you had to contact outside help (advocate or attorney), do you have recommendations? Hoping it doesn't get that far but just in case.

[Anonymous]

Document your concerns, make all communications in writing. Send letter to SPED director, principal and teacher letting them know your concerns.

You can also hire a lawyer to inform the school of their legal responsibilities.

[Anonymous]

Area supervisors are listed towards the bottom of this page:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/special-education/contact-us/

[Anonymous]

MCPS high school counselor here. I would start by reaching out to your child's school counselor and/or assistant principal or grade level administrator. (The school counselor is likely your child's 504 case manager.) When you reach out, it's helpful to email some specific examples of how your child's teacher isn't implementing their 504 accommodations. This will make it much easier for the counselor to follow up with the teacher and, if necessary, the resource teacher for that department. As a counselor, I always prefer receiving these communications in writing, so that if I need to elevate a concern, I have written documentation to share with our building leadership.

I'm not sure how many folks in the building you've talked to. If you ever feel like you've reached the end the road in terms of reaching out to people at school, you should contact MCPS's 504 Compliance team: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/special-education/compliance/section-504.aspx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kind of an odd situation but a new teacher doesn't understand a 504 and the school won't really intervene.

Is there a person at MCPS who can be helpful here?

If you had to contact outside help (advocate or attorney), do you have recommendations? Hoping it doesn't get that far but just in case.

You need to give more details about “the school won’t intervene”, exactly what the issue is, and how/who you have already contacted. If you haven’t worked the chain inside the school, it’s too soon to go outside the school.

We are on day 6 and you say this is a new teacher. It seems to me me that there is likely just a delay in communication about the 504 and/or the new teacher doesn’t understand how to implement the specific accommodation. At my high school the counselors have been focused on first week schedule issues and only some of them have sent out 504 info to teachers.

Counselor is in charge of 504s.
Department head (resource teacher) is in charge of new teacher.
There is an assistant principal over each department (including counseling).
1. Email both counselor and resource teacher about the concern.
2. Follow up with counselor, who is responsible for 504, to see if issue is resolved. They may need to talk to student or observe to see what’s happening.
3. If counselor or resource teacher ignore or give unacceptable response, escalate email chain and include supervising administrator.
4. If that is still not working, escalate to principal and ask for meeting with all parties to resolve.

Only after this point would I try to take it up out side the school. If you skip the internal steps, they are just going to send your concern back to the school.

[Anonymous]

Outside the school
Pupil personnel worker
Cluster supervisor
Compliance department

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Outside the school
Pupil personnel worker
Cluster supervisor
Compliance department

Outside MCPS - US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR). You have 180 calendar days to file a complaint for MCPS violation of Section 504. When I hit a brick wall with our school and Central Office, OCR was helpful.

[Anonymous]

I have always had really good success with the counselors. That’s where I’d start. And I do think that PP has a point that we are early on so there hasn’t been much of an opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS high school counselor here. I would start by reaching out to your child's school counselor and/or assistant principal or grade level administrator. (The school counselor is likely your child's 504 case manager.) When you reach out, it's helpful to email some specific examples of how your child's teacher isn't implementing their 504 accommodations. This will make it much easier for the counselor to follow up with the teacher and, if necessary, the resource teacher for that department. As a counselor, I always prefer receiving these communications in writing, so that if I need to elevate a concern, I have written documentation to share with our building leadership.

I'm not sure how many folks in the building you've talked to. If you ever feel like you've reached the end the road in terms of reaching out to people at school, you should contact MCPS's 504 Compliance team: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/special-education/compliance/section-504.aspx

OP here. Thank you all. I’m really so upset. The counselor said it’s up to the Assistant Principal and there were so many complaints about the teacher they’ve decided not to let anyone switch. The 504 is meaningless it appears.

The counselor said her hands are tied and she can’t help. She seems nice but she’s also new. She asked if I still wanted to pursue this after being rejected. I said I’ll pursue it until it’s fixed. She said they’d tell the teacher but I don’t see how he can improve his English that fast! She means well but she’s not going to be able to help it seems.

I have documented it all in correspondence with the teacher, head of the department, the counselor, the assistant principal and the 504 contact in compliance. I just feel so awful - my kid said he feels stupid and like crying and throwing up all day. How can he ever take a test when he isn’t picking up any content? He is entitled to class notes in his 504 but my son didn’t ask because he said the teacher is really disorganized and writes over the slides so they aren’t legible. I said let’s get the actual notes and see what they look like. I bought the textbook and hired a tutor but why bother going to class at this point? MCPS gave up on my child and the other kids in the class. It’s so sad.

I also requested access to another teacher in the department at lunch and before school so he has some resource for that class other than me!

It’s unbelievable the school is not doing more yo help my son and the other kids affected.

[Anonymous]

OP again. I didn’t really explain that the teacher admits he struggles with English and my son can’t understand a word. My son has an auditory processing issue with his adhd making it more challenging.

The teacher is also really disorganized. Students are correcting the teacher a lot in class because he makes mistakes and my son feels overwhelmed with constant revisions and corrections.

My son asks questions but the teacher says he doesn’t understand him or the response is not related to the question. I emailed the teacher about this so I’m interested in what the response will be. Super awkward but I had to document it.

It affects all the students but my son said he feels like he’s just slower so it’s getting impossible.

My impression is that the class will be on the easier side because the teacher knows the kids are so lost and doesn’t want complaints. But 2nd semester with another teacher will be really hard if the 1st semester is lost.

[Anonymous]

It is day 6. I am sensitive to your concerns but there is no way you have exhausted your options at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again. I didn’t really explain that the teacher admits he struggles with English and my son can’t understand a word. My son has an auditory processing issue with his adhd making it more challenging.

The teacher is also really disorganized. Students are correcting the teacher a lot in class because he makes mistakes and my son feels overwhelmed with constant revisions and corrections.

My son asks questions but the teacher says he doesn’t understand him or the response is not related to the question. I emailed the teacher about this so I’m interested in what the response will be. Super awkward but I had to document it.

It affects all the students but my son said he feels like he’s just slower so it’s getting impossible.

My impression is that the class will be on the easier side because the teacher knows the kids are so lost and doesn’t want complaints. But 2nd semester with another teacher will be really hard if the 1st semester is lost.

It's day 7 and your kid has difficulties so you want the world to fully accommodate him at his level so you are jumping all over a teacher who may or may not be having difficulties sorting out the flow of their class super early and expecting them to not let their problems effect their performance. I guess consideration is a one way street in your neighborhood, for Karma's sake, may your child have coworkers like you in their future.

[Anonymous]

You’ve got options here. Does your son have Resource? That teacher might be able to help. If not and you’re finding grades are affected, ask for a review meeting.

[Anonymous]

Wait. OP's issue with the teacher seems to be at least partially that the teacher has an accent.

I was sympathetic to the concerns up until that point, but that's not a great reason to assume an IEP isn't being (or going to be) followed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait. OP's issue with the teacher seems to be at least partially that the teacher has an accent.

I was sympathetic to the concerns up until that point, but that's not a great reason to assume an IEP isn't being (or going to be) followed.

Karens demand special treatment!