going to MCPS w/o IEP in hand

[Anonymous]

My DD was in MCPS up through 2nd week of 2nd grade. We pulled her out because she has some medical vulnerabilities and needed to be in an outdoor school until she was vaxed for COVID.

We would like to go back to MCPS, but we don't have an IEP with them. DD has been in private/montessori, and they don't do IEPs. She has ADHD, anxiety, and SPD.

We recognize it's may and think that it may be impossible to get her into MCPS with an IEP in hand before fall. We don't want her to start MCPS and have a negative experience so we are torn.

Any advice?

[Anonymous]

I don’t get the question. What is stopping you from requesting an IEP?

[Anonymous]

Enroll now and ask for an IEP. They do evaluations over the summer. If you can get her current teacher to participate to talk about the supports she currently gets, even better.

[Anonymous]

How do you think your DD's diagnoses impact her ability to access a curriculum? What specialized instruction do you think your DD will need? What accommodations?

[Anonymous]

You want to reach out to Anna Szilagyi-Weichbrod and request a packet for a private/parochial student referral. Once you complete it, it will be sent to your child's MCPS home school, and they will have to schedule a screening meeting within 30 calendar days. At that screening meeting, they will review all the information you submitted, and decide if testing needs to be done for consideration of sped services, or possibly a 504 (which is sounds like your child would be eligible for upon enrollment back in MCPS). There are staff members that work over the summer, so your child's case may be referred to one of them and not someone at the home school, but if you get the packet completed ASAP, the home school would be the one to handle it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You want to reach out to Anna Szilagyi-Weichbrod and request a packet for a private/parochial student referral. Once you complete it, it will be sent to your child's MCPS home school, and they will have to schedule a screening meeting within 30 calendar days. At that screening meeting, they will review all the information you submitted, and decide if testing needs to be done for consideration of sped services, or possibly a 504 (which is sounds like your child would be eligible for upon enrollment back in MCPS). There are staff members that work over the summer, so your child's case may be referred to one of them and not someone at the home school, but if you get the packet completed ASAP, the home school would be the one to handle it.

Thank you so much!

[Anonymous]

Also ask your DDs current teachers to fill out the “teacher report” forms that are typically given to the MCPS teacher.

The 30-60-30 timeline doesn’t stop over the summer, but if you don’t have documented “adverse educational impact” (i.e. teacher testimony) then you will not be determined eligible. Neither your oral reports of adverse educational impact nor your doctor/psychologist assessment and statement of reported adverse educational impact will be sufficient w/o classroom documentation.

[Anonymous]

If you go back to MCPS, I would plan on an IEP taking a minimum of 6 months. There's all kinds of ways for schools to semi-legally delay things. Heck, I'd be surprised if you get what you're looking for before NEXT May. If you choose to go back, hire a lawyer if you can afford it. Don't hope for the best, plan for the worst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get the question. What is stopping you from requesting an IEP?

Would we realistically be able to get an IEP before the fall given that it's may

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get the question. What is stopping you from requesting an IEP?

Would we realistically be able to get an IEP before the fall given that it's may

You’ll at least be well into the process if you start now and have good medical and educational records that show need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get the question. What is stopping you from requesting an IEP?

Would we realistically be able to get an IEP before the fall given that it's may

yes-ish, if you have the proper documentation and don’t waive timeline. write the request today and you must have the initial iep eligibility screening meeting in 30 days. Then 60 days (no later) the eligibility determination meeting must be scheduled. During those 60 days or less, the school must conduct it’s assessment (which you consent to). 30 days after eligibility determination is the IEP writing meeting.

So, you would be writing the IEP in September. If you have a private assessment less than a year old, MCPS must consider it, and often will, especially if it is a clear case and it saves them from doing their own assessment. If you come in with your own assessment, share it with the team prior to screening and indicate that you would be willing to waive additional evaluation by MCPS if they would like to collapse screening and determination into one meeting.