Current Hardy IEP experience

[Anonymous]

Curious whether any other families had a similar experience: no meetings, no case manager, no communication, an expired IEP and services provided sporadically…

I had heard from other parents that Principal Westover uses this technique (ignore and neglect) to weed out students with IEPs. Does your family intend to return in the fall?

[Anonymous]

I’m curious about this — you might try also posting in the special needs forum?

[Anonymous]

Not at Hardy but I can report that is basically our experience at a different DCPS MS! it is almost comical at this point. This is the second year they claim he has an annual IEP in place when I literally never saw it and certainly never signed it. If he was in a phase where he needed more regular pullouts or services I would probably have sued by now - but for now I get what I need with just the IEP technically in place. That is - the school knows they have to pay a little more attention to me when I raise an issue; and he gets placed in the co-taught classes.

I honestly do not think it is any strategy on the principal’s part. I think DCPS gives up on IEPs in MS because they are overwhelmed and there is zero accountability.

[Anonymous]

Last year Westover ignored IEP and said the teachers handle what they can - and told us to explore our options… ie counseled out and not caring they dont comply with requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year Westover ignored IEP and said the teachers handle what they can - and told us to explore our options… ie counseled out and not caring they dont comply with requirement.

DCPS drafts bad IEPs. They put stuff in there that parents ask for that cannot really be done in the classroom. IMO sometimes parents have a hard time transitioning their kids to the greater independence of middle school as well. What exactly were they not implementing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year Westover ignored IEP and said the teachers handle what they can - and told us to explore our options… ie counseled out and not caring they dont comply with requirement.

DCPS drafts bad IEPs. They put stuff in there that parents ask for that cannot really be done in the classroom. IMO sometimes parents have a hard time transitioning their kids to the greater independence of middle school as well. What exactly were they not implementing?

If those are services that the student needs, maybe they need more pull out time, if they can't be implemented in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year Westover ignored IEP and said the teachers handle what they can - and told us to explore our options… ie counseled out and not caring they dont comply with requirement.

DCPS drafts bad IEPs. They put stuff in there that parents ask for that cannot really be done in the classroom. IMO sometimes parents have a hard time transitioning their kids to the greater independence of middle school as well. What exactly were they not implementing?

If those are services that the student needs, maybe they need more pull out time, if they can't be implemented in the classroom.

So when kids get into middle school, pullouts become really counterproductive because it is really hard to make up that class time especially with a block schedule (not sure if Hardy has that). In MS it is a different game when the teacher has 100-150 students vs elementary school where the teacher has 25-30 students. The question is what the student “needs.” Yes you could fight for a math pullout during the school day but then they will miss classroom instruction time. Tutoring, a co-taught class, or different placement might be better.

My kid has just the social worker pullout now and I only put that in because he truly needs that for mental health reasons.

MS is really where things start to change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year Westover ignored IEP and said the teachers handle what they can - and told us to explore our options… ie counseled out and not caring they dont comply with requirement.

This is very on brand for Westover. I’ve heard this from multiple families and have personally experienced her carelessness.

[Anonymous]

Ha! I’m in MCPS and this has been my experience as well.

This stuff has always happened (to a lesser extent) but it’s especially blatant in the current political climate where there’s pressure to reduce special education services.