504 -- teacher not complying and other venting

[Anonymous]

7th grade DD has a typing accommodation for dysgraphia, both the mechanics and also harder to produce complete/sophisticated responses. ELA teacher often "forgets" (and at times, when it is not clear how much an assignment is "worth") DD doesn't bother to ask/tell that she is going to type. Recently, DD turned in a class workshet page that she thought was just for completion (very low weight for grade) but teacher weighted it at the highest level (our school follows 3 different weighting categories, with criteria that is clear and usually followed by teachers).

The fact that these two questions are weighted the same as a multi-week paper or a full unit test (in other subjects) is equally frustrating.

I've also asked the teacher for more clarity about which work is graded and which is not (and the weight) and I got a really vague response and was actually told to just wait until it's marked missing in powerschool (they have a grace period). That "strategy" seems like an awful solution for teaching good work habits.

This seems wrong and frustrating on so many levels, not really running into these issues in other classes or in previous years (have older DCs).

Should we have DD ask to re-do or just let it slide since we are at the end of the year.

[Anonymous]

I would ask for re-do, noting that her accommodations were not provided and that this is a much higher percentage of her grade than she thought it would be.

That said, if your daughter is not planning to apply to private schools or magnets and this is not a district where this class in seventh grade will be on her high school transcript and she does not want to re-do it, then let it go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would ask for re-do, noting that her accommodations were not provided and that this is a much higher percentage of her grade than she thought it would be.

That said, if your daughter is not planning to apply to private schools or magnets and this is not a district where this class in seventh grade will be on her high school transcript and she does not want to re-do it, then let it go.

What wasn't provided? It's not clear at all what her accommodation is and what the teacher did or didn't do in regards to that. I get the confusion about the weight of the assignment being annoying - but what does that have to do with her accommodation? We need more detail

[Anonymous]

Your daughter needs to get in the habit of typing every assignment, regardless of its value. If her self advocacy skills aren't yet up to that task, work on that. If necessary, convene a 504 meeting to make completely clear and explicit when your daughter will be typing.

And unless the grade matters for something, let it go.

[Anonymous]

Does your daughter have a school issued laptop? Then she needs to be typing everything she does, if it’s graded or not, to be in the habit of doing so if that’s her accommodation.

And I agree with the others, only ask for a redo if there is any chance she’s applying to private high schools. Otherwise let it go. Grades don’t matter until HS transcripts.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, kids need to ask for their accommodations and parents need tell their kids that they will back them up if a teacher fails to comply.

Every year my kid had a teacher who refused something on the 504 plan, sometimes in ways that deliberately embarrassed them in front of the whole class. It is a real drain on mental health and a big hit to self esteem, not to mention negatively impacting opportunity.

A neurotypical kid doesn't have to gauge every time how much something is worth and whether it is "worth it" to ask the teacher to take the test. That is what non-compliance with a 504 essentially does to kids.

504 plans are part of the civil rights architecture and part of the economic structure. We want kids to be able to access a free and equal public education because we want to raise independent taxpaying citizens.

I'd ask for a re-do just to make the point to the teacher that it will be easier for her to offer the accommodation the first time. Every "forgetting" should be documented by the student with a copy to the parent. "Dear Teacher X, I know you said you forgot about my accommodations today, so that is why I didn't get to use them. I am attaching a copy of my 504 plan. I would like to use my accommodations consistently n class by doing X, Y and Z. Thank you so much for helping me be able to practice and show what I know as much as possible."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would ask for re-do, noting that her accommodations were not provided and that this is a much higher percentage of her grade than she thought it would be.

That said, if your daughter is not planning to apply to private schools or magnets and this is not a district where this class in seventh grade will be on her high school transcript and she does not want to re-do it, then let it go.

What wasn't provided? It's not clear at all what her accommodation is and what the teacher did or didn't do in regards to that. I get the confusion about the weight of the assignment being annoying - but what does that have to do with her accommodation? We need more detail

To me from the OP it sounds like the daughter wasn't allowed to type her answers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would ask for re-do, noting that her accommodations were not provided and that this is a much higher percentage of her grade than she thought it would be.

That said, if your daughter is not planning to apply to private schools or magnets and this is not a district where this class in seventh grade will be on her high school transcript and she does not want to re-do it, then let it go.

What wasn't provided? It's not clear at all what her accommodation is and what the teacher did or didn't do in regards to that. I get the confusion about the weight of the assignment being annoying - but what does that have to do with her accommodation? We need more detail

To me from the OP it sounds like the daughter wasn't allowed to type her answers

Wasn't allowed or chose not to? It's not clear from the OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, kids need to ask for their accommodations and parents need tell their kids that they will back them up if a teacher fails to comply.

Every year my kid had a teacher who refused something on the 504 plan, sometimes in ways that deliberately embarrassed them in front of the whole class. It is a real drain on mental health and a big hit to self esteem, not to mention negatively impacting opportunity.

A neurotypical kid doesn't have to gauge every time how much something is worth and whether it is "worth it" to ask the teacher to take the test. That is what non-compliance with a 504 essentially does to kids.

504 plans are part of the civil rights architecture and part of the economic structure. We want kids to be able to access a free and equal public education because we want to raise independent taxpaying citizens.

I'd ask for a re-do just to make the point to the teacher that it will be easier for her to offer the accommodation the first time. Every "forgetting" should be documented by the student with a copy to the parent. "Dear Teacher X, I know you said you forgot about my accommodations today, so that is why I didn't get to use them. I am attaching a copy of my 504 plan. I would like to use my accommodations consistently n class by doing X, Y and Z. Thank you so much for helping me be able to practice and show what I know as much as possible."

Thank you! This is a great way to think about it and I love your example for the teacher

[Anonymous]

You need to loop the principal in on this.

-special ed teacher