What is going on with the Office of Special Education?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately this has always been the culture of MCPS. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: 11 million spent in 2017 in outside counsel to fight families of children on IEPs. That is the school system you choose to support with your tax dollars? Well I don’t anymore. You shouldn’t either.

With the proliferation of 504s being up 300%, especially in UMC areas it kind of has to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately this has always been the culture of MCPS. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: 11 million spent in 2017 in outside counsel to fight families of children on IEPs. That is the school system you choose to support with your tax dollars? Well I don’t anymore. You shouldn’t either.

What does that mean? Did you move?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately this has always been the culture of MCPS. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: 11 million spent in 2017 in outside counsel to fight families of children on IEPs. That is the school system you choose to support with your tax dollars? Well I don’t anymore. You shouldn’t either.

Anonymous wrote:What does that mean? Did you move?

Perhaps civil disobedience. Would love to know how that turns out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately this has always been the culture of MCPS. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: 11 million spent in 2017 in outside counsel to fight families of children on IEPs. That is the school system you choose to support with your tax dollars? Well I don’t anymore. You shouldn’t either.

With the proliferation of 504s being up 300%, especially in UMC areas it kind of has to be.

I agree. I don't think we can give everyone everything that they want. We need to stick to what is required. What is the percentage spent on kids with IEPs versus the amount spent on everyone else?

And frankly, you can fault the families suing as much as MCPS for the 11 million in waste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was there an announcement for the new Acting Associate Superintendent? This is the second Acting Associate Superintendent in two years and Ty get new Acting Superintendent was the Resolution and Compliance Director hired by MCPS last October. So who is now the Director for Resolution and Compliance?

And what about all the vacancies for Special Education Teachers and Para Educators at the school level? Did MCPS just give up on finding employees for those positions as well?

I don't believe MCPS has given up on finding special education teachers or paras. The problem is that people just don't want the jobs. Special Ed jobs are hard-besides the mounds of paperwork and meetings to attend, add to that being verbally and physically assaulted in some cases, would you want that job? I know special educators in the county that literally had to go on disability because of physical incidents in their classrooms. On top of all of that, they aren't paid enough at all.

As for paras, similar issue, except the money is REALLY bad and they are treated as less than professionals in a lot of schools. Take a look at the job listings on the MCPS website-the majority of para jobs open are the ones with no benefits. I think most of the para jobs start at $18-19 an hour. There are lot easier jobs out there for that kind of money and no benefits.

Just a little food for thought...

[Anonymous]

Para's need to be given benefits. Why would anyone want a job where they are abused, get no benefits, and aren't paid enough to live in the community that they work.

Something has to change. Other employers are revamping comp plans and benefits due to the worker shortage. MCPS needs to do the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately this has always been the culture of MCPS. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: 11 million spent in 2017 in outside counsel to fight families of children on IEPs. That is the school system you choose to support with your tax dollars? Well I don’t anymore. You shouldn’t either.

With the proliferation of 504s being up 300%, especially in UMC areas it kind of has to be.

I agree. I don't think we can give everyone everything that they want. We need to stick to what is required. What is the percentage spent on kids with IEPs versus the amount spent on everyone else?

And frankly, you can fault the families suing as much as MCPS for the 11 million in waste.

Frank, no you can't fault parents at all. The law is the law and if MCPS won't follow it then parents have to advocate for their chiildren. Frank, you really have to get your story straight. You want parents to be involved in their child's education or you don't? Which is it? You blame parents when kids are out of control and fault them for advocating for their children at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A simple LinkedIn search shows that she was a special ed teacher before she went to law school:

Special Education Coordinator
PGCPS

Mar 2000 - Jun 2008 8 years 4 months

Chaired middle school special education department


I don't know anything about her personally, but it's not like she's unqualified.

The word teacher is nowhere in that job title.

A middle school special education department chair = a teacher

In MCPS, a Special Education Coordinator (a Central Office position) teaches zero students and doesn’t necessarily have a teaching background.

[Anonymous]

The priority is not teaching in MCPS. It’s argue and fight to avoid teaching students.

Terrible downward spiral of a public school system and their internal priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A simple LinkedIn search shows that she was a special ed teacher before she went to law school:

Special Education Coordinator
PGCPS

Mar 2000 - Jun 2008 8 years 4 months

Chaired middle school special education department


I don't know anything about her personally, but it's not like she's unqualified.

The word teacher is nowhere in that job title.

A middle school special education department chair = a teacher

In MCPS, a Special Education Coordinator (a Central Office position) teaches zero students and doesn’t necessarily have a teaching background.

This wasn't in MCPS. And I've never heard of a middle school department chair that wasn't already a teacher. https://offices.pgcps.org/Compensation-and-Classification/Position-Descriptions/S-T/Special-Education-Program-Coordinator/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A simple LinkedIn search shows that she was a special ed teacher before she went to law school:

Special Education Coordinator
PGCPS

Mar 2000 - Jun 2008 8 years 4 months

Chaired middle school special education department


I don't know anything about her personally, but it's not like she's unqualified.

The word teacher is nowhere in that job title.

A middle school special education department chair = a teacher

In MCPS, a Special Education Coordinator (a Central Office position) teaches zero students and doesn’t necessarily have a teaching background.

This wasn't in MCPS. And I've never heard of a middle school department chair that wasn't already a teacher. https://offices.pgcps.org/Compensation-and-Classification/Position-Descriptions/S-T/Special-Education-Program-Coordinator/

I’ve never heard of a school system lawyer being assigned Associate Superintendent of Special Education.

I guess our next Superintendent will be promoted from the General Counsel’s Office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real problem is that FAPE is under funded at the federal level. The federal govt only gives $7 billion a year for these underfunded mandates. We have spent about double that just in Ukraine for weapons this year already.

So why can’t MCPS use that money to lobby Congress to fund the mandates? Seems more child centered

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real problem is that FAPE is under funded at the federal level. The federal govt only gives $7 billion a year for these underfunded mandates. We have spent about double that just in Ukraine for weapons this year already.

So why can’t MCPS use that money to lobby Congress to fund the mandates? Seems more child centered

Or why not use the money to address the educational needs of students.

[Anonymous]

You folks better band together more and fight for what your child is entitled to. The more children that show they aren’t being adequately served, the more likely they are to add additional schools, resources, teachers, and outsource staff to fulfill their obligations under federal IEP Law. This is how all the “good” states have gotten the necessary services for their children. Parents band together with a single purpose. You hire lawyers and assert your rights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was there an announcement for the new Acting Associate Superintendent? This is the second Acting Associate Superintendent in two years and Ty get new Acting Superintendent was the Resolution and Compliance Director hired by MCPS last October. So who is now the Director for Resolution and Compliance?

And what about all the vacancies for Special Education Teachers and Para Educators at the school level? Did MCPS just give up on finding employees for those positions as well?

McKnight brought in an enforcer. A lawyer with lots of litigation experience and zero experience in special education.

Does this mean MCPS will actually start following the law or is it a signal that they intend to play hardball and force parents to lawyer up to get anything.

We have had success over the years writing letters to the associate superintendent for special ed and getting immediate corrections.

Who is the enforcer?