Confessions/secrets from Sts, OTs, PTs, special ed teachers, administrators, etc

[Anonymous]

I meant the first step to *CHANGE* is admitting there is a problem.

I think too many bury their head in the sand or try to say things like "well every system has problems." The educational system is one of the most crucial systems on earth. Those children are the future of our country. They all deserve the best education possible. Regarding special needs we will all suffer if our children with SN don't get the level of support they need to flourish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS Central office staff member & SN parent here. Based on what I've seen, know and experienced I would only send my child to about 4-5 of the schools in the entire school system. Overall, we are a total mess - sped teachers are only allowed to teach/instruct the special programs we purchase and each child has to fit into one of the pre-approved instructional programs. ZERO CREATIVITY - the child must fit into one of the programs!! We are so cookie-cutter it's painful. Massive and systemic issues are the norm. Any employee that challenges the aforementioned norm(s) are quite often deemed a trouble-maker and then suddenly this previously good employee is now considered to be failing to meet expectations. Next they are placed on a PIP and fired usually within two months. Most employees have learned that speaking up and advocating for kids will get you fired. The leadership teams are a joke and the central office is so TOP HEAVY. When this new round of terminations happen - I wonder whom will be left to do the work. LOL.

Anyway, I am leaving soon for a job over the bridge in VA.

Good luck and God bless you all!

We need people like you at FCPS!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this is kind of a no-win. You are failing to acknowledge the fact that most of the professionals you name are ethical, well-meaning, hard-working, and on the side of parents. It's as if you think there is going to be an outpouring from each and every therapist, educator, and administrator of secrets they can't wait to unburden themselves about in which parents are duped and children mistreated. I'm cynical, but I'm not this cynical.

I think 100% of the people in the school system like to think of themselves as ethical, well-meaning and so forth. Thinking it doesn't make it so. We all need to reflect on our actions regardless of our professional and constantly ask ourselves did I really do the right thing? Did I really operate with integrity here? Did I do something that could cause harm? Am I too complacent? Am I expanding my horizons and trying to learn new techniques and new ways to reach kids? Is this how I would want my own child treated?

Yes, parents do crappy things too and feel free to start a thread of confessions of crappy things we've done as parents usually with the best of intentions and sometimes trying to convince ourselves it was the right thing to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is kind of a no-win. You are failing to acknowledge the fact that most of the professionals you name are ethical, well-meaning, hard-working, and on the side of parents. It's as if you think there is going to be an outpouring from each and every therapist, educator, and administrator of secrets they can't wait to unburden themselves about in which parents are duped and children mistreated. I'm cynical, but I'm not this cynical.

I think 100% of the people in the school system like to think of themselves as ethical, well-meaning and so forth. Thinking it doesn't make it so. We all need to reflect on our actions regardless of our professional and constantly ask ourselves did I really do the right thing? Did I really operate with integrity here? Did I do something that could cause harm? Am I too complacent? Am I expanding my horizons and trying to learn new techniques and new ways to reach kids? Is this how I would want my own child treated?

Yes, parents do crappy things too and feel free to start a thread of confessions of crappy things we've done as parents usually with the best of intentions and sometimes trying to convince ourselves it was the right thing to do.

For me, the key is the administration asking: "How would I want my OWN child treated if I had an SN kid? Is this the best the school can do for MY child?"

[Anonymous]

My biggest complaint as a SPED teacher is center-based placement. It's very rare that I have seen a grouping that is truly LRE for every kid. There are typically 2-3 kids who don't quite fit the group which makes structuring the program effectively very difficult. It's a budget/staffing issue at every school I've worked in. Sometimes it works out and spots open up in a more appropriate class but it's not the norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS Central office staff member & SN parent here. Based on what I've seen, know and experienced I would only send my child to about 4-5 of the schools in the entire school system. Overall, we are a total mess - sped teachers are only allowed to teach/instruct the special programs we purchase and each child has to fit into one of the pre-approved instructional programs. ZERO CREATIVITY - the child must fit into one of the programs!! We are so cookie-cutter it's painful. Massive and systemic issues are the norm. Any employee that challenges the aforementioned norm(s) are quite often deemed a trouble-maker and then suddenly this previously good employee is now considered to be failing to meet expectations. Next they are placed on a PIP and fired usually within two months. Most employees have learned that speaking up and advocating for kids will get you fired. The leadership teams are a joke and the central office is so TOP HEAVY. When this new round of terminations happen - I wonder whom will be left to do the work. LOL.

Anyway, I am leaving soon for a job over the bridge in VA.

Good luck and God bless you all!

Bs. We have not used PIP plans in DCPS for the past 6 years. Thanks for working with our kids a decade ago and acting like its current information!

[Anonymous]

In my experience, it takes a complaining parent to get anything done for a special needs child! Our teacher was suggesting that my child go to the homeschool, where there was one resource teacher for all five grades. I put up a fuss and got someone from central office to attend the IEP meeting. We ended up with significant supports and a different placement. Why is that? I do believe in my heart that teachers are in a no win situations between parents and the school system they work for.

[Anonymous]

Substitute teacher, so this is what I've heard from colleagues in the lounge, and socially. I have a SN child so I pay attention to this.

Everyone knows this one. School teams that meet prior to the official IEP meeting presumably to familiarize everyone with the latest on the child's situation, but who are really meeting to get everyone from the school or district "on the same page" which makes it clear that people who object should stay silent.

Principals and SN coordinators who tell classroom teachers or PTs, OTs, SLTs they should not speak in IEP meetings unless asked a direct question and to "follow their lead" in the meeting meaning they can't object to anything the SN coordinators say or raise questions or any new concerns.

That everyone knows the SN coordinators at certain schools are lazy as crap and they have an understanding with the principals to not give out IEPs so the kids have no choice but to go to privates and the remaining students are easier to handle as there are fewer special needs kids.

That they manipulate data collected to say whatever they want it to say which is usually either that a kid has no problem or that the kid needs to leave the school. It will rarely say the child needs more services and that these services can be given at the school.

That they try to guess whether a parent is upset and wealthy enough to get a lawyer and go to due process and make the amount of push back on services commensurate to this rather than a child's actual need.

That they think they can get away with it because they are good at the documentation which is all most people at the district level have time to look at.

[Anonymous]

That our district tries to assign as many of the best resource teachers and therapists at Title I and poorer schools. The parents at the wealthier schools aren't the wiser.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My biggest complaint as a SPED teacher is center-based placement. It's very rare that I have seen a grouping that is truly LRE for every kid. There are typically 2-3 kids who don't quite fit the group which makes structuring the program effectively very difficult. It's a budget/staffing issue at every school I've worked in. Sometimes it works out and spots open up in a more appropriate class but it's not the norm.

This is 1000% true with the FCPS elementary ED centers. The classrooms are a hodgepodge dumping ground of kids with all different issues that the base schools didn't want to handle. AND they are K-3 or 4-6 or some other mix depending on the population at that time. No kid is getting a good education. And some kids don't get into the general ed classes as much as they should b/c of staffing, plain and simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Substitute teacher, so this is what I've heard from colleagues in the lounge, and socially. I have a SN child so I pay attention to this.

Everyone knows this one. School teams that meet prior to the official IEP meeting presumably to familiarize everyone with the latest on the child's situation, but who are really meeting to get everyone from the school or district "on the same page" which makes it clear that people who object should stay silent.

Principals and SN coordinators who tell classroom teachers or PTs, OTs, SLTs they should not speak in IEP meetings unless asked a direct question and to "follow their lead" in the meeting meaning they can't object to anything the SN coordinators say or raise questions or any new concerns.

That everyone knows the SN coordinators at certain schools are lazy as crap and they have an understanding with the principals to not give out IEPs so the kids have no choice but to go to privates and the remaining students are easier to handle as there are fewer special needs kids.

That they manipulate data collected to say whatever they want it to say which is usually either that a kid has no problem or that the kid needs to leave the school. It will rarely say the child needs more services and that these services can be given at the school.

That they try to guess whether a parent is upset and wealthy enough to get a lawyer and go to due process and make the amount of push back on services commensurate to this rather than a child's actual need.

That they think they can get away with it because they are good at the documentation which is all most people at the district level have time to look at.

You must be a sub in MCPS. Amirite?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That our district tries to assign as many of the best resource teachers and therapists at Title I and poorer schools. The parents at the wealthier schools aren't the wiser.

Why? I would think the opposite would be true.

[Anonymous]

You must be a sub in MCPS. Amirite?

Not the PP you're responding to but I swear she's in FCPS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That our district tries to assign as many of the best resource teachers and therapists at Title I and poorer schools. The parents at the wealthier schools aren't the wiser.

Why? I would think the opposite would be true.

Because they figure the wealthier parents cam/will actually get tutors/private therapies that the Title 1 parents can't afford.

[Anonymous]

Another DCPS Sped Teacher/SN parent here. Most of us are trying our absolute best to do right by your kids. (Although I doubt I have many DCUM reader parents in my current school). But the biggest advice I have is: double check the placement advised by Early Stages. So so many times I've seen them send a kid to a placement that was drastically off base. The program managers with DCPS are much more intimately acquainted with each teacher and each program in their purview (autism, ED, non-cat, etc) - reach out to them about what might be best for your child.

Because once I get them, it's hard to switch them in the same school year. (Possible, but slow) And I'll do my absolute best for them, but really they'd be better off somewhere else.