What is going on with the Office of Special Education?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

That is just one PP's take. And it is false to allege "zero experience in special education" when in fact she was a special educator herself, then later became a lawyer.

Here is the staff directory page with contact info:

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/directory/directory_Boxoffice.aspx?processlevel=34511

[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?

OP the 7pm 9/21 SEAC meeting (Zoom) might provide answers to some of these questions.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jFyStfYj4Bb7DeQQvpuqObw7ec7EYD0j/view?fbclid=IwAR1-PZ-BN_hNkSFrzaCQe5xJksiQRV7J8rJU6ikV75Pz2Xs0dyJq-B1ClTA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

There are many parents who demand far more than the las entitles them to receive. And then they get lawyers and pursue action against the school. You certainly can assign fault to people who sue the school for things they are not entitled to receive. And based on the outcomes of the lawsuits, that would be the vast majority of those who sue the school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

There are many parents who demand far more than the las entitles them to receive. And then they get lawyers and pursue action against the school. You certainly can assign fault to people who sue the school for things they are not entitled to receive. And based on the outcomes of the lawsuits, that would be the vast majority of those who sue the school system.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

There are many parents who demand far more than the las entitles them to receive. And then they get lawyers and pursue action against the school. You certainly can assign fault to people who sue the school for things they are not entitled to receive. And based on the outcomes of the lawsuits, that would be the vast majority of those who sue the school system.

This.

is wrong. The system extremely biased against parent. The judges that handle these cases are trained in special education by the same lawyers that represent the Board of Education. It's a rigged system, so your "this" is meaningless.

[Anonymous]

A school system is only as good as the success of its students. Students with disabilities are part of MCPS. To marginalize their needs and deny the accommodations and services they need to learn only hurts Montgomery County and Maryland in the long run. These students can either learn skills for a job or higher education after high school or they can be lifelong recipients of welfare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A school system is only as good as the success of its students. Students with disabilities are part of MCPS. To marginalize their needs and deny the accommodations and services they need to learn only hurts Montgomery County and Maryland in the long run. These students can either learn skills for a job or higher education after high school or they can be lifelong recipients of welfare.

This. Brilliant. Q.E.D.

[Anonymous]

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.

Thank you.

I would add that knowing what kinds of actions a judge or jury would consider negatively probably would help you avoid doing them. Every amazing RTSE O’ve known has taken multiple courses about SPED law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

+1. A once great system…

[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.

OMG. This makes her look even worse. A special educator who then becomes a litigator against families? Where does MCPS find these lowlifes?

Litigation is all about presenting your perspective. Parents are fighting for what they believe they’re child is entitled to under FAPE. MCPS is fighting for what they believe they should offer under FAPE. What’s wrong with that? A special ed teacher who is a litigator is a smart hire for MCPS. This is someone that is familiar with SPED in the classroom, written IEPs, knows the requirements for compliance, and has litigation experience.

A ‘smart’ hire. You sound like James Carville in War Room… I would like someone in the Spec Ed office who stayed on the side of Spec Ed families…

[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.

You have to be kidding right? Where was that ‘proliferation’ of support during the pandemic. Yep - down 300%. The county did nothing. Let’s face it - you are likely an older Moco taxpayer with kids out of the schools. I get it. You have a low mortgage but high taxes. But these children are screwed every day by an institution that is supposed to educate them. Your tax money in the billions is going to pensions and central office.

How can McKnight even sleep at night with this hire is beyond me…an educator this is not. This is an administrator only - and a heartless one at that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

That is just one PP's take. And it is false to allege "zero experience in special education" when in fact she was a special educator herself, then later became a lawyer.

Here is the staff directory page with contact info:

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/directory/directory_Boxoffice.aspx?processlevel=34511

She does say she's a former spec ed teacher, but she's been a litigator for the past 13 years, right? Divorce attorney and defending Baltimore County and PGCPS from parents?

Do you think that's in the best interests of sp ed kids? Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

That is just one PP's take. And it is false to allege "zero experience in special education" when in fact she was a special educator herself, then later became a lawyer.

Here is the staff directory page with contact info:

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/directory/directory_Boxoffice.aspx?processlevel=34511

She does say she's a former spec ed teacher, but she's been a litigator for the past 13 years, right? Divorce attorney and defending Baltimore County and PGCPS from parents?

Do you think that's in the best interests of sp ed kids? Yikes.

You clearly have an agenda and aren’t going to see anything beyond MCPS does nothing. But bottom line, standard isn’t best interests of special Ed kids. Standard is what is a kid entitled to under the law and the answer is NOT everything the parent asks for.

[Anonymous]

MCPS dosn't even have enough special ed teachers - my child has a long term sub for a teacher. You can imagine how well that is going (for those in the back, it's not going well, but what are they going to do, since the pandemic people have left special ed, and teaching, and have not come back)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

That is just one PP's take. And it is false to allege "zero experience in special education" when in fact she was a special educator herself, then later became a lawyer.

Here is the staff directory page with contact info:

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/directory/directory_Boxoffice.aspx?processlevel=34511

She does say she's a former spec ed teacher, but she's been a litigator for the past 13 years, right? Divorce attorney and defending Baltimore County and PGCPS from parents?

Do you think that's in the best interests of sp ed kids? Yikes.

You clearly have an agenda and aren’t going to see anything beyond MCPS does nothing. But bottom line, standard isn’t best interests of special Ed kids. Standard is what is a kid entitled to under the law and the answer is NOT everything the parent asks for.

So the answer isn't to hire more special ed resources, but to spend it on bocce ball and defeat parents in court seeking help for their children???

YOU ARE PURE EVIL.