Charter school placing out due to special needs

[Anonymous]

double posting. Also mentioned charters because 13:09 did not mention as an option. Just in case someone didn't read the whole link, was trying to be helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:15 here, was not trying to attack you at all, not sure where you see that in my post? I apologize to have caused that impression.

Was pointing out it looks like other charters ARE in fact an option, which seems like good news!

Sorry, I thought you were this snarky poster:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. The PP who is spouting off what she/he doesn't know anything about is truly arrogant.

Not sure why people make completely mean unhelpful comments like this on the SN board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the process:

Someone, either parent or school or both together, makes the decision to consider an outside placement.

A document is written, called a "Justification for Removal" that outlines the reasons why this is being considered. It includes all different kinds of data. It is sent off to OSSE along with a packet full of IEPs and work samples and other things.

OSSE has 30 days in which to convene a meeting with the school. In the interim they usually talk to the parents, visit the child at school, and talk to school professionals.

At the meeting, the OSSE rep asks any clarifying questions they may have, and gives people opportunities to speak about the child. They then make a "state recommendation" which can be either to place or move. Usually there have to be very compelling reasons for a child to be moved. They also offer "training and technical assistance" which is OSSE speak for suggestions on what the school could try. It's important to note that charter schools have the responsibility to educate any child who can be served in an inclusive environment. They have a responsibility to set up self contained classrooms if that's what a child needs, or hire dedicated aides, or bring in specialists. If a child could function in a special education autism class in DCPS they can function in a special education autism class in a charter school and the charter needs to develop one.

The IEP team then considers the OSSE's recommendation and makes a final decision. They can disagree with a recommendation to place elsewhere, but most schools are hesitant to do so as it comes with increased monitoring etc . . . In addition, the OSSE knows the private placements, and often has good suggestions. So, frequently if the OSSE says no the school decides to try again.

If the IEP team decides that they've exhausted all options for providing FAPE in the LRE then the OSSE has 10 days to find a placement and move the child there.****

OSSE then pays tuition to the private school, they take the student's allotment to pay for part of it, and eat the cost for the rest. The charter school continues to be the LEA of record, and school employees attend IEP meetings etc . . . When the new IEP team at the new school decides the child is ready to move they return to the charter, even if it's midyear, even if it's full, even if it's 4th grade and the school doesn't usually accept new 4th graders.

**** This is the trickiest part of the whole thing. They'll ask you your thoughts on schools as a parent, but if that school doesn't have an opening in 10 days your child won't be placed there. The only way around this, is to apply before the process or early in the process so you can tell OSSE that a certain school already accepted your child. However, given that the top private schools generally only accept kids for fall placements, this can get very tricky with timing and deadlines.

You seem to know the process very well. My question is when you say, "OSSE has 10 days to find a placement and move the child there..." can OSSE say that the placement they are offering is in a DCPS (assuming, of course, that OSSE can make the argument that the DCPS they are offering can serve the needs of the child at the LRE level)?

For example, if you figure out in pre-K that your child is autistic, and that the charter school cannot meet his/her needs, can the placement OSSE offers be a DCPS autism program?

I'm the PP you posted and the answer is no. OSSE will need to offer a nonpublic placement from the following list:

http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/Approved%20Nonpublic%20%28Day%20Schools%29%20v9.12.2013%5B1%5D.pdf

The parent, at any time, has the right to remove the child from the charter school and enroll in DCPS. If the IEP says self contained and autism they'd likely be placed in a DCPS autism classroom, but OSSE can't place there. Similarly, a parent whose child was offered a place at St. Coletta's could remove their child from the nonpublic and place there, but OSSE can't place there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems other charters are an option too. None of hat seemed to happen with knowledgeable PP's friends though.

I'm the PP with the long detailed post with the steps. I would read the language in the OSSE memorandum that said "pursuant to an agreement between DCPS . . . " , near the bottom of page 4, as referring specifically to Charter schools that have DCPS as their special education LEA, meaning that DCPS has responsibility for their special ed processes.

If you look at the following list (which is a year old, so may be out of date, I can't find the newest version, although I didn't look to hard), that would be the schools that have the word "District" next to your name. Other than KIPP and Shining Stars, the schools you hear about most frequently on DCUM are on the LEA list.

http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/DC%20Public%20Charter%20School%20LEA%20Status%20SY%2012-13.pdf

I have never heard of OSSE placing a child from an LEA charter school into another charter school. It has never come up as an option in a situation I know of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's the process:

Someone, either parent or school or both together, makes the decision to consider an outside placement.

A document is written, called a "Justification for Removal" that outlines the reasons why this is being considered. It includes all different kinds of data. It is sent off to OSSE along with a packet full of IEPs and work samples and other things.

OSSE has 30 days in which to convene a meeting with the school. In the interim they usually talk to the parents, visit the child at school, and talk to school professionals.

At the meeting, the OSSE rep asks any clarifying questions they may have, and gives people opportunities to speak about the child. They then make a "state recommendation" which can be either to place or move. Usually there have to be very compelling reasons for a child to be moved. They also offer "training and technical assistance" which is OSSE speak for suggestions on what the school could try. It's important to note that charter schools have the responsibility to educate any child who can be served in an inclusive environment. They have a responsibility to set up self contained classrooms if that's what a child needs, or hire dedicated aides, or bring in specialists. If a child could function in a special education autism class in DCPS they can function in a special education autism class in a charter school and the charter needs to develop one.

The IEP team then considers the OSSE's recommendation and makes a final decision. They can disagree with a recommendation to place elsewhere, but most schools are hesitant to do so as it comes with increased monitoring etc . . . In addition, the OSSE knows the private placements, and often has good suggestions. So, frequently if the OSSE says no the school decides to try again.

If the IEP team decides that they've exhausted all options for providing FAPE in the LRE then the OSSE has 10 days to find a placement and move the child there.****

OSSE then pays tuition to the private school, they take the student's allotment to pay for part of it, and eat the cost for the rest. The charter school continues to be the LEA of record, and school employees attend IEP meetings etc . . . When the new IEP team at the new school decides the child is ready to move they return to the charter, even if it's midyear, even if it's full, even if it's 4th grade and the school doesn't usually accept new 4th graders.

**** This is the trickiest part of the whole thing. They'll ask you your thoughts on schools as a parent, but if that school doesn't have an opening in 10 days your child won't be placed there. The only way around this, is to apply before the process or early in the process so you can tell OSSE that a certain school already accepted your child. However, given that the top private schools generally only accept kids for fall placements, this can get very tricky with timing and deadlines.

NP here. Don't mean to derail this thread, but the bolded parts above don't make sense to me. How can a charter school have an obligation to set up a self-contained classroom or an autism classroom based on one student's needs? That seems highly impractical--they presumably would not have an extra classroom sitting open, plus there would just be one student in that room. Am I misunderstanding something here?

[Anonymous]

It's a good question, PP.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP who said the PP was being arrogant in her/his explanation. I wrote this because the private placement process is EXTREMELY complex and not an easy one Even lawyers and professionals who do this for a living don't offer uniform explanations for the process. It seemed to me that the PP who explained the process from getting a private placement from a charter offered details that were not accurate and made the process simplified based on what she/he saw happen to her friends. it seems arrogant to me to speak about an extremely complex process with a sense of utter accuracy based on a friend's experience. I apologize for the provocative and attacking language. I just think its SO important that nobody walks away thinking this is a cakewalk.

[Anonymous]

Lets all try to be supportive here, Ok?

Nobody else had info anywhere near as good as the PP wih the outplaced friends, right?

So she was super helpful, I thought, and basically mirrorered the process listed in the OSSE document, though it is certainly all complex. She did say it was based on her friends' experience at one charter. Let's not attack and let's not a are her away. We can all benefit from anecdotal info.

[Anonymous]

Thank you PP.

I still think the take away is that a private placement, no matter where you are coming from, is a tough longshot and an uphill battle Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the process:

Someone, either parent or school or both together, makes the decision to consider an outside placement.

A document is written, called a "Justification for Removal" that outlines the reasons why this is being considered. It includes all different kinds of data. It is sent off to OSSE along with a packet full of IEPs and work samples and other things.

OSSE has 30 days in which to convene a meeting with the school. In the interim they usually talk to the parents, visit the child at school, and talk to school professionals.

At the meeting, the OSSE rep asks any clarifying questions they may have, and gives people opportunities to speak about the child. They then make a "state recommendation" which can be either to place or move. Usually there have to be very compelling reasons for a child to be moved. They also offer "training and technical assistance" which is OSSE speak for suggestions on what the school could try. It's important to note that charter schools have the responsibility to educate any child who can be served in an inclusive environment. They have a responsibility to set up self contained classrooms if that's what a child needs, or hire dedicated aides, or bring in specialists. If a child could function in a special education autism class in DCPS they can function in a special education autism class in a charter school and the charter needs to develop one.

The IEP team then considers the OSSE's recommendation and makes a final decision. They can disagree with a recommendation to place elsewhere, but most schools are hesitant to do so as it comes with increased monitoring etc . . . In addition, the OSSE knows the private placements, and often has good suggestions. So, frequently if the OSSE says no the school decides to try again.

If the IEP team decides that they've exhausted all options for providing FAPE in the LRE then the OSSE has 10 days to find a placement and move the child there.****

OSSE then pays tuition to the private school, they take the student's allotment to pay for part of it, and eat the cost for the rest. The charter school continues to be the LEA of record, and school employees attend IEP meetings etc . . . When the new IEP team at the new school decides the child is ready to move they return to the charter, even if it's midyear, even if it's full, even if it's 4th grade and the school doesn't usually accept new 4th graders.

**** This is the trickiest part of the whole thing. They'll ask you your thoughts on schools as a parent, but if that school doesn't have an opening in 10 days your child won't be placed there. The only way around this, is to apply before the process or early in the process so you can tell OSSE that a certain school already accepted your child. However, given that the top private schools generally only accept kids for fall placements, this can get very tricky with timing and deadlines.

NP here. Don't mean to derail this thread, but the bolded parts above don't make sense to me. How can a charter school have an obligation to set up a self-contained classroom or an autism classroom based on one student's needs? That seems highly impractical--they presumably would not have an extra classroom sitting open, plus there would just be one student in that room. Am I misunderstanding something here?

If I understand it correctly, if a Charter acts as its own LEA, it acts as its own very small school district and therefore is subject to all the laws that govern school districts regarding special education- in that they are required to provide FAPE to all special education students. The way that DC set up its charters means that Charters must accept all students that are enrolled in their school and provide for their appropriate education regardless of what that entails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lets all try to be supportive here, Ok?

Nobody else had info anywhere near as good as the PP wih the outplaced friends, right?

So she was super helpful, I thought, and basically mirrorered the process listed in the OSSE document, though it is certainly all complex. She did say it was based on her friends' experience at one charter. Let's not attack and let's not a are her away. We can all benefit from anecdotal info.

I think I'm the poster that you're referring to, in that I wrote the long post that started "here's the process . . . " but I certainly never would have said that my understanding was based on friends' experiences, because that isn't true. I'm a professional in the field and have participated in the process from that perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lets all try to be supportive here, Ok?

Nobody else had info anywhere near as good as the PP wih the outplaced friends, right?

So she was super helpful, I thought, and basically mirrorered the process listed in the OSSE document, though it is certainly all complex. She did say it was based on her friends' experience at one charter. Let's not attack and let's not a are her away. We can all benefit from anecdotal info.

I think I'm the poster that you're referring to, in that I wrote the long post that started "here's the process . . . " but I certainly never would have said that my understanding was based on friends' experiences, because that isn't true. I'm a professional in the field and have participated in the process from that perspective.

OK, I think I figured it out, there's a poster at 5/9 9:26 who posted several times saying that she had friends. I think her posts have become confused with mine.

[Anonymous]

So there are two knowledgeable posters, had no idea, thanks. One with friends who have gone though it and one who is involved as a professional. Thanks to you both for shedding light on this!

[Anonymous]

It is also worth noting a clarification from the first page. The school may suggest and alternate placement, but no change in placement may occur without the parents' consent. As the LEA, the school must find a way to serve the child. I speak from some really dreadful experience.

[Anonymous]

PP, what is the dreadful experience?