DCPS IS halting all therapy services for kids in private schools

[Anonymous]

I posted a few weeks ago about how I heard that OSSE was moving to halt all direct therapy services for kids in private schools. Currently, my daughter commutes to a local DCPS school to receive the speech therapy services that DCPS just reaffirmed she qualifies for. Today we get the letter that DCPS is immediately halting all direct therapy (speech & language, occupational, and physical) services. Instead, a DCPS employee will "provide one consultative visit per month, lasting at least 30 minutes ... with the teacher and/or parent as appropriate."
OSSE has the nerve to assert that having coffee with my daughter's teacher for 30 minutes once a month is "equitable" to the 1 hour of speech therapy previously provided by a certified, Maters prepared speech therapist. This will, of course, become a matter of litigation soon.
If you have received one of these letters, beware they state that DCPS will contact you in the next 2 weeks to update your ISP. Do NOT sign anything in this meeting. DCPS's own regulations state that they can only change the manner of services provided to your child AFTER a meaningful and timely consultation with parents involved. DCPS contacting you NOW to tell you that they have already decided to cancel services does not meet this test. Calling you in for a meeting after the fact is the oldest trick in the book.
I am interested in working with other parents who would like to fight this change.

[Anonymous]

That's terrible. Not a DCPS parent but I hope this works out for you. Insane they just think they can do this to families.

[Anonymous]

Their choice. You either go to public school or pay for private services.

[Anonymous]

Does this apply to early stages before K?

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't such a decision be considered "PREDETERMINATION" of services as it was not a team decision. The LRE box would need to be discussed again on the IEP forms. Are they holding addendum meetings for all IEP students?

Bring it to the news media. Contact Wrights Law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't such a decision be considered "PREDETERMINATION" of services as it was not a team decision. The LRE box would need to be discussed again on the IEP forms. Are they holding addendum meetings for all IEP students?

Bring it to the news media. Contact Wrights Law.

Predetermination is a concept that only applies to kids who have I.E.P.'s that are being implemented. Kids whose parents decline I.E.P.'s and instead choose private schools and service plans have fewer rights.

I think it makes sense to fight this, but I also think it's quite possibly legal.

[Anonymous]

This document - from a disability rights organization in PA - suggests that DCPS may be within its rights to only provide the 'coaching' OP described. http://disabilityrightspa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Getting-Help-for-Children-with-Disabilities-in-Private-Schools.pdf

[Anonymous]

Don't like it? I think there's a DCPS public school 'round the corner from you, OP. I bet your kid can get an IEP and on-campus services once you enroll your kid.

-- private school parent in the District

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't like it? I think there's a DCPS public school 'round the corner from you, OP. I bet your kid can get an IEP and on-campus services once you enroll your kid.

-- private school parent in the District

What is this anger? Why are people reacting this way to OP?

OP, I am one of the people who posted that unfortunately this may not be against federal law. Federal law gives states a great deal of leeway in how they spend funds for children with disabilities who are parentally placed in private schools.

However, that doesn't change the fact that this sucks. Changing rules for parents after tuition is due, sucks. Taking away services that are working for kids sucks. Not allowing for public feedback and discussion sucks. I have no idea if there is recourse under IDEA, but I think you should still raise this issue.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand what the issue is. I think it's not an absurd idea to use funds for children and families who truly cannot afford those services, much less private schools.
I cannot imagine having a child use city funds when I'm spending thousands of dollars a year on a school when I can get my child into a public school instead.

--mother of a special needs child who attends public school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand what the issue is. I think it's not an absurd idea to use funds for children and families who truly cannot afford those services, much less private schools.
I cannot imagine having a child use city funds when I'm spending thousands of dollars a year on a school when I can get my child into a public school instead.

--mother of a special needs child who attends public school

So you think that public education should be means tested? I am not sure I understand why you think that the money allocated by the Feds for OP's child should be redistributed to poor children, unless you also think the much larger amount allocated to yours should be too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't such a decision be considered "PREDETERMINATION" of services as it was not a team decision. The LRE box would need to be discussed again on the IEP forms. Are they holding addendum meetings for all IEP students?

Bring it to the news media. Contact Wrights Law.

Predetermination is a concept that only applies to kids who have I.E.P.'s that are being implemented. Kids whose parents decline I.E.P.'s and instead choose private schools and service plans have fewer rights.

I think it makes sense to fight this, but I also think it's quite possibly legal.

I mistakenly thought these students had been privately placed by DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand what the issue is. I think it's not an absurd idea to use funds for children and families who truly cannot afford those services, much less private schools.
I cannot imagine having a child use city funds when I'm spending thousands of dollars a year on a school when I can get my child into a public school instead.

--mother of a special needs child who attends public school

There are many reasons a child with special needs could be in a private school instead of a public. Maybe she's on financial aid. Maybe because she needs to be there the parents have tapped out their financial resources for tuition and can't do private therapy as well. If op is a DC resident she is paying taxes to DC schools and isn't taking anything from anybody.

[Anonymous]

I've never heard of private school students using public school resources like this. Does it happen in VA and Md too?

[Anonymous]

OP here. I am not sure why this should matter, as I have paid taxes in dc for more than 20 years to support DCPS. But, let me explain things to the trolls (silly me). My family HAS tapped out all of our resources spending tuition on a very moderatly priced parochial school. Our DC was placed in a DCPS school, very she was subject and witness to violent bullying, in part due to her dissability. We asked the school to move her to a different class, and DCPS told us to go screw b/c our expectations for safety were "unrealustic." I'm talking bruises, hair pulled out in handfulls, pushing down stairs, etc. Our pediatrician recommended we pull our D/C out of DCPS for fear of long-term damage to her education. Our insurance will not pay one red cent of therapy, which costs $125 per hour. Just so you have the facts.