DCPS removing all Special Ed for kids in Private Schols

[Anonymous]

Letters are going out en masse saying if you want full services, enroll in DCPS. If you stay in private, you'll get some seriously watered down version which certainly isn't equitable. Sounds like a lawsuit on DCPS. Why would they want my SN kid enrolled in DCPS, because all I'd do then is sue them more routinely for their incompetence and inability to maintain a safe classroom? FYI - Filing lawsuits are easy these days and done online in your underwear; just press "Submit".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Letters are going out en masse saying if you want full services, enroll in DCPS. If you stay in private, you'll get some seriously watered down version which certainly isn't equitable. Sounds like a lawsuit on DCPS. Why would they want my SN kid enrolled in DCPS, because all I'd do then is sue them more routinely for their incompetence and inability to maintain a safe classroom? FYI - Filing lawsuits are easy these days and done online in your underwear; just press "Submit".

You sound lovely.

Not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would the Archdiocese complain about having to take your child for free services?! Horribly short sighted on their side.

Couple of thoughts/questions. Is this for older kids? I cannot imagine them revoking services for private preschoolers since it is so difficult to get a PK slot in some schools.

DCPS has a world of problems. Of course, they will shit on tax payers who select private over DCPS. The special ed teachers are overbooked! They have to cut services and they will cut the private school kids.

My child received early stages intervention with DCPS while at a private preschool. While I loved her speech therapist, I really got a glimpse into DCPS, which makes me very thankful we went the private school route. Mind you this was at a super popular NWDC elementary school. Early Stages also only gave her one session a week, I had to pay out of pocket for her other 3 sessions a week.

Honestly, I would look into moving to MoCo if your child needs long term support needs. DCPS is just terrible.

The transportation would be a nightmare. Parochial schools usually don't have school buses and even if they did, transporting Larla to the local PS once a day is a huge waste of gas, plus a wear and tear on the vehicle. If parents want the private school to transport, pay for the transportation. Otherwise, utilize the services your tax dollars pay for without soaking the private school. And yes, my child attends private and has SN.

[Anonymous]

I got no problem driving/walking my kid to the nearest DCPS school for services. I wouldn't expect the private school to do this. Having DCPS come to the private for the services sure sounded better but doesn't appear to have been a possibility. Retaliation by DCPS by diluting services now to next to zero doesn't make sense and sure doesn't sound "equitable."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Letters are going out en masse saying if you want full services, enroll in DCPS. If you stay in private, you'll get some seriously watered down version which certainly isn't equitable. Sounds like a lawsuit on DCPS. Why would they want my SN kid enrolled in DCPS, because all I'd do then is sue them more routinely for their incompetence and inability to maintain a safe classroom? FYI - Filing lawsuits are easy these days and done online in your underwear; just press "Submit".

You sound lovely.

Not.

You almost made me blush.

[Anonymous]

This isn't against the law. We are ACPS and considered holding DD back or doing private, and I looked it up. Schook districts can choose to provide services to school aged children not in public school or not. We would have gotten half the services we qualified for under ACPS rules. So, in the end we decided that public school was the right decision because we wanted her to get the full services she needed.

It sucks and it's really unfair, but technically it's allowed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This isn't against the law. We are ACPS and considered holding DD back or doing private, and I looked it up. Schook districts can choose to provide services to school aged children not in public school or not. We would have gotten half the services we qualified for under ACPS rules. So, in the end we decided that public school was the right decision because we wanted her to get the full services she needed.

It sucks and it's really unfair, but technically it's allowed.

You may wanna look again. You're wrong on the law. If you're in public, why are you trolling this site?

[Anonymous]

The law gives districts great flexibility on this.

They have to spend some portion of their total special education budget on students with disabilities enrolled in private schools by choice.

But they get to determine how much of the budget goes to this, and how the services are delivered. It sucks for you OP that they are changing policies now and in a way that means your DC will get less effective services. But talk to 2-3 experienced attorneys and the ones who are honest will tell you that this is legal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would the archdiocese care if the services were provided inside their schools? If they are being provided at the neighborhood school, why did they demand they be provided at the Catholic school?

That is th $60,000 question. I'm rather stunned the Archdioscese would make this request on behalf of its students' families without so much as a heads up or survey. Because if this is really how it all went down, they have really screwed over OP and probably other families.

My guess is that sending kids out for services happens on DCPS' schedule and disrupts instruction/routines at the private schools. Much the way that speech pullouts in public schools often cause students to miss instruction. It is always the classroom teachers' responsibility that anything missed is made up. Perhaps if the services were offered at the private school, there's more flexibility with the schedule. Of course, not having to shuttle anywhere means that the time in transit is no longer lost. That might be 30-60 more minutes of class time right there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The law gives districts great flexibility on this.

They have to spend some portion of their total special education budget on students with disabilities enrolled in private schools by choice.

But they get to determine how much of the budget goes to this, and how the services are delivered. It sucks for you OP that they are changing policies now and in a way that means your DC will get less effective services. But talk to 2-3 experienced attorneys and the ones who are honest will tell you that this is legal.

There may be great flexibility, but a decision by OSSE only now to transition everyone from an IEP to an ISP for the 2016-2017 school year is rather abrupt, to say the least. Parents have already agreed to IEPs and signed tuition agreements; the parents are on the hook with the private school. Without rulemaking, it would appear OSSE has violated the Admin. Procedures Act. People should have notice of this change and be able to comment before coming into effect. Otherwise, parents and children are severely and adversely impacted without appropriate notice. It's disingenuous to say to parents now that you can enroll in DCPS for the upcoming school year to get all of your IEP benefits when parents have already made tuition agreements and are thus "committed."

News break: The phrase "individualized service plan" or abbreviation "ISP" does not appear anywhere in the DC COde or regs. related to schools. Whereas IEP is everywhere.

Sounds like Captain Underpants needs to file for a TRO against OSSE. Unfortunately, s/he will have to wear at least an overcoat because TRO's are with the "Judge in Chambers" and require in-person filings (or at least that was the case the last time I did one against DCPS). Not a big deal; just a needless waste of time. Sometimes one needs to waste time to stop getting tooled on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would the Archdiocese complain about having to take your child for free services?! Horribly short sighted on their side.

Couple of thoughts/questions. Is this for older kids? I cannot imagine them revoking services for private preschoolers since it is so difficult to get a PK slot in some schools.

DCPS has a world of problems. Of course, they will shit on tax payers who select private over DCPS. The special ed teachers are overbooked! They have to cut services and they will cut the private school kids.

My child received early stages intervention with DCPS while at a private preschool. While I loved her speech therapist, I really got a glimpse into DCPS, which makes me very thankful we went the private school route. Mind you this was at a super popular NWDC elementary school. Early Stages also only gave her one session a week, I had to pay out of pocket for her other 3 sessions a week.

Honestly, I would look into moving to MoCo if your child needs long term support needs. DCPS is just terrible.

The transportation would be a nightmare. Parochial schools usually don't have school buses and even if they did, transporting Larla to the local PS once a day is a huge waste of gas, plus a wear and tear on the vehicle. If parents want the private school to transport, pay for the transportation. Otherwise, utilize the services your tax dollars pay for without soaking the private school. And yes, my child attends private and has SN.

For us, there was no transportation costs. We walked from the private preschool to the DCPS elementary school. I agree that parents who use early stages are responsible for getting their child to and from the place of therapy.

[Anonymous]

The law is stupid.

APS handles it the same way.

I looked for a parochial school with a resource teacher. For a friend whose kid has more serious needs, I suggested a school with many resource teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The law is stupid.

APS handles it the same way.

I looked for a parochial school with a resource teacher. For a friend whose kid has more serious needs, I suggested a school with many resource teachers.

I posted this. So I mean the law is really unfair to parent-placed kids.

So if, as a parent, you pay tuition and taxes, you also get to pay for PT/OT/SLP or a tutor.

I did this for my kid.

It was better in the long run because other problems he had in public school (anxiety, attention, sensory stuff) were less intense in a school where the class sizes were small, the parents had "skin in the game" and things were really consistent. Even the uniform was sensory-friendly (tagless) and the teachers went out of their way for alllll kids.

Some related service providers will come to private schools for you. My son's OT would and he missed a specials class. Another kid's OT (my friend's kid) came and did a free teacher training for the staff. Principal was happy and the OT got more clients. SHe came to a PTO meeting too.

[Anonymous]

"I got no problem driving/walking my kid to the nearest DCPS school for services. I wouldn't expect the private school to do this. Having DCPS come to the private for the services sure sounded better but doesn't appear to have been a possibility. Retaliation by DCPS by diluting services now to next to zero doesn't make sense and sure doesn't sound "equitable."

DCPS has been moving to only serve the most severely disabled children on their terms. There continues to ban an attitude of "fit into our model" or we will find ways to drive you out.

I would be very happy to have a two hour conversation with the poster who mentioned that special needs kids get more attention than others. It would take me that long to detail to you the ignorance of the law by those in the school system, the incomplete implementation of an IEP, legal action I took, thousands of private money spent on therapy and help for a kid who was suicidal. We have been driven from the system and I am now homeschooling a high schooler. I pay taxes yet somehow spending thousands of my dollars to fight an incompetent system when what we asked for was reasonable and done in other jurisdictions was not worth the emotional damage to my child and my family.

OP: I think you can try to appeal to the OSSE and testify about the negative and exclusionary impact of these decisions and also to contact the OSSE Ombudsman to make your case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Letters are going out en masse saying if you want full services, enroll in DCPS. If you stay in private, you'll get some seriously watered down version which certainly isn't equitable. Sounds like a lawsuit on DCPS. Why would they want my SN kid enrolled in DCPS, because all I'd do then is sue them more routinely for their incompetence and inability to maintain a safe classroom? FYI - Filing lawsuits are easy these days and done online in your underwear; just press "Submit".

Filing is easy enough. keeping them alive in court here in DC is quite another. The parents aren't actually winning much anymore, like they used to when DCPS just rolled over, didn't even show up in court, and just wrote an annual $70K check to the upper middle class, savvy family. (oh, and lawyer fees. So, so many SN education lawyer fees)

Welcome to 2016.

Also, if you've been reading upthread, what DCPS is proposing has passed muster in other federal district courts in other states. It's legit. Sorry.