What is going on with the Office of Special Education?

[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 exactly. +1,000,000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

You are ridiculously melodramatic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent who filed and won state and federal complaints against MCPS, the current administrators have not steered the school system into greater compliance. It’s the exact opposite. MCPS blatantly discriminates against students with disabilities knowing only a small percentage will file complaints or sue. This approach has negatively impacted most students with disabilities throughout MCPS.

So, so true. Beyond blatant. I'd label it pathologically sadistic. Also allows some folx (employed/pensioned for life) who are sociopathic and/or sadistic to know they'll have zero accountability for what they do to bully their easy targets.

You know you out yourself as an idiot every time you type “folx,” right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent who filed and won state and federal complaints against MCPS, the current administrators have not steered the school system into greater compliance. It’s the exact opposite. MCPS blatantly discriminates against students with disabilities knowing only a small percentage will file complaints or sue. This approach has negatively impacted most students with disabilities throughout MCPS.

So, so true. Beyond blatant. I'd label it pathologically sadistic. Also allows some folx (employed/pensioned for life) who are sociopathic and/or sadistic to know they'll have zero accountability for what they do to bully their easy targets.

You know you out yourself as an idiot every time you type “folx,” right?

DP. And you brand yourself as really vicious.

If my choice is to break bread with someone who can't spell versus...

[Anonymous]

Was there any information regarding staffing changes at the SEAC meeting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was there any information regarding staffing changes at the SEAC meeting?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lJq6vZaspgbo7TIb8n-U4f6zTRAYMs0H/view

Not sure who changed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was there any information regarding staffing changes at the SEAC meeting?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lJq6vZaspgbo7TIb8n-U4f6zTRAYMs0H/view

Not sure who changed?

Kevin Lowndes used to be the Associate Superintendent of Special Education. He left so last year Gwen Mason came back from retirement as Acting Associate Superintendent of Special Education. Diana Wyles was hired last October to be the Director of the Resolution and Compliance Unit after Zvi Greismann was enticed to come back after retirement to temporarily fill in the position. No word on the search for a permanent Associate Superintendent of Special Education and who is supervising the Resolution and Compliance Unit in the wake of Ms.Wyles new duties. A lot of transition in vital Central Office positions.

[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.

I’m not seeing on the MCPS directory link provided how Diana Wyles was a former special education teacher. Her Linked In profile doesn’t state she has education degree let alone a Masters in Special Education. Her BA in Psychology is noted along with her law degree.

[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.

I’m not seeing on the MCPS directory link provided how Diana Wyles was a former special education teacher. Her Linked In profile doesn’t state she has education degree let alone a Masters in Special Education. Her BA in Psychology is noted along with her law degree.

Most recent 18 years - guess only - I saw info she received her Law Degree from Catholic University of America, Columbus in 2004 - 2008? 2004 to 2022 is 18 years, and that makes sense since she was a divorce attorney for about 13 years'ish, I think? And that's about right for 5 years between Baltimore and PG public schools?

Earlier 22 years - guess only - assume four years for an undergraduate degree in psychology, so the only time she could have been a Special Ed teacher was between Age 22 (whatever year that was) and 2004.

That's a total of 40 years that "make sense".

How old is she now? 45? 46? Did you need special training to be a Sp Ed teacher 20 years ago? Not sure, but if not, then it's plausible she may have been teaching between age 22 for up to ((her current age) - 40) years.

[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 exactly. +1,000,000.

The people with attorneys have far better outcomes than those without. People who dont have the resources to fight are routinely stomped on because the county knows that have to accept what they get

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No actually I support giving people what they are entitled to receive. But I have no qualms in saying limit it to what they are entitled to receive. If you want more, use your health insurance or whatever money you have to get it.

Bocce made it possible for many disabled children to participate in PE. Why are you against spending money to help disabled students?

Didn’t Bocce ball get paid for out of the COVID relief fund, not the Special Ed budget?

+1

I’m not against spending money to help disabled students. If they need Bocce, I want them to have it. I’d be happy to allocate Bocce funding and additional funding on top of that. I just think it should come out of the MCPS budget and not use funds earmarked for COVID relief for expenses that are unrelated to COVID.

The same could be said for the Kid’s Museum that MCPS gave $2 million dollars to. A no bid contract which is run by a Board Member’s wife. However, the addition of Bocce Ball was an attempt to have a sport that students with disabilities would have an opportunity to participate in like the opportunities their non-disabled peers have.

pp here - I have said the same thing about the Kid’s Museum. I’m not sure it was a good allocation of funds, but if it was, we should have taken it out of the operating budget. Whatever the expense, if it’s worth funding, then let MCPS fund it. They may have to prioritize and make some choices, but if Bocce and The Kid’s Museum are the biggest priorities, by all means move them to the top of the list. However, emergency funds designated to address an emergency, in this case COVID, shouldn’t be used for unrelated expenses. Worthy though Bocce and the Kid’s Museum might be, how were they related to COVID?

Agree!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I’m not seeing on the MCPS directory link provided how Diana Wyles was a former special education teacher. Her Linked In profile doesn’t state she has education degree let alone a Masters in Special Education. Her BA in Psychology is noted along with her law degree.

Most recent 18 years - guess only - I saw info she received her Law Degree from Catholic University of America, Columbus in 2004 - 2008? 2004 to 2022 is 18 years, and that makes sense since she was a divorce attorney for about 13 years'ish, I think? And that's about right for 5 years between Baltimore and PG public schools?

Earlier 22 years - guess only - assume four years for an undergraduate degree in psychology, so the only time she could have been a Special Ed teacher was between Age 22 (whatever year that was) and 2004.

That's a total of 40 years that "make sense".

How old is she now? 45? 46? Did you need special training to be a Sp Ed teacher 20 years ago? Not sure, but if not, then it's plausible she may have been teaching between age 22 for up to ((her current age) - 40) years.

A BA in psychology is not qualification to teach Special Education. No teacher certification - let alone Special Ed certification - is listed for her background. She never lists a teaching position for prior jobs.

[Anonymous]

There’s still a long list of Special Education vacancies within schools. Any MCPS plans on how to fill the jobs this school year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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 exactly. +1,000,000.

The people with attorneys have far better outcomes than those without. People who dont have the resources to fight are routinely stomped on because the county knows that have to accept what they get

Sure the people without attorneys only get what they're legally entitled to, but those with often get far more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was there any information regarding staffing changes at the SEAC meeting?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lJq6vZaspgbo7TIb8n-U4f6zTRAYMs0H/view

Not sure who changed?

Kevin Lowndes used to be the Associate Superintendent of Special Education. He left so last year Gwen Mason came back from retirement as Acting Associate Superintendent of Special Education. Diana Wyles was hired last October to be the Director of the Resolution and Compliance Unit after Zvi Greismann was enticed to come back after retirement to temporarily fill in the position. No word on the search for a permanent Associate Superintendent of Special Education and who is supervising the Resolution and Compliance Unit in the wake of Ms.Wyles new duties. A lot of transition in vital Central Office positions.

Gwen Mason wasn't in retirement. She was working in PG County. McKnight has been pulling from PG.