Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 13:37     Subject: My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
OP, have you received written notification of the suspension, number of days, code, and the reasons for it, etc.? A lot of times schools just ask you to pick the SN kid up because documenting it as a suspension actually hurts the school. In your situation, I am a little suspicious that, knowing you have a pre-planned day off for testing on TH, that they think they can just pressure you to keep him home off the books on fri too.

The bottom line is that SN kids have a right to access school. The fact that you were discussing an FBA even before this incident means that the school was on notice that they potentially had an SN kid here. Schools have a "child gind" duty - the obligation is on them to identify all potentially SN students and serve them. To me, it sounds like they did not move fast enough to put proper supports in place, and as a result the situation spiraled out of control due to improper management. I see this frequently in schools - an agressive approach scares kids away and makes them hostile instead of trying to understand their perceptions and model appropriate behaviour for them.

Inagred with another PP that this is basically prima facia evidence for evaluation and then a 504 or IEP plan. Make sure you put that request in writing before the end of winter break.

I would not keep my kid home. from school without an official written suspension notice. Once I got that, I'd write a letter requesting, under FERPA, all educational records pertaining to my DS, including but not limited to any emails among trachers about the incident, any written report or notes by teacher or admin staff documenting the incident. After reviewing that, I would document back to the school DS's version of the event, including any description of bullying or mocking by any staff during this incident as well as any prior incidents.

Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 13:36     Subject: My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
Anonymous wrote:OP -- when you contact the cluster supervisor, please inform that person that the school is evaluating your child for a potential disability. Also let them know you are having your child evaluated privately and let them know that the school knows this. This is very important information that they need to know.

Request that they participate in the meeting if at all possible in person or by phone! They may not be able to be there but it shows that you want them there.


OP here: Thanks for this, I've just called his cluster supervisor, talked to her secretary and she is supposed to be calling me back about this situation.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 13:31     Subject: Re:My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
Anonymous wrote:OP, my 2nd grader has also been suspended twice but each time it was for a matter of hours, not days, and there was aggression to teachers involved. I didn't see anywhere that you have discussed this with your principal. If you are not seeing eye to eye with your principal you can contact your cluster supervisor and you can find that phone number on the MCPS Special Education webpage. 4 days is exceptionally punitive. Is your child working on grade level? What about all the make up work? Personally I would raise hell for a four day suspension, especially since, for little kids, it means nothing to them but a vacation. Have you considered getting an advocate to help in this whole process?


Yep, I had the same thoughts. 4 days is obscene for a 7 year-old. I would raise holy hell. Sounds like you are getting him the help he needs, which is good.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 13:26     Subject: My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
OP -- when you contact the cluster supervisor, please inform that person that the school is evaluating your child for a potential disability. Also let them know you are having your child evaluated privately and let them know that the school knows this. This is very important information that they need to know.

Request that they participate in the meeting if at all possible in person or by phone! They may not be able to be there but it shows that you want them there.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 13:17     Subject: Re:My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
Anonymous wrote:OP, my 2nd grader has also been suspended twice but each time it was for a matter of hours, not days, and there was aggression to teachers involved. I didn't see anywhere that you have discussed this with your principal. If you are not seeing eye to eye with your principal you can contact your cluster supervisor and you can find that phone number on the MCPS Special Education webpage. 4 days is exceptionally punitive. Is your child working on grade level? What about all the make up work? Personally I would raise hell for a four day suspension, especially since, for little kids, it means nothing to them but a vacation. Have you considered getting an advocate to help in this whole process?


OP here: I did discuss this with the principal and even offered to spend the day with him on Friday (since he was getting his testing done on Thursday and wouldn't be there anyway) and she rejected this offer. I have written to her again appealing the suspension and have a meeting tomorrow morning. I will try contacting the cluster supervisor. He is above grade level in all subjects, reads 2 years above and is in enriched math.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 13:14     Subject: My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My son has been suspended for 4 days for kicking a paraeducator. I feel awful about it. I'm trying to see what my next steps should be. The incident started on the playground where according to him he was throwing mulch and rocks on the ground. Another student went to the paraeducator and said that he was throwing rocks at them. The paraeducator then came to my son and according to him yelled "NO THROWING ROCKS" and said he had to go to the office after recces.

My son did not do that, he proceeded to go to the special he had after recess because he didn't think he had done anything wrong. The paraeducator sees him standing in line at his special and tells him again to go to the office, in front of the other children and the substitute teacher, as the normal special teacher was out that day. He then asks the substitute if he can stay in class because he didn't do anything wrong. The substitute proceeds to mock him and repeats in a high pitched voice "I didn't do anything wrong." My son then runs away. He runs through the hallways at school and knocks over a recycling bin. He then runs down the stairs towards the office and is confronted by the assistant principal. As he is talking to her the paraeducator who has been following him walks up as well. He then kicks her in the knee.

A little background on my son. He has been having behavioral issues this year in class where this same paraeducator is his TA. He did not have any issues in K or 1st grade. He has stated to me prior to this incident that she picks on him. He's had a difficult year so far with acting out in class, being easily frustrated, and leaving when upset, and last week I met with the school regarding a FBA. They are in the process of observing him to create a Behavior Intervention Plan. The school is also aware that he is getting tested on Thursday for potential ADHD, etc. We talked about triggers etc. but I'm unsure they were shared with the paraeducator in question.

He obviously should never have kicked anyone and will be punished in that regard.

What should I do in this situation? Any input is appreciated.


You threw that in - whether it's true or not - to make it seem like it wasn't really your DS's fault for all the events that occurred after that.


OP here: I reported what my son said occured and the chain of events. I'm not removing or assigning blame to anyone.


Exactly. And even if your son didn't report correctly what the sub said, what's key here is that he THOUGHT he was being mocked, and how that interpretation and feeling lead to his meltdown. (Again, this is NOT to excuse his behavior, but to understand it and prevent it in the future.)


I know my child would say someone is yelling if they slightly raised their voice at that age so I'd be careful with both sides of the story and assume both are not being accurately reported. However, it is this person's job to deescalate the situation as that is what she was hired to do (although to her credit she probably does not have a huge amount of training) and deal with it. It sounds like she escalated and he freaked out and at that point once the meltdown started he did his best to deescalate and reasonably continue with his day.

Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 13:12     Subject: Re:My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Your seven year old kicked a teacher. That's all the information you need. I honestly wish they would remove any (neurotypical) kid who gets physical with a teacher from the school permanently. Special placement in a class for behavior disorders. Or find a private.


I hate to say this but I kind of agree. I have the utmpst empathy for those of you with SN kids and the struggles you face. My DD is in K though and has been pushed, hit and choked by 2 different kids with autism. I know those kids cant help it and I have tried to tell DD that but the fact remains she should not have to be at school with the threat of bodily harm from other students.
I think the mainstreaming of SN kids has gone too far. I dont understand why there cant be smaller classes with special educators and have all the SN kids in one class learning what they need to learn at their own pace.


Go away from the SN board, please.


+1, at our school this is what they do. They dump all kids in a SN classroom with a few other kids and they dumb down the SN kids assuming that their SN impact their educational ability. My child had issues with another kid in the classroom. There is no excuse for this kind of behavior but this was a one time incident to a teacher, not another child. My child was attacked daily. Huge difference. I had to fight to get him out of that classroom.

OP, don't rely on MCPS to fix this. Get an outside evaluation either though a developmental ped (good place to start) or a psychologist as another suggested or a full psycho-educational or neuropsych evaluation. Then get private services, especially if your insurance will pay. More importantly, this is not a good classroom fit if child was not acting out last year and is now. I'd insist child be changed classrooms. Kids react differently to different teaching styles and this teacher may be a great teacher but not great for your child. Then, take the private evaluation and then advocate for changes as then you will have proof. Its ok to let them start but do get a second opinion.

I would fight the suspension as you don't want it on the record. The real issue to me is child is young, very young and its unfair to say go to the office and then get mad when he doesn't go as there is no adult support or supervision. Someone should have stepped into the situation other than that paraeducator and deescalated it and walked him to the office. I don't like how little support there is in the lunch room, play ground, bathrooms and other areas where kids that age still need supervision.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 13:02     Subject: My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My son has been suspended for 4 days for kicking a paraeducator. I feel awful about it. I'm trying to see what my next steps should be. The incident started on the playground where according to him he was throwing mulch and rocks on the ground. Another student went to the paraeducator and said that he was throwing rocks at them. The paraeducator then came to my son and according to him yelled "NO THROWING ROCKS" and said he had to go to the office after recces.

My son did not do that, he proceeded to go to the special he had after recess because he didn't think he had done anything wrong. The paraeducator sees him standing in line at his special and tells him again to go to the office, in front of the other children and the substitute teacher, as the normal special teacher was out that day. He then asks the substitute if he can stay in class because he didn't do anything wrong. The substitute proceeds to mock him and repeats in a high pitched voice "I didn't do anything wrong." My son then runs away. He runs through the hallways at school and knocks over a recycling bin. He then runs down the stairs towards the office and is confronted by the assistant principal. As he is talking to her the paraeducator who has been following him walks up as well. He then kicks her in the knee.

A little background on my son. He has been having behavioral issues this year in class where this same paraeducator is his TA. He did not have any issues in K or 1st grade. He has stated to me prior to this incident that she picks on him. He's had a difficult year so far with acting out in class, being easily frustrated, and leaving when upset, and last week I met with the school regarding a FBA. They are in the process of observing him to create a Behavior Intervention Plan. The school is also aware that he is getting tested on Thursday for potential ADHD, etc. We talked about triggers etc. but I'm unsure they were shared with the paraeducator in question.

He obviously should never have kicked anyone and will be punished in that regard.

What should I do in this situation? Any input is appreciated.


You threw that in - whether it's true or not - to make it seem like it wasn't really your DS's fault for all the events that occurred after that.


OP here: I reported what my son said occured and the chain of events. I'm not removing or assigning blame to anyone.


Exactly. And even if your son didn't report correctly what the sub said, what's key here is that he THOUGHT he was being mocked, and how that interpretation and feeling lead to his meltdown. (Again, this is NOT to excuse his behavior, but to understand it and prevent it in the future.)
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 12:59     Subject: Re:My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Your seven year old kicked a teacher. That's all the information you need. I honestly wish they would remove any (neurotypical) kid who gets physical with a teacher from the school permanently. Special placement in a class for behavior disorders. Or find a private.


I hate to say this but I kind of agree. I have the utmpst empathy for those of you with SN kids and the struggles you face. My DD is in K though and has been pushed, hit and choked by 2 different kids with autism. I know those kids cant help it and I have tried to tell DD that but the fact remains she should not have to be at school with the threat of bodily harm from other students.
I think the mainstreaming of SN kids has gone too far. I dont understand why there cant be smaller classes with special educators and have all the SN kids in one class learning what they need to learn at their own pace.


Go away from the SN board, please.



+1000 I am so tired of people with neurotypical kids trolling on this site - as well as other totally unconstructive posts like the criticizers of OP. OP came here to get help from helpful SN parents.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 12:47     Subject: Re:My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
OP, my 2nd grader has also been suspended twice but each time it was for a matter of hours, not days, and there was aggression to teachers involved. I didn't see anywhere that you have discussed this with your principal. If you are not seeing eye to eye with your principal you can contact your cluster supervisor and you can find that phone number on the MCPS Special Education webpage. 4 days is exceptionally punitive. Is your child working on grade level? What about all the make up work? Personally I would raise hell for a four day suspension, especially since, for little kids, it means nothing to them but a vacation. Have you considered getting an advocate to help in this whole process?
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 12:46     Subject: Re:My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Your seven year old kicked a teacher. That's all the information you need. I honestly wish they would remove any (neurotypical) kid who gets physical with a teacher from the school permanently. Special placement in a class for behavior disorders. Or find a private.


I hate to say this but I kind of agree. I have the utmpst empathy for those of you with SN kids and the struggles you face. My DD is in K though and has been pushed, hit and choked by 2 different kids with autism. I know those kids cant help it and I have tried to tell DD that but the fact remains she should not have to be at school with the threat of bodily harm from other students.
I think the mainstreaming of SN kids has gone too far. I dont understand why there cant be smaller classes with special educators and have all the SN kids in one class learning what they need to learn at their own pace.


OR we could adequately fund special education programs and staff them with enough qualified staff. But them what would happen to the enrichment and gifted programs?

I agree, no child should be subjected to physical abuse from another student. But putting all the SN kids together doesn't really take care of that, does it PP. I mean, unless you don't care about SN kids getting hurt.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 12:26     Subject: My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My son has been suspended for 4 days for kicking a paraeducator. I feel awful about it. I'm trying to see what my next steps should be. The incident started on the playground where according to him he was throwing mulch and rocks on the ground. Another student went to the paraeducator and said that he was throwing rocks at them. The paraeducator then came to my son and according to him yelled "NO THROWING ROCKS" and said he had to go to the office after recces.

My son did not do that, he proceeded to go to the special he had after recess because he didn't think he had done anything wrong. The paraeducator sees him standing in line at his special and tells him again to go to the office, in front of the other children and the substitute teacher, as the normal special teacher was out that day. He then asks the substitute if he can stay in class because he didn't do anything wrong. The substitute proceeds to mock him and repeats in a high pitched voice "I didn't do anything wrong." My son then runs away. He runs through the hallways at school and knocks over a recycling bin. He then runs down the stairs towards the office and is confronted by the assistant principal. As he is talking to her the paraeducator who has been following him walks up as well. He then kicks her in the knee.

A little background on my son. He has been having behavioral issues this year in class where this same paraeducator is his TA. He did not have any issues in K or 1st grade. He has stated to me prior to this incident that she picks on him. He's had a difficult year so far with acting out in class, being easily frustrated, and leaving when upset, and last week I met with the school regarding a FBA. They are in the process of observing him to create a Behavior Intervention Plan. The school is also aware that he is getting tested on Thursday for potential ADHD, etc. We talked about triggers etc. but I'm unsure they were shared with the paraeducator in question.

He obviously should never have kicked anyone and will be punished in that regard.

What should I do in this situation? Any input is appreciated.


You threw that in - whether it's true or not - to make it seem like it wasn't really your DS's fault for all the events that occurred after that.


OP here: I reported what my son said occured and the chain of events. I'm not removing or assigning blame to anyone.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 12:25     Subject: My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My son has been suspended for 4 days for kicking a paraeducator. I feel awful about it. I'm trying to see what my next steps should be. The incident started on the playground where according to him he was throwing mulch and rocks on the ground. Another student went to the paraeducator and said that he was throwing rocks at them. The paraeducator then came to my son and according to him yelled "NO THROWING ROCKS" and said he had to go to the office after recces.

My son did not do that, he proceeded to go to the special he had after recess because he didn't think he had done anything wrong. The paraeducator sees him standing in line at his special and tells him again to go to the office, in front of the other children and the substitute teacher, as the normal special teacher was out that day. He then asks the substitute if he can stay in class because he didn't do anything wrong. The substitute proceeds to mock him and repeats in a high pitched voice "I didn't do anything wrong." My son then runs away. He runs through the hallways at school and knocks over a recycling bin. He then runs down the stairs towards the office and is confronted by the assistant principal. As he is talking to her the paraeducator who has been following him walks up as well. He then kicks her in the knee.

A little background on my son. He has been having behavioral issues this year in class where this same paraeducator is his TA. He did not have any issues in K or 1st grade. He has stated to me prior to this incident that she picks on him. He's had a difficult year so far with acting out in class, being easily frustrated, and leaving when upset, and last week I met with the school regarding a FBA. They are in the process of observing him to create a Behavior Intervention Plan. The school is also aware that he is getting tested on Thursday for potential ADHD, etc. We talked about triggers etc. but I'm unsure they were shared with the paraeducator in question.

He obviously should never have kicked anyone and will be punished in that regard.

What should I do in this situation? Any input is appreciated.


Are you absolutely sure this happened? Was it witnessed, or just your sons reporting?


OP's description makes very clear where she is reporting what her son told her, what she knows, and what she doesn't know. What you're implying is that her son is lying and she's believing him. I don't see anything here to indicate that.


I have to be honest. I have a 7yr old boy with ADHD/Anxiety/ASD. I read the OPs account and I am impressed by how detailed it is coming from a 7r old. My 7yr old would boil this down to "I was at recess and I didn't do anything" Then after extensive prompting from me, I would be offered "well, I was throwing rocks and mulch". And this would go on and on. There is no way that I would get a full story about standing line for a special, someone telling him AGAIN to go to the office (he would have to have remembered the first time), telling me he asked to stay in class, etc.

For the OP, look on the positive side of this. The 4 day suspension will help your IEP case. It's sad that this is the way it is, but it's true. Because of his behavior, for 4 days, he was unable to access the curriculum. I do agree though that 4 days is too long. It's not that the child should not be disciplined for his behavior but after 4 days of school suspension, plus a week off for vacation, he's not going to remember any of this.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 12:22     Subject: My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
Anonymous wrote:My son has been suspended for 4 days for kicking a paraeducator. I feel awful about it. I'm trying to see what my next steps should be. The incident started on the playground where according to him he was throwing mulch and rocks on the ground. Another student went to the paraeducator and said that he was throwing rocks at them. The paraeducator then came to my son and according to him yelled "NO THROWING ROCKS" and said he had to go to the office after recces.

My son did not do that, he proceeded to go to the special he had after recess because he didn't think he had done anything wrong. The paraeducator sees him standing in line at his special and tells him again to go to the office, in front of the other children and the substitute teacher, as the normal special teacher was out that day. He then asks the substitute if he can stay in class because he didn't do anything wrong. The substitute proceeds to mock him and repeats in a high pitched voice "I didn't do anything wrong." My son then runs away. He runs through the hallways at school and knocks over a recycling bin. He then runs down the stairs towards the office and is confronted by the assistant principal. As he is talking to her the paraeducator who has been following him walks up as well. He then kicks her in the knee.

A little background on my son. He has been having behavioral issues this year in class where this same paraeducator is his TA. He did not have any issues in K or 1st grade. He has stated to me prior to this incident that she picks on him. He's had a difficult year so far with acting out in class, being easily frustrated, and leaving when upset, and last week I met with the school regarding a FBA. They are in the process of observing him to create a Behavior Intervention Plan. The school is also aware that he is getting tested on Thursday for potential ADHD, etc. We talked about triggers etc. but I'm unsure they were shared with the paraeducator in question.

He obviously should never have kicked anyone and will be punished in that regard.

What should I do in this situation? Any input is appreciated.


You threw that in - whether it's true or not - to make it seem like it wasn't really your DS's fault for all the events that occurred after that.
Anonymous
Post 12/19/2017 12:21     Subject: Re:My 7 year Old Suspended for four Days MCPS
Anonymous wrote:For what it's worth, your son sounds just like mine in how he reacts. Mine would feel as though the had been accused of something he didn't think he had done, wouldn't want to accept the consequence, would run away and/or become aggressive (fight or flight mentality). Luckily he is in a good program, where the emphasis is on supporting him rather than punishing him (so suspensions have not been as long). He has ADHD and anxiety, and it is the anxiety that caused him to act out so much when his impulsive behavior gets him in trouble. Once we started to treat him for anxiety, things started to get better.


OP here: Thank you so much for this. I'm hopeful that once the exact issues are determined we will see improvement. This has all come on so quickly.