Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:45     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
5. I do think charters should be held to the same laws protecting special needs students. I am just advocating for realistic revisions to the law and I am the parent of a special needs kid.



As a special education parent you know that a school's budgetary issues (lack of money, size of school system, etc) are not an excuse/defense for failing to providing services/supports mandated by in an IEP.

What kind of "realistic revisions" would you like to see? That size of the school system and budgets should be considered a factor?


As for how it looks I am unsure. All I know is that the law is a unrealistic IMO as it currently stands. Perhaps the same funding that DCPS gets especially when a special need students requires private placement would be good for starters.


Just b/c some schools cannot follow the law does not make the law "unrealistic".

I have a child with SNs at a DC charter and am very satisfied with their SN supports.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:41     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
5. I do think charters should be held to the same laws protecting special needs students. I am just advocating for realistic revisions to the law and I am the parent of a special needs kid.



As a special education parent you know that a school's budgetary issues (lack of money, size of school system, etc) are not an excuse/defense for failing to providing services/supports mandated by in an IEP.

What kind of "realistic revisions" would you like to see? That size of the school system and budgets should be considered a factor?


As for how it looks I am unsure. All I know is that the law is a unrealistic IMO as it currently stands. Perhaps the same funding that DCPS gets especially when a special need students requires private placement would be good for starters.


+1 If they don't fully have the resources, then the resources should be provided.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:40     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
Reality check:

Most of the schools in DC can't fully accommodate the needs of kids WITHOUT disabilities, let alone those WITH disabilities.

I think there are far bigger fish to fry in the DC school system than beating up on some charter.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:36     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
Anonymous wrote:
5. I do think charters should be held to the same laws protecting special needs students. I am just advocating for realistic revisions to the law and I am the parent of a special needs kid.



As a special education parent you know that a school's budgetary issues (lack of money, size of school system, etc) are not an excuse/defense for failing to providing services/supports mandated by in an IEP.

What kind of "realistic revisions" would you like to see? That size of the school system and budgets should be considered a factor?


As for how it looks I am unsure. All I know is that the law is a unrealistic IMO as it currently stands. Perhaps the same funding that DCPS gets especially when a special need students requires private placement would be good for starters.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:34     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
^So go lobby Congress...
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:34     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
14:23 here again, I'm a new poster on this thread, offering up my $0.02, this was not specifically intended in response to any particular poster.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:32     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As long as charter schools are public schools, they have to follow IDEA like EVERY other public school. Like pp said, IDEA is federal law and no way, no how are they going to be exempt b/c of the size of their school system.


I am not suggesting they do not follow IDEA. I am suggesting the law should be changed IMO.


I think the requirement is imposed by IDEA on public schools is required by the Constitution (Equal Protection).


Correct. IDEA was legislation that came out of the civil rights movement. In this case, providing students with disabilities equal access to public education.


I am in no way suggesting not to provide students with equal access. I am only suggesting realistic ways to do that with realistic changes in the law.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:24     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As long as charter schools are public schools, they have to follow IDEA like EVERY other public school. Like pp said, IDEA is federal law and no way, no how are they going to be exempt b/c of the size of their school system.


I am not suggesting they do not follow IDEA. I am suggesting the law should be changed IMO.


I think the requirement is imposed by IDEA on public schools is required by the Constitution (Equal Protection).


Correct. IDEA was legislation that came out of the civil rights movement. In this case, providing students with disabilities equal access to public education.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:23     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
First of all, I think it's a major stretch to try and suggest that special needs kids were "discriminated against" because there are several other families with special needs kids who would be more than happy to get in front of investigators, or appear in court to testify under oath that their kids were not discriminated against.

At worst, the only thing they might be considered guilty of is not fully implementing every last iota specified in IEPs - and it sounds like that may be more a function of problems with the paperwork. But frankly, even that's not something we will lose sleep over, given the turmoil of their first year of operation, I think it will get better in the next year and years to come.

But at the end of the day, sadly I don't think you could find a single school in the entire District of Columbia that does a good job of accommodating every special need, to include DCPS. And consider that many times DCPS passes the buck altogether, instead farming special needs kids out to specialty schools outside of the District, often at a cost of $50,000 or more per student (and charters are provided nowhere near those kinds of resources for special needs)
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:20     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation

5. I do think charters should be held to the same laws protecting special needs students. I am just advocating for realistic revisions to the law and I am the parent of a special needs kid.



As a special education parent you know that a school's budgetary issues (lack of money, size of school system, etc) are not an excuse/defense for failing to providing services/supports mandated by in an IEP.

What kind of "realistic revisions" would you like to see? That size of the school system and budgets should be considered a factor?
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:08     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As long as charter schools are public schools, they have to follow IDEA like EVERY other public school. Like pp said, IDEA is federal law and no way, no how are they going to be exempt b/c of the size of their school system.


I am not suggesting they do not follow IDEA. I am suggesting the law should be changed IMO.


I think the requirement is imposed by IDEA on public schools is required by the Constitution (Equal Protection).
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:07     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As long as charter schools are public schools, they have to follow IDEA like EVERY other public school. Like pp said, IDEA is federal law and no way, no how are they going to be exempt b/c of the size of their school system.


I am not suggesting they do not follow IDEA. I am suggesting the law should be changed IMO.


How exactly? All public schools have to follow IDEA.


Laws have been revised and changed many times over the course of US history.


Right. Good luck with trying to exempt charters from IDEA as long as they receive public funding.


I am not advocating that charters be exempt. I am advocating that realistic changes be made. You are really make erroneous assumptions about my ideas.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 14:04     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
Anonymous wrote:

Look, it's not like charters aren't getting benefits from this set-up. In fact, it's quite the contrary. For example, charters can close their admissions when the lottery is over and funding for each student is provided. No one enters after they decide. BUT if a kid moves into the neighborhood at any point in the year DCPS has to provide a space for that student in that neighborhood school. NO charter has to take a kid mid year. That's a huge issue for a teacher and school to deal with.

And if a charter decides to kick a kid out for absences, they can do so. That kid is out of the school AND the system. BUT DCPS cannot just kick a kid out of their system. A kid may be kicked out of a particular school, but the system is still responsible for finding another school. The bar is pretty high to expel a kid from an entire system.

And don't forget, charters enjoy a great deal of autonomy in their hiring. NO dealings with the union, with their resources and equipment and with the curriculum choices are just a few advantages. Charters can decide to pay their teachers whatever they want. They can fire at will. So while it may seem "ludicrous" to hold charter to the same standards as a larger school system, note that charters enjoy MANY benefits that the leaders within the schools of a large school system do not have.

What's ludicrous" is to provide public funding for charters to run themselves however they see fit and NOT hold them accountable to the same obligations that public schools have around special education. You do not get public money, autonomy and then get to cherry pick which students you'd like to educate.


1. It is a fact that DCPS has been way over-estimating the number of students they are expecting each year and thus are way over funded every year. This fact compensates for possible student entry into DCPS at different points in the school year.

2. As for space issues, DCPS has way more funding for facilities than charter schools as it currently stands. How many DCPS schools are meeting in church basements?

3. I do not know of any charter kicking kids out for absences. Expulsions would be for egregious behaviors only. As for the DCPS bar to expel students it is ridiculously high IMO when many DCPS students feel unsafe in their own schools. DCPS also has special schools where they can send problem students to as well unlike charter schools.

4. As for the unions, DCPS is free to give Kaya chartering authority within DCPS anytime they want which would help circumvent the union. I look forward to this since IMO the teacher's union is a millstone around DCPS's neck. And for the record. I am a liberal Democrat!

5. I do think charters should be held to the same laws protecting special needs students. I am just advocating for realistic revisions to the law and I am the parent of a special needs kid. As for cherry picking, any student may apply to charters so I disagree that charter schools are cherry picking.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 13:54     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As long as charter schools are public schools, they have to follow IDEA like EVERY other public school. Like pp said, IDEA is federal law and no way, no how are they going to be exempt b/c of the size of their school system.


I am not suggesting they do not follow IDEA. I am suggesting the law should be changed IMO.


How exactly? All public schools have to follow IDEA.


Laws have been revised and changed many times over the course of US history.


Right. Good luck with trying to exempt charters from IDEA as long as they receive public funding.
Anonymous
Post 08/05/2013 13:51     Subject: BASIS under federal investigation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As long as charter schools are public schools, they have to follow IDEA like EVERY other public school. Like pp said, IDEA is federal law and no way, no how are they going to be exempt b/c of the size of their school system.


I am not suggesting they do not follow IDEA. I am suggesting the law should be changed IMO.


How exactly? All public schools have to follow IDEA.


Laws have been revised and changed many times over the course of US history.