First Quarterly Program Placement Report
In compliance with newly adopted policy 2200, Equitable Access to Programs and Services, the superintendent has made the first quarterly report on program placement decisions.
A link to it is posted on this page: Program Placement. The report is deficient.
There is no new information in the report at all. It is merely a re-cap of decisions made previously, but it is an incomplete re-cap.
The report claims:
The policy - quoted in the report - says:
Given that this report is nothing more than a re-distribution of previously released information, I don't understand why it took so long to produce.
A link to it is posted on this page: Program Placement. The report is deficient.
There is no new information in the report at all. It is merely a re-cap of decisions made previously, but it is an incomplete re-cap.
The report claims:
"Prior to approval of the new policy, the basis for changes implemented for 2012-13 (completed in February 2012) are attached. (See “Program Placement Decisions for 2012-13” on the enrollment website.) No changes to programs have been made since this information was posted."This claim is false. The District has obviously made a decision regarding the relocation of The NOVA Project from the Meany building to the Mann building - there are references to the move all over the BEX IV planning documents - but there is no mention of it anywhere in this report. This is a grave oversight in the report.
The policy - quoted in the report - says:
"On a quarterly basis the Superintendent or designee shall provide an update to the School Board on decisions made during the previous quarter and a preview of upcoming decisions, if known. (emphasis added) These quarterly updates should be provided to the School Board in April, July and October."The report also states:
"In the last three years, the content (but not process) of program placement changes were discussed at numerous Board work sessions regarding the annual Transition Plans for the New Student Assignment Plan. Changes were reflected in each annual Transition Plan, and this information was posted at the beginning of Open Enrollment so families had access to information that might influence their school choices prior to Open Enrollment."This is a very sympathetic telling of the history of program placement because it neglects to mention the fact that the previous Board policy specifically required the disclosure of the process for program placement.
Given that this report is nothing more than a re-distribution of previously released information, I don't understand why it took so long to produce.
Comments
Where are the special education programs today? Anybody know? Last known word on it is here. That is over a year old! Any new programs, well those are undisclosed and available on a strictly "need to know" basis. I can tell you for sure. This crap only happens to students with disabilities. Everybody else at least knows what the options are.
-sped parent
I have not lost faith in Mr. Banda yet -- but ONLY because I am hoping that the delay means ultimately major housecleaning.
What does Mr. Banda know/grasp about the situation you are describing? Will this secrecy and disorganization be fixed before tours and open (”open” in question for sped) enrollment? The district had know about these preferential practices favoring nondisabled students for years.
Reader
We were lucky enough to replace Kennedy (whom I thought was terrible) with Boesche (sorry if that is misspelled). The District needs similar "turnarounds" -- from outside in at least two places. One is Special Ed. The other is Human Resources -- and of the two, I think Spec Ed is the most critical.
But Brian -- if you are reading this, a great article (well, bad for SPS, but a good public service) could be done by someone who wanted to really delve into the cronyism, mismanagement, and general all around awfulness of the SPS HR department. Can't say that is the "beating heart" of the District (that would be the teachers) or the brain (that would be Banda) -- but it's something right up there on the "can't be healthy if it is rotten -- and it is" -- maybe it is the pancreas. Or the liver.
Another "ineffective, tepid, incompetent" promotion from inside is not what is needed here. We need someone who Banda brings in and gives real authority to. And THEN it will take at least 3 years to sort out the "A" level breakdowns in service (there are problems everywhere -- intake, assessment, diagnosis, IEP planning and implementation, site-based compliance with law, access, achievement disparity). While there are specific people in schools doing great work, there is no part of the system (to my knowledge) that functions acceptably.
While we know that there are some upcoming decisions - NOVA and the World School to name just two - none were mentioned in the report.
So the report is incomplete and inadequate and the board should not accept it. They should demand a complete report.
It also blows my mind the way they move programs around the district depending on where they want to fill seats.
It don't matter if a child with special needs attends three or or four or five different schools before they age out of the system. It don't matter! They'll get used to it!
My kid wouldn't change her shirt! I couldn't move the couch! These kids are the last ones you can move around and expect them to easily recover.
Signed,
Sad for sped students
-sped parent
But the larger point. For students with disabilities, every year there is no information on programs that are being added, or cancelled. Just guesses. There is no process other than space available, and in the dark of night, calculated by nobody identifiable.
-sped parent