DeVos IS a Problem



Comments

Anonymous said…
I don't think the current SPED program in Seattle Public schools is anything to brag about. I guess it could get worst for some students under Trump, but the Obama administration did nothing to improve SPED student outcome. Do you have a poster for that?

SPED Parent
5/4/17, 3:48 PM
Melissa Westbrook said…
I didn't say Seattle Schools was doing a good job. I know Obama didn't do well on public ed overall. But yes, it can get worse.

If you think I need a poster, make one and I'll put it up. Otherwise, if you don't truly have something useful to say, please don't vent.
5/4/17, 4:36 PM
dan dempsey said…
Check this out and be sure to read the comments.

Trump calls on Congress to open up school choice program nationwide

At this point there are only 8 comments.
5/4/17, 7:16 PM
Anonymous said…
SPED Parent sorry but you are wrong. At least the Obama administration pursued parent Office of Civil Rights complaints about the SPED program in Seattle and in other cities too. This was the first administration that actively sought after and followed up on complaints. If you think there will be attention paid to the OCR itself, let alone funding for it, let alone pursuit of SPED complaints sent to it during the Trump administration then you should do some reading about Trump and DeVos. It is going to be a long four years. And don't think school districts aren't savvy about what the Feds will and will not be actively enforcing. Our state and district have never been hesitant to kick the SPED equity can down the road and in the coming years they can kick that can to the horizon. Pursue it the court system? Reality check there too on the makeup of the Supreme Court. Ugly times ahead.

AroundBlock OnceorTwice
5/4/17, 7:58 PM
dan dempsey said…
Dear AroundBlock OnceorTwice,

Are you talking to me? If so, what am I wrong about?

I am confused as to what you may think I am wrong about.
5/4/17, 8:49 PM
Anonymous said…
I have a different view, under Obama a Quid pro quo deal was made with an OCR staffer who ended up in a high paying position inside SPS. The OCR staffer left many unfinished cases at OCR and since then OCR has not met their 180 resolution deadline once. There are cases 2-3 years old which have not been completed because under Obama the USDE OCR funding was reduced to the point where they can't meet deadlines.

Here is the link to OCR annual reports: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/congress.html

SPED Parent
5/5/17, 9:44 AM
Anonymous said…
Since we're on the subject, what did happen to cause the Student Civil Rights Compliance Officer to depart? There was so much hoopla made of creating the position that it seems strange for the person to just up and quit. They were barley there a full year? Nov 22 2015 to Jan 2017 look like just 14 months.

Geez
5/5/17, 1:16 PM
Anonymous said…
How subjective and premature this all is. The USDE is a long ways away from changing any laws around the IDEA and they could never do it without a long court battle.

Obama's USDE picks did nothing notable for special education.

I think people in the profession of teaching special educational students should be much more concerned with the resent SCOUS ruling on meaningful benefit and FAPE because the bar has been raised and the consequences are real for teachers, schools and districts who fail to meet the new but untested LEGAL standard.

I wouldn't be surprised to see districts actively promoting the idea of vouchers in hopes of getting relief from lawsuits. Districts won't be able to force students in to vouchers and districts stand to lose millions of dollars when frustrated parents seek outside services using voucher funds.

Maybe this fear will help stop districts from the well known practice of taking funds for high incidence disabilities and using them for low incidences self contained programs while taking 30+ high incidence students and placing them in a "studies skills" classroom with no SLD.

In my opinion, special educational vouchers in many cases are a superior relief compared to due process.

Vouchers Please

5/5/17, 4:36 PM
Melissa Westbrook said…
Are you kidding? The main issue with vouchers are schools that will not serve Sped kids properly. You could use many arguments but data please if you want to use this one.
5/5/17, 6:06 PM
Anonymous said…
There are countless students that have had outside services at their parents expense because the school could not meet the students needs. Are you claiming Morningside or Hamlin are not able to serve thier student's? Are you claiming outside service providers aren't effectively helping. Vouchers can be used for private schools or services with the student remaining in public schools on a 504 plan.

SPED Parent

Please explain your comment and show your data that supports it.
5/5/17, 8:21 PM
Lynn said…
Special Ed School Vouchers May Come With Hidden Costs https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/11/us/school-vouchers-disability.html

Which state gives special education students vouchers in addition to public school enrollment?

5/5/17, 8:54 PM
Melissa Westbrook said…
SPED Parent, that's not a voucher and you know it.

That's the district finding the way to serve kids properly, not leaving parents to suss it out and find out that the dollars given won't cover those services.
5/5/17, 10:15 PM
Anonymous said…
I think you're wrong when you say " schools that will not serve Sped kids properly"

Morning side and Hamlin do serve high incidence SLD students with very good results.

The special educational vouches could be used to offset the cost of these 2 local schools. Anecdotal evidence shows 50% of high incidence SLD students receiving outside services at the parents expense. The federal voucher funds can be used for these services as long as the parent signs an IDEA waver for the school year. The student can stay in public school with a 504 plan.

These are all positive steps and perhaps public schools might want to compete for the money by actually having effective meaningful services.

SPED Parent
5/8/17, 10:49 AM
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