Those of you in inclusion school districts/classrooms

[pcparamedics01]

I see what you are trying to say. I guess I think of least restrictive as "least separate" or something. Maybe I am thinking of it wrong.

Sandra

Not less separate.
The Least restrictive environment is under FAPE. (Free Appropiate Public Education).It is designed to allow your special needs child to be educated in a Gen Ed environment. Period! Now if they can prove it does not work for your child then they can place him in something more self contained but they have to prove it doesn't work first and they have to offer him support to ensure he is successful when he is placed there. Like they cannot just throw him in Reg Ed and say he is lost sorry!

 

[SandrainNC]

Not less separate.
The Least restrictive environment is under FAPE. (Free Appropiate Public Education).It is designed to allow your special needs child to be educated in a Gen Ed environment. Period! Now if they can prove it does not work for your child then they can place him in something more self contained but they have to prove it doesn't work first and they have to offer him support to ensure he is successful when he is placed there. Like they cannot just throw him in Reg Ed and say he is lost sorry!

I hear you! I'm afraid a lot of school districts do not follow the federal law unfortunately. The support is the part I think our county has trouble with. Sure, he can go in there, but he's not getting any help because we don't have the money. Even though the law clearly says that they cannot do that. UGH!

Sandra

 

[pcparamedics01]

I hear you! I'm afraid a lot of school districts do not follow the federal law unfortunately. The support is the part I think our county has trouble with. Sure, he can go in there, but he's not getting any help because we don't have the money. Even though the law clearly says that they cannot do that. UGH!

Sandra

Sandra,

If you can afford to get an advocate get one! They have to follow the law! If not I have seen parents take them to Due Process and win and then they have to pay for a Private school to ensure he is getting LSE! I have seen this plenty of times!!!

 

[SandrainNC]

Thank you!

Sandra

 

[pcparamedics01]

Sure, he can go in there, but he's not getting any help because we don't have the money.
Sandra

Sorry I missed the part that you do not have the money. No problem. It is just easier with one. I will PM you tomorrow. You can do this without an advocate! My best friend was in NC teaching special ed. She is a fabulous teacher! She had issues with funding too and she was the teacher!

 

[Schmeck]

I hear you! I'm afraid a lot of school districts do not follow the federal law unfortunately. The support is the part I think our county has trouble with. Sure, he can go in there, but he's not getting any help because we don't have the money. Even though the law clearly says that they cannot do that. UGH!

Sandra

What a lot of states are trying to do is sabotage NCLB because it did not include federal funding with its demands. Basically, the federal government said "you have to do this, and you have to figure out a way to pay for it yourself..." It's just more piled onto the FAPE, which many states are not funding properly either.

Our wonderful governor- (now wanna be pres. ) Romney even cut grants that funded special education programs in the last quarter of the programs. He didn't even wait until the end of the school year. The funding was just gone, in April. Try telling kindergarteners why Miss Helper is not coming back after vacation...

We've cut 2-3 high school regular classroom teachers each year to keep our special ed department up to standards with students' needs. But now we have over 28 kids in a classroom, electives are gone, and we still need to cut $$$.

So, when schools say they don't have the money, they mean it - the economy stinks, house sales are down, and pretty soon a FAPE will mean everyone gets to sit in overcrowded classrooms with no support. Of course that's not fair for anyone, and it's not appropriate, and it's not an education, but that will be all the public schools can afford unless the federal government pays for what they demand we do.

Sorry to be on my soapbox, but I deal with this mess every day, and I've watched the government demands go up and the funding go down for over 11years.

 

[SandrainNC]

Sorry I missed the part that you do not have the money. No problem. It is just easier with one. I will PM you tomorrow. You can do this without an advocate! My best friend was in NC teaching special ed. She is a fabulous teacher! She had issues with funding too and she was the teacher!
__________________

No, I was quoting the school here. Not us not having any money.

Schmeck - I'm sure there are a lot of money issues. The hard part for me, is my son is doing well academically where he is. I just wish he got the socialization and peer contact that he also needs. He doesn't talk alot, and I think with the class he is in, there aren't alot of children to copy verbally. If I fight it and get him at his regular school, I am afraid he wouldn't learn as well. So that is the problem with how our district handles EC now. I think anyway.

Sandra

 

[Disneylvr]

Our school district (St. Louis) has 3 types of classrooms; self contained, inclusion (50% general ed/50% special ed) and general ed. My daughter started school, at age 3, in a self contained classroom. All the of children had IEP's, in fact every child at this particular school had an IEP. I fought to get her out of that classroom and school and this year she is an inclusion preschool classroom in a magnet school. Unfortunately next year (kindergarten) there will only be 2 choices, general ed (with a shadow) or self contained. I have a feeling the school is going to push for self contained. I know my daughter's rights and I will have an advocate with me at the next IEP.

 

[SandrainNC]

I hope you can get a regular class with a shadow!!! That is what they call the aides at a charter school we tried to get into (and he didn't make the lottery).

FYI, I don't think they have what are called "inclusion classrooms" here at all. The children with SNs who are not in SAC classes are just in regular classrooms. I think there is something called cross-categorical, but I'm not sure what that is compared to SAC.

Sandra

 

[pcparamedics01]

Our school district (St. Louis) has 3 types of classrooms; self contained, inclusion (50% general ed/50% special ed) and general ed. My daughter started school, at age 3, in a self contained classroom. All the of children had IEP's, in fact every child at this particular school had an IEP. I fought to get her out of that classroom and school and this year she is an inclusion preschool classroom in a magnet school. Unfortunately next year (kindergarten) there will only be 2 choices, general ed (with a shadow) or self contained. I have a feeling the school is going to push for self contained. I know my daughter's rights and I will have an advocate with me at the next IEP.

Ours is reg ed, inclusion, cross cat, self contained. The advocate is the way to go!!!

 

[pcparamedics01]

I hope you can get a regular class with a shadow!!! That is what they call the aides at a charter school we tried to get into (and he didn't make the lottery).

FYI, I don't think they have what are called "inclusion classrooms" here at all. The children with SNs who are not in SAC classes are just in regular classrooms. I think there is something called cross-categorical, but I'm not sure what that is compared to SAC.

Sandra

Hi Sandra,

Cross Cat is when they spend half of there day in self contained and the other half in electives, for example music, art etc. They are not in major subjects here. I do not believe you want C.C.

 

[SandrainNC]

Oh. Ok, Thanks!

Sandra