Alexis Watson 6/17/2018 - 16 yrs old
DOB: 1/31/2002 Height: 40" Weight: 40lbs.
"We do not believe your child can accomplish her goal, so we are not going to let her try."
Our
first district could not fathom my daughter doing typical academics, and refused
to give her a chance. I advised them to rely on appropriate testing versus personal opinion,
yet they resisted. Apparently, public education administrators never give special-needs children typical tests, and the evaluations they do administer fail to accurately capture
mainstream cognition. Because of my insistence though, Alexis ended up being allowed to take the test. Considering the special-needs program had not introduced to her anything on the test during the eight years she had been with them, along with the fact the test was somewhat spontaneous, she scored rather well. Yet, they still refused
to place her.
News Article 1
News Article 2 Exerpt: "Nothing in federal education law prohibits a seventh-grade special-needs student from being placed in a regular first-grade classroom," said Leah Voorhies, special-education coordinator at the Utah State Office of Education.
"It is up to those at the local level. Move here, and THEN we will discuss it with you."
By phone and email I contacted the director of the Department of Education in
39 states. Many said, "No way!" One swore and then hung up on me, and the rest explained how the decision to place Alexis in a typical
environment was up to each individual school and district, then they all let me know I
would have to establish residency in their state prior to further discussions.
News Article
News Article
I believed we would find a supportive team.
Therefore,
we packed our belongings and set out. It was not long when we found a school in Crawford, Colorado whose staff
unanimously supported Alexis’ full immersion. The district director, however, refused
to meet with us for one reason or another, until she finally said, "I will meet with you if you register your daughter at a different school." I guess this was the final hoop, because after doing so, I was granted a meeting during the last hour of the last day before school started.
Throughout our meeting the director continuously ignored Alexis’ test results. When I asked why she was not acknowledging the existing paper I had told her so much about, she said the test happened to be accidentally missing, and thus, they could not base anything off of it. Their preference was an outdated, unsafe, sub-standard, segregated, and non-academic plan. At various times they indicated Alexis could not go into a typical classroom because she needed an evaluation (again ignoring the existing one). Then when asked if they would place her in said class if she passed their evaluation, they continued to refuse.
Here are audio clips from the meeting:
Here are audio clips from the meeting:
Boss Lady saw my point, yet continued to refuse our request. Following is the full meeting:
She has proven she is capable, and they still say, "No!"
I declined the district's offer, found support in the private sector, moved again to be close, and then went to school
with my daughter as her full-time 1:1 volunteer para. This past school year, she earned a GPA of 95.3%, which is an "A" (displayed below). It was
amazing! She accomplished things even I was surprised about. So, with her
report card in hand, I approached our new district saying, "Since she
has proven she can do it, will you let her enroll in the first grade?"
Again, we were refused. This district also would not meet with us or look at her
tests or anything, except to say, “Because of her syndrome, she is to be
placed in the special-needs classroom.” This is absurd to my senses!
An
important statistic to be aware of is children who are restricted to the special-needs classrooms
– like what my daughter is offered – graduate high school at the age of 21
without being able to perform even basic kindergarten academics. In the recorded meeting the district acknowledges this fact.
The law clearly states children with special needs are to be educated in the least restrictive environment, using the general curriculum as much as possible, and alongside age-appropriate peers. Nowhere in Federal law does it prohibit a special-needs child from being a student in a grade much lower than their chronological age would typically dictate. My daughter has proven she can accomplish this type of work and her report card confirms it.
The law clearly states children with special needs are to be educated in the least restrictive environment, using the general curriculum as much as possible, and alongside age-appropriate peers. Nowhere in Federal law does it prohibit a special-needs child from being a student in a grade much lower than their chronological age would typically dictate. My daughter has proven she can accomplish this type of work and her report card confirms it.
The following is from the DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Colorado State Board of Education
RULES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL ACT
Click here for the entire 1 CCR 301-8 document.
2.28 Least Restrictive Environment
Consistent with 34 CFR §300.114(a)(2), Least Restrictive Environment means that:
2.28(1) To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or
private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are nondisabled; and
2.28(2) Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the general
educational environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that
education in general educational classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot
be achieved satisfactorily.
