POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Positive Women => Topic started by: Snowangel on April 09, 2012, 11:16:42 pm
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Hey Ladies-
I hope everyone is well and surviving their day to day as best they can.
Here is my tale of dealing with inner city public schools.
My kids are all blessings. I was just thinking that I have been poz longer than being a parent and because of my children, I have been able to keep on track as far as keeping myself healthy.
Last year, I got a PT job at my kids school and was the PTO president. I hate that I have to say this but I am white and all my children are considered black. Most of the children in this area are either african american or puerto rican. The schools biggest complaint is that the parents are not involved with or even care about thier kids. Behavior issues in our school are out of the box in elementary and by middle they assume it is too late.
I don't work now at all and I am on disability although everyone assumes I am on welfare. When I do work, I have a strong work ethic and always try to make the "process" smoother. I treat everyone with respect and have made sure my kids know to do the same. Being my kids advocate is my job right now.
It was at my request that my children repeated first grade and after unsuccessfully trying to get them out of the district by school choice and working in the school and seeing the behaviors, I decided to homeschool them.
I was orginally going to use a virtual academy which was essentially going to be public school at home on the computer. There was a legal hitch that because 2 of my children had IEP's and the school district refused to meet with the virtual academy for an IEP team meeting, they did not accept the 2 with IEP's.
As a parent that sent warning signals to me about what my kids IEP's actually said.
My son that was not on an IEP ended up getting accepted to the virtual school as a first grader for the third time. It took me a month of working with him and the other 2, to figure out that they all had more serious issues that in no way were addressed in the IEP. I ended up having to go back to the city to have my kids evaluated again. I now have 9 reports to go over by April 30th. My college degree is not even close to being in anything close to special education. I can see the testing they did in 09 and now in 12, that the results haven't change much but now in 2012 they all qualify for OT and speech?
Is it my fault because I did not know what testing to request in 09. I feel like I have been in the twilight zone for the last couple of years and that the stress of all this crap is going to catch up to me before I can get it figured out. I am exhausted but can not stop trying to figure out what my next move needs to be?
I am not sure what made me write all this. I hope everyone is doing well.
Jess
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It all sounds very complicated and I don't know your education system so can't help much. Just wanted to say that you are an amazing woman to bring up 4 children and no matter what issues they may have they will be strong and kind children because they've seen it in their mother.
I hope you'll get the support you need. Love and Hugs xxx
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Hey Snow,
I do not know what an IEP is, but I'm sure you will be able to work with it? From what I'm understanding, the school will not meet with the computer school team? Maybe you should go over the heads of the teachers to try to get this pushed through. Unless you're thinking about putting the two with IEP's back in school.
I have faith in you, that you can work this out. Don't think of the whole thing at once. Break it down into steps, and work on one thing at a time. Sounds silly, I know, but sometimes that's the only way I can get through when I have tons of things to do.
Your children will grow to be better people because of how you're raising them. You're a great mother!
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May I ask where you are from and what on line schooling you are applying for? I had my daughter in home schooling in the 8Th grade and she did great, I took her out of the school she was in because of the same issues you are having. I put her back in regular school for 9Th and 10Th and she is now going back in to home schooling on the computer for 11Th because the school she is going to sucks. If I know where you are and what on line schooling in available to you I might be able to help. Let me know and I will help you through this if I can K.