I am so unimpressed with dd's new school

[JustMe]

Dd is starting high school. I guess this is mostly a vent although I am curious if this would be typical of your local high school. Dd receives special education services, which may or may not be a part of this equation. I will say that there is a long history of her falling through the cracks, and a very high percentage of parents are unhappy with our school district. During the Spring, I had 2 separate meetings with high school folks; some of it is standard for kids on IEPs, some because of dd's long standing history of being missed. Okay, that's the background.

Early last week, all parents received an automated call that schedules were on line; registration--in which they collect money, take ID pictures, and give out a hard copy of the schedule were to be later that week. I look on-line, no schedule. I don't panic and we go to registration. Dd is given a schedule. It is completely wrong. There are none of the spec ed classes that were discussed, and no band--which was discussed in detail at the meetings I attended. We are told we can meet with a counselor, which I am initially happy and impressed about. Dd's counselor is actually someone we know--a parent whose kids went to her elementary school, was present in one of the meetings last Spring, and who remembered us. We have to wait about 45 minutes. Counselor basically says the schedule is wrong; not to worry, he and spec ed teachers have a meeting on Monday to discuss schedules; nothing has been done too correct many of the spec ed kids schedules. Okay, good. Monday was soon, but why would they have kids who receive spec ed services show up to get a schedule that is irrelevant to them. Anyway, he says if I don't hear anything by Tuesday, call. I call Tuesday right before school closes. Counselor has not spoken to teacher; meeting did not happen. He advises me to e-mail the teacher. I tell him I am at a doctor's office and don't have access to e-mail. No offer to e-mail or connect with the teacher. Okay.

I happen to run into another parent whose child is going into the same school and receives spec ed services. She asks if I am going to the event that night for kids who are entering with spec ed services. Ummn, no I never heard about it. I decide to try to make it in place of e-mailing. We can't get there right at the start time, since I had late notice about the meeting. We walk in and are greeted by one of the spec ed people who was at a Spring meeting, and didnt remember us (she's actually an asst principal and spec ed falls under her). She doesnt remember us. I don't blame her, as I'm sure she meets lots of new families. I tell her the situation and she refers me to one of the other people in the room. First question out of her mouth is did I hear what she said at the beginning of the night. No, we didn't even know about this so got late notice and came late. Oh, there was a problem with the mailing, a lot of people didn't get notified. Anyway, many schedules are wrong and will not be fixed until Friday. Also, turns out I missed a rather boring slide show containing only info that has been discussed in the Spring.

Later that night, there is an ice cream social for all kids new to the school (first year and otherwise). We go and have to sit through a really boring slide show with info that has been communicated multiple times in multiple ways (and I am not one who usually minds this stuff).

I should also mention that dd's case manager had also said she would contact us the week before school starts to go over dd's schedule. Of course, that has not happened. Tomorrow is Friday and I am sure it will not.

I know schools have so little resources and I am sure this is most of what this is about. I just wish they wouldn't say things would happen when they won't. Dd is very anxious now, as her friends have schedules and she doesn't. Band is a lifeline for her at school, and its not currently on her schedule. I guess my expectations are just too high, but this is so frustrating.

[jren]

I don't have experience with high school yet (next year), but the biggest complaint on our neighborhood Facebook page has been about scheduling for high schoolers. Seniors with no math, two core classes, etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JustMe]

I don't have experience with high school yet (next year), but the biggest complaint on our neighborhood Facebook page has been about scheduling for high schoolers. Seniors with no math, two core classes, etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Okay, good to know. I feel better in an odd way!

[PZMommy]

That would drive me crazy!!

I will say my DH teaches high school. He always talks about how there are so many class changes the first few weeks. I think schools are used to the problems, so they don't stress out about it. However it is stressful for kids/parents!!

[Globetrotter]

Sadly, scheduling mistakes are not uncommon. It's hard on us and of course on the kids, especially in a high-pressure environment. Dd got the completely wrong Math in 9th and it took two weeks for them to put her in the correct one, and she wasn't allowed to sit in on the correct one, so basically she missed the first two weeks. And it was an honors level class with a really tough teacher… I had to sit outside the counselors office for countless hours just to get an audience with her Majesty, and DD also tried during the day every chance she got. It was so stressful. I found that inexcusable, so this time With ds I followed up to make sure it didn't happen to him.

I feel your pain!

[niccig]

DS started at middle school this year. They had a half-day orientation the week before school started and got their schedule. DS and a friend tell us that their schedule is wrong, they're both supposed to be in advanced English and History. Apparently their 6th grade elementary teacher told them she was recommending them for the advanced classes, but didn't tell us parents. The kids had already spoken with the counselor and nothing was on their paperwork from their 6th grade teacher, so counselor was going to look into it. I sent DH in a few days later as the principal sent out an email saying see counselor before school starts if there's a scheduling mistake, and we hadn't heard anything. DH was mad counselor was in staff development meeting, arguing why tell people to come in, if they're unavailable. I told DH it's because the school district can't pay for extra days for staff development, because people around here keep voting down property tax increases. DH left message, and I emailed counselor, who called me to explain they were working on it, but couldn't put DS in advanced classes as they were all full, but they were hoping to open up new classes. It's end of week 3 and DS just got moved into the advanced classes. Annoying yes. Is it typical, yes.

So yes, it's lack of money, resources and too many kids. DS's school has 3 counsellors for 1200 kids, that's a lot of kids and moving pieces to sort out per counselor. Most of the staff aren't working over the summer so the first few weeks are when things get worked out.

Her schedule will get worked out, reassure her it will be ok. Keep calling/emailing counselor.

As for the special education situation, it's the same issue. Too many kids and not enough staff, and we don't start back before the students do. We know the situation with the students we had last year, but we don't know the situation with the new students. We don't know who will be our new students until school starts. We had to have the bus driver tell us the name of a new pre-k student, because the child is non-verbal. She wasn't on our paperwork, we have several new students and not everyone turns up first day of school. Her parents called to check on things and were upset as some things weren't set up for her, but we had no idea she was coming until she got off the bus.

Call/email/make an appointment with Dd's case manager and with her teachers, fill them in personally. Don't count of the information from the meeting being disseminated to the teachers. My special ed teachers have 10-15 students, I have 60 students on my caseload, my special ed administrator has about 300 students with IEPs at 3 schools to oversee. It helps when a parent talks to the teacher or to me, as well as the administrator. I often remind our administrators about a certain issue, easier for me to be on top of 60 students than for her having 300.

I totally get the frustration. I hope DD can relax a bit and that things get worked out quickly.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains

[gamma]

I have been known to camp out at the school, until an issue is straightened out. Your DD has an IEP, you attended meetings to prepare for the following year, now they need to do their part and behave like professionals and provide your DD with a schedule at this late date! I have grown children and it saddens me to see that parents are still dealing with such incompetence so many years later.

[niccig]

I have been known to camp out at the school, until an issue is straightened out. Your DD has an IEP, you attended meetings to prepare for the following year, now they need to do their part and behave like professionals and provide your DD with a schedule at this late date! I have grown children and it saddens me to see that parents are still dealing with such incompetence so many years later.

I hope you're voting for next increase in school funding. We can't get more funding as the city votes down increase, and my retired neighbors said they weren't going to vote for it as they don't have kids in school. There's more students now and less funding per student and less staff for more students.

As for special education, IDEA law mandates what school districts are to do, but the federal government has NEVER fully funded IDEA. NEVER! 40 years ago it was legislated for federal funding at 40%, it's been about 15% funded. Where does the extra get made up? Stares and local districts but it's not fully made up, so do more with less.

Get angry at legislators and demand they support bipartisan legislation for fully funding IDEA. I could do so much more if I only had 40 special education students each week, but our department isn't fully funded, so I see 60 students and will get closer to 70 by end of the year. You want more/better services for your child, demand IDEA be fully funded.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2017...ng-idea/23826/

And if your legislator votes no, get angry at them, not at your school staff. Special education services are expensive to provide and if there isn't the money, there isn't the staff and your child will be dealing with the consequences.

While you're at it, demand funding for Medicaid be continued. Some services provided by school's nurse, psychologist, PT, OT, SLPs are reimbursed through Medicaid. Cut that funding and goodbye to those services and staff members. Trump's budget proposal is to cut Medicaid and special education funding. Your children will be the ones that deal with the consequences if this happens.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2017...rograms/23746/

If this budget goes through, I wouldn't be surprised if states respond by changing the eligibility criteria, so less children are found eligible for special education.

ETA while I'm venting about funding, let's just add in demanding adequate funding for all of education. The USA pays so little per student as compared to other countries. DS has 35 kids in his classes since 4th grade. Smaller class size would go a long way, but that means more teachers, more rooms and that means more money. So let's shove 35 kids into a classroom, 1 teacher, no teaching assistant. Then people are mad that kids aren't learning and do poorly on tests. Mmmm wonder if there's a link here?!?


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains

[hbridge]

Go up the ladder... Way up to the Superintendent if you have to...

Your child should have a set schedule, just like every other student in the school. Actually, SPED kids should have theirs first!

We went through this a few years ago where the school told everyone the schedule would not be ready until the first day of school. The principal actually said at a meeting that "some kids may cry, that's okay". After the meeting I discussed with him the need for my High Anxiety, ASD child to have a final schedule the day before so we could walk the first day before it happened. He insisted it would be ready. We printed the schedule, walked it the day before, getting any questions answered along the way (lunch A vs B, ect)... Overnight they changed the schedule completely. There was one double block and DC had no idea what to do, the staff sent DC to 8 different locations all over campus before someone said "stay here until it gets figured out". DC NEVER settled into a routine at that school and ended up having a breakdown a few months in. While it all may have happened anyway, part of the issue was fear of being in the wrong place again. Of course, they also forgot to hire an aid and other issues that were created by the schools lack of organization!

Get the schedule and confirm it will not change! There is no excuse for these kids to not have their schedule in advance and have time to process what is expected.

[JustMe]

Thanks for the replies! I understand the issue of ridiculously underfunded schools, and try to give people the benefit of the doubt and be reasonable. I have worked in public schools as well as for social service non-profit agencies. OTOH, I think what is particularly frustrating about my situation is that the case manager and others should have anticipated this or at least some probability of this. We had the 2 meetings (nothing was said about this possibility and in fact the case manager told me she would e-mail me to set up a meeting the week before school starts to go over the schedule, which of course has not happened). Dd and I showed up to the time/place when she was supposed to get her schedule and it is completely wrong (not one or two classes, but wrong in multiple ways...wrong in ways we had discussed preventing at the meetings). I alerted someone higher up at the school about this issue on Tuesday, she told me the schedule would be on-line Friday.

So, today is Friday. Guess what. There is a schedule there--the same incorrect one we were handed. I called and left a message for her case manager today, so we will see what happens. School starts Wednesday.

One thing I want to say to these people is--what about my time? Of course, primary issue is what about my dd with special needs, but that is why we had those meetings (which I had to miss work, for), that is why I waited to speak to the counselor for 45 minutes last week, and now I am finding time during the day to try to work this out before Wednesday.

As far as going up the ladder, we will see if this is worked out by Wednesday. Up the ladder is not much better around here, and I had some help from a special ed administrator for the past few years, who just retired.