In addition to asking the mother about taking her child into a public restroom, the Board of Education's attorney feels the need to know if the mother took the child into the handicapped or regular stall. The Board attorney also inquires, “Does he go by himself or do
you go in the men’s room with him?”
Why is the Board of Education interested in a child's outside bathroom
activities? School toileting issues are clearly within the concerns of the Board of Education. But, how does this line of questioning relate to anything concerning the child's public school education? Does the Board of Education really need to know which stall a parent uses when in a public restroom?
Is this line of questioning about the needs of the child, or just more grilling of the parents to run up the bill? Another day, another $6K?
Questions about AIDS, pit bulls, cob webs and scruff marks, and outside bathroom activities. I get it! The BOE attorney, who represents the BOE in a due process hearing for a special needs child, is vilifying the mother to save the County from spending money on a special needs child and to pad his own pockets. Win at all cost is the name of the game. Insensitivity and scrutinization of out of school activities is allowed. How horrible! Look at the “hell” our Department of Special Education is putting families of special needs children through. How can a parent trust services coming into their home when the providers are really snitches! Is this the style of culture we want in our school system? Outrageous, indeed. It borders on unethical professional activity.
ReplyDeleteDo you? Two Board of Education members are up for re-election in the fall. The "Apple Ballot" will tell voters to vote them right back in to office.
DeleteWill you do it? Will Phil Kauffman and Christopher Barclay be put right back in office to continue these policies?
December 2005
ReplyDeleteMCPS continues to "fight on and on" against the parents of 9 year-old P.J. Lindner, a handicapped boy who is dying of a degenerative disorder, the Montgomery County Sentinel reports.
"This is the longest hearing I've ever done," family representative Michael Eig told the paper.
Eig alleges that the school system is dragging out the process on purpose. According to the Sentinel, "The Lindners must provide the burden of proof in this hearing, but Eig and Theresa Lindner said that goal was accomplished in the first day of the hearing.
"'The first witness, who was the MCPS director of the school system's proposed placement, testified that the school system's proposed IEP could not be implemented in her placement [at Forest Knolls Elementary School],' said Eig.
"'What occurred in the hearing [after that witness testified] should have ended the due process appeal right then and there,' said Theresa Lindner. 'But MCPS wanted to fight on.'
"And MCPS has continued to fight on and on," adds reporter Amy K. Rowland.
Eig says MCPS is going to unusual lengths to grind them down and drag out the process as the boy's health deteriorates.
"To do a six to seven-hour cross-examination of a parent - I've been doing this for 30 years and this has never happened," Eig told the Sentinel. "I think that explains itself."
"Of all the parents who appeal Montgomery County decisions, to decide to do the most aggressive cross-examination against a family who divides its time between going to the hearing, getting their sons to school and hospice is unexplainable and tragic," Eig said.
So, here we have it. The case revealed in the 4 part series is only the tip of the iceberg and there have been issues for many years. MCPS is certainly hostile to many parents of special needs children, and now the dirt is coming out. These families have been abused by the system, and the cost in energy and money to reveal the issues is just unbelievable for the families. I hope other families will speak out, if not formally, then at least in this blog!! MCPS-shame on you.
ReplyDeleteI am a parent and teacher in this county. I am constantly saddened by the manner in which our children are being treated in this school system. Nothing shocks me anymore, however. I have seen far too many circumstances in which our children and parents have been subjected to abusive behavior by MCPS.
ReplyDeleteWe must do everything we can to turn over this board.
I know I will be working to do just that, and I am confident that other MCPS teachers will be doing the same. Enough is enough. The present BOE has forgotten exactly why they have their positions. We need to remind them by replacing Kauffman and Barclay with people who will approach their board duties with integrity, compassion and intelligence. Why should our children have any less?
Shame on this Board for the manner in which they are allowing our parents and children to be treated. MCPS educators are not treated any better, either. It seems that the only people who benefit by this board are the members themselves and their friends in central office and NEA........certainly not our children.
And, the Apple Ballot??!! Don't get me started. It infuriates me at election time when I open my mail to find one of their high gloss, multi-page apple flyers directing us who to vote for. I've never seen such expensive mailings from any organization or candidate in all my years. These mailings cost a fortune. Who decides who will be on the apple ballot? That's another big worm in the apple that needs to be dissected.
Apple ballot picks are chosen before the filing deadline.
ReplyDeleteThey claim this is necessary to get printing done on time.
Voters widely conflate the interests of teachers with teachers union advocacy yet I have never met a teacher happy with the BoE despite the constant presence of a supermajority by MCEA endorsees. The union always has a strong grip on the BoE yet no one is happy?
What can we conclude from this observation?