Hillsborough County Public Schools' Fiddle Faddle

Is Nero alive and well in Hillsborough County Public Schools' FDLRS (affectionately known as "fiddlers")?

There is much discussion on the local blogs regarding the situation at one of many ESE classrooms within the HCPS. Currently there is rather intense discussion that grapples with the word "abuse". Most discussion can be found here, here, here, and here.

For a while, I found myself forgetting my role as a broad brush attack machine towards the local public education agency and purveyor of many isolated incidents. Maybe it is because I had an early Father's Day breakfast, but I believe I have found my way back to my role.

I frankly find it quite astonishing that the discussion of "abuse" has merit. I believe that HCPS has a pretty intensive Exceptional Student Education training and resource group. In fact, did not the HCPS school board recently have a pomp and circumstance recognizing it's existence and exemplary work? I think it celebrated the 10 year anniversary of the Liaison project. I think that the start of that timeline coincides with the high level of activity of a few special education advocates, when parents, and even teachers, were turning to outside sources for assistance with special education issues.

Although HCPS is currently under investigation for allegedly sending a high number of it's ESE kids off to the local police , I doubt that there is any correlation to that investigation and the current issue, and I also feel quite confident that the fact that the HCPS has such a highly effective training program already in existence, at least on paper, this training program will exonerate the District.

For instance, here is a list of Professional Development Topics Offered by FDLRS, a schedule of which can be found each month:

Behavior Management
Bringing Words to Life Book Study
Compliance Issues
Corrective Reading
Data Team Dealing With Differences
ESE Para-educator Modules
ESE Specialist Roles and Responsibilities
Functional Behavior Assessment/ Behavior Intervention Plans
IEP - Make It Measurable!
The "I Hate Data!" Data Workshop
IEP Update
Introduction to Talking PowerPoint Books
Just Read! Overview
KTEA-II
Literacy Centers
Meaningful Participation
Mentoring (Communication Skills for Successful ESE)
NCI - Non-Violent Crisis Intervention
PDA-ESE
PowerPoint Books and Early Literacy Builders
The Principles of Exceptional Education
Quality IEP Training/ Matrix
REWARDS
SMART Board Basics
SRA Reading Mastery Plus K-2
T.E.A.M.
The Wonders of "Word"

Each month, according to this site, the schedule for these intensive training programs can be found in the Exceptional Communicator. The link to that on-line site can be found here. Please note that this publication can also be found in the teacher's school mail.

I am going to make a huge assumption and assume that this program is still in existence, even though the last on-line publication is dated "January/February 2008". An oversight in web maintenance, no doubt. I am aware that the District is short on resources, so surely they maintained professional development, but not the website.

What may be the source of all of this "misunderstanding" is that this training, according to the website, is intended for the audience of teachers. Apparently, administrators are above the need for this type of training, or perhaps they have their own, higher level, training.

While local bloggers parse the word "abuse", I will position myself on the nearest roof while I fiddle around with broad brush attacks.