As one who came from the ranks of the trusting public to one who finally saw the twisted, dark side of the system for what it is, I seem to perceive an increased understanding by others who are enlightened.
There are plenty of dots to connect to make the big picture. For those who don't get it, it could be you as an employee or parent who could next be drug into the abyss. My background is wallering around in the muck and the mud of special education issues. I know many people who "changed sides of the tables" - ie: they were employees of the system and then had a kid with disabilities. More than one has come back to me to say they now understood what I am about.
There are two publications today that gained my attention:
Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch: Mr. Smiley, May Cowdung Be Rained on Your Head and May Your Fields Lie Fallow in Perpetuity
Alafia Elementary parents vent to superintendent about principal - St. Petersburg Times:
Keep connecting the dots. Both of these commentary's are backed by resources that are necessary to take the system on. And it is not money.
It is time and intellect.
Both of these sources have the ability to see through the parsing of words and obfuscation of the truth. Both of these sources are destined to come together, and many people may well benefit from their efforts.
While Lee has life experiences that back her intuition, the Gator gang blog site has comments that demonstrate that some of them see the little picture as well as the big picture.
To ask "why" is a great question. To find out "how it happened" is the only way to fix it.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Will The Alafia Elementary Public and Public School Sing Kumbayah Soon?
In yesterday's Tribune, there were two articles written, as best as I can tell. After my recent misread of a post date, I am trying to make sure I am reading the correct dates. Two articles, just like the events playing out at Alafia Elementary, are unusual.
In this article Alafia Principal, Parents Begin Reconciliation
we read comments attributed to Ms. Elia:
I would love to know what "the system" thinks should have been done differently. The true answer to that question would reveal the truth of how the District views it's relationship with the public and it's employees. Would "the system" have put more effort into squashing the beginning of the discontent or would "the system" ameliorated the issues by bringing in supportive resources in the fashion that they are now, only then it would have been seen as pro-active.
Then there is this:
I am curious as to what defines "out of control". I have witnessed "public uprisings" for years, usually around the issue of boundary changes. Countless times, the District goes through the charade of asking for public input, only to end up with what their plan was from the beginning. For some reason, this issue did not go the usual course that the District is accustom to. Usually time takes care of the isolated parents that are complaining and the District continues on, secure with it's power. Something different happened here.
And then there is this:
The full quote is this:
I have been in several contesting situations with "the system" over the years. I have seen what it takes to move them off their position, and "they" don't like to move. It is a hell of a position for one of them to be in when someone "has to fix it".
On to the next article:
The post date of this article just seems like it doesn't fit. It has been six days since the meeting, and most of this is old news. Except for one thing.
On the side of the article are the links to the gator pit.
I must say I am seeing things I thought would never happen. Over the years, I have more than once written and spoke to various members of the local media and asked in many different ways that they perform their duty in ferreting out the truth about our local education agency. As some of you have recently seen, there is usually a world of difference in what you read in the Tribune compared to what you read in the Times about the same event here in HCPS.
The public deserves to know the truth. The school employees deserve to know the truth. I have said previously I don't know what happened at Alafia Elementary, but what we can see is that the usual course of events have changed dramatically.
In this article Alafia Principal, Parents Begin Reconciliation
we read comments attributed to Ms. Elia:
"'We thought we were working on this issue. We obviously weren't doing it the way we needed to be doing it............."
I would love to know what "the system" thinks should have been done differently. The true answer to that question would reveal the truth of how the District views it's relationship with the public and it's employees. Would "the system" have put more effort into squashing the beginning of the discontent or would "the system" ameliorated the issues by bringing in supportive resources in the fashion that they are now, only then it would have been seen as pro-active.
Then there is this:
....""I think part of this got out of control for all of us."
I am curious as to what defines "out of control". I have witnessed "public uprisings" for years, usually around the issue of boundary changes. Countless times, the District goes through the charade of asking for public input, only to end up with what their plan was from the beginning. For some reason, this issue did not go the usual course that the District is accustom to. Usually time takes care of the isolated parents that are complaining and the District continues on, secure with it's power. Something different happened here.
And then there is this:
"She's got to fix it."
The full quote is this:
"I've accepted responsibility, and I've also accepted responsibility for the principal," she said. "She's got to fix it."
I have been in several contesting situations with "the system" over the years. I have seen what it takes to move them off their position, and "they" don't like to move. It is a hell of a position for one of them to be in when someone "has to fix it".
On to the next article:
Parents Complain About Alafia Elementary Principal
The post date of this article just seems like it doesn't fit. It has been six days since the meeting, and most of this is old news. Except for one thing.
On the side of the article are the links to the gator pit.
I must say I am seeing things I thought would never happen. Over the years, I have more than once written and spoke to various members of the local media and asked in many different ways that they perform their duty in ferreting out the truth about our local education agency. As some of you have recently seen, there is usually a world of difference in what you read in the Tribune compared to what you read in the Times about the same event here in HCPS.
The public deserves to know the truth. The school employees deserve to know the truth. I have said previously I don't know what happened at Alafia Elementary, but what we can see is that the usual course of events have changed dramatically.
Writing On The Wall
Happy Thanksgiving.
There is an anon comment on the below link to The Wall about knowing statutes. Perhaps it should be made clear to anyone who wants to obtain accountability from "the system", that it is imperative that you learn the real rules of the game that is being played.
I don't know a thing about teacher contracts, union agreements and don't even know how to spell CTA. There was a time in my life when I couldn't spell IEP, either. However, as circumstances came about, I now know a lot about IDEA, because it was the rule book that I had to play with.
Another bit of advice. I learned the Federal perspective of IDEA first, therefore when I got down to the watered down propaganda of local policy/smolicy, I could tell the difference between dazzle and baffle. Therefore, learn the real rules of the teacher game, and not some pamphlet that may be more myth than true substance.
TheWall: A DISTURBING TREND
And, Happy Thanksgiving.
There is an anon comment on the below link to The Wall about knowing statutes. Perhaps it should be made clear to anyone who wants to obtain accountability from "the system", that it is imperative that you learn the real rules of the game that is being played.
I don't know a thing about teacher contracts, union agreements and don't even know how to spell CTA. There was a time in my life when I couldn't spell IEP, either. However, as circumstances came about, I now know a lot about IDEA, because it was the rule book that I had to play with.
Another bit of advice. I learned the Federal perspective of IDEA first, therefore when I got down to the watered down propaganda of local policy/smolicy, I could tell the difference between dazzle and baffle. Therefore, learn the real rules of the teacher game, and not some pamphlet that may be more myth than true substance.
TheWall: A DISTURBING TREND
And, Happy Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Retaliation Rising In The Ranks
Goader has written an interesting commentary on retaliation in the workplace of the public education system. One part of the puzzle that he is correct about is that the action of retaliation occurs long before the person being retaliated against becomes aware of the true picture. I think it is interesting that parents of children with disabilites have been crying foul for many years.
As a parent of a child with a disability, I am here today because of the acts of retaliation that occurred to my son, my wife, me and school employees of all levels who "sided" with my son. The definition of "sided" would include personal and business relationships and supporting my advocating for an appropriate educational setting for my son in the many different settings he was in from 1990 until he graduated.
I would offer two other underlying reasons for a retaliator to act. One would be when the false image of the system is being attacked. Anyone who dares to speak out about the truth that would wreck the system is assuredly placed on the proverbial chopping block. The other type of retaliation I would identify is when nepotism is being thwarted. Prove me wrong.
It is quite possible that both forms of these types of retaliation have been culturally grown, one being a survival tool and one being born of arrogance.
What may have made the difference in the outcomes for my kid would have been that I followed Lee's advice:
One would have to read the 434 + - posts I have written to grasp the many different things I did to advocate for my son. I had already followed the chain of command and learned that the rungs on that ladder were slippery and some were broken. Early of 1997, I found out that I could purchase a school directory if I went to the second floor of the ROSSAC building. I did so, and I think I paid $6.00 for it. I went through this tome and picked out the names of every division head of a department and every name of someone that had a title associated with special education. In the end there were 169 names and addresses. I wrote a two page letter outlining my concerns about the system, and mailed them off.
Out of the 169 letters, I received two responses. One was an anonymous letter with the address and phone number to the Atlanta Office of Civil Rights. The other was a phone call from a man who wanted to know why I had sent this letter to him. Interestingly, this man and I crossed paths again years later as he had moved up the ladder. The fact that he knew I wasn't just blowing smoke and that I understood more about the game than he did may have worked to my advantage.
Learn the rules, take what they give you and use it to your advantage and be as visible as you can be. It might work.
The Etiology of Workplace Retaliation : EsKay:
"No doubt, the future victim of retaliation did something that the retaliator perceived as threatening to his or her self-esteem."
As a parent of a child with a disability, I am here today because of the acts of retaliation that occurred to my son, my wife, me and school employees of all levels who "sided" with my son. The definition of "sided" would include personal and business relationships and supporting my advocating for an appropriate educational setting for my son in the many different settings he was in from 1990 until he graduated.
I would offer two other underlying reasons for a retaliator to act. One would be when the false image of the system is being attacked. Anyone who dares to speak out about the truth that would wreck the system is assuredly placed on the proverbial chopping block. The other type of retaliation I would identify is when nepotism is being thwarted. Prove me wrong.
It is quite possible that both forms of these types of retaliation have been culturally grown, one being a survival tool and one being born of arrogance.
What may have made the difference in the outcomes for my kid would have been that I followed Lee's advice:
Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch:
"Hop up and down, complain, bitch, moan, gripe, and boohoo. Keep the spotlight on you. Don't be afraid of looking ridiculous. Ridiculous works. Don’t let the villains get a word in edgewise. lee"
One would have to read the 434 + - posts I have written to grasp the many different things I did to advocate for my son. I had already followed the chain of command and learned that the rungs on that ladder were slippery and some were broken. Early of 1997, I found out that I could purchase a school directory if I went to the second floor of the ROSSAC building. I did so, and I think I paid $6.00 for it. I went through this tome and picked out the names of every division head of a department and every name of someone that had a title associated with special education. In the end there were 169 names and addresses. I wrote a two page letter outlining my concerns about the system, and mailed them off.
Out of the 169 letters, I received two responses. One was an anonymous letter with the address and phone number to the Atlanta Office of Civil Rights. The other was a phone call from a man who wanted to know why I had sent this letter to him. Interestingly, this man and I crossed paths again years later as he had moved up the ladder. The fact that he knew I wasn't just blowing smoke and that I understood more about the game than he did may have worked to my advantage.
Learn the rules, take what they give you and use it to your advantage and be as visible as you can be. It might work.
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Office Of Civil Rights Loves "Group" Complaints
It takes a lot to get the OCR to investigate an individual case. They prefer cases where "classes " of people are effected, or where there is a pattern that is identifiable.
There is a written record of the William Wieser case (Death By Education) and there is a written record of the Doug Erwin case. There is the Birdsall case. They each tell the story of what happens to an HCPS employee when they run afoul of the system.
Those three known cases would be a good base for the start of identifying a group. How many more are out there?
Perhaps there are people who know who these people are, and maybe they would be willing to come forward as a member of a group that was "bit by the hand that feeds them".
Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch: The Plot Thickens
Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch: Another Teacher Crucifixion
Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch: OK: Let's Have Some Ideas
And remember to document, document, document:
PRO on HCPS: Search results for elephant:
"If an elephant came into the IEP meeting, dropped a load right in the middle of the table, no one could ever prove it if it wasn't written in the IEP form or the conference notes. Even when there are teachers, ESE specialists, related service personnel, principals, directors and parents that see the elephant, moved their papers out of the way of the big dump, and smelled the aroma that stunk up the whole room. If it wasn't written, it didn't happen.'"
There is a written record of the William Wieser case (Death By Education) and there is a written record of the Doug Erwin case. There is the Birdsall case. They each tell the story of what happens to an HCPS employee when they run afoul of the system.
Those three known cases would be a good base for the start of identifying a group. How many more are out there?
Perhaps there are people who know who these people are, and maybe they would be willing to come forward as a member of a group that was "bit by the hand that feeds them".
Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch: The Plot Thickens
Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch: Another Teacher Crucifixion
Lee Drury De Cesare's Casting-Room Couch: OK: Let's Have Some Ideas
And remember to document, document, document:
PRO on HCPS: Search results for elephant:
"If an elephant came into the IEP meeting, dropped a load right in the middle of the table, no one could ever prove it if it wasn't written in the IEP form or the conference notes. Even when there are teachers, ESE specialists, related service personnel, principals, directors and parents that see the elephant, moved their papers out of the way of the big dump, and smelled the aroma that stunk up the whole room. If it wasn't written, it didn't happen.'"
Saturday, November 22, 2008
From The Tampa Tribune: Kingswood Teacher Charged With Abusing Student
Kingswood Teacher Charged With Abusing Student
They report you decide, again.
This is an interesting slant provided in this story:
Do we expect to have all of the Kingswood horses and all of the Kingswood men to show up at the next school board meeting, similar to the Alafia Elementary crowd?
The alledged event happened on Wednesday. The actual arrest happened today, three days later.
[correction - I misread the month - it was last month this all went down]
Read the public comments. As with the Alafia Elementary saga, there are comments from apparent parents, apparent teachers and apparent students and apparent ex-students. Unlike the Alafia saga, the ratio of positive vs. negative seems to have an inverse percentage.
One must wonder if the apparent favorable opinion of this particular teacher had some effect on the alledged "minimizing" of the situation by the District.
I don't know much about the inside workings of these things. Perhaps someone can forward this to a Kingswood parent or employee to see if they will share some information, anoymously of course.
Since he was arrested, who pursues this issue - the cops or the District? Does the District do it's own investigation independent of what the cops do?
Was this done to take away from the Alafia debacle? Why would the District not pursue it, but the cops would?
Is this parent seeking gold, and if so, how does that effect how the agencies investigate or not?
So many questions. So little answers. I could make up a few answers, so help guide me in the right direction on this one.
They report you decide, again.
This is an interesting slant provided in this story:
"Treshena Dixon said she reported the situation after the school tried to minimize the situation involving her son, a fifth-grader.
Dixon wrote in an e-mail to The Tampa Tribune that the sheriff's office "seemed reluctant" to arrest the teacher, who "was stating how sorry he was about the situation."
Do we expect to have all of the Kingswood horses and all of the Kingswood men to show up at the next school board meeting, similar to the Alafia Elementary crowd?
The alledged event happened on Wednesday. The actual arrest happened today, three days later.
[correction - I misread the month - it was last month this all went down]
Read the public comments. As with the Alafia Elementary saga, there are comments from apparent parents, apparent teachers and apparent students and apparent ex-students. Unlike the Alafia saga, the ratio of positive vs. negative seems to have an inverse percentage.
One must wonder if the apparent favorable opinion of this particular teacher had some effect on the alledged "minimizing" of the situation by the District.
I don't know much about the inside workings of these things. Perhaps someone can forward this to a Kingswood parent or employee to see if they will share some information, anoymously of course.
Since he was arrested, who pursues this issue - the cops or the District? Does the District do it's own investigation independent of what the cops do?
Was this done to take away from the Alafia debacle? Why would the District not pursue it, but the cops would?
Is this parent seeking gold, and if so, how does that effect how the agencies investigate or not?
So many questions. So little answers. I could make up a few answers, so help guide me in the right direction on this one.
For Everyone That Gripes And Complains About SpEd Kid's Behavior
Motel Special Ed: Dealing with behaviors - Straight from FLDOE
Read with comprehension.
The premise is that under IDEA, public schools are to "teach" behaviors (ie: behavioral intervention plans) when the behavior impedes access to the curriculum of the student or the student's peer's.
So, for all those people who don't understand that disabilities are a reason, not an excuse, and think that non-behaving SpEd kids should just be arrested, that is not how it is supposed to be.
Read the links with comprehension. Read where it says all of this should be before the problem "reach(es) crisis proportions".
Read with comprehension.
The premise is that under IDEA, public schools are to "teach" behaviors (ie: behavioral intervention plans) when the behavior impedes access to the curriculum of the student or the student's peer's.
So, for all those people who don't understand that disabilities are a reason, not an excuse, and think that non-behaving SpEd kids should just be arrested, that is not how it is supposed to be.
Read the links with comprehension. Read where it says all of this should be before the problem "reach(es) crisis proportions".
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