Greg_Groogan's Blog

IT SEEMS TO ME , THE SPECIAL NEED STUDENTS ARE , SHALL I SAY , SWEPT ASIDE , IN SOME CASES . I SAW YOUR STORY ON THE KID IN THE SMALL TOWN . THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SHOULD BE ASHAMED SPENDING ALL THAT MONEY JUST FOR THEIR DEFENCE . THEY COULD HAVE USED IT TO HELP THE BOY AND OTHERS LIKE HIM , BUT " THE DISTRICT " HAS TO HAVE THE LAST WORD . MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH ANYONE WHO HAS A " SPECIAL NEEDS " KID AND THEIR SPECIAL " PROBLEMS " .

How corrupt school districts have become. Advocates are going to have to hold more workshops to educate parents on special ed law and how they can use the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to assure all students with disabilities receive a free (paid for with our tax dollars) and appropriate public education. As that law was passed in 1975, Senator Robert Stafford explained clearly what the law was intended to do when he said, "This thing that we do, then, is not only an act of law for equality in education, but an act of love for those extraordinary children wishing only to live ordinary lives." In 1997, Congress passed the amendment to the IDEA law reminding us that, "Disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals to participate in or contribute to society. Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential element of our national policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities." Even with the law public school systems are denying children their rights because they say it costs too much, yet they'll fight parents tooth and nail and pay in excess of $400,000.00 in attorney’s fees to withhold services because they don't want to set a precedent because then they would have to provide services to everyone needing them. Ultimately, the government has to step up and fully fund IDEA so school districts can provide as the law states a free and appropriate public education.

CReese: Did you know in 2004 Texas returned $11.5 million of UNUSED money to the federal government for No Child Left Behind? They have to give it back if they don't use it. I'm trying to find the more current figures. It was the highest amount of any state or territory except for Puerto Rico who gave back $36 million. And TEA recently turned it's nose up at $10 million ($2 million x 5 years) because it would involve too much paperwork to help train teachers. I don't know if fully funding IDEA is going to make any difference as I believe the schools will shift the money to beef up regular education at our kids' expense. I've known school officials who have perjuried themselves on the stand, so I don't think twice they would misuse the funds and try to cover it up. I think the answer might be in the money, but not where you think. If school districts were required by law to pay for the parents' advocates and lawyers, I bet you there would be more cooperation in wanting to work things out and not dragging it out in court. To people with no morals, you have to speak to them in terms of what they understand. Right now, parents cannot afford to fight the districts, so it appears to TEA that there are no problems. Something needs to be done to stop their terrorist tactics and last night I realized that is exactly what it is based on the true definition of the word. I wonder if there are more cells in Gitmo.

I do object to the "happy" portrayal of Westview. Over the years I have run into about 10 families who attended Westview. Eight of those families were very bitter about their experience there because after a year, Westview handed them their child back saying "He's not making progress. You need to go somewhere else. Good luck." and booted them out. No help to locate another program. Nothing.

Jane Stewart is very good at promoting her school among private school directors in Houston, but she is NOT good at creating a program that based on effective methods for children with autism. She is also not good at helping parents whose kids don't fall into the group of high functioning kids that she does serve find other programs.

Research done by Howard et.al. in 2005 found that "eclectic" programs like that offered at Westview are basically ineffective, offering few real, testable measures of progress. Mr. Groogan would have been far better off presenting a school that is based on recognized peer reviewed research as is required by the changes in IDEA 2004. There aren't very many in the Houston area, but Including Kids in Kingwood is probably the best example.

The question that I have for Ms. Stewart is how many of the children that she gets from 2 years old are able to be mainstreamed by 1st grade? If parents are going to pay private school tuition on top of their school taxes, then they need to be sure they are getting their money's worth, and I'm not sure that they are at Westview.

Thank you, Greg, for continuing your mission of advocating for children with special needs. The very fact that there are private schools that cater to students with special needs is testimony that the public school system in Texas is not working. Not until a TEA commissioner is appointed who has a personal connection with a child with a disability, will the system change.