Still fuming

[sethrak]

Dear Powers That Be at Colorado Springs' Public Schools,

Seriously, District 11?

No room for a just-moved-here military kid?

None?

Seriously?

I can forgive the total snafu of the discrepancy between what I was told over the phone last week, versus what the staff at what should be Mark's school, *and* the lady they told me to call at the main preschool office, told me. It's a bureaucracy. These things happen.

But no room? None? We can merely get moved way up on the list if we include his old IEP when we return the enrollment packet they're now going to mail us?

How exactly does this constitute 'Fair and Appropriate Public Education', I ask you?


Still incensed,

Me

Comments

[captainecchi.livejournal.com]

I feel like a total idiot, because I was all, "Huh, sethrak moved to Colorado? I thought she was in VA," and then I went back and looked at your past entries and realized I missed a bunch where you talked about moving.

I'm boggled how they can deny a kid education... I mean, isn't it compulsory?

[sethrak.livejournal.com]

I take it then that you missed my sighting of a small discreet billboard for a business in north Colorado styling itself 'Morganti Modular Homes'? ^_-

It's only compulsory after a certain age. Depending on the district, that age is five or six. Mark is three.

However, for kids with special needs, such as autism, the rules are a little different. Before age three, there are various 'early intervention' programs, called part C services, and given different names in different states. After age three, such services are offered through the school districts, in every state.

I suspect, given the local budget issues, they may try to hem and haw and drag their feet on admitting Mark til next year, because they don't want to have to squeeze more out of an already cramped budget. But they can't legally do that, and if I have to start channeling my favorite Dragaeran and kick their asses, I will.

[captainecchi.livejournal.com]

Shows what I know about kids!

I saw the Morganti Modular Homes when I looked back over your posts, and was amused :)

It's kind of crazy how things make so much less sense when you don't read them in chronological order!

[kamiki-seto.livejournal.com]

I'm a little boggled by a district providing preschool at all - that's completely unheard of in this area. Nothing public is available here younger than kindergarten - if you want preschool, you find a private one, but none of the districts provide it. (When The Spawn was young, we had her in preschool run by the local Presbyterian church, completely non-religious in nature and an excellent, top-rated program. She'll be graduating high school this spring with some of the same kids she was there with. Ah, memories...)

[sethrak.livejournal.com]

Well, the rules about preschool might be different in CO than they were in VA - but children with speech delays, autism, and other types of special needs get services through the school district after age three. Mark's already in the system, and has an IEP from his old district. They can't not give him the help he needs. There are federal laws on the subject.

In other circumstances, I wouldn't have even put him in pre-school or kindergarten until he turned five. ::sigh:: But he was doing beautifully in pre-k back in VA, and I am loath to see him regress, or merely stop where he is, until the fall term starts.

[kamiki-seto.livejournal.com]

Ah, Gotcha. I think the issue here is that special needs education for ALL the districts in St. Louis county (twenty plus, IIRC) are provided by an overlaying separate entity called "The Special School District of St. Louis County" which has its own schools, administration, services etc. So the regular districts don't have preschool, but the mandated preschool age services for special needs students are provided through SSD. So, Mea Culpa - I forgot about SSD.

Definitely have you in our (admittedly somewhat lapsed religiously these days) thoughts and prayers.

[forensicgirl.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's ludicrous.

[sethrak.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it is. -_- But I'm working on it.

Prayers would be appreciated. Lent's barely started, and I'm already having serious problems with avoiding wrath. :;sigh::