DANCE 4 A CHANCE WITH HEART & SOUL ADVOCACY

Have you ever wanted to be in a FLASH MOB DANCE VIDEO? If so, here's your chance!

FLASH MOB DANCE VIDEO!

FRIDAY 5/17/13 @ 7PM in Union City, GA 30291

We are looking for dancers to participate (ladies ages 18-60 & kids ages 10-17).
Dance Practice: 6:30-8pm (Wed 5/8, Fri 5/10, Mon 5/13, Wed 5/15) at Ronald Bridges Park 5285 Lakeside Drive, Union City, GA 30291.

It's for a good cause!

 

For more info view & "Like" our page at https://www.facebook.com/heartandsouladvocacy or call Crystal Calhoun at 404-692-4334.

 

Peace & Blessings,
Crystal Calhoun, Founder
Heart & Soul Advocacy
www.HeartAndSoulAdvocacy.com

A GEORGIA EDUCATOR’S CRY FOR HELP!

In Georgia, nobody has much respect for educators anymore! Many people think they are all fraudulent and out to harm children, when that is the furthest thing from the truth. No educator gets into this selfless field of work with the intent to do harm--this is a helping profession. Unfortunately, educators in Georgia have been placed in the middle of a crooked system as the scapegoat. Upper-level administrators give orders to make things happen by any means necessary or suffer the consequences of their raft. Oh, but they are not stupid by no means. These orders are never put in writing as this may be incriminating, yet it is implied with the fullest of understanding. Those who don’t adhere to these orders, will and have been used as an example of a hard lesson learned that no educator wishes to experience.

Georgia has a system that is old and outdated, but in this state change is like a foreign language that nobody wants to learn. When observed, you will find an immense lack of efficiency and waste of manpower. Here in the Metro-Atlanta area there is a wealth of knowledge from educators that have moved here from many different states that are far more progressive like California, New York and Florida. However, these progressive educators have little to no influence over the old ways of the south. The process and procedures for completing tasks in Georgia school systems can be equated to taking a long walk around the corner, when it’s easier and more productive to just walk across the street. If you inquire as to why things operate in such a manner, you will find there is no rhyme to the reason or method to the madness. Things function the way they do simply because it’s always been done this way.

Because of decade old practices like this, educators are so bombarded with paperwork that they spend more time documenting what’s not happening than actually making something happen, and are overwhelmed with heavy workloads that they are under compensated for. In addition, educators lack resources, tools, training, support and manpower needed to be effective in their jobs. The system forces educators to prove on paper that they are doing something for students they simply can’t do. The pressure for educators has become unbearable, as they are blamed for everything wrong with the school system. Yet they are not the ones who make the rules, layoff teachers and support staff, increase class sizes, create additional paperwork that prevents them from actually doing the work of teaching students, reduce school funding, eliminate training programs for educators and take away extra-curricular activities that motivate students to attend school and strive for better grades.

The problem is a system problem that is hurting educators just as much as students. What happens at the top of an organization trickles down. Therefore, when educators don’t feel supported, appreciated, compensated and equipped for the job they are facing on a daily basis, they become angry, frustrated and yes—eventually lose hope. How can a hopeless educator instill hope in a student? How can an educator who has lost their desire to teach inspire students to want to learn? Educators are not failing students here in Georgia, the school system is failing both students and educators. Truthfully, they are in the same boat--victims of the same dysfunctional system. No Child Left Behind, is doing just that—leaving students behind.

What all of this really comes down to is the basic principle--survival of the fittest. You either sink or swim in this system. To sink is to be righteous but to swim is to become corrupt. If I as an educator stand up for what is right, will anybody stand with me? The answer is no! Everybody is out for themselves and too afraid to speak the truth because history has taught us here in Georgia that those who stand up get knocked down, stomped to the ground, and squashed like a worthless bug. There are no unions for educators here in Georgia, but what we do have are associations that we pay to join for counsel and legal defense, if necessary. However, there is just one problem with these associations, many top level school administrators are board members of these associations. So tell me, how can an educator receive fair impartial representation from an organization that is run by the very same individuals in positions of power within the school systems they are going up against? There is no real justice in this scenario any way you look at it.  Educators in Georgia are crying out for help, I am giving them a voice—so listen.

ARM YOURSELF FOR YOUR CHILD’S NEXT IEP MEETING!

• MAKE ALL REQUESTS TO SCHOOL OFFICIALS IN WRITING W/A COPY FOR YOURSELF (i.e., sending letters via email allows you to conveniently notify all involved parties and maintain a copy for your own records; there is usually a timeline educator’s must adhere to when responding to certain requests related to special education services and IEP’s; the date your email was sent starts the clock ticking and serves as proof of school compliance or violation of legal timeline).
• REQUEST A DRAFT COPY OF YOUR CHILD’S IEP FOR YOUR UPCOMING MEETING (i.e., ensure that you receive a copy at least 1-week before your meeting date; this allows you the ability to review what services the school is proposing in advance so you can be on equal footing with school meeting participants; you can determine what you agree and disagree with and suggest changes).
• REQUEST A COPY OF YOUR CHILD’S PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION REPORT IF APPLICABLE (i.e., this is a comprehensive evaluation that is required once every 3-years; you should understand the meaning of your child’s assessment scores, evaluation results and strengths & weaknesses from reviewing this report; having access to this report in advance helps you have time to digest the findings).
• MAINTAIN COPIES OF ALL SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRESS REPORTS (i.e., these reports are usually accompanied by your child’s school report card; this will help you know whether the services your child is receiving are effective over time and determine if a different service or intervention should be implemented).
• MAINTAIN A COPY OF YOUR CHILD’S PREVIOUS IEP (i.e., use this document as a reference point to determine your child’s progress made from his/her IEP goals).
• FIND SOMEONE KNOWLEDGEABLE TO REVIEW AND EXPLAIN MEETING DOCUMENTS FOR YOUR OWN CLARITY PRIOR TO YOUR UPCOMING MEETING IF NECESSARY (i.e., preferably someone outside of your child’s school such as an Advocate or Special Education Attorney).
• RESEARCH INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD’S DISABILITY ON THE INTERNET (i.e., the internet can help you understand the nature of your child’s disability, how you and educator’s can help your child and what services and support should be made available to your child at school).
• MAKE A LIST OF ALL YOUR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AT YOUR UPCOMING MEETING (i.e., this list will serve as a useful reminder of the issues most important to you, as it is easy to become distracted by other matters brought up by teachers and forget your own agenda).
• ENSURE THE IEP MEETING MINUTES ARE READ TO YOU AT THE MEETING (i.e., this allows you the opportunity to confirm that your important requests, comments and/or concerns are documented and ask staff to remove information that is not accurate and/or misleading).
• REQUEST TO TAKE HOME DOCUMENTS PRIOR TO SIGNING CONSENT (i.e., don’t be pressured into signing anything you don’t understand just because school staff may want to wrap up your child’s case at the meeting; it is your right and very  important that you review and seek guidance if necessary before giving consent to matters concerning your child).
• NEVER LEAVE THE IEP MEETING WITHOUT COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS (i.e., sometimes educators will ask if they can send papers home the next day or week so they can complete and copy it later in the interest of time; you may risk not receiving the documents as promised, and/or finding some information in the documents to be different than what was agreed upon at the meeting/left out entirely).
• SEEK AND FIND A LOCAL ADVOCATE IN YOUR AREA WHO CAN ATTEND YOUR CHILD’S IEP MEETING WITH YOU (i.e., an advocate can speak on your behalf, protect your rights, ensure that your child receives appropriate services and support, and help you become a fully informed meeting participant with an equal voice in decisions concerning your child’s education).
• ALERT THE SCHOOL THAT YOU WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADVOCATE (i.e., knowing an advocate will be present at an IEP meeting causes staff to handle your child’s case appropriately and with integrity; educator’s will usually invite upper level school administrators to provide support and expert knowledge regarding your child’s case; administrators monitor the services provided to your child by educators more closely to ensure that policies and procedures are followed).

Remember, at Heart & Soul Advocacy we have your child’s best interest at HEART & SOUL…

Parents of special needs students are not allowed to do pop-up visits!

In order to ensure the safety and well-being of students with special needs, parents should be allowed to do pop-up classroom visits. Many students in these classrooms are not being properly cared for and educated. How can a parent be certain that their child is getting the appropriate services and support if they are not welcome to observe whenever they choose to without prior notice? Giving a teacher prior notice of a visit allows them the opportunity to prepare in advance for their performance in front of the expected parent.

I have a 14-year old son with ADD who I observed in class when he was in middle school a couple of years ago. His teachers were notified in advance that I was coming. One teacher in particular who was initially very resistant to providing my son with the accommodations he needed, appeared to be the most phony during my observation. She went out of her way to share with me how she made sure that my son was provided with a copy of her lecture notes from the day before, and even played jazz music in class while the students worked on their assignments. As the students worked, she walked around the classroom observing that each student was on task and provided help when needed.

Just after the teacher walked away and finished showing me some of her jazz cd's that she allows the students to listen to, a familiar student turned around to me and whispered with an annoyed attitude, "I hate when parents come to class b/c teachers act so fake, she don't normally act like that or do all of this stuff". Needless to say, I was not surprised by the news. Although I was a bit shocked that a student had become so irritated by the teachers actions that she bravely revealed the true nature of this teachers behavior.

Ironically, this is the same teacher who expressed an unwillingness to provide my son with a supplemental copy of lecture notes taken by another student. She felt that this accommodation would crippled my son. I had to go out of my way to convey to this teacher the nature of his disability, his unique weaknesses and ensure her that the copy of notes was only used as an additional support for his own notes (i.e., to fill in the gaps where he was missing information due to his poor note taking skills). It seemed not to matter to her that these accommodations were written in his 504 Plan, which is a legal and binding document that educators are suppose to be held accountable to follow.

When I conducted a training event for parents of special needs students, a Hispanic mom shared a story about what happened to her son as a result of not being allowed to observe him in the classroom setting. Her son was a kindergarten student with Autism and completely nonverbal. She stated that one night after school while bathing her son she noticed that his arm was out of socket. Many children with Autism don't have the same pain threshold or respond to pain in the same manner as normal functioning children. Therefore, her son did not indicate or was unable to express the pain that he may have felt from this injury, if any.

After taking him to the hospital and reporting this injury to the school principal the next day, the para-professional teacher assistant reported witnessing the teacher grab the child by the arm from a seated position on the floor and yank him up b/c he didn't respond when she called his name several times. Since this parent was an illegal immigrant who spoke very little English, she was too afraid to pursue legal action against the teacher or school. All along, this parent had concerns about her son b/c he was nonverbal and this was his first experience in a school setting. She expressed her concern and desire to observe her son while in class, but the teacher and principal blocked her attempts repeatedly.

I believe the principal in particular took advantage of this parents immigrant status, lack of effective resources and limited English speaking ability in an effort to wipe this criminal act of child abuse under the rug without repercussions from outside officials. Situations like these should make it obvious to school leaders that parents of special needs students in particular should be allowed to make pop-up visits at school, especially when the child's disability is so severe that they are unable to communicate. Spontaneous visits from parents are in the best interest of the student... and the teacher in certain circumstances.

Although my son's disability is mild in comparison to other disabilities and he is fully able to communicate, sometimes he is unwilling to report the inappropriate actions of teachers out of fear of retaliation. There have been a few ocassions where he purposely waited until the end of the school year when it was too late to inform me of something a teacher did or said to him. Unfortunately, my son knows from experience that if a teacher does not like a student for some reason, that teacher has the ability to influence whether the student has a positve or negative school year if they choose.

When I've inquired as to why parents are not allowed to visit the classroom without at least 24-hours advance warning, I was told that these pop-up visits are considered disruptive to the teacher and students. I say that excuse is bull crap! As a parent, I want to feel welcome to pop-up at anytime to observe my child in the classroom to see if he's behaving appropriately, show my support and see how and what he is being instructed. Preventing me from the opportunity to do this makes me feel that the school and/or teachers have something to hide. This restriction puts an unnecessary strain on the parent and teacher relationship. How am I suppose to have trust in the school system and educators, when I'm being hindered from the ability to ensure my child's safety in his daily learning environment away from home? Being able to observe my child at school without notice should be my right as a parent, not a priveldge.

Do teachers really like invovled parents?

The answer is no! I say this b/c I worked in the school system and saw how some educators were annoyed by the involved parent, and I experienced it first hand as an involved parent myself. Yes, teachers complain all the time about parents who don't show up for meetings or return calls, etc. But the truth of the matter is they really don't want parents to be that involved b/c it holds them accountable for their actions as teachers.

Especially, when a parent has a child with special needs a teacher really becomes annoyed by a parents efforts to ensure that their child is receiving the support services they are entitled to. This puts too much pressure on the teacher and administrators to actually do something on behalf of the child. Often times a parent can feel the resentment coming from educators, which often leads to their child being targeted for attack.

I remember a teacher going out of her way to get my son in trouble to prove some kind of point. My son could also feel her hostility and began to hold information back from me until the end of the school year when it was too late to do anything about what was taking place. He'd rather suffer in silence than cause the teacher to dislike him anymore than she already did.

Recently, I attended a tribunal meeting for a student and it was very obvious that this student was being targeted for attack by the principal. Can you believe this student was having a tribunal hearing b/c he gave a friend an advil for a headache? I thought for sure they must have thought he was dealing with illegal drugs or something, but it was clear that everyone involved knew it was just an advil. The principal recommended the most severe punishment for this student, which was rediculous. He wanted this student to attend alternative school for 90 days and only return if certain conditions were met. In addition, the principal recommended the student attend a drug awareness/prevention program. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was obvious that the student didn't know that having an advil was against school rules. All of a sudden this particular student went from having very little discipline referrals to numerous referrals upon entering his current school where this principal was in charge. In addition, the parent and grandparent shared information about negative attitudes and comments made by this principal towards them both.

Again, a similar situation occurred with my son where the number of discipline referrals increased due to a certain teachers input who I knew resented my efforts to ensure that my son received the accommodations he required in order to be successful. This teacher went out of her way to label my son as a behavior problem. I know that many other involved parents of students with special needs have had similar experiences. If you are one of them please share your story.

All Hell is Breaking Loose in Our School Systems in Georgia!

With class sizes increasing and teachers along with other support staff being let go, what is going to happen to our children? Students were already suffering, especially those with special needs. It has been a struggle each year to get the services and support my children need from teachers b/c they are already overwhelmed. My son’s middle school went from having 3 counselors (one for each grade level) to 2 counselors, and next school year (2010-2011) they will only have 1 counselor. I am even getting cases where school systems are trying to dismiss students with disabilities such as Autism from being eligible for special education services. This is outrageous! If we think advocating for our children is difficult now, just wait until next school year. I believe Advocates are going to have their hands full. 

As a former School Psychologist, I am disheartened by the way school systems here in Georgia are mistreating dedicated and loyal Educator's. Salaries for some Educator's have been reduced significantly, many positions have been completely done away with (i.e., School Nurses in Clayton County Public Schools), and others have been placed in lower level positions (i.e., Special Education Coordinators in Atlanta Public Schools will be placed in classrooms to work as Teachers). Thus, current Teacher's will no longer have jobs. In addition, yearly contracts for Educator's were held back until the last minute when they were also informed about drastic changes to their current positions. This was done purposefully to prevent Educator's from being able to apply for jobs elsewhere if they were unhappy with the changes made.

Why don't we have a Teacher's union here in Georgia? Whatever happened to the good old-fashioned strikes? Maybe my attitude is different b/c I come from California where they have unions, employees have rights, and people (parents and educators) pull together to support each other for the future of our children. This is a time when parents and educators need to work together, put aside our differences, stand up, and fight for what we believe in. I know from experience that when our Educator's are not treated right, our children will not be treated right either.

http://www.heartandsouladvocacy.com/