THEY GET TO GO TO SCHOOL
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| Wed, 09-07-2005 - 8:46pm |
I contacted my local politicans and they responded. Last night at midnight after speaking with them yesterday I sent over this letter. It prompted My assemblyman to call the superintendent and my councilman to write an email to mayor bloomberg and joel klein(head of doe). My congressman to make phone calls and once again Hillary clintons office helped.
I have won an education for my children in an appropiate placement with my "highly quailfied teacher". I will have the same teacher the principl called me today at three pm and informed me then at 5pm the district supervisor contacted me. I am so proud of myself for advocating for my childrens rights and not backing down on them being out of compliance from my ieps. At three I was working with a free lawyer on the phone and she was helping me compose a request for an fast hearing. They new that I would win based on the out of compliance issue.And plus here it is an election year. Thanks so much attached is the letter that I sent over last night.I edited some of it.
Jacqueline
Senator Hillary Clinton
Congressman Vito Fosella
Councilman John Lavelle
Assemblyman Andrew Lanza
Re: Jacob, Dylan, & Tyler – Department of Education out of compliance with individualized education plans
September 6, 2005
Dear Congressman Fossella,
I am writing this letter regarding the conflict that I am currently having with the New York City Department of Education. Last year on May 7, 2004 I was contacted by Dr.Susan Erber (superintendent of district 75) by telephone. Also involved in the conversation was Helen Kaufman (D75 supervisor). They informed me that they would provide a verbal behavior applied behavior program for my three children. They then provided a teacher who is highly qualified in the components of verbal behavior applied behavior analysis. They also provided a board certified behavior analyst to assist in setting up a classroom at PS 37R utilizing the components of verbal behavior. The classroom was in operation from September 12, 2004 until August 12 ,2005. The classroom was a tremendous success and my children were receiving an appropriate education according to their individualized education plans.
My son Jacob is four years old and has a diagnosis of Autism and a mood disorder he is prone to regression and has many delays across the board in all areas of development. My son Dylan is also four and has a diagnosis of Autism he has delays in all areas as well .He also looks forward to attending school everyday. My son Tyler is also four years old and has diagnoses of Cerebral palsy, Autism , Seizure disorder, and apraxia . Tyler is extremely delayed in all areas and has physical disabilities as well as cognitive disabilities. My children do very well with the method of teaching that they have been receiving since they were 17 months old.
On September 2, 2005 I contacted the principal William Fiorelli of my children’s school. This call was regarding my paraprofessionals being in place. Mr. Fiorelli informed me that the paraprofessionals were in place but that the only teacher who is highly qualified in the components of verbal behavior was being excised.This was due to the fact that teachers from sabbaticals would be returning to the school this fall. I then explained to Mr. Fiorelli that by not having a teacher who was well trained in these components that the Department of Education would be out of compliance with all three of my children’s individualized education plans. Mr. Fiorelli informed me that they did not have a highly qualified teacher trained in this component of teaching. I then informed him that due to the fact that the district would be out of compliance and would not be offering my children a free appropriate public education that they were leaving them with no school placement. He then informed me that they would have a classroom for the boys but not with a verbal behavior highly qualified teacher. I informed his that this would be unacceptable according to their individualized education plans and that they would not be able to attend school while the district was out of compliance.
I then called Helen Kaufman (D75 supervisor) to inform her of the current situation regarding the classroom that she and Dr. Erber agreed to create. I explained the issues to her that are listed above. She informed me that she did not believe that there was anything further that she could do and would speak with Dr. Erber regarding the circumstances.
The Department of Education is clearly out of compliance with the federal laws stated in the IDEA-2004. They will not be providing my children with an appropriate education with a teacher who is highly qualified in the components of verbal behavior applied behavior analysis. By not providing a highly skilled teacher they are violating Jacob, Dylan, & Tyler’s rights to a free appropriate public education. On Thursday September there will be three children left behind.
I am requesting that they continue to provide my children with a highly skilled verbal behavior trained teacher in the classroom at PS 37r. Also that they resolve this issue in a timely fashion due to the fact, that school begins on September 8 ,2005. Not only will they regress without a school setting but they will also regress in all areas of speech, occupational, and physical therapies. They will miss out on having socialization with their peers in the least restrictive environment. There is no other appropriate placement for my children on Staten Island. By removing this highly qualified teacher from running this verbal behavior classroom, my children will be left with no school placement. Not only will one child be left behind, but three children will be left behind. They will not be given an opportunity at a full functional life and an appropriate education in the right setting with a highly qualified educator.
Thank You.
Respectfully,
Jacqueline H. Marks

Dear Jackie,
Wow, way to pull out the big guns and not even need to get the expensive lawyer-experts! I want you in my corner next time I have a NYC Board of Ed stupid altercation, yup, I do. Hillary Clinton, huh? I have been emailing her office to try to get her interested in creating apropriate autism education in NYC and even entire US school systems, laws to stop insurance companies from disallowing our coverage for our children, but have never heard back from her.
Anyways, congratulations big, big time and way to go. So many parents in this system are so compliant and silent while their children's education are completely sabotaged and they don't know how to fight for their rights or even that they have them! Makes me sick to my stomach, really.
Man, don't mess with you, girlfriend!!
yours,
Sara
ilovemalcolm
Jackie,
You are a leader, a pioneer, an inspiration and my hero (in addition to Renee).
You totally rock!
Way to freakin' GO.
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
I'm blushing Paula. I am not even in Jackies league.
and GO JACKIE! GO JACKIE! GO JACKIE!
Can you see and hear my happy dance on the east coast?????!!!!!!
WTG!!! I wish I had the expensive ivillage plan so I could make it really big with running letters.
Renee
Pat
Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response. -- Mildred Barthel
Pat
Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response. --