We Had Our IEP Meeting.....

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I just thought I'd give a little update.........

I think things went well, considering.

Last year, his percentile in math was around 20%, which worried me but they said that it has to be 10% or lower to qualify for intervention..
(which I still think is ridiculous. This year... He tested at the 4th percentile.. heartbreaking, but now he qualifies for intervention. He's going to be
tested for learning disabilities and put in Special Ed math. The problem was that SE math is a support class, not a core instructional class.
The problem with that is that his core class would be working on multiplication, the SE class on simple addition, which everyone agreed would
likely just make the current problems worse. The main problem is that he has to have a core math class, and they couldn't figure out a way to address
it.

So I offered. I am now my son's primary math teacher. He will be taken out of mainstream math and do SE math at school, but I will do key instruction.

I've already gotten criticism from some friends on this, but I can't help but think that he will benefit from learning a single strategy to do procedures and
getting as much time as he needs to focus on that procedure before moving to the next one, not to mention one on one instruction.

I have to say, I'm excited and so incredibly hopeful.

I understand your need, as a mom, to save your son. You know your family, and presumably you expect this to work - I hope it will! You should schedule a follow IEP for about two months into this new plan (is it starting now, or at the beginning of the new year?), to evaluate how it is going. You need the input of everyone involved, including your son - so when you have your say, it will includes your son's perspective. Set it up now, so if there are problems later, you won't be scrambling to set up an IEP and being put off for weeks. You can still try to set one up earlier if you need to, but at least there will already be one in place. Continue to have bi-monthly meetings set up to keep tabs on how things are progressing, in case there is a need for a change. They won't like it, but that's their problem. If they dislike it enough, they'll take back the responsibility of educating your child.

The thing that's going on here, and that you are allowing the school to maintain, is that the school has its programs and is trying to shove kids into them regardless of their needs. That is not what special education is, it is not what the IDEA requires of them, and it's not what the "I" in IEP contemplates. It doesn't matter what programs the school has. The school has to provide what your son needs, not jam him into the existing programs. He is certainly not the only student in the district who needs something other than "support" for math. And even if he were, they would have to provide the core instruction he requires - that's what the "I" stands for, "individualized." The fact that they don't want to do it doesn't change their responsibility, or the reality that they, no doubt, know they are required to provide the services even if they sit around the table pretending they don't know how. They know how, but if they feign ignorance/stupidity, they're hoping you'll go away or be their superhero - just like you were.

If it works, that's great. But for how long will it work? And for how many subjects? Will you still be having to teach him trigonometry and chemistry? Sentence structure and essay writing? Be careful here. Not only will you wind up becoming his teacher/mom, but since you took on the job, if there are problems down the line, they will blame you! This is another reason to make sure you have these regular meetings. If you have regular meetings and they know what's going on, they can't pretend anything is a surprise later. And document EVERYTHING!! !

Jat.. I do completely understand what you're saying. When the issue of if he should or shouldn't be tested now for learning disabilities, they asked what I thought, if I wanted to see if this improved things or not before testing.. I often have a hard time asking for things so my slightly indignant response was, "Well, last year I thought he needed intervention for math, this year he's finally gotten it but not until he's so horribly behind, I don't want to wait until next year... going into junior high."
My son's counselor is also part of the IEP team... He cut me off... "Kris. Just. Say. Yes." I was like "Oh. Ok... Yes?" and they handed me a form.

This year's teacher has been really cool and she knows how hard I have been working with my son everyday after school. I have shared insights, strategies, frustrations... I think she really gets my son and see the conflict between my son's learning needs and the way the school district makes her teach math. She thinks that my outlined plan of curriculum, strengthening the skills he's kind of gotten in class and lots of repetition is a good plan for him... She's approved the daily worksheets I've set up and advised me to come to her with any questions or concerns.

Math in the 5th grade is slightly different. The class is broken into ability-based groups that Ben might more easily fit into. So my real hope is that I can help him feel confident and proficient in addition, subtraction, and multiplication, maybe start working on division by the end of the summer, then perhaps he will be able to be integrated back into mainstream math with just a special ed help class..

Ohhh and, I'm really hopeful that there will be an ASD charter school opening next school year... We'll know by the end of the summer if it's been approved by the school districts.

It sounds like you're getting some good support from individual teachers/staff at your son's school. That's great. Try to use it. They sometimes can't walk you through it, and you have to "read between the lines." Do the best you can. Just make sure you're staying in as constant contact as is reasonable, and that you keep up on what is going on.

If the ASD school opens, do whatever is necessary to get your son into it - if you think the school will be the appropriate place for your son. Hang in there, and keep getting as much support as you can for your son.

It's actually my son's counselor that is heading up this project for the charter school... So I'm sure he'll probably keep me pretty up to date as he's stated that Ben is definitely one who would benefit from this sort of environment. At this point, he wouldn't benefit from total Special Ed immersion... I think it would keep him back, not challenge him enough.. but mainstream just moves too fast in an illogical procession.

And, his teacher really has been fairly great... If I email, she answers within 48 hours at the most.. more often the same day... And.. The math work Ben and I do every day will be turned into her daily so that one, she sees what we're doing, and two, Ben doesn't get the idea that math is optional.. or that he can just decide to opt out of certain school curriculum. I put a lot of effort into helping him with his homework and have a good idea of what he can and can't do, and when he's just not able to focus or doesn't put effort in to it.

I've tended to find myself bending and taking things on, too ... I think that when you have a school you that KNOW wants to try, but is limited in resources (and given how much fund raising I've done for our school, I really do know how limited the resources are here!), you figure you can give back. IEP's are a give and take; when you are in a meeting where you really believe everyone does want the best for the one child, it makes you feel free to demand less and compromise more. And sometimes the best answer really is, "I'll do it." If "I'll do it" is the best available answer at this point in time, why NOT say it?

And it shows their respect for you that they agree with the plan. That is far from a given in these situations.

So ... I do hope the plan works for you and your son. I believe in you!

If your son would benefit from this kind of environment, it might be worthwhile to lobby for the curriculum to benefit students who, like your son, require an advanced, challenging curriculum. There are many, many students who require special education supports who are also very, very bright. There is nothing about requiring special education that implies needing a watered down or unchallenging curriculum. It would be a terrible shame if a school that was the perfect environment for your son was unable to accommodate him because of an issue that might be easily remedied.

............. I'm trying to figure out how to say this in the best way.... My son is bright, in his own way, math is not one of those ways though... and I'm not saying he needs what most would consider to be "challenging curriculum", however.. I know he can learn above an addition level, which is where the special ed class is. He is at the very bottom of mainstream and I think will do fine with constant repetition to strengthen the skills he does have, constant comprehensive to keep those skill fresh (else he loses them), and slowly adding new skills in a logical progression so that he can truly comprehend how one thing just builds upon another.. instead of viewing them as brand new concepts. The special ed class they wanted to put him in is still learning to identify coins where as he knows that and is currently learning how to add and subtract them and the concept of what that REALLY means...
We were in a vicious cycle of spending and hour plus or so on math homework. With just trying to complete his homework, I didn't feel it fair to add more to try to strengthen the previous skills he was starting to forget. AND.. part of the reason math would take so long was that I was having to unteach the tricks and strategies that he was improperly learning in class, which would spark a "My teacher SAID to do it this way! SHE has a teacher's certificate MOTHER, DO YOU?" It sucked to try to explain to him that she probably taught it properly, his brain just didn't retain it properly. Now, we won't have to deal with that.

Thank you for the encouragement DW....

As my son has pointed out numerous times, I do not have a teaching certificate... However, I do have 5 years of one on one math instruction with my son and feel pretty confident I know where his troubles lie... I'm sure his teacher is a fine math teacher, for children other than my son.. and even then, I don't blame her but the curriculum. And who knows.... I might not have it figured out any better than they do.. but at least there will be continuity with one on one, self-paced instruction.... and no more fighting over "BUT MY TEACHER SAID!! !"