Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Week 2, loosing faith.....time to get things turned around.
A week into this school year and I have not even gotten the first meeting blog posted because things are not going well.....I am figuring to get the kids' education back on track it will require all the professionals MY PROFESSIONALS around the table and possibly getting Tallahassee back involved...It is now getting to the point it is blatant ignorance. Not following their IEP and using grey areas to use against educating my children to their needs. I am sad to have this happen after years of success but it is obvious... Their homework and some lack there of, the placements, conversations, and underhanded games being played to keep the kids secluded from general education and avoiding inclusion.. INCLUSION IS LAW and it might be time our county is held accountable... Building a tight very very tight IEP is on it's way, no more nice gal here.....
J.P.'s cruisewear
Local couple doing the shirts for us, THANK YOU. Email if you would like their contact info. They are just breaking into this business... makes any event more special.
Monday, August 8, 2011
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
now, what do I do???? The kids are off to school, the wash is started, dishes done, house well, that is an annual project.. it is the first day ya know...it is tidy...my cup of coffee is almost empty and my day is about to begin...it is too quiet, Emma is confused; she is sleeping...
Life seems to be flying by, I can not believe it is the first day of school. I feel like we just finished yesterday last year.. The summer did not give me enough time with the kids, can't wait for our cruise to enjoy non stop alone time, no phones, no meetings, no bills, nothing but fun in the sun.
Lee County (where we live) was named a high-performing district because it received an A grade from the state based on students' Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test results.The district chose the earlier start date so it can end the semester prior to the winter break, allowing students to wrap up exams and projects before they leave for two weeks
The weekend we spent getting things in order, check the lists to be sure all supplies where in book bags, clothes fit and everything is in order on their shelf. If there is anything I have done to get organized is their book bag/shoes/clothes for the day shelf by the front door is my life saver. Everything we need to get out the door is set out the day before and ready to go... We use this for family outings as well like if we have a Sunday event to be at we set it up ...
the kids lost weight (all but one/Kaitlyn) this summer; some of the clothes I had gotten did not fit..Jordan is our biggest looser this summer, her had bulked up giving even further concerns about his health but putting him on a strict 1200 cal day intake brought the pudgy boy back in line. YEAH! Now the one oppps this morning is he only has one shoe... yikes, they are not that old and special made for him..He has flat feet and angulation of his big toes causing all his toes to start moving inward. He has his high tops on for today (not special made) this is the direction of my day, dig for lost treasures...One black boys left shoe... maybe he dropeed it at the mall...LOL LOL LOL no, that can't be.
It is too quiet, I need to get up off this computer and do something......
Life seems to be flying by, I can not believe it is the first day of school. I feel like we just finished yesterday last year.. The summer did not give me enough time with the kids, can't wait for our cruise to enjoy non stop alone time, no phones, no meetings, no bills, nothing but fun in the sun.
Lee County (where we live) was named a high-performing district because it received an A grade from the state based on students' Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test results.The district chose the earlier start date so it can end the semester prior to the winter break, allowing students to wrap up exams and projects before they leave for two weeks
The weekend we spent getting things in order, check the lists to be sure all supplies where in book bags, clothes fit and everything is in order on their shelf. If there is anything I have done to get organized is their book bag/shoes/clothes for the day shelf by the front door is my life saver. Everything we need to get out the door is set out the day before and ready to go... We use this for family outings as well like if we have a Sunday event to be at we set it up ...
the kids lost weight (all but one/Kaitlyn) this summer; some of the clothes I had gotten did not fit..Jordan is our biggest looser this summer, her had bulked up giving even further concerns about his health but putting him on a strict 1200 cal day intake brought the pudgy boy back in line. YEAH! Now the one oppps this morning is he only has one shoe... yikes, they are not that old and special made for him..He has flat feet and angulation of his big toes causing all his toes to start moving inward. He has his high tops on for today (not special made) this is the direction of my day, dig for lost treasures...One black boys left shoe... maybe he dropeed it at the mall...LOL LOL LOL no, that can't be.
It is too quiet, I need to get up off this computer and do something......
Friday, August 5, 2011
GET OUT AND V O T E, it is our only hope.
You know it seemed like maybe not blogging allowed me to live in denial.. I am laughing as I type this but it sure makes me re-think my day when I share parts with you all and in doing so makes many things I encounter come to the surface for a re-boil... I am in the year 2011-2012 right?? We are moving forward in society correct?? Yes yes I know we are in a bit of a depression, they call it recession but my generation this is as bad as it gets, our friends are homeless, many people we know are out of work with terribly high college loans calling while they can't figure out how to put a meal on the table. No, we are not in the desert with tumble weeds blowing over our dehydrated bodies, with cowboys and lone rangers riding up horseback but sure seems like it when you see families walking from the homeless shelters about town trying to fill their day and news reporters rolling by...all the same we feel the drain of the economy as many did in the 30's.. BUT my goodness, turn the corner and there ya go..... you know where this is going, Chevron, GE and all those tax breaks, loop holes folks not paying taxes but getting political forums right where they want them, while they go home to their over 6 figure incomes ---Don't get me wrong, JUST PAY YOUR FAIR SHARE....should make us all want to GET OUT AND VOTE.
What good is getting rights when they can not and are not being given.....who is enforcing them.....
OK, you want to know what the heck happened today...
Today SCHOOL YEAR 2011-2012 at our local school a teacher very proud to be a new member of the faculty introduces herself as the new HANDICAP teacher.... YEPPERS....
H A N D I C A P.... my beloved school has taken a couple steps back which I was warned a few years ago from Dr Jill England who so graciously came to my aide and met with our school to help give inclusion direction...only to learn our district has stacked the deck against the possibility of an INCLUSIVE SCHOOL being inclusive because the number of ESE children being railroaded into one school out weighs normal balances and makes the school itself NO INCLUSIVE by population... OH MY!! Oh I am not surprised.. I will take responsibility for a small piece of the problem. I did brag to the heavens what a great school it is what a wonderful job they did including Kaitlyn and how much Kaitlyn achieved because of this schools inclusive practices... but those are slipping.... and things are not so wonderful..better than others by far. I heard a new teacher who is in the Pre-K say oh I am in the LIFESKILLS CLASS...LIFE SKILLS at 3, 4, 5 and 6 years old...HELLO ....Aren't all 3 to 6 year old learning life's skills (COLORS, NUMBERS, NAME, SHAPES) INCLUSIVE LIFESKILLS....come on cut it out... leave off life skills... such nonsense. Oh yes I have already; many years ago, been bombarded by the assigned bulldog teacher who comes to the IEP to inform the young families that school is way different today kids are reading complete chapter books starting first grade... HOG WASH, some yes are some always have been and a good part of the general population fails the FCAT gets 1 & 2's and slips through the cracks... A HUGE AMOUNT OF OUR POPULATION classified Gen ed getting 1's and 2's on the FCAT have fallen through the cracks. SO stop labeling kids and teach, I remember learning so much from the smart kids where it came easy for them...I remember them helping me learn some short cuts for math, how to win over the social studies teacher with news clips and current events, They made class interesting, then you had the person who made a lesser grade than you and they needed you.. we were peers, students, friends, peers, neighbors... Heck they are some of the most meaningful relationship I ever had. Where is Education gone? Only teach the ones it comes easy for?? I remember some super teachers who I couldn't wait to get to their class because they made learning so interesting, exciting... and yes I had a few that I am not sure they even liked teaching. You must know what I learned more of..From...
Tonight I struggle with my oldest, well my two oldest (at home) although Kaitlyn is my girl the one I learned so much from and want to be there for here to the end. She wants to be a teacher, she wants to work, have a job, pay her own bills and buy her own things, she wants her own apartment and I know when it hits her she is going to want to buy a house with a pool near the beach. I want her to reach as far as she can... I struggle with all the work I put into an IEP and give an inch and they take a mile... I say OK lets use resource classrooms and now she is ONLY in ESE complete classes...Well where is the % what does it mean (more than 40%, but less than or equal to 79% with NON ESE) Lets figure it out... All but her one class is NON ESE and that is a block schedule so only every other day.... REALLY REALLY do you expect her to meet friends who are NON ESE for lunch... WHO is monitoring that?? OH this gives them the right to count because under the roof is NON ESE... NOT IN MY CALCULATIONS... Let's figure the 79% out....the HALLS??? THE BATHROOM??? Please the boil is rising... Time for an IEP at the HIGH SCHOOL TO MEET MRS. PRINGLE and all you condescending people who I have not had the pleasure of working with yet, CUT THE SHIT ..... it is my daughter we are talking about. It is what SHE WANTS!!! She is an AMERICAN, she is 16, she is in HIGH SCHOOL, and she wants to be in the seat next to her PEERS... cut the crap about the law ...BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT THE LAW SAYS... today the ESE staff said, well if you want her to get a special diploma she by law must take this and that... I. E. P. PRINGLE STYLE please....SUNNY SIDE UP!!! I say let's just EDUCATE. VOTE VOTE VOTE....school board members, city, county, state and USA....get leaders who lead in the RIGHT DIRECTION!
What good is getting rights when they can not and are not being given.....who is enforcing them.....
OK, you want to know what the heck happened today...
Today SCHOOL YEAR 2011-2012 at our local school a teacher very proud to be a new member of the faculty introduces herself as the new HANDICAP teacher.... YEPPERS....
H A N D I C A P.... my beloved school has taken a couple steps back which I was warned a few years ago from Dr Jill England who so graciously came to my aide and met with our school to help give inclusion direction...only to learn our district has stacked the deck against the possibility of an INCLUSIVE SCHOOL being inclusive because the number of ESE children being railroaded into one school out weighs normal balances and makes the school itself NO INCLUSIVE by population... OH MY!! Oh I am not surprised.. I will take responsibility for a small piece of the problem. I did brag to the heavens what a great school it is what a wonderful job they did including Kaitlyn and how much Kaitlyn achieved because of this schools inclusive practices... but those are slipping.... and things are not so wonderful..better than others by far. I heard a new teacher who is in the Pre-K say oh I am in the LIFESKILLS CLASS...LIFE SKILLS at 3, 4, 5 and 6 years old...HELLO ....Aren't all 3 to 6 year old learning life's skills (COLORS, NUMBERS, NAME, SHAPES) INCLUSIVE LIFESKILLS....come on cut it out... leave off life skills... such nonsense. Oh yes I have already; many years ago, been bombarded by the assigned bulldog teacher who comes to the IEP to inform the young families that school is way different today kids are reading complete chapter books starting first grade... HOG WASH, some yes are some always have been and a good part of the general population fails the FCAT gets 1 & 2's and slips through the cracks... A HUGE AMOUNT OF OUR POPULATION classified Gen ed getting 1's and 2's on the FCAT have fallen through the cracks. SO stop labeling kids and teach, I remember learning so much from the smart kids where it came easy for them...I remember them helping me learn some short cuts for math, how to win over the social studies teacher with news clips and current events, They made class interesting, then you had the person who made a lesser grade than you and they needed you.. we were peers, students, friends, peers, neighbors... Heck they are some of the most meaningful relationship I ever had. Where is Education gone? Only teach the ones it comes easy for?? I remember some super teachers who I couldn't wait to get to their class because they made learning so interesting, exciting... and yes I had a few that I am not sure they even liked teaching. You must know what I learned more of..From...
Tonight I struggle with my oldest, well my two oldest (at home) although Kaitlyn is my girl the one I learned so much from and want to be there for here to the end. She wants to be a teacher, she wants to work, have a job, pay her own bills and buy her own things, she wants her own apartment and I know when it hits her she is going to want to buy a house with a pool near the beach. I want her to reach as far as she can... I struggle with all the work I put into an IEP and give an inch and they take a mile... I say OK lets use resource classrooms and now she is ONLY in ESE complete classes...Well where is the % what does it mean (more than 40%, but less than or equal to 79% with NON ESE) Lets figure it out... All but her one class is NON ESE and that is a block schedule so only every other day.... REALLY REALLY do you expect her to meet friends who are NON ESE for lunch... WHO is monitoring that?? OH this gives them the right to count because under the roof is NON ESE... NOT IN MY CALCULATIONS... Let's figure the 79% out....the HALLS??? THE BATHROOM??? Please the boil is rising... Time for an IEP at the HIGH SCHOOL TO MEET MRS. PRINGLE and all you condescending people who I have not had the pleasure of working with yet, CUT THE SHIT ..... it is my daughter we are talking about. It is what SHE WANTS!!! She is an AMERICAN, she is 16, she is in HIGH SCHOOL, and she wants to be in the seat next to her PEERS... cut the crap about the law ...BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT THE LAW SAYS... today the ESE staff said, well if you want her to get a special diploma she by law must take this and that... I. E. P. PRINGLE STYLE please....SUNNY SIDE UP!!! I say let's just EDUCATE. VOTE VOTE VOTE....school board members, city, county, state and USA....get leaders who lead in the RIGHT DIRECTION!
Personal interactions equals, EDUCATION
Today Tressa and Kaitlyn educate a small population of future educators and medical professionals. As students from our local community college prepare to enter FGCU in Ft Myers they celebrate their completion of 2 years of education preparing (AA) Today Kaitlyn and Tressa join the class as part of a meet and greet; their future students/patients. Each of the students are seeking futures working with persons with disabilities. They have gotten basic text book learning about these individuals, heading to learn about teaching and medical through TEXT BOOKS; today they will have faces and personalities which will balance the playing field going in...make it personal...make it NORMAL. Many students had NO IDEA that enrolling my children with special needs into school was any different than enrolling any neighborhood child. Many had NO IDEA that children age 6 would have had an IQ test. They had no idea children would be tested to figure out what class they would fall into. My explanation as a parents view, why I feel so strong not to place my children in group settings with all people in that setting disabled was very informative to them. They "got it" but also admit their training is not geared to my views of inclusion in their upcoming training from what they are hearing. They are choosing a path...teacher or special education teacher... HOW CAN THIS BE in 2011-2012. How can law say one thing and our higher education for learning still be giving instruction back in the 70's.... You know in the 70's is when "inclusion" "mainstreaming" was coming to the surface to be what is best for all children.. we can work on the typical child with stereotypes, prejudices and also include the child that NEEDS to be included to meet their highest potential. I hope today starts their thinking about their path a little differently.
My personal belief is we were clicking along to make that reality and then the boom of Autism occurred and the school system became overwhelmed and fled a safe path, a path a resistance to all.... BLOCK THEM AT THE DOOR like back in the 50's... Change is hard for Humans, change is hard for all living things.. no one said life is easy. I challenge anyone to walk in the shoes of any one of my children for one week to learn how easy life is compared... I often say "I wish I could spend time in Steve's world" He seems so care free, so pure...reality is, he is in this world ALONE without help, if I were to let Steven be at his own will he would be alone, pouring water or sand endlessly... He would never know there are bigger more exciting attractions in our world, that the magazines he so loved to flip through actually have words and meaning ..a story and information. Learning opens our world. I really would never want to be secluded from the friends, world I have open to me...and I know my children are happy that they also have their world open to them. I do not ask Kaitlyn if she wants to be a greeter at Walmart or a bagger at Publix, many times I hear this from the professionals..You know Kaitlyn will be able to be a greeter at Walmart or a bagger at Publix...YOU KNOW WHAT... Kaitlyn can file, copy, fax, clean like no one I know so she could very well work in an office, she is 16 and I will not project anything less than the sky for my children.. We need all the folks that work with or for our children raise their expectations, see the world OPEN to accepting my children, they need higher goals, higher realities...Everyone has a place and no one should be blocked from reaching their goals..
Please do not send hate mail about greeter and baggers, I am full aware there are happy individuals in those positions, I simply say that is not Kaitlyn's goal and no one should say because she has a disability that is her goal... I am a supporter of both and all companies because there are many who hire people with disabilities when many others do not.. KUDDOS to all those who have opened the world already.
I am excited for this small group of individuals, they all have my business card with an invite to hop on the blog, join my facebook and email or call at any time as they journey through the next years for a parents perspective.
My personal belief is we were clicking along to make that reality and then the boom of Autism occurred and the school system became overwhelmed and fled a safe path, a path a resistance to all.... BLOCK THEM AT THE DOOR like back in the 50's... Change is hard for Humans, change is hard for all living things.. no one said life is easy. I challenge anyone to walk in the shoes of any one of my children for one week to learn how easy life is compared... I often say "I wish I could spend time in Steve's world" He seems so care free, so pure...reality is, he is in this world ALONE without help, if I were to let Steven be at his own will he would be alone, pouring water or sand endlessly... He would never know there are bigger more exciting attractions in our world, that the magazines he so loved to flip through actually have words and meaning ..a story and information. Learning opens our world. I really would never want to be secluded from the friends, world I have open to me...and I know my children are happy that they also have their world open to them. I do not ask Kaitlyn if she wants to be a greeter at Walmart or a bagger at Publix, many times I hear this from the professionals..You know Kaitlyn will be able to be a greeter at Walmart or a bagger at Publix...YOU KNOW WHAT... Kaitlyn can file, copy, fax, clean like no one I know so she could very well work in an office, she is 16 and I will not project anything less than the sky for my children.. We need all the folks that work with or for our children raise their expectations, see the world OPEN to accepting my children, they need higher goals, higher realities...Everyone has a place and no one should be blocked from reaching their goals..
Please do not send hate mail about greeter and baggers, I am full aware there are happy individuals in those positions, I simply say that is not Kaitlyn's goal and no one should say because she has a disability that is her goal... I am a supporter of both and all companies because there are many who hire people with disabilities when many others do not.. KUDDOS to all those who have opened the world already.
I am excited for this small group of individuals, they all have my business card with an invite to hop on the blog, join my facebook and email or call at any time as they journey through the next years for a parents perspective.
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