beyond cinderella

It came to pass that Shantel’s assistant, Mrs. N, just couldn’t, or wouldn’t, stick to the IEP plan we all signed. She began to leave Shantel alone in the classroom close to the end of class saying she needed to run to the office for a few minutes and would be right back. But, she didn’t come back, and Shantel was left to either walk to her next class alone, or be late. When Shantel told me about this I, of course, called the Department Chair, Mrs. G, and insisted she speak to Shantel’s assistant, Mrs. N, and either have her follow the IEP plan or replace her with an assistant who would. Mrs. G said she would take care of it. However, when I went to pick Shantel up at school that day, I was met at the back door by a very young lady we’ll call Mrs. J, who informed me she was the “newly appointed” Department Chair of Special Education. She let me know the other Department Chair, Mrs. G, quit AND, so did Shantel’s assistant, Mrs. N!  Mrs. J, assured me Shantel had been temporarily assigned to a great assistant, we’ll call Mrs. C. She told me Mrs. C, had been working in special education for a few years, and she would be a “perfect” match for Shantel until a permanent assistant could be hired. So, now, here we are back to square one with all new players who had little or no experience.

I told the new Department Chair, Mrs. J, that I wanted a meeting set up right away with the “newly appointed” District Department Head, Mr. R, and anyone else who would be involved with Shantel on a daily basis. Mrs. J, said she didn’t think that would be necessary since she was the new “decision maker” at the school for anything to do with the Special Education Department. Now I’m thinking, “oh no, not another know-it-all who doesn’t have a clue”! But, I stayed very calm, because I learned my lesson about exploding, then having to go back and apologize…, I simply asked Mrs. J, what her qualifications were for this newly appointed position? She looked puzzled, and told me she had been a Special Education Teacher for five years and she knew all about IEP’s. I asked her if she knew the Arizona Disability Laws state, anytime new people are brought in to work with a special needs child, they need to be added to the IEP team, and they need sign the IEP plan, stating they understand it and will support the IEP plan to the letter? Mrs. J, look surprised and said she didn’t know that. I told her I wasn’t wanting to come across as condescending in any way, but, I believe I have real reason for concern now, and that I’m wondering who is really running this ship if I know more than she, or the District Department Head, Mr. R,  about how the disability laws governing IEP’s work. I pointed out that either she, or Mr. R from the District, should have already scheduled a meeting to introduce both me and Shantel, to the new IEP team members who will be working with us and/or helping to make decisions about things that affect Shantel. The newly appointed Department Chair, Mrs. J,  invited me to her office to call the newly appointed District Department Head, Mr. R, to set up the meeting for the following morning.

Next: A Tsunami Is Coming!