On Lying Leaders

I was on my routinary happy-go-lucky, blog-hopping mode when I stumbled a statement on dcedublog by newly appointed Acting Deputy Chancellor for Special Education Richard Nyankori:

"Sometimes it is willful on the part of some staff not to make it to meetings..."

Please note on the word WILLFUL while I take a mental note of the word BUL*SH*T.

Definitely someone is lying.

If ever anyone of you meet any of our central office leaders especially Nyankori, please recommend to them to visit schools. Like actually PHYSICALLY visit schools and OBSERVE. Maybe then, they can have an intelligent, well-informed, and first-hand data to back up their skewed statements.

And please pass my mental note to him as well.

(Thewashingtonteacher post on this one is a recommended MUST read.)

Bogus Special Education Advocacy

PLEASE NOTE: This entry does not pertain in any way to the office of the person-in-charge of B/J Monitor, US District Court for the DC. However, the comments/ad pertaining to its effort to collect information directly from teachers inspired this blog entry. This is in reference particularly to 'For Profit' SPED Advocacy groups in the system.

Two anonymous (maybe the same person) readers posted a message/ad on my comment section. I read the same message on other popular DC blogs. I DELETED them on my comment section. In part it says:

If anyone thinks he has evidence of recurring practices or issues that they consider relevant and requiring to the attention of those charged with oversight over the decree's implementation, they can report the matter, including any supporting evidence, to the court appointed monitor, Ms. xxxxx, Esq. (Blackman/Jones Monitor, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia). They can be sent anonymously with no return address to:

xxxxx
Atlanta, GA 30316
xxxxx
xxxxx@aol.com

AND/OR To the plaintiffs' counsel, xxxxx:
xxxxx, Esq.
xxxxx
xxxxx, NW Washington, DC 20005
Phone: xxxxx

I'm for SPED advocacy. I believe that the students who need the highest level of reform in this system are the students with special needs.

HOWEVER, I believe that reporting any irregularities to "FOR-PROFIT organizations" that claim to represent students with special needs is DISSERVICE to our students.

I have sat in numerous occasions when students were represented by advocates and there were 90-100% probablity that the advocate/representative BARELY knew the kids they were representing. And higher chances that they don't regularly meet with the kid/parents.

Most, if not all advocates, are basing their arguments on the papers that were generated without PROPER and AUTHENTIC research/documentation (e.g. class observation, interview with the kid, etc.).

I found their approach more of "to intimidate" than to collaborate. WHY NOT? It's MORE PROFITABLE that way. They ONLY get paid everytime they win a case against our system.

I HIGHLY recommend that you report the irregularities/disservice to our students with special needs to your respective SPED Coordinators and/or Principals. If you did not get a response from them within 48 hours (depending on the gravity of the issue), REPORT IT to the Central Office/OSE and cc Michelle Rhee.

One of the major shifts of IDEIA 2004 is that the burden of proof of disservice lies on parents/guardians/advocates. DON'T OFFER any information to ADVOCATES. IT'S THEIR JOB to collect the information. THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE PAID TO DO.

If you are required to provide documentation, give it through your SPED COORD/PRINCIPAL.

Some of you may disagree with me, BUT PLEASE-- follow the chain of communication in your schools when it comes to SPED concerns. I acknowledge that sometimes it moves slowly BUT BELIEVE ME, THIS IS A BETTER option than ANARCHY.

If you MUST, report the disservice to the parents of the child and have them with you (or their letter) when you raise the concern with your school administrators.

DON'T FALL FOR BOGUS ADVOCACY GROUPS.

DCPS Deputy Chancellor of Special Education Got Booted?

News is circulating through grapevine that DCPS Deputy Chancellor of Special Education has been booted out.

If this is true, I applaud Ms. Rhee for this bold action.

From day one I met the Deputy Chancellor during one of DC meetings, I already foreseen the looming 'F' word: FAILURE. Not necessarily for lack of educational knowledge on Special Education but primarily due to her lack of basic knowledge about DCPS, specifically SPED in the district.

I guess the old belief is true: you can be the brightest and most educated but if you don’t understand the people you serve…

The Deputy Chancellor did not come here without tittle-tattle about her previous job. It was a juicy talk among Central Office clique her legacy to Oakland Unified School District which include but not limited to: messy programs, disappointed teachers, angry parents, etc.

One of her latest projects in DC was the opening of school orientation to DCPS SPED teachers. Take note: SPED COORDINATORS WERE BANNED!

Most SPED teachers found the orientation a complete garbage and waste of time.

The Chancellor should consider hiring someone who knows the district— someone who lives and works in the district; someone who knows SPED because s/he works in SPED. Someone who know the kids and parents in the system.

NOT JUST ANOTHER ‘FRIEND’ or ‘A FRIEND OF A FRIEND’...