Well, it’s officially CSE season! For so many years I have heard parents say, “I’m fighting with my school” or “I’m fighting with my CSE.” And my response has always been the number one question… “Why are you fighting?” Parents typically only want what is best for their child. Right? Schools say they only want what is best for their students. So, why are we really fighting then???
Being in the field for so long, I thought it appropriate to share my thoughts here with you as my first blog entry. Here goes nothing! Eligibility does not equal budgetary allowance and visa versa. Eligibility means that your child is able to receive a certain service based on his/her performance on paper, according to a score. Eligibility also means that your child is able to receive certain services based on his/her IEP classification. But, what’s a budget allowance? When your CSE says that your child gets support from somewhere else and then attempts to remove it from the IEP, let me tell you… THAT IS ILLEGAL! When the district says that they are decreasing the service because your child “may not” warrant it anymore, it is typically because they are trying
to save money. This is when I learned about all of the secrets parents were keeping and the fights they started having that began in situations like these.
It is the district’s position to provide services that encourage continuity between school and home. Should your child be receiving services from a community provider, then those providers should be speaking with the district as well to maintain continuity between the community and school. Once everyone is on the same page between home, school and community, it is only then that the child is actually gaining services that are best for the child.
I bring this information to you as I have heard it firsthand throughout the years, from school district deputy superintendents, from parents and colleagues. It is important to think less about fighting and more about how to work together. Let’s look at the overall child, not just the scores. Let’s discuss the overall child in sync with each other and create innovative supports that will organically help the child progress. Let’s just… work together!