Delay Tactics Part II

These delay tactics become even more maddening when you consider the fact that our district personnel gets trained by special education law firms in how to do this, and how much districts pay to learn this information.  This most recent training cost the district about $200 per person to register, and our district sent at least one person to the training, probably two.  Then I'm told the building charged the usual rate of $600 for the room for one day, the same rate they would charge any other group to use it.  It's interesting though they used the WESELPA office for the training, and the WESELPA charged for it and paid for it, so they charged themselves.  The WESELPA also put out snacks and both hot and cold drinks as well as paying for a catered lunch.  All of this was done at the tax payers expense.  So, not only do we pay for our district personnel to go to these things, we pay for them to have snacks and lunch, and we pay for them to use the building that we paid for in the first place.

Now, if you or I want to rent the room there for the day and give a training on something helpful to our students we would have to pay about $600 for the room.  And that wouldn't include hot and cold drinks and a catered lunch.  So how is it, when FF&F has a training at the WESELPA, the room is paid for by the WESELPA?  Shouldn't FF&F be paying for the room?  And how do snacks and lunch get included?  And then our districts pick up the tab for the training.  Our districts are funded by us, the building is owned by us, the people going to that training are paid by us, and all to learn how not to give the services and education our children are entitled to, and that we are entitled to their receiving!  I could see why WESELPA would pick up the tab for the room if FF&F was giving the training for free, but when they are charging the districts to come that seems a bit unethical on the part of the WESELPA and FF&F.

This is just one way the WESELPA plays around with finances from my understanding.  There is so much to look into here, but although they are subject to the Brown Act and are supposed to respond to letters requesting information as a part of the Public Records Act, they don't.  Last spring I requested information on agreements between the WESELPA and different families (with names redacted) but was denied a single record.  I was told this information is confidential and therefore they cannot share it.  Mind you, it is not the parents that request this confidentiality, it is the WESELPA.  They don't want the other parents to find out what they have given to those who have gone to mediation or resolution sessions.  When we signed our mediation agreement we were told that if we shared what we got in our mediation, the district could pull out of the agreement.  In whose best interest is this?  As a parent I want other parents to know what I have won, and i want to know what other parents have won.  That way I have an idea of what and how far to take bargaining.  If someone else's child gets services that mine should rightfully receive I want to know about it.  I don't want my child to be left without only because I'm not a very good negotiator.  All children in similar circumstances should receive similar services.

Another interesting bit of this records rule that the WESELPA adheres to, is that they put a version of the agreements on the internet.  It is a washed out version, because they take this information to the Superintendent's Council, and it seems they don't want to be completely forthcoming with the Superintendents.  But one can look and get some general idea of what is being given by looking at old Superintendent's Council agendas.  I was looking for more in depth information than what is shared on the internet, but if it is so confidential, why is any of it put on the internet on a regular basis?  That doesn't seem to be as confidential as confidential implies.

A friend just told me today that she had called for an emergency IEP meeting, and in response the Vice Principal at her child's school called her into the office and asked if they could just put off the entire meeting for now and bump up the child's Triannual early.  Now, this child's Triannual isn't even due until May, so that's a large bump.  The reason for the request for an emergency IEP is that the child is regressing and exhibiting new behaviors brought on by the current school environment, does putting this off for a couple of months make ANY sense?  The child's aide is sitting by as another child bullies him, along with another aid and a teacher, but thanks to the FF&F training, the school is doing just what they were taught to do at that conference. Suggest evaluations when a parent requests an IEP.  Slow it down.  Throw the other team off their pace.  Just like you see professional basketball teams do when they other team is ahead of them and moving at a pace they can't keep up with.  The difference is, that is a game, our childrens' education is not.