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Post by therose on Jun 26, 2009 22:10:14 GMT -5
Hi my name is therose, and I am new on this site, but I am an old hat at Great Schools. I am looking for other Canadians, like myself who are experiencing trouble accessing special education. We seem to experience many problems in accessing the proper help for our children, no matter what province we are in. As Canadians we share another problem, where there is few Canadian forums like this one or Great Schools. So, I am turning to the American sites where I have found quite a few Canadians like myself, posting on sites, because as parents we have no choice but to visit American sites to get information, knowledge, and sharing of our tribulations and woes.
Let's start a new thread, and call it something with Canada in it. So, we can help each other out where the American posters are often stump on what to advise, because our education systems are so different, along with rights of parents and children.
I hope to hear from Canadians.
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Post by Mayleng on Jun 26, 2009 23:48:21 GMT -5
We have a couple of Canadians who participate on this board. I am sure they would be happy to touch base with you. I wonder why Canadians don't start a similar board to tackle issues with special education in Canada.
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Post by michellea on Jun 27, 2009 8:11:40 GMT -5
Hi therose,
Glad to see you over here! As Mayleng mentioned, there are a few Canadians here that may be able to help you with "process" and "legal" issues in Canada. And of course, we all share the same struggles as parents of kids with LD and helping to understand what kinds of supports they need in school and in life.
PS - going to a family reunion today with my cousins from Montreal! Always a tight tie to Canada!
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Post by Mayleng on Jun 27, 2009 8:34:24 GMT -5
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Post by lindsy on Jun 27, 2009 21:26:21 GMT -5
Hi Therose
I am a fellow Canadian - from B.C. and yes, I have difficulty getting things accomplished with special education. Would love to have an ability to share our unique concerns 'cause you are right we don't have anything like this great site - which has given me great inspirational support and knowledge. Mayleng is there any way we could have a separate thread? (maybe I am using the wrong terminology??) to connect with Canadian groups on specific concerns.
thanks
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Post by Mayleng on Jun 27, 2009 21:55:19 GMT -5
You can start a thread any time, like Therose did here. But if you mean another board that is a different thing.
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Post by kjgdid on Jun 28, 2009 0:24:54 GMT -5
I am also Canadian.I live in SK but was originally from AB.I have 2 kids a 15 year old ds who has been diagnosed with DCD,ADD,and a LD of written expression I also have a dd who has been diagnosed with PDD,severe DCD,an generalized anxiety disorder and a NVLD.I could write several books on trying to get appropriate services and supports for my kids in both provinces.In my current school district I am sure I am known as the psycho nut case parent from hell though I do prefer to be called a red flag parent. I live in a small town and recently after trying to work with in the school division to resolve our issues had published in the town paper a letter which outlined some of my struggles with my sd and their response to me trying to get my kids needs met. After the letter was published I got a call from the regional director of children's services for SK Learning offering to help me mediate my differences with my sd.Recently I have started to include him in my emails to my sd and he is beginning to see things from my perspective because he has a child with aspergers and also struggled to get his son,s needs met. He recently told me that all the emails I have sent are reasonable requests and that the sd will need to step up and do what they are suppose to do.Things are actual starting to change for the better for my kids.What province do you live in and how can I help?
Karen
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Post by therose on Jun 29, 2009 6:31:47 GMT -5
Hi - There is a good reason why there is no forums like this one in Canada, run and for parents of LD and ADHD kids. AS parents we can expect to have trouble at the school level, or higher levels where issues are discussed openly that they (school/boards) wished to keep hidden. I am at the stage, where they no longer can do great harm to my NN, but it is still in the back of my mind. Another reason is that the education systems have associations such as LD, under control where there are a source of information to parents, but are not used as a means to connect with other parents. More than likely, the reason is part of their funding would dry up in a hurry, if parents were allow to connect, using the associations as the vehicle. To Americans, the Canadians you are seeing on your site, are the Canadians who are fed up, looking for information, and for the most part cannot afford the fancy tutors and their children are in a typical school that has a balance between the social and economic groupings. BUT this should not stop us at this junction. I and others are great at posting, but I have little experience in starting a forum, and the how tos. I should not feel intimidated, but I do - even when I have gone through the LD battles.
To kdgdid and others: Yes always include personal information on your children, when writing to public educators and officials. Use the word I, but also include "and others like me", or something like that. I always get a respond from them, and for the few that I did not, the reason is we agree to disagree. When the opportunity arises, I will rewrite to prove my point. The latest issue is inclusive education policy. In my province, inclusion is policy but I have seen little difference regarding my NN.
I am from Newfoundland and Labrador to those who are asking. If we can get one parent from each province, maybe it would not be so hard to start one, that has a lot of class and style where the educators would have a harder time to dismiss us a bunch of trouble makers. The one think there are confined to, is the privacy laws, but we are not confined to that particular law. Who knows, maybe we might get a few teachers on board who is fed up what is going on at the school level.
Maybe we can do it, with a little help from the American parents. So please help us with the tech stuff, and perhaps it might become a force to reckon with within the school system.
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Post by therose on Jun 29, 2009 7:50:23 GMT -5
tinyurl.com/n5wzljHi; Here is an example what might be on a Canadian forum. tinyurl.com/n5wzljAnd a comment on the article: Re: Program for disabled axed, June 26 Fifty years ago in the early days of the learning disabilities field we attempted to "retrain the brain" through perceptual motor training. Fortunately Sam Rabinovitch, the father of learning disabilities in Canada, taught me to address the area of difficulty directly. Since then, remediation has consisted of helping students notice the rules (patterns) of written language, math, social behaviour, or organization in real life contexts, not merely compensatory techniques. Since all experience impacts the brain, this pedagogy must, as well. Thus a couple of generations of students with learning disabilities have reached adulthood and, if sufficiently intelligent and motivated, have become successful and lead functional adult lives. Granted, not every special education teacher is superb nor does every student have the attributes to respond, so that these issues plus others such as access, intensity and individual assistance must be continuously monitored so that students are not shortchanged. School boards would be well advised to utilize their funds to monitor these aforementioned aspects than to foster acontextual exercises that ostensibly retrain the brain. Doreen Kronick, Retired Professor of Special Education, York University Dorren is right, because I back than had my learning problems address directly and a whole lot of practice make perfect exercises.
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Post by Mayleng on Jun 29, 2009 8:29:57 GMT -5
It is easy to start a forum, but it takes time. This forum was started by me and another mom many years ago because there was not much information, help and support for parents with LD and adhd kids. That mom has since left (she could not commit the time). The board is now run by me with the help of our member moderators who give of their time for free. We do not make money on this board, we got this forum free from www.proboards.com. You and a few parents (anywhere in the world) can start a forum. Proboards is set up so that it's format is set and easy to use. There are many other free boards. It is free because they advertise on the board, I cannot control the advertise unless I pay to have it removed. You do need TIME to run the board and moderate and help others. I am on the board checking 24/7, not so much for the technical aspects but to make sure we don't get spammers, crazies etc. Also to provide help and support. How much time you spend also depends on how busy and popular your board gets. Check it out, it is not as difficult as it looks. Pick a name that would say what you do and for whom ie. Canadians,ie. Special Education Help for Canadians etc. Something in the URL (the link) that would show up if someone from Canada is looking for LD help. We also have the same issues you mentioned ie. "AS parents we can expect to have trouble at the school level, or higher levels where issues are discussed openly that they (school/boards) wished to keep hidden. " We do not use our real names, nor mention the names of our children, we do not give too much identifiable information about our children, we do not mention the school name or district. We may mention state and county and other info but definitely nothing identifiable to give the schools any info, nor our strategies etc. |
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Post by Mayleng on Jun 29, 2009 8:36:20 GMT -5
I can start a thread for Canadian Special Education issues, and stickey it to the top in the LD & Special ed section if that would help.
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Post by bros on Jun 29, 2009 11:51:38 GMT -5
Why not make a subforum of the current Education board about Canadian Sped?
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Post by Mayleng on Jun 29, 2009 12:38:39 GMT -5
bros, I don't have the expertise on canadian sped law and I don't have any more time to spare.
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Post by healthy11 on Jun 29, 2009 17:50:21 GMT -5
Bros, in a similar way to your post "First Day of CC Today," which has evolved and is now 14 pages, I think a single discussion thread for Canadian Special Education Laws could work..... On most other topics, like parenting or medication issues, there would be no need for separate threads, as those topics are more "universal."
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Post by therose on Jun 29, 2009 17:51:59 GMT -5
I know it is somewhat easy to start one, and besides what are 14 year olds good for? Call them, if you are stuck! I am more worry about other things, such as do you use your real names for the moderators? Or can we keep that under wraps? I want it up front but under wraps at the same time. Can it be done that way?
As for starting one, with the Canadians that are already here and we are scattered in the East and West. I believe if the forum got off the ground, parents would flood in from Quebec and Ontario. Plus lets not forget PEI who does little for learning disabilities, and even though New Brunswick has been in the news of late, the LD kids needs are still not being met in any shape or form. Plus we can contact the LD associations or the national one, to provide some Canadian material. At any rate, with the knowledge we have in this small group, plus I have a link to Canadian research that would blow your mind, which I found a year ago, that the LD associations have not bother to put on their pages as a link. It is the only federal government arm gathering all the research that is being done in Canada, and a lot is on education and how children learn. I had that thrown in my face, that my research is American or European. I fix that, but it took me 6 months to find them, and than I made a telephone call. The Canadian research help me, to get the board and the school to admit that NN has a problem in writing and also admit that it can be corrected. I am still waiting for the help, and now it has been 10 months that has pass. Now, I did bugged them from time to time, but I was not pushy about it.
Now for Americans on Canadian SE laws and some Canadians. The federal laws that are mainly access by Canadians are the income tax ones. Most kids who have LD problems, do not qualify for tax breaks. In essence, it is tough to get tax benefits and the hoops that one has to jump through is worse than the hoops we face at the school level. As for our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, LD is included but schools, boards and even the provincial government does not pay much mind to it, because there is no oversight regarding public institutions to force them to follow the Charter. In Canada there is also 10 provincial law statues governing plus the territories who have their own set. The good news is the provincial and territories laws are more and less the same. The difference is in services and where one lives in urban or rural settings. Plus add the individual School Acts, plus the mish-mashed of laws governing cognitive and autism kids - it becomes a mess, where one depending on where one lives, the inequities is apparent. BC is the only province that has taken steps, that would give LD kids opportunities and proper help, but from what I have read - access is a real problem there too, as well as in other provinces. Another problem that is common is accommodations. In my case, as I have been told by the local LD chapter, that the school and the board are breaking their very own laws, not to mention the Charter of Rights. My NN's IEP specifically states what she needs, in very clear, concrete language. For the most part, if has been ignored because there is no one behind them with a bigger stick. Every year, since 2004 the letter writing starts at about this time where by September there is someone at a higher level with a big stick to move the school to follow the IEP. This new school year should be interesting, because I will be using blackmail or extortion. I am not sure if this is correct, but essentially it will be a showdown. I am planning to purchase a laptop that has a touch screen, capable of audio and video, and has a white board. All handwriting, and audio can be turned into text and uploaded unto the desk top or a portable hard drive. The kicker here, is that laptops are banned at this high school, and there is only student at the senior level that has the permission of the school board to use a laptop, and this student has a vision deficit. I will be sending NN to carry the laptop, with no paper, exercise books and she is to use it. When they move to take it away, I told her to continue her work on paper that only the teacher provides. Under no circumstance to borrow from other students. Now after two days or so, I should be getting a phone call from the school, to have a talk and pick up the laptop. This is when I will explain why she needs a laptop, based on her very own weaknesses that are on the assessment and I will add at the end - we would not be in this position if she received the proper help in the first place. As for threats by the school, it will be a suspension. Once I here those words, I will inform them you do what you have to do, and I will make sure everyone, including the media knows what has happened and how the events transpired. It is the kind of situation that like in politics, who will blink first. I cannot go the legal route, only because of the expense and the numerous loops one must jump through. Another problem is getting hold of a lawyer that is skilled in education law, and has never worked on the behalf of school boards. Plus the knowledge needed within special needs and special education. Than again, the school might pass on this one, and rather deal with other parents complaining why their kid cannot bring a laptop. One way or another, I am out to change that particular rule, plus to update the process of technology needs. Now that high tech has come down in price, a lot of families can afford to purchase the items on their own, without the help of the school. It is cheaper, than going through a process and than make an appeal, where we would have to travel at a far distance, where transportation and accommodations will eat into it. As for the trustees, apparently they don't do special education or special -needs children. They just do the buildings and make sure the schools are provided the resources.
There is so many threads that can be talk about on a Canadian forum, where we see little of these issues talk about on the LD chapters. From school trustees, to principals to SE reading programs (or what passes for one), to the cutting of SE resources (which has already started in Ontario) to the many issues that parents and their children are dealing with each and every day. One that really bugs me, is the provincial LD chapters where materials and resources are not free. One must be a paid member, to avail of their resources.
I believe my e-mail address is on my profile. So let's start communicating, and come up with some plan.
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Post by bros on Jun 29, 2009 18:39:49 GMT -5
bros, I don't have the expertise on canadian sped law and I don't have any more time to spare. No, I mean a child board of the education one where the canadians can post there. I'm not sure if I am using the proper... proboards terminology. Like there is the Education, Special Ed & Advocacy for All LDs board. Then make a Sub-Board for canadian sped issues. |
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Post by Mayleng on Jun 29, 2009 20:31:09 GMT -5
I know what you meant bros. We have way to many sub-boards as it is and normally people don't see it. I keep resources for the sub-boards. When we start another board, sub-board or otherwise it takes time to moderate etc. Time I and the rest of the mods don't have right now. There is more to running a site then setting it up and leaving it alone to run. I'm afraid I can't do that right now. What we have right now is where we want to be.
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Post by lindsy on Jun 30, 2009 17:39:35 GMT -5
Hi Mayleng
I just wanted to say how thankful that this site is here - so many issues transcend borders and I, for one, love this site. Thanks for all you and others do to make it happen! I know it must take alot of time and energy.
I like the idea of the thread being "stickied" so that if there is a "Canadian" legal issue we can use that mechanic to contact one another. I think that it would be a good method to determine even how much "Canadian" traffic there is!
Again, my thanks....
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Post by healthy11 on Jun 30, 2009 18:36:17 GMT -5
If the idea of a single "stickied" thread for Canadian laws isn't desirable, then I think Mayleng's suggestion in reply #9, of starting a new Millermom Group (or a yahoo group, or whatever hosting forum you prefer) is the way to go. I'm sure we wouldn't mind referring Canadians to it, and I'm guessing if Canadians wanted information on medications and other general special ed parenting issues, they could direct people back to this forum....
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Post by Mayleng on Jun 30, 2009 19:23:03 GMT -5
Healthy is right, we can definitely put a link to "your" site if one of you, perhaps therose (since you seem to have alot of info and know of the resources) would like to start a site for Canadians Special Ed. Of course, you are all very welcomed to stay here and post and perhaps put in the titles of your threads (Canadian Schools etc) so that people responding know that the law is specific to canada. As Healthy mentioned when it comes to parenting or medication, that is pretty much universal although Canada does have different health system as well.
If you would like, I could start a thread under the Education, Special Ed & Advocacy for All LDs board - For Canadian Special Ed, and sticky it to the top so it is always there. But if you are serious about making changes in your country and educating the other parents, then starting a board and focussing on the issues is probably the way to go.
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Post by Mayleng on Jun 30, 2009 19:36:30 GMT -5
therose, you can use a nickname for yourself and the moderators. We do not use our real names here. Of course, I know the real names of our moderators as well as some of the members here who have chosen to let me know their real names. We are like family here, and some of us communicate offline sometimes on other private personal matters. I don't understand what you mean by keeping it up front but underwraps.
You can still be called therose on your own board if you chose. I have used my nickname "mayleng" at the old schwab, this site, Greatschools when I was posting there, ldonline etc. That is my choice. You can use different names for different sites.
If you choose to start a site for Canadians, you and the moderators wouldn't need to divulge your real names. You might want to put in your location ie. Quebec, Ontario etc. or even cities so people know if laws etc are applicable, much like what we do here we (it is the choice of the members) have the option to put the state or city we are from under our "names".
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Post by Mayleng on Jun 30, 2009 19:42:29 GMT -5
Hi Mayleng I just wanted to say how thankful that this site is here - so many issues transcend borders and I, for one, love this site. Thanks for all you and others do to make it happen! I know it must take alot of time and energy. I like the idea of the thread being "stickied" so that if there is a "Canadian" legal issue we can use that mechanic to contact one another. I think that it would be a good method to determine even how much "Canadian" traffic there is! Again, my thanks.... lindsy, You are most welcomed. I am glad you love this site and found us. By the way, Happy Birthday. I hope you did not miss the birthday thread started for you here millermom.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Private&action=display&thread=8646 |
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Post by kjgdid on Jun 30, 2009 22:18:38 GMT -5
I want to reiterate what lindsy said I love this board even though I live in a different country this board is invaluable both for information and support. Thank you for providing it.
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Post by Mayleng on Jun 30, 2009 22:32:53 GMT -5
You are very welcomed kjgdid. We are happy you are all here too.
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Post by therose on Jul 1, 2009 10:23:14 GMT -5
I had a busy day yesterday with the info that I have gleamed from both sites, especially on legal rights of children. I decided to visit the provincial education site, to see if anything new was added. Well, I hit the roof when I read an addition, where changes took place in June of last year, without notification to parents. But that is par for the course with them. The new information, told me why I have not made any progress with NN's writing skills. Why I was spinning my wheels for the last 10 months, and than I became very angry. I printed everything off the education department site, that governs how special education and services operates and functions. I quickly concluded, how they are moving around our constitutional rights and even within the school act, to avoid corrective help services, narrow parameters to limit and in some cases stop LD kids from receiving any special services where approval comes from the regular teacher inside the classroom. This is why, my NN was not received corrective help, because I have not convince any teacher that she has a problem, much less a LD problem. Even back in primary grades, when I was pushing for an assessment - she finally got one, due to retired teacher who happen to be subbing for the week. Plus the new rules and regulations, has so many loop holes, that any school, any school board and the department of education can avoid giving corrective help for the bulk of LD students who are considered mild to moderate. What is being done, is limited but does nothing to improve or correct the weaknesses. Furthermore, children like my NN who are only on pathway 2 supports, and have identified learning disabilities are treated the same way as others who do not have identified LD, but are on pathway 2 supports. The system that is in Newfoundland, creates layers of support and services that discriminates, creates unequal access that depends on the severity, and other factors such as social/economic ranking, education of parents, behaviour issues and the list can go on.
I wondered about the reasons behind it, than took a search on what is happening on suits in court. The education system is getting away with this, because under court rulings a school only has to make a honest attempt at addressing the needs of a special education child. Teachers and as a whole the education system does not have to provide corrective help or/and gain more knowledge to understand the child's individual's needs by just proving effort. Effort, would be to listen to parents concerns, taking a course offered on a professional development day, surfing the web, or even making small changes within the classroom. Small changes such as moving the child in question to another location inside the classroom, effort in providing timely help well doing work, or changes in the amount and content of homework and testing. But there is a small ray of hope, where the Moore case is being appeal in British Columbia. This parent has spent over 100,000 dollars in his law suit, and this case may be lightening rod to force change on the public education system, where where many special education children, if not all, have access problems and are face with discriminatory practices that are based on very subjective factors such as learning needs vs the knowledge of educators vs the ability of schools to educate.
Saying all that, I hit the roof yesterday. I made telephone calls from the national office of the learning disability association to the board and right up to the highest levels of the education ministry. I was shouting out discrimination where the very rules and regulations are not only preventing my child a right to a full education, but over riding the constitutional rights and breaking their very own rules in the school act. The LD association, are aware of it, and their have advise from now on have them state everything in writing, especially when they say no. I informed them of what I will be doing in the fall, by breaking the school rules that hampers my child's right to an education. It starts with a laptop, than other devices, certain teaching methods that does nothing to facilitate learning or ignoring her learning needs, and denial of accommodations. I will be coming at a different angle, where if the school will not provide the right corrective help that can me measured and assess using objective criteria, than I will either break rules to help her and at the same time force them to follow her ISSP, her accommodation list, and the recommendations in her assessments. I came up with an idea last night while having a bath, that would help NN to deal with the teachers and refocus it back to my child not receiving the corrective help in her writing. It will be done in the method of form letters for various events that will certainly occur between school, child and the individual teachers. Every time a review sheet is not given within the time limit specify on the accommodation list, or any denial of the use of an accommodation - my NN will take out a form letter for the teacher to explain the reason and sign it. If one refuses. I instructed NN to write in her best ability the reason why, and signed it herself. I am anticipated more refusals, but when the phone calls come in from the school - I can than refocus and put the attention back on her poor reading and writing skills, using the supporting evidence of her assessments. I will pit my knowledge against theirs without losing my cool. Every threat made, will be met with the line, "Do what you have to do, and I will do what I have to do to ensured my NN's future. Another tactic that is used often, insisting that I am wrong, Next time, it comes up I will have the phone numbers handy, and I will demand them to phone to see who is right. As for suspensions, I am not concern because the optics would look horrible on the education system, where the issues of becoming fluent readers/writers and the needed foundation skills are only being address at minimum levels. In my province and in others, we see this in the literacy stats, general or basic diplomas that reach a all time high at 40% of high school graduates, and in retraining where a high percentage of students must build their skills in reader and writing before they can take the retraining course of choice. I really do not think, the school nor the school board is willing to open up this can of worms and have the education system being expose to this kind of scrutiny, when my NN is being used as the poster girl for how the system has failed her right from the very beginning when the school chose to ignored the documentation from health and other agencies since the age of 6 months, dealing with delays with speech, and other developmental lags that were indeed a puzzle for the health professionals. If NN was born today, I would have been inform by age 3, she is at high risk for learning disabilities. Research has confirmed and has been reproduced all over the world, that children who have developmental lags from infancy onwards, there is a higher risk of developing learning problems, especially when standard reading/writing curriculum and quality of teaching methods are not well-suited for these children.
I did go on the pro-board site, and did register it. I have not gone to far, since I am trying to figure out how to fix the font size, and other technical stuff. I have to be in the mood for that, plus the house is undergoing renovations. Can anybody give me some pointers. I also agree, it might be a good idea to have a special spot on Millers, for Canadians. Where else can Canadian parents get ideas, information than on the American sites, where education issues are far more advance, than in Canada.
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Post by Mayleng on Jul 1, 2009 10:58:16 GMT -5
therose and the others, I am going to move this to the LD Special Education baord. There is a lot of information here and it will get lost because this is just the coffee talk intro board and I will sticky this and change the title of the thread a bit.
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Post by kjgdid on Jul 1, 2009 12:07:55 GMT -5
Hi I am having a problem with the sd[actual have several].My son was accepted in a alternate education program for the upcoming school year. This program is run at the old school and is across the street from the regular school.His acceptance has been rescinded by the superintendent based on my concern that this program is totally segregated from the regular school and these students are not allowed to integrate at all with students at the regular school and the schools decision not to allow him to take a shop class at the regular school and my disagreement with their decisionl.This program would be beneficial to him as he developed mental health issues over his inability to cope with stress over the regular HS unwillingness to meet his needs.
I have decided to grieve their decision to the minister of ed because the mandate in SK is least restrictive environment and best interest of the child.Does anyone know what this process entails? and should I be doing anything else?
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Post by therose on Jul 1, 2009 14:37:07 GMT -5
Hi kjdkid, Alternative programs means different things in all the provinces. Within schools, and also outside where they gather the kids with behaviour problems that is disruptive inside a regular school and are transfer to another school called alternative schooling. A few weeks back there was a series of articles running in the Toronto Star on alternative schooling. There was some sad stories and an eye-opener how the regular education system adds more unnecessary grief.
Saying that, how does SK define alternative schooling. And what are the reasons to keep alternative education students from accessing and participating in activities of regular schooling. The obvious is the common misconception that students who are in alternative settings, are dangerous to the general public. Much like prisoners who are isolated from the general public. By isolating the students, it may bring a whole host of other problems that the education system did not bargain for.
I wish, we could appeal to the ministry. Our highest level, is at the board level, which makes the whole appeal process a farce where yes is seldom heard, and rarely yet a ruling made public to make changes to the system. So, I too would go to the top especially when dealing with matters, that can be blame on other subjective data, that leads to decisions that are not in keeping with the best interests of your son and his education needs.
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Post by dhfl143 on Jul 1, 2009 16:43:09 GMT -5
therose- Glad you found this forum from GreatSchools. Nice to see you here too.
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Post by kjgdid on Jul 1, 2009 19:08:38 GMT -5
Hi therose alternative programs are different from alternate programs or that is the way that I understand it.Alternative refers to programming,there is three different levels of programming ,core,modified and alternative.Alternative programming is delivered in the school and is usual for kids with severe cognitive disabilities such as Down syndrome or classic autism.
Alternate programs are run outside the regular school and usual for kids that don't fit into the regular school because of attendance problems and behaviour problems.Kids in the alternate program can achieve a core standard , modified or alternative depending on what courses they take.
My son has neither attendance problems or behaviour problems, the program was recommended by his Dr because of ongoing anxiety issues due to not being able to organize assignments etc and lack of support from the school. He is consistently on the honour roll and teachers cite a pleasure to teach.
In other places with in the province and with in this sd the students are integrated into the regular school if they are capable and wish to do so.Here they are not allowed inside the doors literally, they are not allowed on sport teams,to apply for scholarships administered by the school ,into any school clubs etc.Recently they have been allowed to attend graduation and receive term awards.
There does not appear to be a reason given in the Parent student handbook.The only reference to this program is in relation to students taking to many spares and falling into part time status.The handbook states if you want lots of spares go to the adult ed program at the college or the alternate program.My son would be going to school full time.
Sk learning's mandate is best interest of the child and least restrictive environment. When I pointed this out the superintendent withdrew my DS's application from the program and cited the reason for segregating these kids totally here but not in other communities with in the sd is needs of the community and past experience.I think that they are choosing to do this on the want of the principle who is a aggressive bullying d*** head. The administrators at the division level routinely bully and intimidate parents and have developed quite a little dictatorship due to a total lack of accountability.
The grievance/conflict resolution process stated in the education act is teacher,principle,director of ed,school board,minister of ed.We received a letter from the chairman of the school board in Mar when we requested to go before the board to state our grievance on another matter that to paraphrase it said we do not do that here.
I have never taken something as far as the minister of ed before so I am not sure what the process is.I phoned to find out what the process for getting a minister review is and was told a staff member from the ministry would call me back.If I haven't heard back from them by Friday I will call again and insist on speaking to someone.
thanks for listening.
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