LovingIzabella

So glad your heart made it home :-)
I am sorry I missed out on this round but I will definitely be in 4 :-)
Thank you all for doing such a fabulous job on this swap! I am always here if you need me just taking care of life lol
Much Love & huge Hugs
April

fryguymoore

I injured my arm shoveling manure last weekend :( I haven't sewn anything this past week, I am not sure how easy it will be to sew with only my left hand and my right fingers. I think I only have two more blocks to finish, I am not really sure since I messed up the spreedsheet and lost a lot of the pictures of blocks I made. Next time I will print two sets of labels, when the labels are gone I will know I am done.

I think you guys know that I have had a lot of trouble with my son's school. He was failing (as reported by his teacher) so I requested that the school test him. Four months and two complaints later they determined that he was "average" and didn't qualify for special education. During this process they lied about the timelines, didn't follow the timelines, refused to let me speak to the specialists' who tested him at the school, refused to let me observe him at school, and others things I don't want to remember. The final straw was when they called child protective services on us. That is when we put him in the private school that we can't afford. Actually the final, final straw was when the CPS/CYS worker came to our house with a copy of my personal journal that he got from my the principal who illegally took it from my son's desk, copied it, returned the original to me, and then held onto it for 6 weeks before giving it to the worker to use against me. My son had brought it to school because he thought it was his notebook.

I am now over the severe depression that all that caused. I hired an attorney, but haven't done anything more about this because I don't want to become all upset again. BUT, my husband couldn't wait anymore, it had been over two months since I last spoke to the attorney. He called them and found out that while our attorney and the schools attorney did agree on a settlement that would have paid for my son's education for the next two years or so, the special education director, who I think works for the devil, refused to do it. This is the man who said on the stand that he has the right to revoke a childs IEP all on his own, which is completely against the law. He illegally took away Michael's 504 plan all on his own and received a slap on the wrist for it.

The sad, sad, sad, fact is that due to the evilness of this man I couldn't put my kids' in public school and I couldn't continue to homeschool them with the depression. All three kids are now in private school. Did I mention my husband works for the post office? We are managing, but barely. Last month we had $5 to spare. Christmas will be fine because the kids are already used to only getting one gift from us, and DH works more at this time of the year. I applied for about 40 jobs and wasn't hired, not that I could work anyway with all the doctors appointments the kids have.

Anyway, my point is I am definately in for Boom 4. We will be going to one more meeting with the school and then to court within the next few months and I will need to keep my mind off all that. What better way than making pretty things for my online friends.

ksea

OMGosh Dawn I am so sorry that you are having to endure all this with the school system. I don't have the words to tell you how deeply I feel for you. My youngest son was a special needs student and had to be in private school for 2 years because the public school had a really crappy special education program . A group of us fought and fought to get improvements in the special education program of the public school and we finally got the community behind us and he received an awesome education. I am praying that there will be a good outcome for your children also. there is no love like a mothers love and there is no fight like a mothers fight, so hang in there, know that there are many prayers being said for you and yours. I am happy that you are joining Boom 4 and we will get to see more of the awesome blocks that you make.
Have a happy holiday!!

missgigglewings

fryguymoore: So sorry to hear of the trouble you have been through. Stay stong and steadfast because it is for your children's sake. You and your family are in my heart and my prayers.

PS: I bet the manure you were shoveling came from the school!lol

CraftsByRobin

*HUGS* Dawn ... I am so so sorry ... know you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers ... one day at a time sister ... and I hope to be in Boomerrang 4 with you as I've seen your amazing work! Keep that chin up and keep the faith sister!

LovingIzabella

Oh Dawn
I am so sorry to hear of the troubles and woes you have been going through. Life always seems to like to back hand you from time to time and it gets overwhelming! I will continue to keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers for better days. Please get better and if you need help with those last two blocks I am more than happy to help you!
Hugs
April

jetnica

Dawn,

I am so sorry that one particular jackas* is messing things up for your son. It sounds like you know sped law pretty well, perhaps it's time to educate your lawyer?

I really *hate* teachers like that and wish they would all retire immediately. It's jerks like that who make me have to defend myself to complete strangers about my career.

You know how to best take care of your kids - make sure they (the school systerm) know too.

Hugs and Prayers to you!

fryguymoore

While I do believe you, I find it unbelievable that parents were able to make a difference. I don't think the people here would ever support special education. I see articles in the paper all the time about "those" kids and how they hurt test score and cost the schools money. There was even an article condeming the parents who won a large settlement against our school district, they blamed the parents for costing the district tax payers money. There was no public out-cry. Us parents of special education kids are just to beaten up to do anything. Which of course is why they beat us up!

fryguymoore

LOL!

Thanks. We really are doing okay. Compaired to where I was eariler this year, we are actually doing great :) I would rather struggle every day to get by than have any of my children in the care of our school district. It is out of my hands now and we will be fine.

fryguymoore

Robin, you are so sweet, thanks!
April, thanks for the offer I still have time...

Jetnica-
I know my attorney isn't that great. She has a lot of cases (she is located right between the two worst school districts in the area), and she doesn't have the time to really do a great job. I do know a lot about special education law, so I know that having a not so great lawyer is far better than no lawyer at all. Lucky for you, the idiot I spoke of isn't a teacher, but the supervisor of the special education department.

Being a teacher myself I completely understand having to defend the job. When I was teaching I worked closely with the special ed. department. I was the teacher whose classes all the mainstreamed kids went. They gave me the most "difficult" children because they knew I would follow the IEP's and the I would foster a compassionate and accepting environment in my class. Something inside me says I will get what is coming to me :) I can't tell you the number of parents I helped. I helped two families keep their childs 504 plan when the school was trying so hard to remove it. My reading class and I helped a boy who could barely speak learn to read. I am not trying to toot my own horn, I wasn't a perfect teacher, but I was great to the special ed. families. I didn't have a special needs kid at the time, I did it soley because I was a teacher and it was the right thing to do. At the time I found it shocking and unbeilevable that other teachers didn't even read IEP's or 504 plans let alone follow them. Now I can see first hand the damage "those teachers" caused to the students they were supposed to be helping.

Teaching is a really hard job, and I thank you for doing it :)