Fast approaching: November 1, 2021, deadline for the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to submit its plan to improve oversight of special education to Virginia’s General Assembly and Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC).
Just In: FCPS “Independent” Special Education Audit Reveals Disturbing Data
A new “independent, third-party review” done by American Institutes for Research (AIR) confirms the appalling state of Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) special education program.
Although FCPS states that it is “committed to the consistent and equitable implementation of discipline policy, regulations, and practice across all schools and educational programs,” AIR’s report points toward a great divide between FCPS’s words and actions.
Fairfax County Public Schools Isn’t Able To Prevent Student Computers From Shutting Down
The newest tech issue: FCPS isn’t able to prevent student computers from shutting down for reboots/updates.
The newest poorly-thought-out plan: Someone made a decision to disable the ability to pause and/or postpone reboots/updates and no one developed a contingency plan to address times computers must not shut down, such as during an SAT exam.
Fairfax County Public Schools Violated Privacy of Chesterbrook ES Student and Family
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is at fault for another FERPA violation, this time for a Chesterbrook Elementary School student and family.
The document is a student’s care card, which (depending on the student) can include sensitive information such as medical issues, prescription medications, medical professionals the child is seeing, and so on.
FCPS Report Detailed How To Reduce Special Education Referrals; Predicted The Future; Confirmed Suspicions
If you have a high school student in Fairfax County Public Schools, read this report.
It highlights a focus on denying services in the name of saving money and sheds light on one of the potential reasons why referrals and evaluations were such a battle when our seniors were younger, at points in their lives when early intervention special education services would have made the greatest difference—and could have resulted in very different realities for these students today.
College Board’s Practices: Hardships, Hurdles & Headaches For Students Who Have Disabilities
A student’s need for accommodations shouldn’t result in hardship, hurdles, and headaches – nor should they be the reason a student is put at a disadvantage.Â
However, this is just what has happened in response to College Board’s practices.Â
But Wait, There’s More: FERPA Violations at FCPS Continue
July 14, 2021, I published the article “Fairfax County Public Schools Breaches Privacy of Thousands of Students; FERPA Noncompliance Continues”, which details Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) failure to keep thousands of students’ privacy secure.
I found one more breach.
U.S. Dept of Ed Provides Strategies to Address Impact of Lost Instructional Time; Another Look at Transition Plans in a Time of COVID
This week the United States Department of Education (USDOE) released “Strategies for Using American Rescue Plan Funding to Address the Impact of Lost Instructional Time”.
Sounds good, right?
If you have a child with a 504 Plan or an IEP, much of what’s listed is ripped from the pages of just about every book, article, blog post, state and/or fed reg you might have already read.
Will this document make a difference for children with special education needs?