Another "Quality" Fail

[PB&J]

A program for special needs preschoolers, run through a school system to meet the government/ADA requirement to serve that population, underwent a program review for quality (to sum it up; details in the article). They were told to expand their program to include "general population" students.

As a result, they hired ECE teachers to run the new inclusive program. I know in my state, early childhood centers must have ECE degreed individuals in charge; not sure if this rule is a mandate for the school-run programs (or if it was a choice they made in this case). The special education teachers, no longer running the program, were kept on to run "pull-out" sessions as needed.

ECE is geared toward "play-based" learning. The kind of learning I think most of us use and which isn't generally structured enough for special needs children....which is why "general population" childcares tell/advise parents to seek out the school systems' 3-5 programs for their special needs children who aren't making it in our group care homes/centers.

I don't know how successful the center was prior to this (why did they call in outsiders to review it)....but I do know, from this article, that most parents who were happy before NOW seem completely unhappy with the new program, as it serves neither population well and has caused behavior and learning issues for the kids who most need the program. My feathers were a little ruffled by the phrase "glorified daycare".....but I do see her frustrated point. Her child needed more than play-based, group care and she thought her child was getting it.

I am so annoyed at the government's continued push to grow our children in cookie cutter factories. I know it's a well-covered topic here, but this is another fine example.

[GirlMomma]

I can’t get the link to go to the story

[Cat Herder]

The same thing is happening in the public school. Everyone has to be in the same programs so they gatekeep the excelling students, ignore the average/well behaved ones and spend the majority of their time on paperwork and behavioral issues.

Education must be the parents responsibility. It must. If parents are not seeking teachable opportunities outside of school settings, they are failing their kids. Even when I was in school class time was wasted time. The real learning occurred when I got home with my text books, encyclopedia, dictionary and did my own homework. Saturdays were spend in the library reading, then doing book reports. Kids today have no idea of how to learn. Teachers were never meant to tell the kids everything, they were to teach them how to look for the answers, themselves, then report back on hat they had learned for discussion and further scaffolded learning.

If I had to do it all again, I think I would be on team magnet school.

[Cat Herder]

I posted examples in photos below.

[Cat Herder]

This is the argument against magnet schools:

"The selection process can exclude kids with lower grades or behavior issues. Some say that magnet schools take away from other public schools by recruiting the brightest students. Low-income, non-native English-speaking students and special needs students are often underrepresented"

But for those of us sick to death of our kids failing, shutting down and being triggered to violence after years of this stress because the teacher and resources are never available to them because of the "underrepresented" kids in their local schools we need options, too. The mental health and learning opportunities for our kids matter, too. It isn't about race. It is about those parents raising a$$holes. Yep, I said it. Those come in every race, creed and age.

[Cat Herder]

Oh, our local magnet schools are all scholarship based. The kid has to want to go there and is interviewed without their parents. They must meet personal goal to stay. It is free and structured with community service requirements for parents and students. They all wear uniforms, too.

[Cat Herder]

Classroom photos below in post # 10

[Annalee]

This is the argument against magnet schools:

"The selection process can exclude kids with lower grades or behavior issues. Some say that magnet schools take away from other public schools by recruiting the brightest students. Low-income, non-native English-speaking students and special needs students are often underrepresented"

But for those of us sick to death of our kids failing, shutting down and being triggered to violence after years of this stress because the teacher and resources are never available to them because of the "underrepresented" kids in their local schools we need options, too. The mental health and learning opportunities for our kids matter, too. It isn't about race. It is about those parents raising a$$holes. Yep, I said it. Those come in every race, creed and age.

BAM! So how do you feel about this subject, CH!

[Cat Herder]

Also, FTR 4 of those a$$holes are being raised by my other cousin. Every family has some. Prove me wrong.

[Annalee]

Oh, I AGREE wholeheartedly! and understand it all too well!

[Cat Herder]

I know you do. I am just frustrated because now it is happening to some of my former daycare kids who graduated out of here over the last 5 years and visit. To see the lights going out in their little eyes, too, knowing how excited they were to go to "big kid school" when they left here, then wondering WTH I was preparing them for is killing me.

I may need to start bringing in a martial arts instructor and start them at age two.

[PB&J]

I can’t get the link to go to the story

from: https://www.nwitimes.com

by Molly DeVore
CROWN POINT — When Jessica Abel's son first started attending Crown Point preschool he was nonverbal; after just a year in the program he was talking and even able to write his name.
"Being a mom of a kid who did not talk at all at 3 years old, I was very hesitant of sending him anywhere without me," Abel said. "But I will tell you it [preschool] was such a godsend.”
After two years in the program Melissa Pineda's eldest son, who has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), was "drastically prepared" for his first day of kindergarten. That is why when Pineda heard the preschool program would be accepting children without IEPs, or "general education students," she "jumped" at the chance to enroll her middle son.
“it was just a beautiful program led by people who specialized in special needs and knew what these kids need for academic success,” Pineda said. "They used activities to bring the academics into light for these kids with the structure and routine they need.”
The inclusive program expanded outside the Learning Center under the title "Bulldog Buddies." One semester into the new program, some families have noticed little change, while others say the curriculum has lost all structure, driving several parents to remove their children from it.
Right to learn

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students with disabilities are entitled to receive special education services, at no cost to the family, through the public school system beginning at age 3 and ending at 22. For years, children with IEPs attended the Crown Point Learning Center for preschool, where classes were taught by instructors licensed in special education.
In August of 2019, the Crown Point Community School Corp. requested the Indiana University Institute on Disability and Community conduct an external review of its Exceptional Learners program, what Crown Point calls its department dedicated to addressing the functional needs of students with disabilities.
The audit gave Crown Point the lowest ranking — a one out of five — in the "area of Pre-K outcomes." The report recommended creating an inclusive preschool, where general education students and students with IEPs learn side-by-side. The report cited research showing inclusive classrooms help children with literacy, language, social interactions and the transition into kindergarten. From the recommendation, the district's new "Bulldog Buddies" program was born.
First announced in January of 2021, parents were sent a letter about the program that spring. Parents were told the program would be expanding to Douglas MaCarthur, Winfield and Eisenhower elementary schools. Students with IEPs still attend the program for free, while general education families pay a monthly fee.
“The only difference in the program that we were aware of was that gen-ed kids were going to be included and I was completely for that," Abel said.
Because general education students were now enrolled, the classes had to be led by instructors who have an associate-level degree from an accredited institution in the area of early childhood education. The program has three instructors licensed in special education called "resource instructors," who support students in the classroom and work with them individually during pull-out sessions as designated by their IEPs.
However, some parents, like Pineda, began to notice other changes as the semester went on. Her son was not bringing home class activities or daily notes, and the weekly letters sent by the teacher updating parents dropped off at the end of October. When asked what he did at preschool, her son would respond, "just play."
The Bulldog Buddies program emphasizes its play-based approach, using hands-on activities that incorporate letters and numbers, Preschool Coordinator Christy Terrill said. Play-based education also existed in the previous program, Crown Point Chief Academic Officer Jim Hardman explained. While the creation of Bulldog Buddies did include some changes to the curriculum, Hardman said the shift was not "as big of a change as people might perceive it to be."
The curriculum still follows the Indiana Early Learning Foundations. Standards such as being able to count to 20 and draw letters are incorporated into activities "all day long," children identify their names when they arrive, craft letters with shaving cream, count the cars they play with, track days with linear calendars and more, Terrill said.
Educational activities are presented throughout the classroom and children are invited to participate, Hardman explained.
"It's not necessarily that we are directing the instruction, but we're allowing the environment to create the instruction for the children," Hardman said. "When you are working with children at this level, you don't tell them what to do, you let them grow into where they are at ... where students enter into the activity is where they want to be and then it is up to the teacher to provoke that student by asking questions to get them to move to the next piece."
Nicole Lavin's son's language abilities have taken off since being in the Bulldog Buddies program, she said. While all children learn differently, Lavin said her son "shuts down" if he is forced to do something and learns better if he is actually interested in an activity.
However, Abel said the changes to the program have had the opposite impact on her son. During a recent reevaluation, tasks he used to complete "with ease" such as identifying colors and numbers, now trip him up.
“Behavioral regression at home is a huge thing for us," Abel said. "We were in such a good routine, but now if he hears the word 'no' at home he is stomping his feet because he is not getting his way and he is used to getting his way at school."
Lauren Carney, whose son was enrolled in the Crown Point preschool for about a year-and-a-half, said the individual educators have always had her child's "best interest as heart." However, she believes the teachers are being limited by what the curriculum allows.
Kindergarten ready?

A big concern for Alyse Scholl, who pushed for an inclusive preschool program when her daughter was enrolled, is that children will not be prepared for the "structure and routine" present in Crown Point kindergartens. Sharing similar concerns, both Pineda and Abel unenrolled their children, scrambling to find other preschools for the spring semester.
Carney reduced her son's time at Bulldog Buddies and enrolled him in a community-based preschool, where she has already found that her child is "severely behind" his classmates. Carney, and other parents, felt like valuable "time was taken" from their children in the fall.
“Next year he has no option but to go to kindergarten," Abel said. "That is one of the main reasons we chose to put him into a new preschool, he is nowhere near where he needs to be to enter kindergarten."
Crown Point provides a list of skills students entering kindergarten should have for the "most successful transition," which includes following directions and adhering to classroom rules.
Hardman said he promotes inquiry-based instruction across all grades, where students "engage in the curriculum at their level." However, Scholl said her daughter's kindergarten class is "very structured."
“I know that over time, sending him to school with it being just play is giving him the wrong idea of what school is," Pineda said, adding that she does not want to send her son to a "glorified daycare."
Over the years, an increased emphasis has been placed on early childhood education. Lavin said preschool has gone from something "that was completely optional," to "the new kindergarten." Some parents are concerned about their children falling behind, but Lavin does not want to put too much pressure on her son. While the approach used in Bulldog Buddies has benefited her son, Lavin said a "mix of techniques" may be more beneficial because children's learning styles vary.
Pineda and Carney both said they wish the program changes had been clarified early-on so they could have made alternative arrangements.
Children with IEPs also have fewer schooling options than their general education peers. Community-based and private preschools are not required to accommodate IEPs or offer special education services. While her son is enjoying the new program thus far, Carney said "he is in an environment that was not designed for him."
"By law my son has a right to a free and appropriate education within our public school system. He was receiving a wonderful education in years past that were meeting all of his needs socially, academically, and emotionally," Carney said. "This year his needs are currently not being met due to a drastic change in approach in teaching all learners. Unfortunately, the ones mostly effected are the little ones who have the most to lose."

[GirlMomma]

Cat Herder bingo

[PB&J]

Taxpayers. I’m sure Uncle Sam is paying more for the kids who they’ve tested into the program, than are the parents who opted in to it.

[Cat Herder]

The tested in kids tuition is being paid for by both sets of parents taxes, plus the others have to pay, again. It is not the same. One is double/triple billed to pay for the others. Also, Uncle Sam has never worked a day in his life, he mooches off of earners. lol!!

[GirlMomma]

Am I understanding this right? They’re creating a less structured preschool to be “inclusive” for children with IEPs?

[PB&J]

Am I understanding this right? They’re creating a less structured preschool to be “inclusive” for children with IEPs?

More the other way around. This program was the ADA-mandated program for special needs kids through the school system. Then a “quality” review team told the administrators that “studies show” that kids of all learning levels should be learning side-by-side. So the program was opened up to ALL children (the general public). Since it was now a general program for all children/abilities, it had to follow the state licensing rules and be lead by ECE professionals, not special education instructors.
The program designed specifically for special needs learners was TOLD to change to a program open to all kids at all different learning levels because QUALITY.

[GirlMomma]

Ahhh thank you for clarifying that!

[Cat Herder]

The term is Equity in this case. Not so much Quality.

It is about the budget. "Students with IEPs still attend the program for free, while general education families pay a monthly fee." Someone has to foot the bills.

Equality v Equity. Equality in education is achieved when students are all treated the same and have access to similar resources. Equity is achieved when all students receive the resources they need so they graduate prepared for success after high school.

IEP programs were not meeting equity because they have the same budgets, require more expensive supplies and then, bonus, the ADA decided their parents did not have to help pay for it. That is how we got here.

Three choices:

1. Pay nothing (universal), get nothing.
2. Pay for it (private), demand what you pay for.
3. Pay some (public), get some, make up the difference at home.

[Cat Herder]

I am still waiting for the definition of success. That is the information we are all missing out on. Maybe that information would help shed a light on the true issues.

[Cat Herder]

There are thousands of these photos on the current teacher boards.

[Annalee]

These pics tell it ALL!!

[Cat Herder]

Transcripts from an actual leaked IEP of an 8th grader:

"Avoid staring at (locking eyes with) B. He will likely perceive this as a challenge and respond with anger. B should be allowed a cooling off period if he becomes angry. In such a case, he may simply walk away. If B leaves his seat or turns his back during a conversation and stops responding, assume he is exercising his right to cool off. Do not call after him or chase him. After his cooling off, B should be re-admitted to class without further discussion. Discourage other students from engaging B when he returns from cooling off, and avoid engaging him yourself."

"The use of appropriate language is a challenge for B. Take care to distinguish between cursing/swearing specifically directed at another person and spontaneous cursing/swearing in the classroom. Do not respond immediately to cursing/swearing unless it is specifically directed at another student and/or clearly contains a threat. If the amount cursing/swearing becomes excessive, make a note and raise the issue via a phone call home."

"B does not respond well to verbal reprimands, whether in front of peers or separately. Attempting to correct B verbally is likely to be counterproductive and will result in needless confrontation. Whenever possible, respond to behavioral concerns with a phone call home as opposed to engaging B directly."

"Do not attempt to coerce B to complete classwork if he appears unengaged with the task at hand. If B is consistently failing to complete work in class, make a note of this and follow up with a phone call home."

"Keep a running record of any serious behavioral issues. Copies of this record should be distributed (at a minimum) monthly to: the principal; the counselor; and the parent. Please take care to include only serious issues in this record (persistent opposition to authority; serious threats; etc.). It is best not to respond to minor behavioral issues or to include them in the running record."

No wonder teachers are done with this profession. B is legally allowed to prevent any of his classmates from leaning anything, now. Bonus, his peers are shamed, threatened, suspended or expelled for being angry about it. They are arrested if they finally have enough and fight back when he comes at them in the parking lot. Their parents too if they restrain B from trying to come into their car after their kid.

[Cat Herder]

This stuff is also why kids with developmental issues/birth injuries who typically would have had these services are no longer getting what they need. The classifications have become too broad and the scope is now absurd.

[PB&J]

The preschool director has resigned, as announced at last night's school board mtg.