Mansfield Parents Stand for Our Children
Comments by Bob Witanek, 908-881-5275 advocate@studentadvocate-NJ.org http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org

The article below is an example of what can happen for our children when parents stand up and unify to take effective action for their our children.  It also provides an example as to what measures administration will take to attack parents and their organizers.

As this article reports, in each complaint for which  that the state has concluded an investigation, “it required the district take steps to address specific problems, such as providing makeup sessions to 62 students who regularly receive speech therapy.”

That means that 62 students were being denied the services they are entitled to and the only reason they are getting anything is because of those parents who have brought forward complaints!  Yet the district special education director takes it upon herself to state:

’ Rebecca Clay, the district director of special education, noted the complaints have been filed by a small group of parents.

“We get very positive responses from everybody but members of this group,” Clay said. “We're trying to compromise with them the best we can, but they don't settle for compromise.” ‘

What sort of compromise is she looking for short of parents agreeing to allow the district to get away with not providing agreed upon services?  The director laments that only a small number of parents have filed complaints yet at least 62 students and families have benefited or received remediation from the actions of this small number of parents.  Is it a surprise that more parents have not gotten involved when this director takes it upon herself to publicly vilify those who were brave enough to do so?

The director also tries to divide the community and further ostracize special education students and their parents when she states:

‘Clay said the problem also involves the cost of providing special-education services.

“Any issue they bring up, we try to comply with,” Clay said. “We're trying to make whatever sacrifices we can without it affecting other students and programs, but it's all about money.”’

This broadside attack on special education students and families by a director whose very livelihood is dependent upon the needs of these students and families is untenable.  How dare any director use these methods to attack special education families, to heap scorn upon our families by suggesting that providing for the agreed upon services for our children could some how affect or hurt “other students and programs.”  Her stating that it is “all about money” can only be a thinly veiled attempt to unleash backlash against our children, against our families and against the state and federal mandates to meet the agreed upon needs of our children.

Hopefully the families of special education students that have benefited by the brave actions of those who have stood in Mansfield to take action so that at least 62 students can receive their due services can see through the attack dog politics that this director is playing.

For more on the history of this challenge and the measures that the director and district has taken to deny agreed upon services, including allegedly forcing professionals from their positions for blowing the whistle on district actions to prevent provision of services, see:

http://www.studentadvocate-nj.org/therapist_boldly_stands.htm

Hats off to Mansfield’s Parents Advocating for Special Education!

State monitors district's special-ed program

By: JASON BODNAR (Fri, Mar/03/2006)

MANSFIELD — The state continues to monitor this district's special-education program due to what it said is an unusually large number of complaints from parents.

The state received nine complaints since the beginning of the school year, according to state Department of Education spokesman Jon Zlock.

“What makes this unusual is we've had so many in such a short period of time,” Zlock said. “The nature of the complaints, however, are not extremely out of the ordinary.”

Most complaints allege the district has not properly provided special-education students with legally required services, such as speech therapy, or has not involved parents enough in the process of determining which services are needed for their children.

“Unfortunately, this isn't just an issue of what parents want,” said Jeanine Baechtold, who has a 4-year-old son who receives speech services. “In my case, my son has regressed, and it gets worse every week.”

Rebecca Clay, the district director of special education, noted the complaints have been filed by a small group of parents.

“We get very positive responses from everybody but members of this group,” Clay said. “We're trying to compromise with them the best we can, but they don't settle for compromise.”

Zlock said the state is in the process of investigating each complaint.

The state has filed reports on three complaints so far. In each case, it required the district take steps to address specific problems, such as providing makeup sessions to 62 students who regularly receive speech therapy.

“We're going to be following up on them,” Zlock said.

Parents said the problem stems from a large amount of turnover in the special-education department. For instance, both speech therapists in the district have left, leaving the district without a full-time speech therapist for several months.

Clay said the problem also involves the cost of providing special-education services.

“Any issue they bring up, we try to comply with,” Clay said. “We're trying to make whatever sacrifices we can without it affecting other students and programs, but it's all about money.”

E-mail: JASON BODNAR

Article's URL: 

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/112-03032006-620850.html