More calls are coming in from families concerned about their children with special needs being expelled or suspended from school according to Families as Allies. Executive Director Joy Hogg says students with special needs are supposed to have individualized education plans to engage them in the learning process. But she says there are times when the plans are not designed to accommodate the unique needs of children and behavioral problems develop.
“And then, that often gets put off on the parent, things like asking them to come pick them up early or bring them to school late or keep them home for a mental health day. But those children have just as much of a right to be at school and be learning as everybody else. Hogge said.
Hogg explains the individual education plan is done to provide extra support to the students, to help them stay on task and be engaged in learning. She says "children who are engaged in learning whether they have behavioral problems or not are going to be less likely to act out."
Hogge added she doesn't know "if teachers are feeling a little overwhelmed and they're even, if it's not conscience, may have a tendency to try to get them out of school early before the break starts, so that the school is getting a longer break from them then they would have during the normal winter break."
Students with special needs can be suspended for up to 10 days in a year says Hogge. After that, educators are required to meet with parents to discuss the individualized education plan.
Armerita Tell is with the Special Education Office in the Mississippi Department of Education. She describes how the individualized education plan should work, "If I have a reading problem and that's my deficit, in reading, then based on the goals of the IEP, I should receive services to meet those needs because every IEP is individualized." said Tell.
Tell says she doesn’t see an increase in formal complaints this time of year. “We only receive those if the parent files a complaint saying that they felt that the infraction the child did was a manifestation of the child’s disability,” Tell said.
School districts are responsible for identifying children with special needs says Tell. The Mississippi Department of Education must ensure districts follow federal rules and regulations. She says all decisions are based on data but that doesn't mean all parents are happy with the services they are receiving.
Tell emphasizes school districts must provide the services based on data and the unique needs of the child. Parents can file various complaints with the department and even request mediation with the school district.
For more information call the Special Education Parent Hotline at the Mississippi Department of Education: 1-877-544-0408.
