Hampton Roads Special Education Parent Support Group

I recently spoke at the school board meeting about my horrible experieces with Plaza Middle.

This is a draft of my speech.

I am here this evening to make you all aware of the gross negligence my son Tyler  has suffered while attending Plaza Middle School.  My son suffers from Tourette Syndrome, OCD, ADHD, and dysgraphia but the school has failed to acknowledge this.  Even after making a good faith effort in mediation, his special education services continued to be ignored.  Plaza failed to implement the services in the mediation agreement.  His case manager Mr. Felty failed in every aspect of his job responsibilities including scheduling IEP meetings within required timelines, drafting inappropriate IEP?s, failing to implement my son?s current stay put IEP services and goals.  The school has refused to assign my son a new case manager.  My son has also been repeatedly disciplined for behaviors related to his disability.  He has had security called on him for being ?off task?. He was in his desk quietly drawing instead of watching a movie.  He has also had security called on him for sleeping in class due to medication side effects.  He has 25+ discipline referrals since starting at Plaza, all of which relate to his disability or the schools failure to come up with an appropriate FBA & BIP.  His IEP, BIP, and FBA are poorly written and they fail to accurately describe my son or his disabilities.  My son?s written expression is on a first grade level and the only services he received for this was an alpha smart that was taken away from him as a disciplinary action.  The school administrators, special education personnel, and teachers seem uninterested in understanding Tyler?s disabilities.  I have even recently caught his art teacher gossiping about my son to other teachers in the lobby of the school while I was standing right there.  When I brought this issue up with the principal Mrs. Hoyle I was told it was a ?personal and private? matter and she would handle it but I couldn?t know the outcome.  Yet this teacher violated my son?s privacy.  Every time my son walks through those school doors, his self esteem and emotional health is compromised.  My son has been put on several different anxiety medications since starting at Plaza. He has had to have his antidepressant increased recently due to his traumatic experiences at Plaza.  I am forced to pay for advocates and attorneys to fight for services that my son is already entitled to.  I shouldn?t have to sacrifice my time and money to try and get the school system to do its job.  My son is very bright and should have the same access to education as any other child would have.  I will not let this school system bully and destroy my child.  I will do whatever needs to be done to protect my child and to make sure he has a chance to be educated and that he is given the tools he needs to be successful in life.