IEP Question

[ALLISA]

Just was wondering about something......

If the public school can not meet your child's needs and you opt for a private school setting do you have 1 or 2 IEP's.......

I ASSUME (could be wrong) that the IEP process beginas anew at the private school....setting of goals...etc, etc.....but is there still an IEP with the public school that states....private school needed to accomadate student ? Or something similar to that....

Does the public school and it's rep/liason go to current IEP meetings at the private school ? Do they stay in contact with the private school ? Do they track progress and make decisions about placement ?

Just wondering how the process goes ....

Thanks !

[momofrussell]

You should only have 1 IEP. BUT.. to do the private school placement properly, the school district needs to be involved and a team decision be met that private placement is appropriate. I don't know if they would then be involved in all meetings after the new placement is established but I would assume they could come because anyone could come to a IEP meeting.

CC might know...

A.

[Jessie]

When Jason moved here he had been in a public school setting in both Montana and Florida. Brian had met with our local public school to get him enrolled here and they recommended that Jason be placed in the spec ed school that he is in now (not in our town). They were involved with that process, but no one from the local public school district has ever been involved since that time, just the spec ed school team. His IEP meetings have always consisted of the Principal, his teacher and his ST only.


Jessie

[CC]

Christopher has gone to a private school for a few years now at our request.

Here in New Jersey how it works is Yes the home district stays very much involved. Although he goes out of district, the home district sp ed administration office is the middle person so called. Now I suppose if you pay for the school yourself that would be a different story, but our district pays for this school for Chris as they could not provide the right placement for him in district, KWIM

Once I found the school both Colin and I wanted to place Chris, our home district then sent them a copy of his IEP and then we took Chris for an intake, kind of like an interview so called as they just don't take any and all cause you want to go. Anywho, once it was all agreed that Chris would attend his new school we had a new IEP at the school with all that would be involved with Chris along with the case manager from our home district.

Christoper's case manager who is from our home district is the one that leads or lets say is the one that is responsible for all IEP's and we never have one without her there.

Chris even though is out of district can and is invited to attend after school activities that are run by our home school. Even thou he is an out of distinct student it is run as if in district. Only difference is the PT, ST, OT and Tech at the IEP's are the ones working with him from the school but all the case management is run by our home district.

K, I am rambling, hope this made sense but YES our home district is very involved and they are present at every IEP there are no separate ones for them.

CC

[Jessie]

Interesting there would be such a difference.

Just out of curiosity, CC, is there any particular reason why the home district stays in the loop? I'm sitting here trying to think of why I would want them involved in Jason's business since they didn't want him there in the first place! But, if there is a benefit of having them involved, I guess I'd like to know and decide whether it's something I would want to pursue or not.

Thanks.

Jessie

[CC]

"Just out of curiosity, CC, is there any particular reason why the home district stays in the loop?"

You know Jessie, I don't know, actually I don't know if its how all of Jersey handles out of district kids BUT its the way all the school districts do it up here in Northern Jersey.

We pulled Chris out of our home school, wasn't like they wanted him out KWIM, so although I have had my fights with my district even with Chris being placed out of distinct they have pulled through for Chris too. So for us it really works

One thing I like for Chris is being the teachers are not right here working in our district they have no problem what so ever recommending what they think will help Chris as they have no worry of the head district people say "Hey we need to cut costs" They will recommend as the school team and then its up to Colin and I, if we feel it really is needed to ask the district for it.

Just recently at our IEP meeting his ESY was discussed and the program he is in, not that bad BUT not as good as the one I want him in. Our district of course was like well bla bla bla for why not to move him and the bottom line was money. BUT all from his school know this ESY program real well and just went on and on why it would be the right program for him to attend vs the other. Basically my district lost that one

So why they do it that way again beats me girl but I am actually glad they do

Just curious who represents your district at the IEP meetings?

CC

[Jessie]

Sounds like they actually are a good advocate for Chris.

We don't have anyone represent our district. We just have the people from his school that are present during the IEP's. Maybe it's because Jason never actually attended the school here, Brian had just talked to them about enrolling him when they moved here. I'm ok with how our IEP meetings are right now and who is there . . . but it brings up a good point to inquire about because WHAT IF we decided to try and put him back in a public school? They wouldn't have a clue about Jason.

Things that make you go "HUH"!


Jessie

[ALLISA]

thanks for info ladies.....my impression of how it would be done is the way CC said....and like she said, if they are the ones paying for it....I imagine they would want to know if their money is being spent wisely ! LOL

[Jessie]

I know this is an old topic, but I got the answer to our IEP meetings in our school district today. The principal at Jason's school explained it that the public school that Jason would be in if we chose that route does still get invited to all IEP meetings. Because when Brian agreed to have him in this spec ed setting, everyone signed off at the time that no one legally had to attend (just be invited) and they were giving the authority of Jason's educational decisions to the spec ed school. Because we don't intend on putting Jason back in a public school setting anytime soon, I'm cool with that. However, I did ask the "what if" question. She said that if we ever chose to integrate him we would then call a meeting with both his current school and his home school district to transition him back into public school - basically do the legal handover of IEP's, etc. If I had any inkling that we would be doing this I would be requesting that someone from the district start attending the IEP's now so that someone would be familiar with Jason and his development.

I think this is one of those things that parents really aren't told or it's not explained fully. I don't think either school has necessarily done anything wrong because we've never discussed inclusion for Jason . . . might have been a different scenario if we had discussed it before.


Jessie