Astrid: I have been an OT for many years and have not run into anything like my current crop of administrators. They have taken over directing my caseload. Directions have included “push in’ services to APE when a students IEP clearly states individual special location. I have been directed to group students who have individual recommendations. I have been directed to group students who have no common goals. Transition students IEPS have been changed before any meeting for example from one individual one group to one group. What recourse do I have other than resigning.
Is this a battle you want to fight? Ultimately, as someone who just finished a Masters in Admin, they teach us nothing about SPED except for: as an admin, you are liable if it goes wrong. At the very least, they should make a professional effort to get you all on board as to their vision and/or expected goals of what they are doing. It could be that there is simply a lack of understanding by the admin, or some admin that is higher than them. If you fight it, have hard data to show why your groups need changed and why their pushed agendas are not working. As far as changing IEPs, before meetings, isn’t that predetermination? It sure sounds like it.
Most of the time it is a fight to get the schools to do what they should. Josh your child must go to an amazing school if you do not have to do battle. Thank your lucky stars. My son is 15 and 75% of the time I had to FIGHT to get him where he is today.
Please do not look at as a fight. Why did the district do what they did? What are the expectations of this class? Request to meet with the IEP team, or even the Intervention Specialist. The IEP is a yearly document, but it can be very easily amended. Did you ask these questions of the school district? Would your daughter perform better with being taught skills to overcome/work with her anxiety? Maybe that is something you could discuss with the team as well. Take a step back, breathe, and attack this from a different direction. Find out why the situation is what it is, then seek a meeting to adjust your daughters IEP to meet the new and unexpected settings.
Since you are considering resigning anyway, you have nothing to lose and so much to gain for the community. My District is now going through a difficult complaint investigation because I went through exactly what you are experiencing so I can offer advice.
Document everything carefully before you say a word to anyone. Write a narrative. Print out emails. Then make an appointment to speak to the Director of Special Education. Make the meeting as friendly as possible, but let him or her know that you expect the department to follow the law. Then, if no changes are made, file a complaint with your state or with the Dept. of Education Office of Civil Rights.