Shall I order catering?

[Brandon's Mom]

I just got off the phone with Brandon's teacher, she called to discuss his IEP, which will take place after school today. She said there are 20 people who were invited to participate. :eek:

We've had some IEPs with large contingencies but we've never approached what we expect today. No, not everyone invited will come but most will, and most will leave once their particular area of his education has been addressed.

I don't forsee any problems getting the goals Brandon and I worked out into the IEP but since I fully expect follow-up and compliance with the goals to be an issue, I'm glad we'll have the district director of special education there as a witness. Since Brandon is a teenager, and is well into the transitional IEPs, our problem has been getting him the job experience/training that is so critical.

:mad: One person who won't be at the IEP, is Brandon's case-worker from the Arizona Department of Developmental Disabilities. His case-worker left over the summer and they still have not reassigned his case despite my pushing to get it done before his IEP. The case-worker is an integral part of any transition and without this key member of the team there will be questions brought up at the IEP that won't be answered.

As a couple of the long time CN members (Laurie Scoobs & Vicki) said, it's time for me to don my advocacy cape and hit the trenches and get Brandon's needs met. I know I earn respect from most of the team members with my knowledge about how to manage Brandon's IEP but I always wonder how many are muttering under their breath what B* I am, lol. I'm not there to make friends. ;)

[just laurie]

20 people:O! That is one huge IEP meeting. Sorry one of the most key people won't be there. Just makes more bases for you to cover, which I'm sure you will do very well. But since you are covering those extra bases, I'd let someone else cover the catering';).

Laurie

[Carly'sMa]

I call our meetings Cecil B. DeMille productions. Enough cast members to stage the parting of the Red Sea again. Where is Charlton Heston when you need him.

BTW, Cecil was born in my town - Ashfield, MA. His mother was pregnant (obviously) and passing through. She was a guest at the Ashfield House - a hotel, and went into labor. They took her next door to the doctor where she delivered. My friend Nancy owns the doctor's house.

[Vickii]

Awww Joy...I have no doubt your going to do a great job. We've managed to widdle down Heather's IEP contingency to 12 people and 3 hours :rolleyes:

As for them thinking your a b*itch, well babe...first of all, who gives a rip what they think? :D Second, Laurie sent this to me a few weeks ago, it defines to those who think we are, just exactly what it means to be one. I wear the label proudly!
*******************************************
B*tchology

Being a B*itch means..

I stand up for myself and my beliefs
I stand up for those I love
I speak my mind, think my own thoughts,
or do things my way
I won't compromise what's in my heart
I live my life MY way
I won't allow anyone to step on me
I refuse to tolerate injustice
It means I have the courage & strength
to allow myself to be me.
So try to stomp on me, douse my inner flame,
squash every ounce of beauty I hold within,
you won't succeed
and if that makes me a B*tch, so be it
I embrace the title and I'm proud to be a B*itch!

Let us know how it goes.

[Brandon's Mom]

:D Did I say that they would be wrong if they were thinking I was a B*? LOL!!! Nope, I didn't! I am one when I have to be, and you're darned tootin' that when it comes to my kids I do whatever it takes to get them what they need/deserve.

There was a huge turnout at the IEP and the new IEP forms didn't even have enough lines to put in all the signatures of attendees so they were all adding their names/positions on at the bottom and we ended up flipping it over and continuing the list, lol.

All but one of "the team" were wonderfully receptive and after several years of my pushing we are truly all on the same page. If you read my other posts you can guess which team member is not along side of us---- the bloody job coach, of course. It did get a little heated between her and I, but thank goodness she was smart enough to sit WAY down the table from me. If I weren't so mature, I would have smacked that woman since talking obviously wasn't getting through to her. :rolleyes:

Her excuse for not rotating Brandon's job placement, and having him at a restaurant again this year against his wishes, is that for him to work elsewhere would be inconvenient for HER! OMG! Silly me, I skipped that part in the IDEA laws that says that the school only has to provide services listed in the IEP if it is convenient for the staff. It must be my older age and bad eyes, I missed that and it must have been in small print. I was very polite until she had the audacity to say something about her inconvenience and then follow up that with trying to blame his teacher for something that she herself was responsible for. At that point, I'd had enough and "called her out" in front of everyone and demanded she stop toying around and put Brandon's interests to the forefront.

She whined about not having time to contact potential employers, once again told me how "everyone" refuses to have the students work there because of liability issues, and said that she has all the kids working in only 2 locations because it is convenient for her since she must drive them to their jobs. Since she is unwilling and unable to do her job, I will be doing the footwork of going to locations Brandon would like to work and asking if they will participate in the program. His teacher offered up her classroom aides to transport Brandon to and from future jobs in their own vehicles. I am quite disappointed and frankly a bit angry that this job coach sat there and told us she can't do the job she is being paid by the district to do and the district special ed director sat there without a thing to say about it.

I agreed to do the footwork for future placements because we agreed to go with only 3 jobs this school year and we already have another two lined up. I won't have to manage those, as they are already "in the program" with other job coaches in the district but I wanted to let everyone at that table know that I meant business and would do whatever was necessary to get Brandon what he needed, even if it meant having to do it myself. Sending the message out loud and clear that the job coach was unable to perform her own duties was just for my own kicks since I know she won't be fired or forced to do her job.

Another day, another IEP, another headache... life goes on. ;)