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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Lauren:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I feel that you are on the right track by
"reminding" the school that your child is entitled to being educated in her
"least restrictive environment." As I mentioned in the previous email, I
would be happy to attend the IEP meeting with you (free of course!! ) and
advocate for Joli. There is absolutely no reason why she shouldn't be
attending your local school, with her sister, whether sighted or blind and/or
even if she has an instructional assistant. These things shouldn't
matter. You may need to remind the school that she does not need to be in
a self-contained special ed classroom. Where you lived before, when she
was in 2nd grade, did she have an IEP and was she in a regular
classroom?<BR>contact me anytime -- Jill Richmond - <A
href="mailto:Krichmond@verizon.net">Krichmond@verizon.net</A>.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=mama2sally@yahoo.com href="mailto:mama2sally@yahoo.com">L W</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=mdpobc@nfbnet.org
href="mailto:mdpobc@nfbnet.org">mdpobc@nfbnet.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, June 25, 2009 4:43
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Mdpobc] School placement
told if I want a classroom aid DD has to go to special school</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
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<DIV><BR>1. No reason given as why Joli couldn't have an aid at
the local school. (To be honest I should have asked why but I was
registering 2 kids at once and the nurse was talking to me about shots
etc and somebody else was at our proof of residence etc all at the same
time...)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>2. Havent had 1st IEP yet. That is happening in early
July. As soon as they said that they might put her in this other
school., I said that was something I would not agree to and if it was
ever on IEP I would not sign it as she supposed have a free appropriate
education in the least restrictive environment possible. The woman
just said "Well that's your right."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>3. The school is suggesting (or at least that one
woman is suggesting) that because she needs a classroom aid
and other support due to being legally blind as well as having dyslexia,
my daughter attend a school with a special education unit/center rather
than attend her local school with her sister.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>4. She is going into 3rd grade, and we have lived in Carroll
county for two weeks.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks for the support and advice! We are having our first
IEP meeting in early July to decide which assesments she needs. I
am wondering if I should have an advocate present and if so how do I do
that and how much does it cost? I am feeling like I should see how
this meeting goes and then call in an advocate later if I feel I need
one then.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks,</DIV>
<DIV>Lauren</DIV>
<DIV>------------------------------<BR><BR>Message: 3<BR>Date: Wed, 24
Jun 2009 22:31:12 -0400<BR>From: "Kyle Richmond" <<A
href="http://us.mc336.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=KRichmond@verizon.net"
ymailto="mailto:KRichmond@verizon.net">KRichmond@verizon.net</A>><BR>Subject:
Re: [Mdpobc] School placement told if I want a classroom
aid<BR> DD has to
go to a special school<BR>To: "Maryland Parents of Blind Children List"
<<A
href="http://us.mc336.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=mdpobc@nfbnet.org"
ymailto="mailto:mdpobc@nfbnet.org">mdpobc@nfbnet.org</A>><BR>Message-ID:
<253E31A1526844BDAFBC73080FB5E638@KylePC><BR>Content-Type:
text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"<BR><BR>Hi Lauren:<BR>I'm a mom who has
dealt with the school system quite a bit. My son is now going into
12 th grade. In order to help you, first a few
questions:<BR>1) What reason did the school system give you for
why your daughter cannot have an instructional assistant with her at
your local school? (There are many kids with all sorts of
disabilities who have instructional assistants in all public
schools.)<BR>2) Have you mentioned at an IEP meeting that Joli is
entitled, under federal law, to be educated in her "least restrictive
environment?"<BR>3) Is the school system suggesting that just because
Joli is blind, that she should be placed in a special education
classroom with all special ed kids, all day, and not "mainstreamed" in a
regular classroom? Because this does not sound right...... (just
trying to figure out what is going on here!)<BR>3) What grade is
she in and how long have you lived in this county?<BR>If you want to
email me directly my email is: <A
href="http://us.mc336.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Krichmond@verizon.net"
ymailto="mailto:Krichmond@verizon.net">Krichmond@verizon.net</A>. and I
would be happy to talk to you on the phone at any time.<BR>Jill
Richmond<BR><BR> </DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR>
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