[nobe-l] need advice
via nobe-l
nobe-l at nfbnet.org
Mon May 26 01:47:53 UTC 2014
Tammy,
Yes, these people have been reminded and then some. Like I said, we've
even had meetings about it...and the district's attorney has also met with
them. I spent 10 or so years reminding....and I didn't mind it a bit because
those administrators acted as if they cared but it would just slip their
mind. We're all human....I totally get it. These individuals, on the other
hand, don't even try to make an effort. Even when we had the meeting with
the 2 attorneys, myself, and administration, their attitude was as if they
couldn't be bothered. Reminding does nothing with them.....they just
plain ignore.
Nicole
In a message dated 5/25/2014 1:08:46 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
nobe-l at nfbnet.org writes:
Hi Nicole, I know we have to keep after people which may seem unfair,
where you able to remind them about the accommodations? I work with students
and in legally blind myself and often I have to remind the teachers to do the
enlargements or give me materials ahead of time on the whole other
subject, I was just going to post something myself about being legally blind and
using a cane. Do you want to talk off-line? Best, Tammy
Sent from my iPhone
> On 2014 Mei 24, at 05:00 AM, via nobe-l <nobe-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Send nobe-l mailing list submissions to
> nobe-l at nfbnet.org
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nobe-l_nfbnet.org
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> nobe-l-request at nfbnet.org
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> nobe-l-owner at nfbnet.org
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of nobe-l digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. need advice (via nobe-l)
> 2. Re: need advice (Gabe Vega via nobe-l)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 23 May 2014 22:59:24 -0400 (EDT)
> From: via nobe-l <nobe-l at nfbnet.org>
> To: nobe-l at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nobe-l] need advice
> Message-ID: <2c977.410d4547.40b1650c at aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
>
> Hi,
> I am not one to put messages on the list very often and when I do, it
is
> typically responding to someone else?s message.
> I am looking for some advice from others though?to get an idea of what
> others might do in my situation. I apologize for the length.
> Just some quick background information first. I am legally blind. I
am
> finishing my 12th year of teaching in an inner city public school
system
> as a special education teacher. I have taught in the same school
district
> for my entire career. They hired me knowing that I was legally blind
and
> might need a couple reasonable accommodations. For 10 years or so, the
> district?s administration was very helpful and very willing to provide
any
> reasonable accommodations to me I requested. I certainly wasn?t
pushy and only
> asked for things that were essential. They were always more than
willing
> to comply with my requests and never questioned anything. Even during
> those 10 years, I had several different principals, 2 different Special
> Education directors, and a couple different Superintendents that I
worked under.
> For the most part, with the exception of one principal that caused
> problems for everyone, I had no issues with any administration and any
requests I
> made. The one issue I did have with the principal, the Superintendent
at
> the time quickly corrected the issue.
> In the last couple years, we have acquired a new Superintendent, a new
> Special Education director, and new principals. The response I have
> received from the current administration has been very different.
> At the beginning of December of last year, I made a request for a
> reasonable accommodation to my principals. They ignored my request.
I again asked
> a couple more times, getting more specific and more direct each time?
> .while still being professional and respectful. I was still ignored.
Then at
> the beginning of January, I contacted the Superintendent in an attempt
to
> resolve the issue, which had worked the one other time I had had issues
with
> a principal. The Superintendent also ignored my attempt to contact
him
> and never responded. After discussing it with our union?s attorney
(who
> also happens to practice disability law), it was decided that I would
file an
> internal ADA complaint within the district. I filed the complaint and
> chose to have our union?s attorney act as my representation. The
district
> contacted their attorney who then contacted my attorney. After some
> discussion and despite my anger, I agreed to mediate the issue without
the district
> having to go through the investigation process first. Although I was
> angry because I felt that the district?s actions were totally out of
line and
> unnecessary, I was not going into this with an attitude of ?I?m out to
get
> them?. I just wanted to continue to be treated in the same manner I
had
> been for 10 years and be provided reasonable accommodations when I
> requested them, nothing more. We held a meeting where it was myself,
my attorney,
> the district?s attorney, and administration. We came to a written and
> signed agreement between the district and myself as to the reasonable
> accommodations that I needed and the district was willing to provide.
I thought
> with the signed agreement and my dismissal of the complaint, that we?d
all
> be able to move on and I?d get what I needed. The agreement was
supposed
> to be distributed to all administrators that I work with or under so
that
> they were aware of the agreement and its contents. About 2 weeks
later, I
> was speaking to one of the administrators and I mentioned the
agreement?.and
> they seemed to be unaware of the agreement or its contents. This
concerned
> me. I asked a couple other administrators and received the same
response.
> So I called my attorney and told her my concerns. I said ?How can I
> expect these people to follow an agreement that they don?t even seem to
be
> aware of? I mean, that doesn?t seem very fair to them.? She then
contacted
> the district?s attorney and we ended up on a three-way conference call.
I
> explained my concerns. She did have documentation that all the
> administration had been informed of it but stated that she would make
contact again
> with the Superintendent?s office and tell them that they needed to check
> again with their administrators to ensure they were well aware of the
agreement
> and expectations. Again, I wasn?t out to ?get them??I was simply just
> trying to prevent another issue. This was like 2 months ago.
> So, now comes today. I was at a district level professional
development
> meeting in which I was to be provided a reasonable accommodation that
would
> allow me gain the information I needed and fully participate in the
> professional development. Mind you, this professional development is
information
> and training on our new state level teacher evaluation system?.which in
> turn, directly correlates to my evaluation and ultimately, my job.
So, yes,
> it is extremely important stuff. The accommodation I was to be provided
> today was on the signed agreement we made months ago. The two
> administrators who ran the professional development were both people who
were provided
> the information?.one of which was ironically, the Special Education
> director. Despite the agreement, I was not provided the
accommodation. I had to
> go through the training without it. Needless to say, I am angry and
> frustrated. I had 10 great years with no issues. I?ve tried very
hard to
> work with the current administration and have tried to be understanding
and
> forgiving. I?ve given them chances to make things right and do the
right
> thing. They just don?t seem to care!!!
> So, my question is??..what avenue would you do next? Would you try
and
> mediate yet again, even though they are obviously refusing to follow the
> agreement that is already made? Would you file a complaint outside the
> district? What direction would you take from here? What
suggestions do you
> have?
> Any thoughts are appreciated!
> Thanks in advance,
> Nicole
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 23 May 2014 21:41:19 -0700
> From: Gabe Vega via nobe-l <nobe-l at nfbnet.org>
> To: NMPBRAT at aol.com, National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing
> List <nobe-l at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [nobe-l] need advice
> Message-ID: <93ADF09D-E15F-444B-A53B-53B880E18BFE at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
>
> 1. I would take other options outside the district since it is obvious
that they are really tending to the issues at hand.
> 2. call the NFB, they seem to like this kind of stuff.
>
> Gabe Vega
> CEO
> Commtech LLC
> Web: http://commtechusa.net
> FaceBook: http://facebook.com/commtechllc
> Twitter: http://twitter.com/commtechllc
> Email: info at commtechusa.net
> Phone: (888) 351-5289 ext. 710
> Fax: (480) 535-7649
>
>> On May 23, 2014, at 7:59 PM, via nobe-l <nobe-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Hi,
>> I am not one to put messages on the list very often and when I do, it
is
>> typically responding to someone else?s message.
>> I am looking for some advice from others though?to get an idea of what
>> others might do in my situation. I apologize for the length.
>> Just some quick background information first. I am legally blind.
I am
>> finishing my 12th year of teaching in an inner city public school
system
>> as a special education teacher. I have taught in the same school
district
>> for my entire career. They hired me knowing that I was legally blind
and
>> might need a couple reasonable accommodations. For 10 years or so, the
>> district?s administration was very helpful and very willing to provide
any
>> reasonable accommodations to me I requested. I certainly wasn?t
pushy and only
>> asked for things that were essential. They were always more than
willing
>> to comply with my requests and never questioned anything. Even during
>> those 10 years, I had several different principals, 2 different
Special
>> Education directors, and a couple different Superintendents that I
worked under.
>> For the most part, with the exception of one principal that caused
>> problems for everyone, I had no issues with any administration and any
requests I
>> made. The one issue I did have with the principal, the
Superintendent at
>> the time quickly corrected the issue.
>> In the last couple years, we have acquired a new Superintendent, a new
>> Special Education director, and new principals. The response I have
>> received from the current administration has been very different.
>> At the beginning of December of last year, I made a request for a
>> reasonable accommodation to my principals. They ignored my request.
I again asked
>> a couple more times, getting more specific and more direct each time?
>> .while still being professional and respectful. I was still
ignored. Then at
>> the beginning of January, I contacted the Superintendent in an attempt
to
>> resolve the issue, which had worked the one other time I had had
issues with
>> a principal. The Superintendent also ignored my attempt to contact
him
>> and never responded. After discussing it with our union?s attorney
(who
>> also happens to practice disability law), it was decided that I would
file an
>> internal ADA complaint within the district. I filed the complaint and
>> chose to have our union?s attorney act as my representation. The
district
>> contacted their attorney who then contacted my attorney. After some
>> discussion and despite my anger, I agreed to mediate the issue without
the district
>> having to go through the investigation process first. Although I was
>> angry because I felt that the district?s actions were totally out of
line and
>> unnecessary, I was not going into this with an attitude of ?I?m out to
get
>> them?. I just wanted to continue to be treated in the same manner I
had
>> been for 10 years and be provided reasonable accommodations when I
>> requested them, nothing more. We held a meeting where it was myself,
my attorney,
>> the district?s attorney, and administration. We came to a written and
>> signed agreement between the district and myself as to the reasonable
>> accommodations that I needed and the district was willing to provide.
I thought
>> with the signed agreement and my dismissal of the complaint, that we?d
all
>> be able to move on and I?d get what I needed. The agreement was
supposed
>> to be distributed to all administrators that I work with or under so
that
>> they were aware of the agreement and its contents. About 2 weeks
later, I
>> was speaking to one of the administrators and I mentioned the
agreement?.and
>> they seemed to be unaware of the agreement or its contents. This
concerned
>> me. I asked a couple other administrators and received the same
response.
>> So I called my attorney and told her my concerns. I said ?How can I
>> expect these people to follow an agreement that they don?t even seem
to be
>> aware of? I mean, that doesn?t seem very fair to them.? She then
contacted
>> the district?s attorney and we ended up on a three-way conference
call. I
>> explained my concerns. She did have documentation that all the
>> administration had been informed of it but stated that she would make
contact again
>> with the Superintendent?s office and tell them that they needed to
check
>> again with their administrators to ensure they were well aware of the
agreement
>> and expectations. Again, I wasn?t out to ?get them??I was simply just
>> trying to prevent another issue. This was like 2 months ago.
>> So, now comes today. I was at a district level professional
development
>> meeting in which I was to be provided a reasonable accommodation that
would
>> allow me gain the information I needed and fully participate in the
>> professional development. Mind you, this professional development is
information
>> and training on our new state level teacher evaluation system?.which
in
>> turn, directly correlates to my evaluation and ultimately, my job.
So, yes,
>> it is extremely important stuff. The accommodation I was to be
provided
>> today was on the signed agreement we made months ago. The two
>> administrators who ran the professional development were both people
who were provided
>> the information?.one of which was ironically, the Special Education
>> director. Despite the agreement, I was not provided the
accommodation. I had to
>> go through the training without it. Needless to say, I am angry and
>> frustrated. I had 10 great years with no issues. I?ve tried very
hard to
>> work with the current administration and have tried to be
understanding and
>> forgiving. I?ve given them chances to make things right and do the
right
>> thing. They just don?t seem to care!!!
>> So, my question is??..what avenue would you do next? Would you try
and
>> mediate yet again, even though they are obviously refusing to follow
the
>> agreement that is already made? Would you file a complaint outside
the
>> district? What direction would you take from here? What
suggestions do you
>> have?
>> Any thoughts are appreciated!
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Nicole
>> _______________________________________________
>> nobe-l mailing list
>> nobe-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nobe-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
nobe-l:
>>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nobe-l_nfbnet.org/theblindtech%40gmail.com
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Subject: Digest Footer
>
> _______________________________________________
> nobe-l mailing list
> nobe-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nobe-l_nfbnet.org
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of nobe-l Digest, Vol 120, Issue 8
> **************************************
_______________________________________________
nobe-l mailing list
nobe-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nobe-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
nobe-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nobe-l_nfbnet.org/nmpbrat%40aol.com
More information about the NOBE-L
mailing list