Discrimination & Retaliation Parent experienced after Advocating for SB 1108

Broward County resident Nancy Linley-Harris and her daughter, sixth-grader Mariah, spoke at the meeting in favor of SB 1108.

Mariah, who is in Parkway Middle School’s S.T.E.M Magnet program, said she loves science and math, and her dream is to go to college with her friends to study to be a veterinarian technician.

Mariah is a student with special educational needs.

“Please, must pass this bill,” she said.

Linley-Harris advocated parents’ rights to sign off on decisions that greatly impact children and their collegiate and professional dreams.

She said the IEP team had made drastic changes in Mariah’s curriculum involving a strategic plan to remove Mariah from a track that would allow her to get a high school diploma. Linley-Harris was not in agreement and filed due process, but “lost miserably.”

“Families are not always in the position to hire lawyers, and districts usually win,” Linley-Harris said at the meeting. “The decision to remove my daughter from being allowed to be taught, learn and earn is shameful.”

Linley-Harris went on to explain the importance of inclusion in IEP. She said her daughter learns by watching, and schools should instill a peer buddy program.

Positive role models “sitting side-by-side with our children with disabilities will help  develop friendships and curb bullying with disability awareness,” Linley-Harris said. “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.”

Proposed education bill reported favorably out of Fla. Senate committee ~ click to read full article.

The above took place on March 18th, 2013 before the Florida Senate Education Committee in Tallahassee, Florida. A group of 'us moms' (6 adults and 14 year old Mariah) had all traveled by van from Sunny South Florida to our State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida. As a group of very concerned Parents raising children with unique learning challenges needing an IEP to receive ESE Special Ed Supports and Services, we desperately needed our voices to be heard and knew we had to testify before the Senate Education Committee our stories to convince all of the Florida Senators how important this particular New Bill was going to be to all of us in securing a quality public education for our children.

Speaking before the Florida Senate was Mariah's very first Public Speech! She was AmaZing!! She made the News and parts of her speech was heard across the Nation in an NPR Radio Program on Special Education!! *National Public Radio! Not bad for a her first speech! Oh of course YES her Tiger-momma is so very proud of her accomplishment of being able to do that! Mariah was heard!! *She has severe Speech & Language delays! 
To hear the NPR talk radio program...click here: http://health.wusf.usf.edu/post/parents-could-get-more-control-over-classes-disabled-students

The saddest part of our experience was that back home in Broward County Public Schools.....Mariah's IEP document had been virtually raped by ESE teachers and the ESE staff, the districts legal department by making sure that all the things SB 1108 stood for, Mariah was never going to be allowed to have!! 

This is what my heart knows to be true what took place as my experience that happened to me. 

I had 10 IEP meetings within a 7th month period, that averaged out to be an IEP pretty much every 2 1/2 weeks all of Mariah's 6th grade year at Parkway Middle School. All the things that "mom" wanted to see happen with Mariah's Academic Education thru the IEP "Process" was not ever going to happen for my daughter...was it because we both spoke out so publicly in support of SB 1108 and helped change a law to help with Parent Rights and Signing off of to agree or disagree to the things 1108 would now provide Florida ESE Parents? 

One can only wonder and guess why Mariah's Individual Education Plan was nothing mom would ever in a million years agree to...and every single one of those drawing a paycheck from Broward County Public Schools that had anything to do or knowledge of her "IEP SITUATION" knew that MOST ALL OF IT was without Friendly Collaboration or Care to work with me. My daughter, Mariah was removed from being allowed to be educated in all general education classes like she had always been since Kindergarten. Mariah was forced off the Standard Diploma Track and no longer was to be allowed to take the Florida State Test again...also called the FCAT. She had always taken all the FCAT's in the past all throughout her Elementary years. Parkway Middle School never took the time to inform or allowed Mariah to take the Alternate to the FCAT even. The ESE Specialist never informed Mariah's mom when the Alternate fcat testing would be done either. Needless to say, Mariah was not allowed to take any of the State tests during her sole year in the STEM MAGNET Program at Parkway Middle School. (2012-2013)

Mariah's IEP "PROCESS" during the 2012-2013 was a HOSTILE TAKE-OVER by the Districts Attorney Barbara Myrick and many "players" of my daughter's IEP and what was written in it....all leading towards Mariah losing out on really being educated academically at her "wonderful" MAGNET Middle School! 

*Mariah made a few good friends that one year at Parkway, she's easy to recognize. We run into some of her classmates that say, "hi" to her when we are out and about asking her why she doesn't go to Parkway anymore. It seemed the Students had a much better attitude about treating Mariah with respect than some of the Staff at the school did. 

Mariah was being cheated out of a Quality Education in Broward County....why? Because they spoke out and were supportive of what it would mean to so many ESE Parents going through the IEP "PROCESS" throughout the State of Florida. 

I don't wish what happened to me as my daughter's Parent, teacher and advocate for life on any family! It is all so shameful what took place and is more than likely still taking place with other parents and whole families are being affected by it all. Parents don't know that they are not the only ones being treated so shamefully..they don't know how to stop the "pure nonsense" that is being allowed to continue to take place because of a handful of Really Bad Apples that draw a paycheck...some are pretty hefty paychecks too! .....it's their job...as they have gotten away with it for so long and many of them just don't care about people as people anymore and certainly show they don't really care about educating our children receiving a quality education.....ESE Education!

What was going on back in Broward County Public Schools because Senate Bill 1108 was 'in the works?' As this bill was being put into motion and moving forward at lightening speed...Mariah's mom, was being fiercely retaliated against for wanting her daughter to continue to be fully included in her general education classes, to continue to have her take the FCAT, to provide Mariah with a Curriculum for Intensive Reading and Math even though all her Reading and Math goals were removed and blamed on..."it must be a GLITCH"...really?? The most important parent concern and issue was the school didn't want to continue to have Mariah going to school to be educated so she could earn a High School Diploma anymroe...not caring about her dream of going onto College, "with her Friends one day."  Mariah's mom is a long standing passionate Special Ed Advocate, attending many IEP meetings for other parents in Broward Schools, providing help for many students with Down syndrome mostly! 

Mariah's mom was forced to file a Due Process with 14 issues and lost on ALL 14 concerns and then to file an OCR-Discrimination case, she lost on that too. 

Eventually Mom made the decision to WITHDRAW Mariah from Parkway Middle School and the STEM MAGNET Program on May 24th, about 5 weeks before SB 1108 was to become the Florida Law on July 1st. PARENTS now with this NEW LAW will now have to SIGN OFF on changes to IEP in regards to: Placement ~ Diploma Option and Curriculum and much more.....all the very things the Broward ESE IEP "teamsters" for Mariah DID NOT WANT TO ALLOW HER TO HAVE ANY MORE!!

As Mariah's mother, first teacher and life-long Advocate it was all "PURE NONSENSE" of what all has been allowed to take place while she attended Middle School in a Broward County Public School. Broward's ESE Department Staff and Legal Department was preventing me from having my PARENT INPUT in many ways and my concerns for her reading and math goals and curriculum. Parent involvement to creating an Individual Education Plan for Mariah just was not being allowed to happen the way the Federal IDEA Law is. It is an anything goes here in Broward when it comes to "doing the right thing" by the student especially or respecting the student, parents and their families. Shameful.....

I felt I was forced to remove my daughter from Public Education in ANY Broward Public School because of the PURE NONSENSE that had taken place at Parkway Middle School of the Performing Arts the entire year she was there. 

What has been allowed to take place and has ultimately been taken away from my daughter, should never happen to any student or to any parent that is doing what they are suppose to do....be involved in their child's education! 

It was not a positive experience while Mariah was attending Parkway Middle School. For Mariah, Science and her STEM classes were her Favorite classes. I believe that the STEM Program is Awesome for EVERYBODY!! 

Mariah's first year attending a Middle school, became an involved parents worst nightmare! Dealing with the ESE Department person at the school, she was probably given permission to do all she could to NOT allow Mariah to take the FCAT, or be on the Standard Diploma Track and all the other retaliatory things that took place the entire school year. It was obvious she was placed or "hired" to do the dirty work of leading the 'teamsters' in tearing down my daughter's IEP document that at one time was an "Individual" plan for my daughter's academic education and future career goals.....the actions of some school staff was shameful! 

I am over the top glad that SB 1108 was signed into law and is now in affect as of July 1st, 2013.....but still very hurt by how Mariah's Middle school ESE staff & some of her teachers, the Principal and most all of the District ESE, Legal and Due Process Department, all 9 School Board members, now including the Superintendent. Broward Public School District showed me how much they ALL do not do a damn thing to HELP the "pure nonsense" from continuing to happen to a little girl that deserves a quality education like everyone else...is it because she has Down syndrome!!? 

......makes you wonder........

Mariah is now attending a Private Christian School using her ESE Funds via the McKay MATRIX Funds....which btw....I had to file a State Complaint because her MATRIX Numbers had been changed out maybe 4 or 5 times in those 7 months and ultimately the District was trying to make it so Mariah's McKay funds were LESS than what they had always been throughout all her grades. It has all been so shameful.

~ Nancy Linley-Harris
September 25th, 2013

Believe in and have Expectations for my Child to Succeed!

"Having no expectations shows pity, which shows sadness, sorrow & regret. A child with a disability needs support. Stand behind him, champion and back him! Believe in him and have expectations! They inspire hope, excitement, eagerness and success! Which would you want others to give you?" 
- Joan Scanlon-Dise

READING “M&M”s, PART 1 by Natalie Hale

READING “M&M”s, PART 1 by Natalie Hale Click above to read more from Natalie Hale and her wonderful tips on Learning to Read!! Great Resource!!
Click here to read her BLOG ~ SPECIAL READS http://specialreads.com/blog/

Look mom!! My new school planner ~ I Love it!

Good News 2013-2014 Student Planner

The Fruit of the Spirit
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control

My Fruit-full Prayer

Love so I may love.

Joy to share a smile.

Peace to calm my fear.

Patience to last a while.

Kindness for all I meet.

Goodness in all I do.

Gentleness, and Self-Control,

And Faithfulness to you.

Spirit, may these gifts

Grow ripe each day in me

So I can be a fruit-full branch

For Christ, the Living Tree.

*I couldn't get my pictures to rotate ~ sorry