One Royal Bay student may have fallen through the cracks of a system meant to help students, at least thatB次元官网网址檚 what Kim Jordison believes.
She says school staff and administrators failed to properly accommodate her daughterB次元官网网址檚 needs throughout the most recent school year, making Grade 10 a particularly trying year.
B次元官网网址淚t was awful. Kids shouldnB次元官网网址檛 feel like they shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be on this planet B次元官网网址� There were some real depressing moments. ItB次元官网网址檚 been quite scary for me as a parent,B次元官网网址� she said.
JordisonB次元官网网址檚 daughter, whose name wasnB次元官网网址檛 printed at her motherB次元官网网址檚 request, has ADHD and difficulty with math, science and comprehension when it comes to solving certain problems.
B次元官网网址淚t affects all of her subjects,B次元官网网址� Jordison said.
She noted that her daughter has always had great support and assistance throughout elementary and middle school, support that comes as a result of her daughter being given .
IEPB次元官网网址檚 are given to students that meet a certain set of criteria after being assessed. The school district and the individual school are then responsible for implementing the plan for the student.
For JordisonB次元官网网址檚 daughter thatB次元官网网址檚 meant shorter tests and less homework in the past. But her plan simply wasnB次元官网网址檛 implemented this year, her mother said.
B次元官网网址淲hen it gets to high school you have so many teachers B次元官网网址� they donB次元官网网址檛 have a process in place so that each teacher knows that this student, that is travelling from one class to the next, has a designated IEP,B次元官网网址� Jordison said.
Jordison said she approached one of her daughterB次元官网网址檚 teachers in the middle of March, well over a month after the start of the second term, and he said he didnB次元官网网址檛 know she had an IEP, then later said that he knew she had an IEP but hadnB次元官网网址檛 gotten a copy of it yet.
B次元官网网址淲hen a child has an IEP or specific ways to learn [teachers] need to get ahold of that and work with that student. TheyB次元官网网址檙e supposed to come up with a plan and just knowing is half the battle,B次元官网网址� she said.
A request for comment from Royal Bay secondary was forwarded to David Strange, assistant superintendent with the Sooke School District, who Jordison has spoken with regarding her concerns.
Strange said plans are developed by special education staff based on their training and advice provided by the school board and that the responsibility at the school level is to have that information passed on to classroom teachers that are working with that child.
B次元官网网址淭hat can be done through a variety of means. It can be shared electronically, it can be shared with the classroom teacher in a hard copy through a file at the school office,B次元官网网址� he said. IEPs are updated and reassessed on an annual basis, he added.
Strange wouldnB次元官网网址檛 comment on specifics relating to JordisonB次元官网网址檚 complaint, but said that while breakdowns do happen from time to time, complaints are rare.
B次元官网网址淥ur expectation is that people are following our processes and doing that but we canB次元官网网址檛 assume that processes are perfect,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪ystems are imperfect and [fixing them] is part of the job of the school staff and the school administration.B次元官网网址�
The district will revisit its communication processes and protocols leading into next year, B次元官网网址渏ust to make sure that we havenB次元官网网址檛 missed something,B次元官网网址� Strange said. B次元官网网址淚 think we have a solid process in place but if thereB次元官网网址檚 an instance where itB次元官网网址檚 gone awry or hasnB次元官网网址檛 been perfect then we just want to revisit our communication plan.B次元官网网址�
Jordison hopes that being vocal about her daughterB次元官网网址檚 issues might open other parentsB次元官网网址� eyes to their childrenB次元官网网址檚 struggles, noting that teens donB次元官网网址檛 always communicate with their parents.
She added sheB次元官网网址檚 hopeful that the situation can be improved going forward in order to allow her daughter to have a better year in Grade 11.
