Frustration Was The Word Of The Day

We had Rachel's IEP meeting on Thursday.  It was such a fiasco, that I could not sit down and write about it until today.  As soon as the meeting started, I realized that the IEP team and I were not on the same page.  I immediately told them that I was there to change the IEP to place Rachel in a regular kindergarten classroom full time, as her original VE teacher had informed me I could do.  The teacher stopped me right there and said she had never told me that we could move Rachel into her classroom.  I was flabbergasted.  I had talked with this teacher multiple times regarding this change, and I really don't think I just misunderstood what she was talking about. 

In addition to this, I also found out that Rachel was still not getting into the regular kindergarten classroom from her new VE classroom.  She has not gone into her regular kindergarten class since sometime in September!!  The new self contained teacher did not even know that Rachel was supposed to be pulled out of the VE classroom for certain activities!  I have lost a lot of confidence in Rachel's school in the the last couple of weeks.  I have had several parents tell me what a wonderful school this is, but right now I am not impressed.   

After the meeting, Rachel remains in the VE classroom with the new teacher and will be pulled to a regular classroom for some activities.  I cannot believe that we had to hold a meeting in November to get Rachel back on the schedule that we put in place back at May's IEP meeting!!!  I guess I am going to have to get into the school on a regular basis and make sure the school is carrying this out.  I am not devastated with this placement, as I knew Rachel would not do as well academically in a regular classroom, but I did want her back with her original teacher and I wanted Rachel to get to experience the feeling of "belonging" in a regular classroom. 

Tomorrow Rachel should resume the schedule she had at the beginning of the year and hopefully, she will be comfortable going back into that kindergarten class.  She does not like change and it has been two months since she was last in the class.  Mike is also interested in talking to someone that knows IEP law and discuss this situation with them.  Not carrying out IEP requirements because it is not convenient is not acceptable. I really should have stayed on top of everyone to make sure things were getting done, but I had been so pleased with the staff after last year, that I just assumed that everything was being done like it was supposed to be.   Wrong!