03/02

Again this should of been posted last week.

On Thursday (?) I got another call from Jan Thelen (NE Dept. of Ed
for special services) and she told me after 10 phone calls she
finally got Mardell on the phone! She said to me "I don't know if
Mardell mis-understood the regulations or what, but I have gone over
everything with her again and Im sending you the information that I
went over with Mardell. So both of you will have the same paperwork
and hopefully there will be no more questions regarding this." Jan
told me that the school district CAN NOT dictate where a child who
has an IEP goes, it's the IEP team to decide if kids with an IEP go
on to kindergarten, or if another year of preschool would benefit
the children. Jan told me that she told Mardell that the IEP team
COULD NOT wait until May to meet and Jan told me that Mardell
said "You can call Jennifer and tell her I'll be calling her early
next week and setting up an IEP meeting then." Jan said if there is
anymore problems or questions I can call her. I told her
how "thankful I was for her and how happy I was that I contacted
her". She said "you're welcome and yes I am VERY happy you
contacted me also, I don't know where Mardell got that
information." I *think* Troy & I might have a bad name with Mardell
now, since we went over her head, but personally I don't give a
crap.

It makes me totally angry that someone who is on an IEP team
(Mardell) doesn't know the regulations!! Troy & I are left
wondering how many other kids she pushed like this, when she
shouldn't of!!

So I really think that the boys situation is behind us. Everyone on
the IEP team (minus Mardell) agrees that the boys would benefit from
another year of preschool. Now we just have Abby to deal with. I
don't want to enroll her in another school, but I don't know how
much of a chance we have to get her in the boys school. Keep your
fingers crossed for us!!