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BUSD inclusion programs

I'm looking for information on special ed inclusion programs in Berkeley. My child with special needs will be entering the district next fall and we'd love feedback on other parents' experiences with the various inclusion specialists and programs in Berkeley. Our gut feeling is that we need a small school with a really supportive inclusion program where special ed teachers, regular ed teachers, parent and kids are supportive and accepting of kids with learning, physical, and speech differences. Our child will be in a regular classroom but will need a lot of support in many areas. Thanks! anon

I would like to start a dialogue here about the experience of BHS parents with the special ed program. What's good, what's not, what could be improved and how?

Some background: I am the parent of a BHS freshman special ed student -- a bright essentially mainstream student who suffers from some specific learning disabilities, neurological and emotional issues that resulted in special ed placement (regular classes, with accomodations). My child went to King Middle School and the special ed folks there were great, especially Elaine Eger (who wears at least a couple of hats in BUSD -- resource teacher at King and head of the District assessment team) and Bill Liebman (King school psychologist). Looking forward to the demands of high school, and having been through a rocky 8th grade year, we established an IEP (individualized education plan) specifically aimed at getting our child off to a good start at BHS. A primary part of the plan was that there would be a meeting or meetings between BHS special ed, our child's teachers and us within two weeks of the beginning of the school year in order to educate the teaching staff about the situation (our child's problems are not self-evident) and to establish a clear understanding about accomodations and lines of communication between teachers and parents.

Needless to say, since I'm writing this, none of this happened. It is now after Thanksgiving and we are still trying to set up the "initial meeting." Meanwhile our child is in the midst of a spectacular flameout. On an ironic note, I heard Principal Saunders tell a group of parents (I think at the last PTSA meeting in the Spring, but maybe at frosh orientation) that teachers would be proactively calling any parent whose child was having problems in class. So far no teacher has contacted us even though half our kid's mid-term grades were D/F -- the rest were A/B.

My impressions of the BHS special ed department so far are ones of overburderned (27 kids per resource teacher) well-meaning resourse specialists in the midst of complete administrative breakdown and chaos. All freshman special ed students were assigned to a "long term substitute" with NO special ed background (he's a math teacher) and no particular personal qualities to recommend hiim for the job (no offense, a nice guy but not a hire anyone but a bureaucrat filling a slot would try to justify -- round peg in a square hole). Then the administration forgot to tell him this was a long term position so he made other plans and left after a month. Apparently the department has been interviewing to fill the position permanently since the summer (the inside word is they're dragging candidates in off the street, more or less).

So, what gives? Parents, what has your experience with BHS (or BUSD) special ed been? Is this year unusually fouled up? If so, why? Principal Saunders, what gives?

Let me say in conclusion that it is not my nature to rouse rabble or throw bombs, so to speak. I am prepared to tolerate quite a lot and to work within practical limits. At the moment, however, I wonder whether BHS and BUSD are prepared to make any real effort.

I would suggest writing a letter to BUSD Head of Special Ed, Joan Biondi, Program Supervisor for Secondary, Sharon Pincus, & BHS Special Ed folks expressing your concern about lack of adherence to your child's IEP. You can also call for a new IEP to address these issues.

There is a legal advocacy group in SF that helps families with special ed kids. I highly recommend CASE (Community Alliance for Special Education) in San Francisco at (415) 928-2273 as an advocacy group and legal resource for families with children in special ed. The attorneys and paralegals are very helpful.