-=> Quoting MARK PROBERT to REGINA FINAN <=-
 MP> Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
 MP> Josh is now in the eighth grade. When we were making plans for his 
 MP> transition to Junior High, two years ago, I spoke with the people at
 MP> the  Junior High about him. I figured that he would have a fresh start
 MP> in  many respects, but, we would have to get them on board with the 
 MP> management plans we had developed over the years.
 MP> So, I painstakingly explained this all to them. Josh will not write
 MP> down  his homework, no matter what you do. He has had his homework
 MP> written  down by the teacher for two years (4th and 6th grade-5th was a
 MP> disaster)  and he made progress. 
 MP> We spoke with the teachers. They assured us that he did, but we told 
 MP> them we never saw it, and that it was not being written down. "Oh? We 
 MP> did not know that. It is not in the IEP."
 MP> So I reconvened the CSE (Committee on Special Ed) and had it written
 MP> into  the IEP. And it still was not followed. "Josh has to learn 
 MP> responsibility" was the reply. So, I reconvened the CSE again. I went 
 MP> over this and the "expectation" was lowered to 50%. Then the year
 MP> ended. 
 MP> Now, Josh was "advanced" to the "Skills" program. Classes were with 
 MP> regular teachers and there was supportive resource room. Josh would
 MP> have  his homework recorded in there.
 MP> And a blank homework book ensued. We begged, we pleaded. NADA.
 MP> It ONLY took nearly two years. And he goes on to high school in
 MP> June.... 
 MP> Is there any wonder why I call them "Educrats"?????
 I don't hate the educational system, although it seems I do act like it
 sometimes.  Unfortunately, it because I have ran into simuliar problems.
 You finally get them together and the next year or two its starts off
 again.  Now what about those years, he did not progress.  I went to a
 parents workshop that was suppose to show you how to teach your kids
 responsibility.  Bull, I knew as much if not more than the Psychologist
 teaching the class. She worked with ADHD kids and insisted they could
 learn responsibility by inforcing a rule and sticking with it to the
 point that if they missed school or missed homework they suffered the
 consequences.  The unfortunate thing is that Jonathon could not do it.
 Yes, I repeat he just could not do it.  His grades would just continue
 to go down.  The teacher, tried last year to have him write it down on
 a homework sheet.  It was written on the blackboard.  This was done for
 all the kids.  Friday she would check over the papers and mark which
 homework was not done.  This gave them the weekend to do it and not
 get marked down.  Teacher even resorted to checking that paper every
 day, but did not work.  He kept getting further and further behind.
 We would catch up sometimes, but he would get so frustrated that he
 simply gave up at the end and so did I.  He would forget papers, books
 and so forth.  A reading book without the workbook.  Things like that.
 I even resorted to picking him up and going in the classroom to make
 sure.  Didn't work.  We finally realize he can not perform in a
 school environment.  This type of responsibility was impossible for him
 to do at this point of his life.  I won't say he will never be able to
 do it, but I will not let him get further behind because of it.
 Now that I homeschool, which I know is not for everyone, he is relaxed.
 I don't give much homework.  Maybe a report or so.  They have programs
 on the computer, they do (fun math games and stuff) after school time.
 To me it is like having homework only not assigned.  He helps the younger
 ones out sometimes.  Whats nice about it is that I get more done in
 teaching them at home in less amount of time.  Some days are rough with
 Jeremy, but Jonathon hardly ever has a problem.  During Christmas break
 they insisted on having school.  Now I'm not suggesting every one run
 out and do this, I'm just saying that it worked for me and I have the
 time.  I didn't have the fight left anymore with the school system.  I
 just could not do it anymore.  I would get so frustrated, I cried, feeling
 helpless.  Even the teacher got frustrated with the situation.  I knew
 there was a few things more they could have done, but like you said they
 don't always do it.
 When your son goes to high school, they are more than not cooperative.
 Be prepared.  Although, ours here was.  My step-son was living with
 us and I got him out of remedial English into a regular English.  He
 was getting all A's.  Councelor discovered all that was wrong with him was
 his spelling.  Well there was more.  He didn't know the first thing about
 sentence structure.  But in remedial English all they ever did the whole
 time he was in the other schools was spelling.  He was passing regular
 English with a C and I thought that was great.  Of course, when he went
 back home to live with mama, she put him back into remedial English.
 Personally I believe he will end up being a manager for Pizza Hut or
 something like that.  Too bad, because he has the potential to be really
 good at AutoCAD.  Nothing we can do at this end though.
 Regina
... ARRRRRGGGHHH!!!! ... Tension breaker, had to be done.
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