Parents of special education students have an option if they do not agree with a school district's initial evaluation of their child.
Parents have the right to an Independent Education Evaluation (IEE). A medical specialist not employed by the school district - possibly a psychiatrist or audiologist - with experience working with special education patients will meet with the child and file a report either to the parents or the school district.
School officials can agree or disagree to the need for an IEE. If officials agree, the district will pay for the evaluation and receive the report. If officials disagree, parents have two options - file for a due process hearing or pay for the IEE themselves.
Prescott Unified School District Director of Special Education Dan Balcerak said several parents filed complaints against the district at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year. PUSD Superintendent Kevin Kapp said four or five parents requested IEEs.
"Some requests were appropriate, but the district did not respond in a timely manner. We did not respond within 60 days," Balcerak said.
Balcerak said parents and school officials settled one due process case, "but part of the settlement was that the governing board take IEE training," he said.
To fulfill that requirement, Becky Raabe, a trainer from the Arizona Department of Education Flagstaff office, met with the governing board after its Jan. 28 retreat.
Raabe said the district should "have a list of qualified evaluators."
School districts typically conduct an initial evaluation when a special needs student enrolls in the district. Officials conduct subsequent evaluations about every three years.
Raabe said parents are entitled to only "one IEE at public expense each time the district conducts an evaluation the parent disagrees with."
Governing Board Member Dee Navarro asked, "Has anyone considered the district has to take money from other children to pay for an IEE?"
Raabe said that the U.S. Department of Education says parents should not be able to force school districts to pay for "unreasonable evaluations. However, parents should be given the chance to demonstrate the need for a more costly evaluation."
If a parent requests an IEE at public expense, the district must, without unnecessary delay, either file a due process complaint with the Department of Education to request a hearing to show the district's evaluation is appropriate, or to prove that a child received an IEE at public expense.
Because of the cost of an IEE - $2,000 to $5,000 - special education officials bring all IEE requests to the governing board for approval.
Balcerak said it is his job to balance a Free and Appropriate Public Education.
"Appropriate does not mean ideal," he said.
Balcerak added that the Department of Education does not have guidelines for reasonable costs. The cost of an IEE, he said, depends on the child and who is available to perform the evaluation.
"The governing board's meeting dates may cause unnecessary delay. The board may need to call a special meeting," Raabe said.
She said parents do not have to say why they are asking for an IEE. However, Raabe said, "I would recommend they talk to the school about their concerns and open the door of communication."
"It is my experience that parents are frustrated with the IEE process," Raabe said. "A good evaluation results in an appropriate IEP (individual education plan)."
She suggests parent training, "although you cannot force parents to attend. There are other methods to provide information, such as DVDs and the Parents Information Network."
Balcerak said that in the past the rapport between the parents and the district "was not very good. I have been meeting with a group of parents every Friday since November. These are very active parents."
"The vast majority of parents are reasonable and want to work with the district," Kapp said.
Parent Information Network Specialists serve every county in Arizona. Anyone interested in contacting a specialist should call toll-free at 1-877-230-7467 or e-mail PINS@azed.gov.
Information also is available at the PINS website at www.azed.gov/ess/pinspals
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
I have a child at Taylor Hicks with special needs. Brian Moore has gone above and beyond to be at all of the IEP meetings I have had. The regular ed teacher, resource teacher, and special ed teacher have all worked very well with helping me with my child's education. I can't say enough positive things about the staff at Taylor Hicks and P.U.S.D. I know my special needs child gets the same if not more attention from the staff as any other child.
Posted: Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Article comment by:
Michael E. Robinson, Sr.
Thank you Mr. Editor for allowing me to possibly help some of these parents and hopefully Mr. Kapp too, if he complies. The cost of having a child grow to an adult without the right educational program can cost literally millions over the lifetime vs. having a productive member of society. There is NO 60 day wait for an 'OK' on an IEE as stated by Dan, the special ed director. They either approve the request or don't - the request will cost more like $1,500 - $2,500.. and NOT $5,000.. I have never seen a single I.E.E. cost that much. Some kids need multiple I.E.E.'s. It is their right.
Posted: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Article comment by:
Michael E. Robinson, Sr.
Parents and those affected by this please contact me off information you can find on my site at www.officeofautismadvocacy.com
There is help after all.
Thank you,
Michael E. Robinson Sr.
The Office of Autism Advocacy 808 744 0486
Posted: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Article comment by:
Michael E. Robinson, Sr.
Is there a reason why you don't post my messages ? The ones posted were far more controversial. I actually work with Kapp to TRY to help him comply - although it is a full time job... Parents in that area need the help.. I hope they don't need to find out that the editor of their local paper stood in the way. My name is Michael Robinson, My phone number is 808-744-0486, I took over Ray Parenteau's cases and have found that the district is constantly out of compliance.. I would like to help parents that need it .. they could get me to help which costs nothing to the district.. or an attorney can do it at 250 an hour...
Posted: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Article comment by:
Michael E. Robinson
Parents or anyone experiencing problems with PUSD please email me at Peace4kids@yahoo.com. I would like to help you as much as possible.
Michael E. Robinson, SR.
The Office of Advocacy
The Article is self explanatory in regards to how PUSD feels about children with special needs = very selfish and I'm not at all impressed.
Posted: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Article comment by:
public school not for the disabled?
Hey, no name-----
Guess what? You're wrong. When a child has a documented disability it is the teacher's job to educate them. This is what is known as an Individual Educaltionl Plan, and IEP. Sounds like your attitude may call for a situation where you don't want your children around my children. You might be a good candidate for homeschool. Disabled children have as much right to the least restrictive environment as your child. Did you know your statements are not only ignorant, but border on discriminatory? Maybe we can find a secluded room for your kid for having parents like you, who bring in very little funding and live off our kids. We can give him the category: ignorance by environment. Maybe you and Dee can sit down together and read IDEA. You are very mis informed.
Posted: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Article comment by:
Just the Facts Please
Did you know that PUSD gets $24,600-plus $9,000.00+ for a hearing impaired child with autism?
This child is also eligible for Medicaid reimbursement to the district of tens of thousands of additional funding. I know of several students that get the district upwards of $40,000+ each.
Its easy to see why the district wants to turn its budget problems on the sped population and upset those parents who have been blessed with kids that can talk, hear and behave normally from birth. Sick...
Posted: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Dear PUSH - And let me just say, if your child has behavorial issues in the classroom - that is your problem as a parent - not the teachers. Teachers are there to EDUCATE, not PARENT.
Posted: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
This may be highly offensive to some, however, parents of severly handicapped children with needs that go way beyond an IEP need to realize that their child is indeed not going to benefit from anything public schools have to offer them. And the needs (funding) of the whole are ignored for the needs of the one or two who parents who just happen to be the "squeaky wheel."
Posted: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Article comment by:
The REAL story - that is Factual (I know - it's new for this newspaper!)
Dee Navarro's quote shows the ignorance of all the board - money isn't taken away, it's actually given back! Special Education funds outweigh regular student funds 5 to 1 - but only 20 percent of that is spent on special education. It's sad to see such ignorance and it's even sadder to have a board member saying it. Kevin Kapp and Dan Balcerak have delayed APPROPRIATE education to special needs children as a means of COST SAVINGS. That is a sick approach to education and needs to be stopped.
Wake UP DEE - this direct violation of the IDEA Act fo 1990 will put this entire school district in Legal jeopardy for many years to come. Some behavior will even be investigated as CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, and will involve FEDERAL investigations. It's not all your fault, thought, Dee. You simply have irresponsible, prenominal, feckless management who choose to do nothing. That's why YOU GOT THE TRAINING (for stalling during the IEP process, and as PUNISHMENT because the state found the actions of Dan Balcerak and Kevin Kapp outrageous and they did not know enough about the subject -- this is the job they are hired to do- to make an informed decision!)
Why do we hire incompetent people that get paid A LOT but still need training by the state to know how to do their jobs appropriately? I don't know either.
Only a Courier reporter could find such a ridiculous angle to take on what is a tragedy of education in PUSD. The real story is about the kids who go to school for nearly an entire year WITHOUT AN IEP IN PLACE. Special Needs students need to become a focus in PUSD - I hope WE ALL can work to make that happen, and stop such uncaring behavior by the very people "CLAIMING" to be advocates working PUSD. Hey Paula - why don't you do another article on African American people in Prescott? You last one was so...........
Remember - the training was a PENALTY to PUSD and it's board members because they didn't follow FEDERAL LAWS. These people were unqualified to do the job they were hired to do. How they respond from here on out will be very interesting......or sad.
I am also concerned about the statement, "Has anyone considered the district has to take money from other children to pay for an IEE?" Wow. What a planted statement to make people angry. I hope its not that she is that uninformed. You make the call. What a hostile tactic to make parents of typical students create hostility towards special needs students and their parents. Special ed parents, stay the course. Those regular kids, who use your child's extra funding in the general fund really do want you to have that fair and appropriate education. Evaluations are manipulated in 180 degrees. Trying to put this issue in a tiny box without understanding the underlying problems (not reported in this story) yields results of a dirty bomb, panic and destruction. I would like to stop the stashing away of children into out dated secluded rooms and in some cases moldy basements. Dee, I invite you to sit down and read special ed law, you'd discover how inappropriate your statement is.
Posted: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Article comment by:
Pushing For Change
"Although you cannot force parents to attend?" What a joke of a statement this is! At Taylor Hicks Elementary it is like pulling teeth to get any attention for a special needs child. I thought my initial experience was a unique situation with one of my children. Only one school official bothered to show up at my child's legal and binding IEP meeting last year. One person! Not the Principal Brian Moore, not the teacher, not the school or district psychologist, not the school nurse Alison Standford who chose to encourage and supply ways to get ADHD medication for free through Goodwin Pharmacy rather than support behavioral plans in the classroom. No, none of these people who had weeks in advance to make a difference in one child's life bothered to show up to my child's IEP meeting. This, I can assure you, is just one example of why the statement in this article, "in the past, the rapport between the parents and the district was not very good" is the largest understatement of the year. I've talked to several other special needs parents who have had experiences with similar issues with similar results. If you have a "normal and healthy" child, you'll have a great experience at Taylor Hicks, but if your child leans toward special needs at all, forget it, or look forward to them pushing for retention in the current grade. No surprise then when my next child came to Taylor Hicks, that retention is now being pushed upon me despite not one effort toward simple behavior plans in the classroom. This is a recurring problem, and until the school and the district begin really working toward open communication with parents, nothing will change. Our special needs students cannot be pushed under the rug any more. "Dee Navarro asked, "Has anyone considered the district has to take money from other children to pay for an IEE?" Here is the issue right here. Money. That's sad. Early intervention, no matter what the special needs situation is, is the most beneficial situation for any child to be gifted from their educator. Prescott Unified School District, pull yourselves together and find a way to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk instead. Then maybe in a year or two from now, those in charge can be raving about how positive the relationship between the parents and the district are.
