Kingwood Underground
the heart and soul of our Kingwood, Texas family
Login - Create Account - Help
Clean out your garage on Kingwood bookoo! Or find local garage sales on Yard Sale Search.com
KU Live!

Class Action Lawsuit Against Humble ISD

who's talking here?

Keystone 1
lizandmike 1
2ndStarToTheRight 1
LAXmom 1
SCENTSYallday 1
Polly Ester 2
Meme2my5 1
Jpgirl 3
Mommyto3kiddos 4
partsguy 1
TXbluebird 1
Gigix4 1
kari.kolo 25
Forever family x2 1
magicmom 1
In AbsentiaW 3
Bornanraisedkw 1
Rollinglettuce 1
Hanson 1
sheddy 1
FabFive 2
Gonefurgud 1
Lets Be Fair 1
Edgar Po Wong 1
starryskies 1
JAMS 1
RockstarSuperNova 2
OneEyedManRedux 2
Juliet Binoche 8
The Day I Tried to Live 1
Sandman 1
In It To Win It 1
ThisLady 2
Identity Crisis 1
wheat penny 1
Tootiefrog 5
Badger1950 3
publicserviceA 4
Mamazon 1
Thewreckers 3

     » send to friend     » save in my favorites     » flag dangerous topic flag as a dangerous topic

Juliet Binoche --- 12 years ago -

Please contact me if you feel that your child's needs are not being met in Humble ISD, regardless of classification (Academic, Inclusion, Resource, etc.)

My Response to his response:

Dr. Sconzo,

Thank you for the email. This is not about an ARD. This is about a large group of students in Humble ISD who will be part of a class action lawsuit if something is not done to address the lack of skills that are not addressed by the current laws and requirements. I will notify every news station, congressman, and recruit class action participants. I know three years of information about Humble ISD and I will not hesitate to throw evryone under the bus to get my child and other children what they need.

Best regards,

From: Guy Sconzo
To: Robert Scarfo ; Barbara Farmer
Cc: Deborah Yocham
Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2013 3:57 PM
Subject: RE: Humble ISD- Inclusion is not for everyone.



Ms. Farmer,

I am sorry for the frustration that you are feeling and I'm glad to know that an ARD had been scheduled. that is the right next step in my opinion.

Please know that I never, or will I ever substitute my judgment or impose my philosophy on an ARD Committee and their decision on the appropriate educational programming to best meet a student's needs.

I am certain your concerns and points will be taken into consideration through the ARD process.

Sincerely,
Guy






This message and any attachment are intended only for addressee(s) and may contain information that is considered sensitive or confidential. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the misdirected e-mail. Furthermore, any release or further disclosure of information related to a student without proper legal authority or written consent is prohibited by law.

>>> Barbara Farmer 5/30/2013 12:35 PM >>>

Dr. Sconzo,

As a parent and former educator, I am very frustrated with the education my son is receiving and the emphasis placed on inclusion. I understand the benefits of inclusion, but some students are lacking skills that are not going to be obtained without specific instruction, modeling, practice, and reinforcement. I am aware of the possibility of students falling behind when they are not in an inclusive classroom (splinter) but I feel strongly that there is a large population within Humble ISD has been on the cusp of PPCD, Resource, or AB and the requirements and data to get these students what they need should be reconsidered. I feel that the staff are hearing terminology and telling me why it cannot be done, instead of looking at what skills my son is lacking. I told them I do not care what you call it; I am telling you what he needs.
We had a productive Parent Conference and have an ARD scheduled with an advocate. My son passed the Math Star by one point and they were celebrating that he passed but I told them that is not good enough. Debi Beard laughed, looked at the Case Manager and said I could work with him at home. I run a Marine Consulting firm and do not have time to teach my son at home. It is absurd for them to even make that comment. Parents should be doing homework with children that is practice, not reteaching what should have been taught. How can you say that Inclusion and Push-In is effective when a child barely passes? As a teacher, I have never placed blame on the parent. I have always done my best to make sure my students succeeded.

When you have a child with special needs, it is very difficult to pinpoint diagnoses or impairments, and many conditions overlap. Our psychiatrist is hesitant to label him with a diagnosis but there are definite Autism, Aspergers, Oppositional Defiance, ADHD, etc. tendencies. My son can come up with the answer but not explain how he got it. The teachers have tried to get him to use strategies, but he does not understand the logic. His brain does not work that way. He takes everything literally, does not understand jokes, lacks pragmatic language skills, lacks perspective-taking skills, poor social skills, poor organizational skills, and sensory issues.
As an educator, I understand celebrating progression, but at some point, the students will not progress and fall further and further behind. Ms. Beard said they do not predict the future. Well I can tell you that if a student can barely pass a STAR Math test in third grade, it is not likely they are going to be able to do middle school math. A student who does not know multiplication cannot do proportions.

"Unfortunately, the efforts and philosophies of otherwise well-meaning individuals have attempted to eliminate the achievement gap by eliminating achievement. Exercises in grammar have declined to the point that they are virtually extinct. Book reports are often assigned in the form of a book jacket or poster instead of a written analysis. Essays now are "student-centered" -- even history assignments often call upon students to describe how they feel about past events rather than apply factual analysis. Math classes are now more about math appreciation and being able to explain how a procedure works rather than the mastery of skills and procedures necessary to solve problems (Barry Garelick )."

I worked as a 4-8 Generalist in Spring Branch ISD and I have worked for Humble ISD as a sub with an EC-12 Special Education Certificate. I have worked in and been requested for Life Skills, Resource, and AB. I have been in every elementary and middle school in Humble ISD, and I know what works and what does not. I have done long-term assignments with co-teach and push-in support and I do not feel it is effective for everyone. Push-in staff move from classroom to classroom and miss instruction from the teacher, have to get up to speed, spend a limited amount of time with the student, and it is not effective. In addition, many students do not want the other students to see them getting help and do not utilize push-in staff. Push-in staff spend more time in the hallway than they do with the students. The teacher is overwhelmed and students with support do not get what they need. If Inclusion and Push-in is so effective, why did he barely pass?

I believe that some will prosper with Inclusion and Support but you cannot build upon a cracked foundation. I would rather see my son and students like him be in a closed classroom, receive the skills they are lacking as quickly as possible, and reenter the inclusion room.

"If implemented correctly, the new ability grouping will allow the curriculum to be better tailored to meet the needs of students at all levels. Such classes would help students get up to speed more effectively. This would not only make tutors much less necessary but would also have the advantage of making advancement easier for students whose parents cannot afford tutors or learning centers. Otherwise, it will be nobody's imagination if students continue to fulfill the low expectations that have been set for them (Barry Garelick )."

Please consider what I have suggested and help a lost population succeed.

Best regards,

Barbara Gena Marks

From: Guy Sconzo
To: Robert Scarfo ; gena2729@yahoo.com
Cc: Deborah Yocham
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 10:08 AM
Subject: RE: Debbi Beard Principal at WHE



Thank you, Mr. Scarfo.

We already have Ms. Yocham and Ms. Beard following this up with our Special Education department.

They will report to you, Mr. Marks, directly.

Thanks!
Guy






This message and any attachment are intended only for addressee(s) and may contain information that is considered sensitive or confidential. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the misdirected e-mail. Furthermore, any release or further disclosure of information related to a student without proper legal authority or written consent is prohibited by law.
>>> Robert Scarfo 5/28/2013 9:27 AM >>>

Hello Ms. Marks - I am forwarding this to Dr. Sconzo, as he will determine who in the district will assist you in this matter.

Thanks,
Robert Scarfo






This message and any attachment are intended only for addressee(s) and may contain information that is considered sensitive or confidential. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the misdirected e-mail. Furthermore, any release or further disclosure of information related to a student without proper legal authority or written consent is prohibited by law.

>>> Gena Marks 05/25/13 7:43 PM >>>
School shootings and other forms of school violence are not just a school's problem or a law enforcement problem. They involve schools, families, and the communities. An adolescent comes to school with a collective life experience, both positive and negative, shaped by the environments of family, school, peers, community, and culture. Out of that collective experience come values, prejudices, biases, emotions, and the student's responses to training, stress, and authority. His or her behavior at school is affected by the entire range of experiences and influences. No one factor is decisive. By the same token, however, no one factor is completely without effect, which means that when a student has shown signs of potential violent behavior, schools and other community institutions do have the capacity -- and the responsibility -- to keep that potential from turning real.*
>>>
>>> I believe my son would benefit from Adaptive Behavior but he doesn't qualify because the meds allow him to be in an inclusive classroom. I believe he would benefit from AB and others like him. I was told maybe he needed an afternoon dose, no he needs AB.
>>>
>>> The school is trying to say he is doing well in inclusion but his classmates have told me otherwise and I watched him disrespect a teacher with no consequence. The staff caters to him and the Principal uses excessive consequences without reteaching and giving him another chance to act appropriately. She has done several dirty things like pulling their transfer two days before school started and forcing my son to ride the Special Ed bus.
>>>
>>>
>>> It is documented in an ARD that he was no problem on the bus and that staff rode the bus multiple times due to others behavior. Last Friday, I spoke to the principal via phone then met her Monday. She was waiting for the tape. She told me she didn't have time Tuesday to show my son and I the tape, then on Thursday, after I left campus, she pulled my son from Corroboree to watch the tape with his case manager and gave him ISS the rest of the day. To date, I have not seen it but he was kicked off the bus for the incident for one day, kicked off permanently the next day based on the same incident, and I was told I could provide transportation or use the Special Education bus. Staff members have continued to ride the bus because of behavior and my son hasn't ridden since May 17th. Further, there is another student zoned to Bear Branch who has excessive tardies and absences but they do not lose their transfer I am assuming because she volunteers at the school and dad is an attorney. Someone from the school called CPS because I dropped them off before 7:30 but parents and children were walking to school and there were already students who had been dropped off. The case was dismissed. I want Ms. Beard held accountable for her abuse of power and I want my son in AB before he and others become a statistic. Your assistance is appreciated.
>>>
>>> 

SCENTSYallday --- 12 years ago -

GET EM! 

OneEyedManRedux --- 12 years ago -

Just on what grounds are you suing?
And for how much? 

JAMS --- 12 years ago -

I hope that you can back up your threats.

You may have bitten off more than you can chew. 

In It To Win It --- 12 years ago -

Hope you don't plan on taking money away from my school kids by this. 

Tootiefrog --- 12 years ago -

It sounds like the ARD was a good place to start...you just threatened him with a class action lawsuit. Do you have other parents in line to join you in this?

If you are unable to back that threat up, you have rendered yourself completely useless. No one in the district will take you seriously unless you can back that threat up. 

kari.kolo --- 12 years ago -

.

from the tone of his crass response, he sounds like an ensconced school administrator who doesn't care because he's close to being retired

it's the end of the school year and he's hoping you'll just go away

don't let him brush you off - get him, girl!

wheat penny --- 12 years ago -

Juliet Binoche, I understand your very valid concerns. But just to be on the safe side, you may want to delete the emails on kingwood underground that were sent with the following message at the bottom;
This message and any attachment are intended only for addressee(s) and may contain information that is considered sensitive or confidential. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the misdirected e-mail. Furthermore, any release or further disclosure of information related to a student without proper legal authority or written consent is prohibited by law.  

In AbsentiaW --- 12 years ago -

Where are the funds coming from to file this class action law suite?

You might have gone a bit overboard with this threat. 

kari.kolo --- 12 years ago -


Hope you don't plan on taking money away from my school kids by this.


the super is doing that thru his 'don't bother me with this' attitude

she's doing the right thing for her kid and other kids that the admin is pushing under the carpet - what else would you want her to do?

FabFive --- 12 years ago -

I agree with Wheat Penny. 

OneEyedManRedux --- 12 years ago -

she's doing the right thing for her kid and other kids

I see now she is angry, but I wiander if she was active in the election we just had....

Did she man phone banks?
Did she contribute money?
Did she block walk?
Did she even vote????? 

Jpgirl --- 12 years ago -

I agree with Wheat Penny- you just opened up a huge legal problem for yourself. And I hope you can back up your threat of a law suit with "a large group" of students. I'm not impressed and am actually turned off by your approach and I have a special needs son. I'm not hearin anything among the special needs families I know- only what you are posting here. Take it down and start acting professional about this. 

FabFive --- 12 years ago -

The mods need to remove it to protect her from herself. It might even have legal ramifications for KU. 

Jpgirl --- 12 years ago -

Agreed 

kari.kolo --- 12 years ago -


Where are the funds coming from to file this class action law suite?

You might have gone a bit overboard with this threat.


not if he does the right thing to settle out of court to fix it

bet if the lawsuit funds came directly from the Teacher Retirement Fund, some of the old biddies here would be a lot more sympathetic to the cause of her trying to help her child!!!

kari.kolo --- 12 years ago -

The mods need to remove it to protect her from herself. It might even have legal ramifications for KU.

just remove the names and other personal data and it'll be fine

Keystone --- 12 years ago -

Very turned off by this. This is all our school district needs! You are doing nothing to make the situation better. 

kari.kolo --- 12 years ago -


Very turned off by this. This is all our school district needs! You are doing nothing to make the situation better.


she's right on target with the lawsuit - it's the only way at this point since the super is blowing her off

it's offensive to see district employees who care more about protecting their own jobs than helping a mom and student in need

SHAME ON YOU!

Bornanraisedkw --- 12 years ago -

I say ur a mother. Follow ur heart 

Tootiefrog --- 12 years ago -


SHAME ON YOU!


kari.kolo with all due respect, you are not helping the OP. Your rantings about Lone Star and going on and on and on have rendered you ineffective..seriously. 

kari.kolo --- 12 years ago -


I say ur a mother. Follow ur heart


yes +1000

any good mom knows this!

kari.kolo --- 12 years ago -

SHAME ON YOU!

kari.kolo with all due respect, you are not helping the OP. Your rantings about Lone Star and going on and on and on have rendered you ineffective..seriously.


snicker - how do you figure that?

two wasteful career Lone Star politicians were just fired, and voters shot down a completely unnecessary $500m LSCS bond

lol - that's hardly ineffective


just goes to show that most educators really don't give a crud about students - only their tax-payer financed jobs

RockstarSuperNova --- 12 years ago -

This is the same mother that was ticked off the other day because she had to help her own child with schoolwork and studying after school, right?

My advice, quit blaming other people and looking for a scapegoat and step up and take responsibility for your own role in your child's education.

This whole thing comes across as you trying to shirk your responsibility as a parent and blame someone else because your child isn't performing where you think they should. Now, it looks like you're trying to make a buck off your special needs child at the expense of the rest of the children in the district. 

publicserviceA --- 12 years ago -

School districts try very hard to do the best they can for every child. The last thing they need are delusional parents like yourself creating more crap for them to deal with because you don't know how to handle your own child.

Kari. If you were a teacher, what would you be more concerned about?
A. Ignoring a class full of successful students to help one that never understands anything or that may be a discipline problem?
B. or bettering the greater good by helping those that listen, pay attention, and try?

Teachers have to protect their own job (instead of worry about a couple of failing kids)so they can protect their own family by paying the bills. Superintendents want high test scores so they don't lose their job. So principals have to get their schools to score high test scores so the principal keeps his job. In order for teachers to keep their job they need to make the principal look good, which makes the superintendent look good, which makes the district look good. And it all comes down to the school board that decides if the superintendent did a good job. According to the board if the test scores are good then the district is good. If anything sew the state for making test taking the standard.

If your kid is failing then get him extra help because it either means your kid is "special" or they are a discipline problem.

Don't make other peoples lives miserable because you can't handle your own problems.

Not everybody is designed to exceed is school. We need the fast food employees and garbage men.

(this might be a bit scatter brained) 

Badger1950 --- 12 years ago -

Not everybody is designed to exceed is school. We need the fast food employees and garbage men.

That comment wasn't necessary, so maybe you are being a bit scatter brained.

But are you suggesting that people who take jobs as fast food servers and garbage collectors are low achievers and less likely to be successful?

Edited to add; I may, or may not approve of the OP's method of getting her message across on KU, but I disapprove of lame comparisons like this one. 

kari.kolo --- 12 years ago -

Kari. If you were a teacher, what would you be more concerned about?
A. Ignoring a class full of successful students to help one that never understands anything or that may be a discipline problem?
B. or bettering the greater good by helping those that listen, pay attention, and try?



the OP is not asking for help from a specific teacher

she's asking for help from the district to help with the education needs of her child and the super is blowing her off


thank you for otherwise confirming that most educators only care about money in their pocket, not helping kids that need help learning

Mommyto3kiddos --- 12 years ago -

I will notify every news station, congressman, and recruit class action participants.

I am the mom of a special needs child, and I would not join this lawsuit if it was the last thing I did. I have spoken to many of the moms (friends of mine) who have special ed children in the district and they would not join either. Going on here and making threats and posting your comments is NOT the way to handle this. My son does not even qualify for inclusion. He is 6 autistic, does not understand much language and is mostly non verbal. I have found Humble to be extremely well staffed for his needs. I am also a teacher ( home now with my son), and I can tell you Humble is amazing with their special needs children. I am not going to name districts, but you need to visit a few around here to see exactly how good the special needs services are here.

I also have a masters degree in education from SFA and during the process I met a few hundred classmates who are teachers in other districts around Texas. You have NO idea how blessed we are with the services humble has.

The point is, the school can do so much, and the a lot of it depends on what we do at home. You are a teacher right? you know how much work parents of regular ed children do, we have to do double and rightly so. I work with my son at home ALL the time and he is one of 3. The school and I work in conjunction with each other. I would never expect the school to do it all. 

Mommyto3kiddos --- 12 years ago -

f your kid is failing then get him extra help because it either means your kid is "special" or they are a discipline problem.

Don't make other peoples lives miserable because you can't handle your own problems.

Not everybody is designed to exceed is school. We need the fast food employees and garbage men.

(this might be a bit scatter brained) 


As much as I agree with the fact that the law suit is wrong, your comments are completely
out of line. She has a special needs son, and your comments are disgusting. 

lizandmike --- 12 years ago -

State and federal laws govern the special education process. Federal law requires students be placed in the least restrictive environment. There have to be documented patterns of behavior for a child to be placed in an adaptive behavior class. There are interventions that must be tried for lengths of time and these interventions must fail before a school can consider placement. It is frustrating, but there are steps that have to be followed. It takes a very long time to go through these steps. ARD meetings are where these steps are processed. The school can't just plop a kid into AB.
I understand the op frustration. The process is very slow. But the process also protects students from being placed in isolated programs unmecessarily. Threatening to sue the district cannot make the process go any faster. And now, those involved view the op as a nut.
What I don't understand is why the op wants the child placed in a restrictive educational environment but refused special transportation. If the child's behavior was improved in the controlled environment of the sped bus, that would be one piece of evidence that the controlled environment helps him. Further, the child passed the STAAR test, which means (according to the SBOE) that the child is making adequate academic progress in the current placement.
Hopefully this family can find a happy medium. Threatening to sue the district isn't the way to get there. 

Mommyto3kiddos --- 12 years ago -

thank you for otherwise confirming that most educators only care about money in their pocket, not helping kids that need help learning

I honestly think they made those comments on purpose. 

Identity Crisis --- 12 years ago -

Unless you have an ton of money, your wasting your time. 

kari.kolo --- 12 years ago -

I will notify every news station, congressman, and recruit class action participants.


I am the mom of a special needs child, and I would not join this lawsuit if it was the last thing I did. I have spoken to many of the moms (friends of mine) who have special ed children in the district and they would not join either. Going on here and making threats and posting your comments is NOT the way to handle this. My son does not even qualify for inclusion. He is 6 autistic, does not understand much language and is mostly non verbal. I have found Humble to be extremely well staffed for his needs. I am also a teacher, and I can tell you Humble is amazing with their special needs children. I am not going to name districts, but you need to visit a few around here to see exactly hod good the special needs services are here.



omg - is that honestly your answer?
sit down and let your own child be discriminated against??!

compared to the amount of money the districts throws away on high school athletics that benefit only a relative few of the athletically blessed kids, the district spends squat on special-needs kids!

HISD is happy to add certifiable special-needs kids to their rosters, because they get $1000 more money from the Educ Dept in Washington - always follow the $$$


but this isn't even the issue here, Mommy

the OP has a child who does not even fit into the category of being spec-needs student, but obviously has learning difficulties that can't be addressed in the district's learning environment

her child has 'Autism, Aspergers, Oppositional Defiance, ADHD, etc. tendencies' that don't fit into the designated special-needs. so instead of helping, the super's answer is for her kid to be thrown to the wolves by educators who don't want to take the time to help out this special situation!

he doesn't want to intervene, when he's empowered and required to do just that. instead, he gives her a blah form letter that he probably didn't even write and says 'I am sorry for your frustration' yada yada yada


when the district discriminates against your kid as the OP is experiencing, as a mom you are obligated to fight for your child - not sit back and discriminate against your own child too!!!

publicserviceA --- 12 years ago -

Teachers wouldn't become teachers if they only cared about the money. However, when it comes to keeping their job vs helping a slow child that has hasn't kept up all year, what do you think is going to happen? Forget the child that can't keep up. Get them help somewhere else. Don't hold back the rest of the class because little Johnny doesn't understand. That's why America's education is slipping. Because everyone has to move forward at the same pace. If mommy's little baby can't keep up then it must be the schools fault (yeah right). You are just too dumb to realize you might not have given birth to the sharpest tool in the shed (or that your child just may need some serious help). On the other hand if your child sucks at school get them into something that they can be great at. Just because test taking is the american standard that doesn't mean your child can't be successful.

If she cared about her kid she would get them an ARD, but she is probably afraid to find out that her kid is "special", or just dumb.

Badger
And yes by american standards if you are a garbage collector, or work at a fast food restaurant then YES you are considered unsuccessful (unless you are "special" or between the ages of 16-17) 

kari.kolo --- 12 years ago -


Unless you have an ton of money, your wasting your time.


yawn

spoken like a quitter, or someone with a vested interest in broken education


public humiliation works wonders on public officials!


that's why we don't have CSCOPE anymore!

0 

Meme2my5 --- 12 years ago -

You need to be sure you have all the facts. In Texas, in a lot of cases, you may have to pay the attorneys of the other side if they win and most school districts will ask for attorney fees if they win and that could be a huge amount of money. 

kari.kolo --- 12 years ago -


Teachers wouldn't become teachers if they only cared about the money.

You are just too dumb to realize you might not have given birth to the sharpest tool in the shed.



thank you for once again confirming the obvious


0 

RockstarSuperNova --- 12 years ago -

Unless you have an ton of money, your wasting your time.

And if you have a ton a money and the time to invest in a lawsuit, wouldn't those resources be put to better use studying with your child and securing private tutoring and schooling?

Trash teachers all you want, but 99.9% of them are in the profession for the love of it and the kids. But, they're frustrated with the system as well, especially when they bust their butts in the classroom to teach the kids who trail behind and most of the time those are the same kids where there is little to no involvement from the parents, even when the teacher reaches out. Blaming the teachers and administrators is easy, because it means you don't have to take any personal responsibility. 

sheddy --- 12 years ago -

Teachers tend to teach to the middle. The high and low achievers lose out. My sister-in-law teaches Special Ed and I don't know how she finds the energy to walk into the classroom everyday. She has such compassion for her students. She feels like her students would do better if parents were consistent in disciple, etc. She feels like she is making progress and then after summer break, she is right back where she started. I don't know what the answer is, but I know the school can't be expected to do it all. 

publicserviceA --- 12 years ago -

Kari
Cool picture bro did you Google that? 

page 1 2 3
Login to add your comments!

see more discussions about...

advice


Online now:
hit counters

Terms of Service - Privacy Policy - Ice Box

Kingwood Underground