My son is 14 years old, diagnosed with inattentive ADHD a year ago. He is going to this charter school and the whole 8th grade year has been a battle. He's gone through 2 meds that didn't work--they made him very sick. He started failing his core classes, so I reached out to the guidance counselor, assistant principal and teachers and was very transparent about his struggle. I requested a 504 plan that was not put in place, but back in April they pulled him out of Art class and gave him an extra class to do work. (It hasn't been effective, as the teacher in this class lets him work on his own devices and he ends up not doing much). Well, the reason I'm upset is that the class where he has a chance to get a passing grade in, he had a Powerpoint presentation due Friday. My child had to present it in a group with his class. They have laptops and their schoolwork is all submitted electronically. The system (it's called Canvas--some of you might know it--I HATE it) said that the student had until 11:59 p.m. to submit the assignment. The assignment was completed the prior day, my son did his presentation, but he forgot to submit it. When he got home from school, I asked him did he submit it and he did not. I had him get online and submit it at 4:00 p.m. His teacher gave him a 25% late deduction because she said they were supposed to submit it at the beginning of class that day and my son did not.
I explained to her that having inattention adhd, it's easy to not remember to do things youre told. I reached out to the assistant principal as well. Well, she refused to take off the penalty and I am so angry about it. I think it's terribly unfair, boderline cruel to hold this over him. If he hadn't gotten the deduction, his project would've been a B. With the deduction, it plummeted to an F! It's like these teachers don't even try to help or understand. I was a teacher before and I'd NEVER do this to a child!
What can I do? This all feels so wrong!
Thank you
Written by
ChristinaR1967
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They can not deny you a 504 plan or a iep if he has adhd it is classified under other health impairment in the qualification for them if they don't want to give you one tell them you are going to report them for not giving him something he needs and is suppose to get put your request for one in writing there are sample letter online you can find. You can request that he can have extra time for work etc. In either one of those
Thank you for responding. We are NOT returning to the school and there's only 3 days left. I wish I could hold them accountable for not helping like they could've, when I asked for help. I have countless emails that prove that point. This school has project based learning and it was a disaster for my child, thus the poor grades. It was overwhelming and with someone having inattention ADHD, it's even worse of course. He's going to a public high school next year and I've already put it on the application that we are seeking a 504 plan. This won't happen again.
It feels awful when you feel like no one is listening to you. You can place it writing you will be seeking an advocate and taking to the next level unless the grade is changed. I am assuming there is a "board of directors"? This should not happen to another child.
But just understand why your child deserves it for himself now and that no one wants to help, as you know there is no "lesson" in this.
Moving forward he needs a plan in place that protects him about missing and late assignments, it would be a good idea to ask an advocate about how charter schools are governed compared to public schools.
Christina: Please be proactive with your son's public school. I wish I could say that our son's was wonderful, but I can't. They did many of the same things that your son experienced. If you can, request an IEP - it's more comprehensive. I would try and talk to your son's counselor and any teachers that you can find this summer. Also try and get some recommendations for the "good" and "bad" teachers. We had to take our son out of his freshman Algebra class because the teacher was so horrible. Make sure your son registers for the fairly easy classes - nothing AP or honors. Freshman year is hard enough without that extra pressure, and in the end, you just want him to graduate! If he can do a sport, I would encourage it. Sometimes that can be the "carrot" that drives him to get decent grades. If he can get homework done before he gets home, that would be great. Or request less homework. A tutor can be invaluable, because it takes you out of the homework battles.
First thing First! ADHD is a mental Disability. Meaning, they would make exceptions for other kids who had disabilities like if a child had no arms, or a child who was wheelchair bound but why is it so hard for teachers to realize these kids are NOT trying to purposely be bad. This irritates the hell out of me. I would send the teacher and cc: the principle and the superintendent a letter that says something like this:
As a result of his diagnosis, he may often come across moodiness, overreaction, frustration and sensitivity in my child along with inability to listen to or follow instructions and poor penmanship. I realize that all these can be extremely annoying and inconvenient, especially during class instruction. I am in the process of acquiring a 504Plan in hopes that it will help to handle the various physical, social and academic limitations that he has. Until then, I would appreciate it if you could accommodate him as best as you can – correct him if you must but please do not pressurize him into learning a concept, as he is sure to buckle under the pressure. I hope we can work together and figure out how to get my child through the end of the school year with positives and success. That would be GREAT!
Thank you so much for your understanding and patience. I will be in touch with you on a regular basis to acquire feedback on my child.
Sounds like your son is getting a raw deal at school. Administrators at schools are only interested in their statistics and not the individual student. If your son has an IEP, they are in violation. If not, you can write to the Board of Education and request a hearing for your son within thirty days. You should also consider going on line to find an agency in your community regarding child advocacy. Many times, they will provide a representative for your child for free or a nominal fee (as opposed to a lawyers' fee). I have found it is necessary to be very tough and make it clear that you will be their worst nightmare and pain in the butt parent if they do not comply, and follow up on absolutely everything involving your son. Be a trouble-maker. Complain, Complain, Complain. We both know they just want you to go away and let your son slide through. Best of luck to you. Get out the boxing gloves. I am a supporter. Write any time.
Just curious how things are going. Also wanted to find out if you knew how your charter delivers services to students with disabilities? Does the local school district do this or do they handle this themselves?
I feel your pain with Canvas. I absolutely hate Math XL. Did you know that you can have not using Math XL, for example as a part of your 504 or IEP? Because some kids don't do well with computers and especially the rigid structure of things like Math XL, you can have your child doing math homework on paper instead of having it submitted through Canvas.
I know this particular presentation wasn't math, but if as I've come to learn that math can be a 504 and IEP exception, then I believe submitting other subjects through Canvas could also become an exception. Makes sense to me. I think the issue is identifying what the core of the problem is for a child and finding an appropriate solution which will work.
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How can I help my son succeed in school?
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