NEISD Threatening to Hold My Gifted Son Back...I Need Advice (Houston: attorneys, homes)

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by els565

BTW...thanks for the suggestion. What's an ARD meeting?

Pulling from the back of my 25 (almost 26) year old brain it's a card that you probably filled out at the start of the school year. It just included contact information for regular and gifted students, but for special ed students it's basically a life line of sorts...a check up on goals progress. Of course i'm not saying your child is or should be classified as special needs, but for attendance reasons they may be classified as special needs. The meeting basically gets a group together to put a year long educational plan together for the student.

ARD stands for Admissions, review and dismissal. a quick google search came up with a website from the Houston area which explains the process. Suggesting this to the administration may be a good idea, I think.

Special Education - ARD

[cddweller]

Originally Posted by WilGar

DING, DING, ding, we have the winner.

Funding foremost, student welfare be damned

Rather than chastise the school I think it makes more sense to question as to why we have a system that penalizes the school when a child misses class.

[WilGar]

Originally Posted by cddweller

Rather than chastise the school I think it makes more sense to question as to why we have a system that penalizes the school when a child misses class.

Has something to do when local rule of schools was usurped by the Washington Mafia. We send local money to Washington and have to go with hat in hand to get OUR dollars back.

I do not expect to see ANY administrators standing up and confronting anyone in Washington, just the parents.

[majormadmax]

It is all outlined in the NEISD Parent-Student Handbook (http://www.neisd.net/pupil/documents/ElementaryHandbook09-10PRINTREADY7-22-09.pdf - broken link), starting on page 14...

State law requires that a student may not be given credit for a class unless the student is in attendance for at least 90% of the time the class is offered or has been granted a waiver by the attendance review committee. School attendance is required by law. Early removal of your child prior to the end of the school day is not advised.

At the beginning of the school year all parents will be notified in writing of the state attendance requirements. Under the law, if a student is absent from school on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year or on three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period:

(1) The student’s parent is subject to prosecution under Section 25.093 and
(2) The student is subject to prosecution under Section 25.094 of the Texas Education Code

Excessive absences will result in loss of credit unless the student makes up the missed work in an acceptable alternative manner including, but not limited to, Saturday School, Summer School, or after school hours. Time made up allows for credit to be given but does not remove the absence documented by the school to meet state compulsory attendance requirements.

When a student’s attendance drops below 90 percent but remains at least at 75 percent of the days the class is offered, the student may earn credit for the class by completing a plan approved by the principal. This plan must provide for the student to meet the instructional requirements of the class as determined by the principal. If the student fails to successfully complete the plan, or when a student’s attendance drops below 75 percent of the days the class is offered, the student, parent, or guardian may request award of credit by submitting a written petition to the appropriate attendance committee.

Petitions for credit may be filed at any time the student receives notice, but in any event, no later than 15 days after the last day of classes for the semester in which the attendance was below 90 percent. The attendance committee shall review the student’s entire attendance record and the reasons for absences and shall determine whether to award credit. The committee may also, whether a petition is filed or not, review the records of all students whose attendance drops below 90 percent of the days the class is offered. Students who have lost credit because of excessive absences may regain credit by fulfilling the requirements established by the attendance committee (FEC[Local]).

I did not read the entire guide, but a quick glance reveals that the above doesn't not delineate between excused and unexcused absences. However, page 34 does have guidance on how work missed due to excused absences can be made-up...

The District distinguishes absences as excused and unexcused. Make-up work for excused absences will be eligible for full credit. Students shall receive a 20% deduction from the total grade earned for any assignment or assessment not made up within the allotted time. A truant absence is an unexcused absence with disciplinary consequences. Make-up work for unexcused absences will be penalized equal to late work. A 20% deduction from the total grade earned will be taken on make-up work for unexcused absences.

The handbook also does provide options which the OP needs to pursue, such as waivers from the attendance review committee.

While a bit late for the OP, other parents who may find themselves in the same predicament should make an effort to address it as soon as possible. The process steps to appeal non-credit due to excessive absences is outlined in the handbook.

Cheers! M2

[amig0]

ARD meetings are for spec ed students

[WilGar]

In a city rife with unconcerned parents, a parent who is closest to the situation and with the wholehearted backing of the child's teacher ,we find criticism for that parent and not a flawed system.

My goodness, I did not even have K as an option. I was in a split 1st and 2nd grade for both my first and second grade with the same teacher and can pass the TAKS test without tutoring. If a parent said a child was sick, that was sufficient.

What proficiency needs be exhibited to pass Kindergarten? I must have learned it in the first grade.

Why has this system gone wrong and who allowed the parent and teacher to be removed from it?

[pobre]

Originally Posted by WilGar

If a parent said a child was sick, that was sufficient.

Unfortunately, many parents will write a note excusing their kids for just about anything...(I AM NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN THE OP's SITUATION)

Thus the requirement for a physician's note for an absence of three days or more, etc. You can thank those who try to get around the system for ruinng for those of us who keep our kids home ONLY when truly necessary (AGAIN, I AM NOT SAYING THAT THIS APPLIES TO THE OP)

[LovingSAT]

Originally Posted by els565

No we never received any correspondence from an attendance officer. I would get an email from the automated system letting me know everytime there was an absence. But we never received anything until after he passed the max days.

Thanks for the nice reply.

You are welcome, I am concerned though because NEISD does send computer generated letters starting at the 5th absences and continuing. Is your address correct in their data base? You may want to check this.

I wish you luck.

[TexasRedneck]

There's a whole lot of disconnects between the OP's story and what SOP is at the school. That's one of the reasons I questioned the story so much. I KNOW what is the "norm" - and frankly, when someone talks about "consulting an attorney" BEFORE talking w/school administrators, it kinda tells me that they know more than they tell us.

[skeet09]

Originally Posted by TexasRedneck

when someone talks about "consulting an attorney" BEFORE talking w/school administrators, it kinda tells me that they know more than they tell us.

Maybe the OP asked for advice from another neighborhood parent and this is what they told the OP. Just throwing that out there.