Does anyone know how that would work? My admin told us to prepare for possible 2 weeks of work to send home, but then looked at me and said they don’t know what the state would expect with sped.
We are all very curious as well, but have heard nothing. At this point we don't even know what gen ed will be doing. We received an email that said as of right now, the recommendation is not to close schools, but that decision "could change quickly." One of my teammates thinks we would have to provide compensatory services. I sure hope that's not the case. I guess I could technically send home individualized work if that's what gen ed is doing, but not sure how that works for those if severe needs programs.
I’ll give it to my new district. We just got a 17 page handbook with expectations for elearning and it included sped teachers. Personally, as a sped teacher, I’m assigning some things to my kids to support what we’re doing and their IEP goals.
We went from “we have no plans to cancel” to “prepare for elearning” in 5 days and now we have a mandatory meeting tomorrow morning.
We are also very curious about all of our IEP stuff. Are we just going to miss deadlines and how long will they be extended? Will it be a "make it up as soon as you can" thing or will they have a set amount of time? Will we be expected to try to do meetings over skype/phone as scheduled? We are also SLAMMED with evals right now and don't know how the 60 day timeline will work with unexpected closures. We've all been testing like crazy trying to get as much done as possible.
We are also very curious about all of our IEP stuff. Are we just going to miss deadlines and how long will they be extended? Will it be a "make it up as soon as you can" thing or will they have a set amount of time? Will we be expected to try to do meetings over skype/phone as scheduled? We are also SLAMMED with evals right now and don't know how the 60 day timeline will work with unexpected closures. We've all been testing like crazy trying to get as much done as possible.
I’vd wondered the same about deadlines. I’ve got two IEPs scheduled for the week after Spring Break.
We're doing some sort of virtual meeting for IEP's that are already scheduled. It's not Google Hangout. I can't remember what it is, since I don't have any scheduled until the middle of April. I'd ask about using Google Hangout to conduct the meetings and then sending the paperwork to parents to sign when school resumes.
Well, I’ll let you know in a couple of days. We just learned today that we are closing for 6 WEEKS starting Monday. The only thing I know is that we are still expected to follow eval and IEP deadlines somehow, but haven’t heard yet what the expectation is for IEP minutes. Apparently it’s complicated since there is federal funding involved
The only thing I know is that we are still expected to follow eval and IEP deadlines somehow
WHAT? Yes, please update as to how that is supposed to happen. I could maybe see saying the paperwork still has to be completed on time for things like annuals, as one could theoretically do those from home. But how are you supposed to have meetings? Unless staff is supposed to be in the buildings? Coordinate an online meeting with all team members in their own homes? That sounds like a nightmare and I don't know that many of our parents would have the technology to participate. And what about evaluating kids? Parents bring them in just for that? You meet them in a public place? What if parents (likely, IMO) refuse?
I just counted and my team has 16 meetings left just in the month of March, and that's with already having a planned week off for SB! Most of those are tris/initials where we're also evaluating the child. I had a parent refuse to sign permission for an initial eval yesterday ; they wanted more time to think about it and we scheduled another meeting for next week. Now I'm kind of glad that happened- at least that's not another one we have signed/floating around out there!
I have three really straight forward annual IEP’s due during our closure. I will do some quick assessments tomorrow for updated present levels. I can write the iEP’s at home but it’s holding the meeting that will be a challenge. This is the first year that I can remember when we haven’t been slammed with initial evals in the Spring—not sure I could handle that. I retire in 3 months—what a way to go out!
We just got word that we are closed for at least two weeks starting Monday. I am panicking. IDK if I just pull my groups like normal tomorrow or drop everything and somehow try to get meetings/testing done. I'm not seeing how we can do meetings as we won't have coverage for the classroom teachers and parents probably aren't available with no notice- especially if they're now scrambling to find child care/figure out their own jobs. But I don't want to be accused later of "wasting" a day . It's useless to ask my director- she takes 3-4 days to respond to any question .
We are not officially out yet. But things are changing rapidly.
Fortunately, I only have two more IEP meetings to go. A transition to high school meeting and eligibility determination, both on the same student.
The testing for eligibility is already done and the meeting is not until the end of next month. The transfer meetings are pretty flexible.
It is usually is not like this, but out school psych is out on a planned leave so a lot of timelines have been moved up already.
I too could use a break. Wednesday was the first time all school year I had the proper staffing level in my room (no subs or others pulled briefly into my room).
Also, this has been one of those "I am not a psych nurse" years, especially lately.
The OT, other SLP and I were joking today that if we close and are expected to provide compensatory services, we'll just call all the students we see and do a large group for a day.
So you're not working on the same goals - too bad, everyone is working on naming pictures for speech and writing them down for OT. Not at all effective, but the required minutes would be met.
Actually, I don't know what will happen, especially with open evals where testing needs to be completed. Can't really do that via e-learning, and can't really write an effective report and IEP without test results.
Last notice, from last night, is that we are not closing, but if we do will use the 2 snow days we haven't used and then will need to make up any additional hours / days missed. Sure hope if we close for several weeks the state will forgive those days, or we will be going to the very end of June, or even into July. We aren't air conditioned, so it would be miserable, with lots of grumpy children.
there is a place where you write in the reason for any delay in meeting a timeline--snow days, summer break, etc. Wouldn't this apply in the same way? (ETA-We do get exceptions for unexpected snow but not get to move final dates for summer break, just missing the letters going out or smaller dates like that...)
As long as someone higher up documents why your school closed, the dates involved, who authorized the closing, and so on, it should be an excusable delay. This is different than missing for a planned absence like Spring Break or something scheduled in advance.
My group is about split--some could do online, some could not... some have internet and devices, some do not... some parents could assist as needed, some could not (or would not...)
Also added: If the days won't count anyway, I would not put too much effort into it. I would hope they would give at least half credit.
We were also told the closure doesn't impact IEP deadlines and that we are to hold IEP meetings remotely. We figured out how to do it via google hang outs. We had to print out participants pages and we are to write who participated and how. No word on how other paperwork (i.e. eligibility, consents) will be signed so we are just planning on having it all signed when we get back.
None of us had ever used google hangouts before and luckily our tech director was able to come over and show us how to set up meetings. I am SHOCKED that the parents I contacted for next week are totally okay with this and say they will do it. We'll see if they actually log in/call when the time comes.
Honestly once we figured it out it seems okay, but my sped director decided not to tell us this until about 2 PM today . If she'd said it this morning, we could have had plenty of time to figure it out and organize everything. I'm going to be so starved for human contact that I'm actually looking forward to having some scheduled things next week. My P wants to do interviews for a position on my team as well, also via hangouts.
We were told we don't need to provide services at this time because gen ed isn't providing anything. If they were providing online learning, we would have to do that too.
We also have TONS of open evals. Thankfully I'd already panicked about how much testing there was to do and had gotten a lot of it done early. Director says we are to consider if any of that can be done remotely (i.e. stuff like parent interviews, rating scales) and if so complete it. We can put it on hold if the testing requires the child to be present, which obviously most of it does.
On the day we are set to return (which we've now been told is probably unlikely, as it's two weeks from now) we have 3 reeval meetings with interpreters. That's going to be a hot mess. I'm going to cross my fingers that a miracle happens and we return on time/I don't have to figure out how to get an interpreter not only in on the meeting, but also to contact parents ahead of time and explain all this.
Just got an email that our deadlines will be extended since gen ed didn’t provide work for the 1st week off. Those days will not count as school days, but the IEP deadlines are still in effect. I have a re-evaluation results/IEP meeting due and an IEP meeting right after our spring break.
I’ve only been told to figure it out with my team. The boy whose re-evaluation results meeting has every service we have and level 2 services. I think that’s 8 people.
How am I supposed to do this meeting? This is ridiculous. Plus, I’m supposed to collaborate with the gen ed teachers and provide differentiated lessons and progress monitor as well.
My 6 year old niece is autistic and NOTHING was sent home. The district made a big deal about distance learning but her teacher sent nothing home -no packet, no e-learning information, not a list of websites they could use, not even a worksheet. My school put together a big list of resources and fortunately, their health insurance approved extra ABA hours but this was a major fail on the district’s part.
I’ve only been told to figure it out with my team. The boy whose re-evaluation results meeting has every service we have and level 2 services. I think that’s 8 people.
How am I supposed to do this meeting? This is ridiculous.
As long as the testing is finished, I've found holding the meetings to actually be pretty easy. I'm in a low SES area and I didn't think our parents would get on board with google hangouts, but so far everyone I've needed to meet with has agreed to it. It's actually very easy. Everyone is in their own home participating in the meeting at once- it doesn't really matter how many people need to be there. You can have one person share their screen so that the parent can see the paperwork you are talking about.
The issue is going to come as we are closed longer and tri/initial meetings come up where testing wasn't finished before school closed. I've asked and received no guidance on that as of now.
The services are going to be way trickier and honestly I have no idea what that's going to look like. We were originally only closed for an extra week and were told we didn't have to provide anything because gen ed wasn't. It's now a state order to close through April 17th and the governor is saying online learning needs to happen. My students are K-2 and absolutely everything I do is direct instruction- I don't just give out assignments. And in the vast majority of cases my parents aren't going to be able to help. I'm just waiting for more specifics on what in the world this is supposed to look like now.
Google Hangouts have been working for our meetings as well. We are still only closed until the 27th and so far the extended learning opportunities (paper and online) are being accommodated for my students. That doesn't start until next week though so we don't know how it will go.
Of course it won't help us now. But all these laws/rules about IEP and eval timelines are just plain ridiculous during a pandemic. We are not talking about snow days or not enough certified staff. But a virus that kills people. In extreme situations, be it medical or weather related, districts should be waived. It's common sense. And the sad thing about it, you'll have staff jumping through hoops gathering materials and setting up meetings just for no one to show up. Just pushing papers.
After being repeatedly told not to email notices, we are being required to email notices to parents and other team members.
As for services, my state is not allowed to give grades or extra credit, so I am guessing we are getting around it by saying the general ed kids are not being instructed as well.
Other districts around here were so short on related service providers they were doing tele therapy through an outside company. I can see us trying something like that as well with district staff.
I have had one parent contact me and we were out all last week.
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03-12-2020, 03:16 PM
. It's useless to ask my director- she takes 3-4 days to respond to any question 
.
. If she'd said it this morning, we could have had plenty of time to figure it out and organize everything. I'm going to be so starved for human contact that I'm actually looking forward to having some scheduled things next week. My P wants to do interviews for a position on my team as well, also via hangouts. 
