We are citizens of Lee's Summit, Missouri and we feel the need to make the truth be known. You will find the false claims that have been made about how wonderful Lee's Summit is and you will find the facts. We are sure that once you hear the rest of the story, you'll be just as frustrated as we are.
It is time for my annual tax levy rant. I am paying my personal property taxes and it always makes me so angry. I am not angry that I have to pay taxes, although I have lived in two other states that do not require that you pay taxes on your vehicles every year. I am mad that Lee's Summit R7 gets so much money and does so little with it.
We have the highest paid Superintendent in the State of Missouri. We have a $12 million aquatic center. We have an $8.6 million administrative center. We have AstroTurf on our football fields. We have $250,000 band uniforms. We have students that are not receiving the Free and Appropriate Education that they are entitled to.
My tax levy for Lee's Summit is 6.1192. My tax levy for Stover is 3.4300. Trust me, my child would have gotten no less services or education in Stover than he got in Lee's Summit.
I'm in the midst of remodeling my home so that we can get out of this hell hole and move to my land in Gravois Mills. I am so done with Lee's Summit, it's school district, and all of the little Peyton Place politics that go on in this town.
For eight years he has stood by while our children have been abused, neglected, psychologically damaged, and left behind. In some cases he provided the district with false information that led to families facing retaliation. He has claimed to be the champion of those with disabilities as he used them as stepping stones in his political career. Now it is his child and he is hoping that the authorities will intervene? Where was he when it was our children? He was standing by doing nothing and in some cases contributing to the problem. I feel bad for his son. No child should have to go through this. Not even his.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — A senior at the University of Missouri and son of an outgoing Missouri state representative is hospitalized after being attacked and beaten. Four-term State Representative Jeff Grisamore of Lee’s Summit confirmed that his son, Joel Grisamore, had emergency facial reconstruction surgery Tuesday afternoon.
On Twitter, Rep. Grisamore said that two people beat Joel unconscious. He also said that police in Columbia are following several leads and hope to make arrests soon in the case.
He also tweeted that his son was in recovery following a two-hour surgery on Tuesday evening, but says he is still in intense pain.
You may recognize Joel Grisamore if you attended a recent football game in Columbia. He is an ROTC cadet and leads the Mizzouka Canon Crew at the university’s football games.
Rep. Grisamore served District 34 that includes Lee’s Summit and Greenwood between 2006 and 2014. Representative-elect Rebecca Roeber will serve that district beginning with the next legislative session.
LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — A Lee’s Summit woman said her five-year-old says her son was left alone sleeping on the floor in a dark room inside a school, while the staff she pays to watch him was nowhere in sight.
Katie Fitzsimmons said that on Friday, just before 6:00 p.m., she went to get her kindergartener who is in the Lee’s Summit School District’s after-school program at Prairie View Elementary School.
”I went to pick him up from after school care and the lights were out and the doors were locked I rang the doorbell several times and no one answered,” said Fitzsimmons.
Fitzsimmons says finally a janitor opened the door and told her everyone was gone. She says she freaked out, called police and started banging on the doors again.
“They opened the door and I said can we just check to see if he’s down there and sure enough he was down there,” said Fitzsimmons.
She says she wants to know why her five-year-old son was left alone.
“My heart dropped and all I could think was someone had him,” she said.
The Lee’s Summit School District says the incident is being investigated.
“We believe that the program student check out procedures were not followed by staff and due to miscommunication, the staff members left the school believing that all children had been picked up by their families,” said the Lee’s Summit School District in a statement.
“His backpack and his coat was on the coat rack by the wall where you walk out the door,” said Fitzsimmons.
Fitzsimmons says by the time an officer with the Lee’s Summit police officer got to the school she had found her son and officer didn’t take a police report.
A spokesperson for the Lee’s Summit Police Department says the officer didn’t believe there was criminal intent to neglect the child and ruled it an accident.
“When a parent leaves a kid at home it’s neglect, but when a school leaves them behind it’s like it’s no big deal,” said Fitzsimmons.
The Lee’s Summit District says staff members who did not follow the checkout procedures will be disciplined.
However, Lee’s Summit Superintendent David McGehee made it known in a tweet after the board’s announcement that he wanted new leadership from outside the department.
“Chance to heal and regain trust is lost,” he wrote. “Shame on you @MOEducation State Board. Reality and perception collide with no surprises here.”
I feel the same every election. We have the same people on the school board, the city council, the CAC, Lee's Summit Cares, and every other organization in this town. We need new leadership in Lee's Summit. We need a chance to heal and regain trust. We will never see it, either.
LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — A sex offender impersonating Santa Claus was arrested Thursday — not for playing Santa, but for failing to register as a sex offender.
A detective for the Jackson County Sheriff’s office received a tip that a known sex offender was working as a local Santa Claus impersonator. The offender, identified as 50-year-old James R. Gray, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., was contacted, and the report was confirmed.
Although it is not illegal to play Santa, Gray was arrested and charged with failure to register as a sex offender for not reporting his employment as lawfully required.
“Anyone that poses as Santa Claus, who has committed sex crimes against children, is a serious concern”, Sheriff Mike Sharp said. “In Gray’s case, as all others, there is zero tolerance when not reporting information as required.”
Gray’s bond has been set at $20,000 cash. His court date is unknown at this time. However, he will appear in Division 301 of Jackson County, Mo., Municipal Court.
LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. - A city official is now on paid administrative leave after he turned himself in to authorities.
The Missouri Highway Patrol said 51-year-old Daren Fristoe posted bond on felony theft charges in Jackson County on Monday.
Fristoe, the Lee's Summit assistant city manager, is accused of stealing money from his former non-profit automotive industry employer, C-CAR.
The assistant city manager is on paid administrative leave from Lee's Summit until a judge and jury decide whether Fristoe is innocent or guilty of stealing more than $120,000 from C-CAR.
Fristoe called Lee's Summit City Hall on Friday with the news.
"Mr. Fristoe advised me around 3:30 Friday afternoon that criminal charges were filed against him and that was the first we had learned of that," City Attorney Stephen Arbo said. "I was surprised."
Neither Fristoe nor his attorney were available for comment on Monday.
But the Jackson County Prosecutor's probable cause statement details Fristoe stole around $120,000 from the national organization and siphoned the money into his own personal bank accounts, paid off credit cards, a telephone bill, a bank loan and paid off loans to friends.
"He was very well thought of, highly considered," Arbo described of Fristoe when the city hired him in April 2013.
Arbo described Fristoe as an exemplary employee and a civic leader who passed all his background checks.
"I think we made the right choice in hiring him based in what we knew," Arbo said.
In 2013, Lee's Summit's Mayor awarded Fristoe the Mayoral Ethics in Business Award.
If he's convicted of felony theft charges, Fristoe faces 15 years in prison.
A Lake Lotawana man died after his pickup truck struck a concrete traffic signal base Friday morning in Lee’s Summit, police said.
Kenneth D. Bias, 74, was driving north on Southwest Oldham Parkway, approaching Third Street, when his 2013 Toyota Tacoma veered into oncoming traffic and struck the traffic signal about 9 a.m.
Wreck debris hit a school bus waiting in traffic nearby. No students were on board.
Bias was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article3618927.html#storylink=cpy
LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — A lockdown at a Lee’s Summit elementary school has been lifted.
According to the Lee’s Summit School District, a crossing guard working outside Prairie View Elementary School, 501 S.E. Todd George Pkwy., called police Friday morning when the guard thought he or she spotted someone armed with a gun.
Lee’s Summit Police tell FOX 4 that the school was put on lockdown as a precaution.
In its message informing families, the Lee’s Summit School District said that at approximately 8:35 a.m., a white van pulled up to the crossing guard with three male passengers inside displaying a firearm.
Janice Phelan, district spokesperson, says the van immediately pulled away and afterwards school officials quickly notified police. She said no students were in the crosswalk or near the area when the incident occurred.
LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — Police are investigating a homicide in the 900 block of NE Bristol Drive in Lee’s Summit, Mo. Police were called to the home around 10 a.m. Thursday.
Police said the victim — a 17-year-old male — suffered at least one gun shot wound. He was located inside the home by the front door. No one else was in the home. Witnesses said they saw two men flee the scene in a white Ford Focus.
Authorities are working on a suspect description at this time.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.
Injuries have been reported in a school bus crash near Lee's Summit West High School. It wasn't immediately known if the injuries involved anyone on the bus.
The crash happened near Southwest Ward Road and Southwest Stuart Road.
A Lee's Summit Schools official tells KMBC 9 News that the crash did not involve a bus from their district.
KMBC 9 News has a crew heading to the scene. Stay with KMBC.com and watch KMBC 9 News now for updates.
The District wants the Missouri Human Rights Act to be realigned with Federal Standards in their self-serving way as Legislative Priority 8 states but when it comes to everything else basically, they want the Feds to butt out.
I think we need to work together to get Legislative Priority Item 8 removed from the Legislative Platforms of the 30 school district members of the CSDGKC.
I would like to see that patrons understand that LSR7 Legislative Platform PRIORITY POSITION #8 HAS NO EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE. I do not want my tax dollars used to erode civil and human rights of the citizens of Missouri. I believe the CSDGKC and LSR7 are getting too involved in politics considering the purpose of both is supposed to be EDUCATION.
The Cooperating School Districts of Greater Kansas City (CSDGKC Inc.) operates as a Missouri EDUCATIONAL Service Agency (ESA). A CSDGKC sister organization, the CSDGKC Foundation holds 501(c)(3) status. In order to provide consistency and continuity, the board of directors for the CSDGKC Foundation is the same as the CSDGKC board.
CSDGKC Inc. is a diverse, accomplished educational cooperative association. CSDGKC represents 29 school districts and provides cutting-edge, state-of-the-art collaborative professional development services to another 19 school districts or schools. CSDGKC serves rural, suburban, and urban communities from 13 Missouri Counties. We represent over 188,000 students and 30,000 employees. CSDGKC Inc. is governed by public school districts in Bates, Buchanan, Caldwell, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Platte, and Ray Counties.
Missouri Human Rights Act to federal standards. It isn't to benefit education and students, it is to shield administrators from financial accountability for their acts of discrimination. It is also to please the school district's business donors and please the local Chamber of Commerce. This will make it hard to prove discrimination even when that is what has happened. The erosion of the Missouri Human Rights Act is a big step back in civil rights progress made in this country. This is why it is critical to spread the word in our communities that we as Patrons/Stakeholders want this removed from the Legislative Platform of our school district. This impacts school populations and all people who experience discrimination in their jobs, housing and public accommodations in the state of Missouri. This change in the MHRA will impact all who experience discrimination in Missouri.
The Missouri Commission on Human Rights will take your charge and investigate the alleged discrimination, harassment ... If they find discrimination, then they will either help the parties settle or if the MCHR feels they should have a hearing about the case, they do that. The parents of the child or the school employee who experienced discrimination, does not have to file a lawsuit, they don't have to hire an attorney. The MCHR helps with all of this, holding the person and entity involved responsible for the discrimination if they find that in the case. The school district's officials will be shielded from financial liability if the MHRA is eroded. Governor Nixon has vetoed Bills two times. Schools are using their Legislative websites to promote their agenda, which includes #8.
Has your child faced issues in the Lee's Summit School District? Have you been forced to homeschool your child or pay for private school? Has the district allowed your child to be bullied by peers or employees? Is your child receiving the Free and Appropriate Education that they are Federally entitled to? Are you willing to speak out? You can do so anonymously. I will be glad to forward your story to someone that is willing to investigate this and put a stop to this madness.
Did you know that the district is actively advocating taking away your rights? Did you know that they are using their power ad resources to make sure that you will no longer have the rights that you have right now? Are you willing to help me stop them?
I know that you are afraid of retaliation. I won't begin to tell you that it won't happen. I know of too many cases where it has. I know of many lives that have been ruined and futures that have been lost. I am standing up and saying that we won't take it any more. Will you please help me?
I have been called "that Tucker Nut" by district personnel. My son has been told that they are doing things to him because his mom won't back down. My son has been told that I am making his life harder by standing up for what is right. I told him that is a bully's way of quieting a person and I won't be bullied. I was forced to have him drop out so that they couldn't damage him any further. But, he wasn't receiving an education or the services that he was entitled to, so that was no great loss.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE help me to help other families. Only when we stand together can we end this madness.
Lee's Summit R7 is using it's power, influence, and resources to promote the following bills. If they are successful you will have even less of a chance of making the district do what is ethical, legal, moral, and right. Do you really believe the district should be promoting this? I know someone that can help us end this madness.
Controversial legislation proposing changes to the Missouri Human Rights Act earned a veto from Gov. Jay Nixon during last year’s legislative session — and the fight is on this year with the introduction of a similar bill.
Last year’s Senate Bill 188 and this year’s legislation, SB 592, have few differences, said Rich Germinder, chief of staff for Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah, who proposed both bills.
“The same components are still there,” Germinder said. “The primary component being the changing of the causation standard from a contributing factor to a motivating factor standard.”
The MHRA states that a fired individual can file a lawsuit against the employer because he or she thinks any one part of the decision related to the firing involved rights protected by MHRA, such as race, age or gender, Germinder said. Shifting to a motivating factor, which is what the federal standards use, would mean the human rights violation would have to be the main reason, he said.
Supporters of the bill, which was approved Jan. 12 by the Senate Committee on Commerce, said it will bring Missouri’s law in line with federal human rights legislation. Those opposing the changes said it will weaken the rights of individuals in discrimination claims. SB 592 is expected to be among the first debated in the 2012 session.
Nixon has a policy of not commenting on proposed legislation because it changes during the process, spokesman Scott Holste said.
But it seems unlikely his opinions have shifted much since last year’s veto.
In a news release after the veto last year, Nixon said SB 188 would undermine the MHRA and make it harder to prove discrimination.
Public School Liable for Sex Harassment of Student by Another Student.
Doe ex rel. Subia v. Kansas City, Missouri Sch. Dist., (WD73800, 4/17/2012)
o Doe alleged that he was sexually harassed and sexually assaulted by another student on multiple occasions during school hours on school grounds. Doe asserted the District's acts and omissions violated the MHRA because the sexual harassment and sexual assaults occurred on the basis of his gender and constituted sex discrimination. He claimed that the school is a public place of accommodation, and that he was deprived of the full, free, and equal use and enjoyment of the school and its services by way of the District's actions and inactions.
o The public school district's liability for student-on-student sexual harassment under the MHRA is the same as that for an employer's liability for co-worker sexual harassment under the MHRA. The school district is liable if it knew or should have known of the harassment and failed to take prompt and effective remedial action.
My son is 13 years old and has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS (when he was 5), Kanner's Syndrome (from the E-3 form through the Autism Research Institute)and Asperger's Syndrome, Inattentive ADHD, and Dysgraphia (through Children's Mercy Hospital when he was 13). He had not had a private or school evaluation since he was five years old, until this year, when I requested that his school give him one. I have never had a reason to have him reevaluated until now. That means that he had not been evaluated for seven years.
My son attended Prairie View, in Lee's Summit, from kindergarten until 6th grade. The educators at that school are amazing, caring, and wonderful people. I never had to ask for a thing for my son. They knew what he needed and they did it. They did not address his autism or the issues that he has because of it.
My son is now in middle school. In the spring of 2005 we met with the people from Prairie View and Pleasant Lea. We came up with provisions for his middle school years. His educators from Prairie View came up with 90% of these provisions based on their direct experience with my son. He does not like to break rules and his 6th grade teacher STRONGLY suggested that he leave each class a minute or two early. That would keep him out of the halls during the chaos and help him avoid getting a tardy. She stated that, "If he gets a tardy it will ruin his whole day. He will be lost to you for the rest of the day." They also said that he should have a set of books in each classroom and a set at home. This would also help him with getting to his classes on time. It would help with his organizational issues that all autistic people suffer from.
We also asked that he have music instead of art. His fine motor skills are not the best and art can be difficult.
We asked that he have PE at the end of the day so that he wouldn't have to shower. According to the University of North Carolina, bullying can be at it's worse in the shower area. Autistic children are often bullied and my son has not been the exception.
Pleasant Lea did not do any of these things until January when I wrote to the Department of Education, the entire school board, the superintendent, and Project Access. He did not get to leave class early. He did not get a set of books in each classroom or a set at home. He had art. He has PE 6th hour. He got seven tardies in a span of three weeks. He became depressed. He came home from school one day and put the thermometer in the microwave. Of course that didn't work out the way that he had wanted. He had wanted to make it look like he had a fever.
He ran to his room and put his piggy bank outside of his door. He wanted me to take money out of it to replace what he had broken. I went into his room and he was sobbing. He said, "I can't do anything right. Your life would have been better if I had never been born."I told him that a hole in my heart was filled on the day that he was born. He said, "You never would have missed me if you had never known me. A different child would have made your life better."
I immediately contacted the school. This was September and I didn't want the school year starting out like this.
I had a meeting with two teachers, one co-teacher, and two aides. I had talked about this with the assistant principal, but she wasn't available on that day. Neither was the special education coordinator nor the autism coordinator.
I tried to explain his tardies. Five of them were directly due to his having to go to his locker after every class. This would not have been necessary if he had a set of books in each class. One tardy was because he couldn't get his PE locker open and he waited until a child from the next hour came in and helped him. One tardy was because he was late to home room. His bus had came back through our neighborhood, I witnessed this, twenty minutes after it had picked him up. A student had gotten sick on the bus and the bus driver had brought her back home. This meant that the students got to school 20 minutes later than normal. He is AUTISTIC. He didn't understand that his schedule had changed by twenty minutes.
His co-teacher, Donetta Horkey, would not even let me finish a sentence. I didn't get to state what I just stated above. She said that I was wrong and that his bus had never been late. She said that he was just being stubborn and wouldn't take his book to PE. If he took his book to PE, he would be able to go straight to his class after PE instead of his locker. She said that he had not had a problem with his locker and that it was stubbornness that made him late. The rule is that you don't take your books to PE. Once again, he WILL NOT break rules. Real or perceived.
I told her that I would like to have a book at home, as per our spring conversation. She said that he didn't need a book at home. The information was available online. I told her that I would need a username and password. She said that I already had it. I told her that I did not. She said that I did. Finally, another teacher intervened and told me that he would get me the password and username. What if the internet was down? Why must I count on my server when I was supposed to have a book at home?
I explained that my son was depressed and related the incident of the thermometer. I told them that I knew that his depression was a direct result of coming to this school. The co-teacher said that he would be really stressed and want to stay home on Friday. She stated that he was going to have a test and that he was going to flunk it.
I asked her if he was being given tests in small groups as was stated in his IEP. She said that she would have to drag him out into the hall to do that.
My son has always gone to the learning center for his tests. Not once was dragging him out of the class required. As a matter of fact, he has never had any discipline issues until now.
The next day I called the autism coordinator to explain my distress after this meeting. Never have I been treated in such a manner. I am an adult. If the co-teacher treated me this way, how does she treat children? She is in charge of children with special needs.
The assistant principal called me that same morning to discuss my son's tardies. Because of the number of the tardies he was to be disciplined. I told her about my meeting. She said that she would talk to the co-teacher, autism coordinator, and special education coordinator. The co-teacher is also my son's home room teacher. They took all but two of his tardies off of his record. This will not change the damage that has been done.
They kept my son out of home room for two weeks and the main teacher took him out into the hall and gave him the test. He passed the test with a "B".
One day his math teacher asked him to do an assignment. Then she started writing the answers on the board. He thought that he should stop. Her story is that she asked him three times and he didn't comply. His story is that he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He shut down and just sat there.
She wrote him up. They call it a commitment letter. To my son it was a punitive action. He started crying. She called me to let me know what had happened and that he was crying. I told her that I would cry too, if every day that I went to work I was afraid that I was going to get into trouble and I didn't know why. If I didn't understand the rules and what was expected of me I would be stressed, too. When OCR investigated the district this letter was missing. Proof that the district has destroyed evidence and committed a crime.
His teacher told me that she felt that he needed to live up to expectations. I told her that I agreed. But, not the expectations of "normal" kids. I told her that I had expectations the day that he was born. Those are gone. I will give you the results of his Vineland testing at the conclusion of this letter.
I received a call from the autism coordinator stating that she was concerned because Jake had become depressed and lethargic. She wanted to have a meeting to make a plan to help Jake. At this point, I had spoken with all of Jake's teachers, the special education coordinator, the assistant principal, and the autism coordinator. I had expressed my concern over my son's depression. At no time was he sent to the counselor's office.
I went back for another meeting. They felt that we all just needed to be more positive and help my son to be more positive. They asked if my being anxious had caused my son to become anxious. I assured them that I was not anxious until my child began talking about dying. It was suggested that I take my son to his pediatrician for the depression. I did this. My pediatrician was as confused as I was as to why the school was having such an issue trying to figure out how to educate an autistic child. She asked me if they were having budget issues.
We both agreed that my child should not be medicated for a problem at school. She decided that she wanted to call the school and speak with Jake's counselor.
I called the school counselor and told her about my son. My doctor called the counselor as well. It took a week for my doctor to get a call back. Still, my son has never been to the counselor. The school blamed my doctor for the time it took for them to call her.
I researched many autism sites and tried to find information on educating autistic children. Most sites stated that I should offer the school any information that I found so that we could work together on my son's education.
I contacted Jerry Keimig, Special Education Coordinator for the Lee's Summit School District. I told him that I wanted to have my next meeting with the staff at the school and give them a chance to work this out. I told him that I would call him back after my meeting.
I emailed Mr. Keimig after the meeting where we discussed making Jake feel more positive. I told him that I would like to meet with him one-on-one to discuss my issues. I told him that I get easily intimidated when I have to face many people at one time.
Mr. Keimig refused to meet with me one-on-one. He said, "I would be happy to meet with you at any time, but not without direct input from PLMS staff. I will ask that Emily Miller coordinate a meeting with the three of us and any additional staff that might have more background on your son. I have none." I would have thought that he could have read my son's file and gotten all of the background that he needed.
I called Mr. Keimig several time the next few days. He WOULD NOT return my phone calls. I wanted to let him know what my pediatrician and I had discussed.
I met with Mr. Keimig for 15 minutes. I told him that I had read that most autistic children only respond to positive teaching. He told me that I couldn't believe everything that I read. I told him that I wanted my son in a class with a more positive teacher or in a modified curriculum. He told me that he may not be able to help my son in the future. I told him that my son was depressed and that being in this class was making it worse. He told me that it was a good life lesson for my son. I informed him that I would be contacting Children's Mercy to have my son reevaluated. I told him that my doctor felt that my son's disability was not being addressed and that we would need professional help to draw up his IEP.
It will take six months to get my son even started on the evaluations. Children's Mercy suggested that I contact MPACT so that they could help mean in the interim.
I contacted the superintendent to complain about Mr. Keimig's lack of understanding about autistic children and his inability to discuss my concerns without totally dismissing me. I was contacted by the principal of Pleasant Lea instead of by the superintendent. I told her everything that I have just stated. She suggested that I contact the assistant superintendent, Dr. Ann Starlin-Horner.
I contacted Dr. Horner. I told her of my concerns. I told her that I was having another meeting with the staff at Pleasant Lea. I told her that I would email all of my correspondence to her. That is when I found out that the public can not have access to Administration email addresses. I had to send everything to her secretary.
Dr. Horner called me back several days later and stated that she had found out that I was having a meeting with the Pleasant Lea staff in two days. She went on to say that she hadn't known about that. By the end of the message she said that I had told her about it and that she had forgotten. She told me that she would contact me after the meeting. She stated that she was writing it on her calendar right then. She didn't call me back until I wrote a letter to the superintendent in December. Two months after my initial phone call.
Jake is very smart, but he is getting an "F" in science, language arts, and home economics. He has missed almost 20 days of school because he has been sick so much. I believe that the stress that he has been under has affected his health. I have, of course, received the letter threatening me because of his absences.
Jake has to go to his teachers for his make up work and tests that he missed. He never does that and that is why he is flunking. He is supposed to be taking tests in small groups, but they say that they will only do that if they "don't have to drag him out of class" to do it. He has never had to be dragged out of class before. It states in his IEP that he is supposed to take tests in small groups and that the tests should be read to him. His case manager didn't even know that that was in there.
I had another meeting in December. I must stress that the special education coordinator for his school is trying to do her best. I just don't think that the district has a clear understanding of how to educate this unique population of students.
In our last meeting we decided that he needed a place to go when he gets stressed. It has been working and he is no longer as depressed.
His teachers are supposed to write in his plan book every day so that I know what his assignments were for that day and what we need to get done that night. Only his core classes do this. And they don't do it on a consistent basis.
He didn't get books in all of his classrooms until January. He wasn't able to leave any classes early, with the exception of one, until January. The staff felt that it was not necessary and dismissed it.
My advocate tells me that he should never receive a tardy. She said that his paras should make sure that he gets his work turned in and that they should be responsible for getting his make up work to him. That is something I am going to work on for his IEP. I trusted the school to write an IEP that would be the best for my son. I have learned that I will have to have a great deal of input so that it will address my son's disability and the issues that come with it.
I had a meeting with Ann Starlin-Horner in December. We discussed all of these issues. Jake has started chewing again and he has gotten in trouble for chewing in class. They said that it could pose a risk. He is chewing on his fingers. At our meeting, we decided that Jake should have something appropriate to chew on. They decided that a bracelet, such as Lance Armstrong wears, would be a good alternative. I told them that I didn't feel that it would be good because he would have his wrist at his mouth all day. Also at this meeting, Dr. Starlin-Horner said that my son needs to be held accountable for poor decisions. She said that his tardy in PE was an example of him making a poor choice. I told her that I disagreed. He was in a panic about being late and he couldn't get his locker open. He didn't know that he had any choices. His disability wouldn't allow him to focus on his choices.
After Christmas break they gave him the bracelet to chew on. The first day that he wore it he got into trouble for chewing on it. His teacher told him that "bracelets are for wearing, not for chewing on."
I have been posting on the EFECT board. It is a board for parents of children with disabilities. At my last meeting I noticed that the autism coordinator had a copy of every post that I had posted. She tried to hide it, but I saw it as she was searching for a paper. This board is for parents to share concerns, thoughts, issues, etc. It has since been changed so that teachers can not access it.
My son has been reevaluated and a new IEP has been drawn up. At our IEP meeting the school admitted that they had not properly prepared for my son and it was the cause of most of his issues this year.
His co-teacher, that wouldn't let me speak in our first meeting, has now said that he has lost the two books that were kept in the classroom for him. He hasn't lost the books that he had to bring home and then return or the books in other classes. Only the books in her class. Now I have to pay a fine for that. When I asked the principal about this on March 31st, she never responded. I'm sure that they will wait until the day that yearbooks are handed out and then tell him that he doesn't get one because he owes fines.
Sincerely,
Sherri R. Tucker
Jake's Vineland Scores
Jacob Tucker was 12 years 9 months old on the interview date of 3/1/06. Jacob's standard score on the Adaptive Behavior Composite is 64. The confidence level of 90 percent yields a confidence band of 60 to 68. Jacob's percentile rank of 1 on the Adaptive Behavior Composite indicates that his score is higher than or equal to only 1 percent of similarly aged individuals in the norm group. His adaptive level is rated as Low for his age group.
1. Jacob's level of adaptive functioning within the Communication domain is Moderately Low for his age group. His standard score of 78 results in a confidence band of 71-85 at the 90 percent confidence level. His percentile rank is 7. Thus, his score in this area is higher than or equal to only 7 percent of his peers in the normative sample. He has an adaptive level of Low for REceptive Communication, Adequate for Expressive Communication, and Adequate for Written Communication. The lower adaptive level for the Receptive subdomain indicates that Jacob has particular trouble with tasks such as accurately identifying some of the major body parts, following instructions that require and action and an object, or understanding an "if-then" statement. Be aware, however, that 17 percent of Jacob's Communication score was based on estimated performance. Jacob's standard score for the Daily Living Skills domain is 62 which results in a confidence band of 57-67 at the 90 percent confidence level. This score represents a Low level of adaptive functioning for an individual of his age. His percentile rank for the Daily Living Skills domain is 1. His adaptive level is Low for all three subdomains.
Jacob's level of adaptive functioning within the Socialization domain is Low for his age group. His standard score is 60 which results in a confidence band of 54-66 at the 90 percent confidence level. His percentile rank is 0.4. A look at the subdomain scores within the Socialization domain indicates that Jacob's adaptive level is Low for all three subdomains (Interpersonal Relationships, Play and Leisure Time and Coping Skills). Be aware, however, that 45 percent of Jacob's Socialization score was based on estimated performance. Jacob's standard score for the Motor Skills domain is 87. Jacob is over 6 years old and therefore the standard score of 87 is an estimated score. This score represents an Adequate level of adaptive functioning for his age group. His percentile rank for this domain is 19. Jacob's adaptive level is Moderately Low for the Gross Motor Skills subdomain and Adequate for the Fine Motor Skills subdomain. Jacob's standard score for the Communication domain is significantly different from the average for all of the domains. This large a difference was also very rarely seen in the normative sample. Such a difference indicates that his communication abilities are a strength that he may use to compensate for skills in other areas. Although Jacob's standard score for the Socialization domain is significantly higher than the average for all domains, this difference is not particularly unusual. In fact, a difference this large occurred in over 16 percent of the cases in the normative sample. Such a difference indicates that social abilities are a weakness for Jacob relative to his skills in the other areas. Activities that target the development of social skills may therefore be useful. In fact, attention to socialization may help to raise his overall level of adaptive behavior.
I met with the psychologist and got Jake's diagnosis. I'm sure that you have already received the handouts that the psychologist gave me and that you got the news of his diagnosis, but I thought that I'd email you so that you would have the email. I went over it verbally and that is a lot to remember.
My son was emotionally, physically, and psychologically bullied at all of the Lee's Summit schools that he attended by both peers and faculty. When are we going to stop the victimization of autistic students?
BAY VILLAGE, Ohio -- Dozens of people from Bay and other communities turned out Friday evening to promote tolerance and show their support for the teen who was the victim of the fake ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
The family of the victim, who has autism, reported the incident to Bay police on Wednesday. The family said the bucket dumped on the teen contained urine, feces and spit. A video of the incident was posted to social media. Those involved are believed to be Bay High classmates of the teenager.
**Important note: The family asked that we show the video to make other parents aware of bullying.**
BAY VILLAGE, Ohio – Police are investigating an alleged case of bullying involving a teenager with autism who took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
“Once we found out about it, we were just horrified,” said Diane, the mother of the Bay High School student. She claimed her youngest son was videotaped as feces, urine, spit and cigarette butts were dumped on his head by a group of juveniles.
“I want these kids held accountable for what they did to him and they targeted somebody who just didn’t really understand what was going on,” she said.
FOX 8 News is not identifying the family by last name to help protect their son.
According to the victim’s mom, Diane, the video was discovered on her 15-year-old son’s cell phone. She, along with her husband and other son, Jacob, wants it to be made public.
“I mean, the first thing that popped into my mind was like, why could someone – how could someone do this?” said Jacob. “How could someone really be this cruel to someone?”
In the video, the boy with autism is seen standing in the driveway of a home off school grounds. He’s wearing only his underwear as a bucket of fluid is poured from the roof of the garage. The bucket allegedly contained a mix of bodily fluids instead of ice water.
“He was embarrassed because he did not know what the contents were until afterwards and then he didn’t want anybody to know,” said his mom. “They used his phone to tape it and they put it up on Instagram.”
“This is just too far. It’s really bad,” said his brother, Jacob.
The Bay Village Police Department was made aware of the alleged incident on Wednesday. According to Det. Kevin Krolkosky, criminal charges could be filed.
“It’s disturbing to watch, you can obviously tell that somebody has been taking advantage of there,” said the detective.
Det. Krolkosky met with the parents and said it’s not a prank; it’s possibly a crime committed on the boy with autism by a group of juveniles who could face delinquency charges.
A spokesperson for Bay High School, where the victim is a student, said they’re now working hand-in-hand with police as they investigate.
“Obviously, if possible, we do want to hold those individuals accountable for their actions,” said Det. Krolkosky.
The police are just beginning their investigation and we’re told it could take a few weeks to file charges but they have a good idea who was involved.
“The bucket challenge is supposed to be raising awareness for this disease and now they’ve turned it into a sick joke,” said the victim’s mom. “I just can’t understand why kids would do something this cruel.”
The boy’s mom and dad wanted the video released to make other parents aware of bullying so they’ll have a conversation with their kids on how to treat people.
