Our very own former governor Mike Huckabee is the guest host of the Paul Harvey radio show the week beginning July 15th. I suggest you check him out. He is a natural performer. We always knew that in Arkansas! Course there is that preacher side of him! www.paulharvey.com.
Huckabee (aka. "The Huck" or "Huckster") is a good ole' boy, so we are proud for him. He did a lot for education in our state and I have a picture of my daughter (who was born deaf) standing next to him as he signed the Universal Hearing Screening bill into law dictating that all hospitals birthing 50 babies or more a year provided a hearing screening.
My daughter was only three years old, and it was a banner day. Today, she is almost fourteen, has a cochlear implant, teaches dance to pre-schoolers and sings in her school choir.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Crisis Situation
What I couldn't believe when my children were young was that the educators weren't interested in educaitng my children. Well, not all of them, and those who were allies wouldn't speak up during IEP meetings out of fear of losing their jobs.
My daughter was enrolled in a presechool co-op for special needs children and because she had not met the goals for the three years, we were wanting her to remain in the preschool rather than continue to kindergarten. After all, her birthday was Aug. 29th!
After a lengthy and costly due process hearing, we were no closer to coming to agreeable terms with the school district who basically received a slap on the wrist for the obstinant and antagonistic manner they chose to deal with us. In other words, the opinion of the ruling officer was that they were not breaking the law.
The school officials thought, perhaps, our daughter was not smart enough to talk. We saved her from that... we enrolled her at St. Joseph's Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis. A week before her fifth birthday, we left her in a dorm several hundred miles away from home.
Parents sacrifice in all kinds of ways, every day, for their children.
My daughter was enrolled in a presechool co-op for special needs children and because she had not met the goals for the three years, we were wanting her to remain in the preschool rather than continue to kindergarten. After all, her birthday was Aug. 29th!
After a lengthy and costly due process hearing, we were no closer to coming to agreeable terms with the school district who basically received a slap on the wrist for the obstinant and antagonistic manner they chose to deal with us. In other words, the opinion of the ruling officer was that they were not breaking the law.
The school officials thought, perhaps, our daughter was not smart enough to talk. We saved her from that... we enrolled her at St. Joseph's Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis. A week before her fifth birthday, we left her in a dorm several hundred miles away from home.
Parents sacrifice in all kinds of ways, every day, for their children.
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