PhD dedication

[appropriatelytrained]

I'm getting my PhD bound. I'd like to dedication to all of you brave folks forced to battle for our kids. You've absolutely kept me going and got me through this

I'm looking for a pithy quote or saying from someone of note to sum the whole thing up

So far, I'm considering
Truth is mighty and will prevail. There is nothing the matter with this, except that it ain't so. ~Mark Twain, Notebook, 1935

Any advances!!!

Oh God Working really?

I'm not sure I'm the best one to advise and my strategy usually goes against me probably, but I like to give them a way out before they are trapped iyswim. Letting them know that I know will mean that they backtrack and lie, but hopefully they will also then improve. Waiting until the last opportunity and then trumping them I've never dared do, but does it get you further?

I was just thinking I would get them to commit themselves with their usual crap first and then trump them.

Whenever I point out someone isn't doing something with reference to the law/guidelines, they go away and MAKE IT UP to fit the law/guidelines.

I wondered if I would fare better by getting them to commit themselves first

Oh I see. Yes. I think your was is best, and there was me thinking I'd turned hardcore. Obviously not quite!

"Whenever I point out someone isn't doing something with reference to the law/guidelines, they go away and MAKE IT UP to fit the law/guidelines."

Yes, this would be my worry. I don't think it would be "made up", but.. erm.. shaped. Loopholes found. A clever case constructed.

When it comes to talking in business in general to e.g. a boss, trap them and you're done for. When it comes to tribunal, what you want is a win. It's a different process. You don't have a partnership with the higher echelons of the LEA or SLT management structure and the process requires you to bring out all guns blazing.

Yes. I see that. I've been playing it wrong. I suppose I have always kept my faith in the integrety of indivuals in a system that doesn't do as much harm to them than my ds, but still isn't too pleasant.

But I do remember my ds' SLT two weeks before the tribunal turn up with a zillion assessments and tell me that she was doing them at my request. I let her get on with them being unafraid of what she would find (as ds had made incredible progress) and then she telling me just as she had finished them that she was sorry but she had been asked to stand against me at tribunal.

I wasn't shocked actually, or particularly phased by it but I thought it was extremely dirty tactics.

In the end she never submitted her assessment, because, as I had guessed, it showed ds to have made fantastic progress on his ABA programme.

Well, if I am putting in place an intervention, then I would use independent measures before and after intervention to show said intervention worked or not.

It's not rocket science-a TALC or a TROG or a BPVS or an update of ABLLS or summat.

Not with every single kid I have responsibility for (impossible and morevoer many do mot need that level of input) but I damn well would make sure i did so if there was a parent kicking off about how dissatisfied s/he was!

Would it also be reasonable to ask how the S&LT ensures that the team carrying out the programme understand its purpose and the child's needs?

But that is because you are secure in your intervention strategies Moondog. I can't imagine how others can be. They believe they are making a difference because they 'feel' they are and so they take challenge very personally. They 'feel' that!

I know Star.
That's a big issue, the perceptyion of personal criticism and slight.
Again why I love Precision Teaching.
If it aint working, you cahnge the intervention after 3 days. Noone is to blame, no finger pointing, no passing the buck. I lve it when I go and see a TA and look at the chart and they tell me (from the data) whether it is effective or not.
That's when we strike gold.

AT, that's a massive can of worms.
Many s/lts don't think much of teachers and TAs and would probably only be too glad of the chance to criticise and blame them for not carrying out their recommendations.
From my perspective, if they don't carry them out properly and record progress, it's because we, the s/lts have not done our job properly in showing them how or offering more than wishywashy 'advice'.

Yes, and it is what makes people turn nasty when you ask a simple question.

Our LA put a lot of weight on 'professional opinion'.

Hang on a minute, I'll try and find a letter I recently sent to the senco that might make you laugh. (I tried discussing it informally with the class teacher AND the advisory service before I had to write) It has also had the effect of the class teacher refusing to speak to me as well as the TA having stopped writing in the home school book.

Green Spot

I am writing to you regarding a classroom management strategy that is getting in the way of DS? progress and would like you to support the Nursery in finding an alternative. At carpet time DS is directed to sit on a green spot in an attempt to prevent him from pestering other children. He has told me that his 1:1 support is not with him at this time.

Given that DS has been made to sit on this spot for over a term and Class Teacher has informed me that when it was removed DS? undesirable behaviours returned, DS has clearly not learnt from this strategy.

Instead he has become prompt dependent, unable to generalise the skill, become reliant on extrinsic motivation for behaviour rather than intrinsic and whilst is displaying the appearance of sitting well, he is physically integrated, but not educationally or socially. His independence and choice of seat has also reduced.

Given that this has gone on for at least a term despite not working I can assume now that no better solution has been found. My own suggestion based on my 40 days training on autism applied specifically to DS is as follows

Effective strategy:

(Here I wrote a behaviourist strategy that means the TA actually sitting with him instead of tidying the classroomm)

I am an expert in DS, his learning styles and autism as applied to him. I am not an expert in classroom practices and so would urge the Nursery again to allow into class a behavioural analyst with mainstream classroom experience to advise on the most natural way to ensure that DS achieves his goal, as applied to this particular setting and with minimal disruption.

As well as my using my own experience I have sought the advice of others that know DS well who assure me that if done properly DS will master this skill this way in good time before starting Reception in September.

I hope you can give my letter and suggested strategy some consideration and am available and willing to help or answer any questions you may have.

I look forward to your reply.

What a great letter!

I think that's a great first line of attack because it shows you are willing to be their partner etc but if they didn't play ball I would start screaming blue murder and waving about legislation.

You wanna hear their reply?

Yes please

I don't suppose they appreciated your letter at all.......

I do but I think it is going to be pretty depressing..

Thank you for your letter. As always we will take on board your suggestions and are willing to try new ideas.

Our concern is that with only five full weeks left of term there are going to be lots of routine changes for sports day practices, class photos, sports day and the year 6 play that changing familiar strategies could be unslettling at tranisition time.

At this point the school does not feel it necessary to involve any further professionals as we have a wealth of experience and advice already available to us.

So, let's just stick with the crappy idea that's not working as at least it's familiar?

What have sports day etc go to do with the point you make save to say it's translated as - we're really busy this time of year so you can forget it if you think we're going to start trying something new!

Further to my comments below about the LA listing an EP for Tribunal who had never even met DS, the head tells me today that this EP is coming in to school in a couple of weeks to guide school on transition.

This will be EP (who has never met DS) talking to new teacher and class TA about DS. If I would like, she will speak to me afterwards! Seriously? What is the woman going to say if she doesn't know him (she's met me and has an idea of the issues but it's hardly the same is it?)

Head says the visit is at her request so I think I've pissed her off by expressing my concern but I doubt everything these days and could only see this as another, handy attempt to wheel someone out to give a bit of generic advice before Tribunal.

Really, why exclude parents when everyone else knows f**k all about your child? Makes life easier I suppose.

It's so she can tell the tribunal she has met ds I suppose!?

When is your tribunal?

The 5 weeks until the end of the year stuff is rubbish. I remember being 6 weeks in at the beginning of the year asking why nothing was happening and being told that the term had barely begun.

So for 11 weeks they can justify doing nothing because its either the beginning of the year orthe end of the year..

Isn't that almost a 3rd of the teaching year?

But basically they are saying that it isn't convenient to work on my ds' development right now as they are too busy doing other things.

She's not going to meet DS when she goes in - or so I've been told.

Tribunal is in a month

Good, so it won't matter that he's sick that day then.

They wouldn't really try and see him without my consent would they?

Is the head really lying to me about this?

She was adamant that it was her idea and I've been banging on about how she should access outside support.

Am I being naive?

I don't know, but if it was me I'd have a lovely day out with my ds that day instead. Or arrange an appointment for him or something and inform them so that they have to reveal that they intend to see your ds by changing the date or telling you. You can always imply that the date can be easily rearranged if they need to see your ds (then he can go sick).

Interestingly, I think it might be the day that our own S&LT is coming into school to assess DS so he needs to be there.

Would they really be that underhand? I have said several times that they need my consent in writing to see him.

Well what would be their consequence?

Look, my brain is completely warped so prehaps it is best to ignore me. I was wandering around tescos looking for a yellow t-shirt for ds' sports day (he's in the yellow team) and they didn't have any. For a few minutes I was convinced that the LA and school had planned for ds to be 'yellow' on purpose as they knew I wouldn't be able to get a t-shirt in that colour and get stressed about it.