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robexib t1_jdesk9s wrote

Reply to comment by SOUTHPAWMIKE in Body is 17-year-old accused of shooting 2 at Denver high school, Colorado coroner confirms - CNN by oldschoolskater

So, in my school district, the administration were seemingly on the cut when it came to admitting students as special education students, whether they needed it or not. Apparently, a chunk of that funding was lost if any of those students were to transition out of special education for any reason.

I wanted out. My parents wanted me out. The guidance counselor's office were aware of my situation, but couldn't do much. The only folks who had any issue were in the administration, and were either principals or vice principals. I needed their permission to take standard education classes, which would be invariably denied. No reason given. This is in direct violation of IDEA, BTW.

So, I'd go behind their backs and try to talk to counselors regardless. It'd take maybe a day before the pricipal found out, bring me into his office, pull some bullshit allegation about I'd threaten to blow up the gym or shoot up a classroom and use that as the reason to suspend me, and have my changes to my schedule and IEP reverted.

The superintendent was fully aware this was happening and did nothing. I don't have evidence for it, but I suspect he was on the take.

This is why I'm generally against increasing funding for schools. Far too many administrators take far too much for their own personal gain, and teachers, students, and other actually useful staff get very little of that money.

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SOUTHPAWMIKE t1_jdeu4ct wrote

That's fucking horrendous, but not surprising. I know for a fact that districts get more funding per Sped student, and yeah, many of the admins I worked with also tried to push kids onto IEPs for those extra dollars.

You said the charges got thrown out in court, and I'm glad they did. Did anyone who put you in this situation ever face consequences?

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robexib t1_jdf6sv4 wrote

Principal got slapped with a restraining order. About it.

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Lesmiserablemuffins t1_jdfxz78 wrote

Any extra money for SPED is used to... fund sped lol. Special education is not cheap and schools really do not get enough funds to run these programs at a minimal quality, much less somehow siphon that money into other things

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SOUTHPAWMIKE t1_jdfzllv wrote

I'm not implying that anything was being used or spent inappropriately where I worked, but I'm also not trying to call u/robexib a liar. I was also always told that we get special state funding for our SPED Program, (which I was involved in occasionally spending to address SPED needs) but also general use ADA funding, and we got more per child w/ special needs.

But I was in IT, not SPED or Finance, so I don't really know.

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robexib t1_jdgb4hq wrote

Right, it's generally the case that the schools that comply with ADA and IDEA are supposed to get extra funding in order to assist students who have special needs, like access to speech pathologists or medical professionals with training in the issues faced by a student. It's also, in part, meant to give teachers a financial incentive to take on special education students.

The extra funding isn't the issue by itself. It's the fact that schools make it far too easy to skim off the top and get away with it without involving a courtroom.

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