Well, things at school for Austin did not go so well. The district is trying to change all the special ed stuff and it is not pretty. Here is a letter I sent to everyone I could think of including state officials, senators, district admin and school employees.
Re: Austin Robert Fueller, Anthem Elementary School
To all named above:
I am the Mother of a 13 year old boy that is cognitively impaired with mild mental retardation. I am also a Mother outraged by my sons school and the school district. Because my son fell off an operating room table as an infant and sustained brain damage he is receiving poor educational assistance and being treated as a second class citizen by Anthem Elementary School and particularly its principal Patrick Yennie.
Austin has a complete IEP that includes a one on one aide full time. When he is with his specific resource teacher she is his one on one aide but otherwise he is to have someone with him at all times. He is bullied and laughed at by other students when he is not with an aide. All of these concerns had been addressed at his last IEP meeting and was settled when his aide agreed to stay with him when he was between classes and at lunch.
However, this school year began with major changes. Not only does my son (in 7th grade) now have to switch classes, have 6 new teachers, change clothes for PE and learn a new schedule but he also has to deal with loosing his aide. His aide is still at the school and still wants to be with him but Mr. Yennie has decided he didn’t want them together and changed Austin’s aide. He explained that life is full of changes and although I agree with that statement as a whole, I also believe that some consistency for this type of student makes sense. My son’s type of brain damage makes changes hard for him. I think he has enough change to deal with. I am baffled and outraged as to why Mr. Yennie insisted on doing this.
During “Meet the Teacher” night my husband and I spoke with Mr. Yennie about Austin’s schedule and his aide situation. He stated Austin will have 3-4 aides rotating throughout the day. However, the first day of school it was one aide. When I e-mailed both Mr. Yennie and the intervention specialist with my concerns Mr. Yennie said I needed to speak with the intervention specialist and the intervention specialist said I needed to speak with the resource teacher (his support coordinator). When I spoke to the resource teacher she said she has little to do with picking the aide and all that was done by Mr. Yennie and some obscure person at district office. No one seems to take the initiative to find the answers.
I had a meeting with Mr. Yennie this morning and got a different story then the one told during the teacher night (he had no idea who I was even though I have had countless meetings with him the past 3 years) . Mr. Yennie was rude, condescending and lied straight to my face. I cannot believe that a man in charge of a school would act the way he did. It was completely unprofessional. I am a Mother advocating for her retarded child. I was not angry, I did not threaten him, I voiced my concern and said that as a Mother I know what is best for my child and I want him in a situation where he will learn to his full capacity. Austin’s brain damage will eventually limit his ability to learn and I want him to be pushed to learn as much as he can while he can. His aide from the last year and a half knows how to do that. Austin was on honor roll or principles list every semester last year. His aide knows how to modify his work to get the most out of him, she knows the kids in his classes so she can monitor the bullying issue, she knows how to keep him on task to get the work done. I am at a loss as to why she was placed in another class. Anyone else would take months to learn Austin’s abilities and behaviors thus losing precious time he could be learning.
As a Mother, I know my son. Mr. Yennie stated that as a principle his judgment overrides my parental judgment. I disagree strongly. My son has thrown up these last 2 days before school because of anxiety and nervousness. Why is DVUSD doing this to him?? He has enough adapting to do with a new school year and is at a large disadvantage with his brain damage. I feel Mr. Yennie is punishing ME for being vocal about my son’s education by taking away Austin’s aide. As a final straw Mr. Yennie stated he will not change simply because I want him to, that no one in district will override his decision and that Austin will just have to learn to adapt at some point. I pulled Austin out of school today because as I was leaving Mr. Yennie’s office I saw Austin in PE with no aide and I fear for his safety.
If I cannot rely on the school to educate him according to what is legally his right, how can I rely on the school to protect him? He will not be returning until this is resolved. I want my son to be safe, secure and able to learn in an environment suited to his special needs. I am seeking legal council at this moment. I expect to hear from you soon.
Mr. John Fueller (Ret.MSG/US Army-SF/USFO-D)
Mrs. Bridget K Fueller
