No bus, no school for disabled teen

[Kacey]

DETROIT -- Anna Falkner just wants to go to school, but the 16-year-old student has waited six mornings for a wheelchair-accessible bus that never comes.
After multiple calls to the Detroit Public Schools' transportation department, other district offices and, finally, the media, her mother, Tajuanna Wilder, learned Tuesday afternoon that her daughter will receive transportation today.
But she's still mad.
"It shouldn't take all this for you to do your job," she said of the district's response.
The delay happens every fall, which makes the school year difficult for Anna, a vocal major at Detroit School of Arts, Wilder said.
<snip>
Wilder said she received confirmation at the end of last semester that Anna would receive district transportation to the Detroit School of Arts. Her daughter attended the school for much of the last academic year until the district transferred her to Osborn High because the arts school did not have a nurse available to assist her, as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that spells out requirements for children with disabilities.

But Wilder did not want Anna to attend Osborn after she found out the girl was being harassed by other students. The district then home-schooled her, but officials agreed to transfer and transport her to the arts school this year, Wilder said.

I find this heinous... other comments?

 

[Gordon Nore]

I find this heinous... other comments?

"Heinous" pretty much covers it. Why should it be so hard to educate a teenager who actually wants to go to school and has a supportive parent? Why should the child be removed from the bullies, rather than the other way around?

 

[Steel Tiger]

Heinous is the right word I think.



By the way, who comes up with the names for these programs, acts and laws?

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act = IDEA

 

[Ping898]

Heinous, but sadly unsurprising...

 

[Rich Parsons]

I find this heinous... other comments?

Kacey,

I apologize but this is Detroit. It is only just a little better than Flint. Flint has these TV ads that talk about them bringing down crime by 40% in the last 8 months. They talk about not being in bankruptcy anymore. Thay talk about paving roads. (* Not just like normal up keep but the one that people thought were gravel but were actually paved or those that could and did loose small cars into holes or at leat their front ends. *) They talk about all of this like it is a great thing they have done. When it was team sent in by the state to do this.

Yes, I find it Heinous. Yes I think it is sick for a mother to have to worry about this from year to year. Yes I think it is horrible that I am numb to this in my local areas. the worst is the porr 16 year old who wants to go to school, but is not able too until someone forces something to happen.

I know that the local school district I live in put in elevators into schools in the late 70's and early 80's and have either only build first floor schools opr made sure they meet the ADA requirements. I wish the young person lived in a better place.

 

[Cruentus]

I find this heinous... other comments?

Welcome to Detroit...

It sucks; but it is the same story year after year. This is because most people in Michigan are insane. They say that the definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Well, we here in Michigan (and Detroit in Particular) elect the same morons into every level of office from Governor to Mayor to School Board and expect something different to happend. And this same insanity can be applied to many different facets with what we do. It just sucks when innocent people get caught in the middle of it all...

 

[docmartin252]

I grew up outside of Detroit and for a 16 year old to want to go to school should be good enough for them to put something into action to see that she gets there. There are too many teens in Detroit that go out of their way to try and avoid school, and unfortunetly for the girl these are the type of students that get the attention of the Wayne county officials. This is also the place where an 80 year old man was beaten up and robbed outside of a convenience store a couple of months ago.

 

[Kacey]

As a special education teacher, my primary concern is that this is a problem this girl has every year - for new kids, I could see a delay of up to several days while the details are worked out - but for it to happen year after year is just really wrong, IMO.

 

[Rich Parsons]

As a special education teacher, my primary concern is that this is a problem this girl has every year - for new kids, I could see a delay of up to several days while the details are worked out - but for it to happen year after year is just really wrong, IMO.

Kacey,

I agree once she is in the system and if she has not moved it should be automatically done. A simple call to verify the route would also help out, in case of new drivers or change of address. I know this might take some time, but it might work.

As to your other thread of what can you do and what have I done. In this case nothing much. I do not live there so if I complained other than maybe to a TV show no one would care. Only if someone from the district complained would anything be possible done.

Remember Detroit a few years ago offered to pay off all school loans if the teacher staid 5 years in the system. I am not sure if it still is in place or if they stopped because enough teachers are there or if it did not matter as people would not stay the five years.

This issue sucks. It should not have happened. Like I said I feel sorry for her and wish her the best.

 

[arnisador]

As a special education teacher, my primary concern is that this is a problem this girl has every year - for new kids, I could see a delay of up to several days while the details are worked out - but for it to happen year after year is just really wrong, IMO.

That was my thought exactly. Once--understandable. Twice--forgivable. Thrice--unacceptable.