XVI. Pattern of Discrimination, Repeated and Continuous Violations of Special Education Law
SUMMARY
In addition to everything that has been said, in Issue II, teacher witnesses and complainants have reported many
issues which represent an ongoing pattern of discrimination which IEP’s are not being followed and children’s
needs are not being met. Therefore, the School Board requests that the Department of Justice track and
interview the parents and students who were moved from Detroit Day School of the Deaf and Oakman so that
the best interest of the children is the priority again.
It is hard for special education teachers to advocate for students in scenarios much less egregious than the
circumstances special education student’s experience in Detroit. Some of the information described to us is very
specific to student’s IEPs and because many of the teachers wish to be anonymous. Therefore, an anonymous
consultation of all special education teachers in Detroit will help good educators relate to the DOJ about the
conditions they must educate students within which they worry is harmful.
When General Education teachers are being harassed we worry for those teachers who speak up to put kids first.
However, compromising the workplace for our Special Education teachers who have often bonded with and
need to put their focus on the kids creates a terrible circumstance. Parents are no longer volunteering as they
once did and that is why we feel anonymous interviews should be conducted of all special education staff in
Detroit, whether DPS, EAA, or Charter to get a true picture of whether IEP’s are being followed. .
Because the community perceives retaliation (Title VI and Title VII), and there is so much fear, the Board
would be thankful for any special steps the DOJ can take to make it safe for teachers to communicate the
educational needs of the students and ideas of how to fix the reform demands so children are not further
harmed.
Says Sharon Jamison about her appearance at MERC to discuss widespread retaliation against teachers,
“Today
is the first step in our plan to put on trial all the New Jim Crow anti-education and
union-busting policies of Governor Snyder and his emergency manager,” said Jamison who
says she was retaliated against for her concerns about oversized classes, lost teacher prep time
and more.
(More specific allegations about Retaliation under Title VII here:
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2015/07/08/dft-dps/29854671/)
(More specific allegations have been made by State Representative Ellen Lipton and are visible here:
http://www.eclectablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/13.07.22_Lipton_MDE-State-Complaint.pdf)
DETAILS
A witness reported that under emergency management, children who have and IEP have been diagnosed with
autism who have an IEP (Individual Educational Plan) are being grouped together into the wrong classrooms,
for instance a Cognitively Impaired Classroom.
A witness reported that DPS authority under EM has denied (appropriate classroom placement) to children with
medical diagnosis of specific needs and put the child in (an inappropriate classroom placement) for convenience
which is a larger setting and more cost effective although the child needs a smaller setting because the child is
non-verbal and not potty trained.
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