Good evening. I am here tonight because have a son with autism. When he was in school I went through training and became a volunteer special education advocate, something I did for over a decade. I have advocated on behalf of students with autism, AD/HD, PTSD, and a variety of other challenges. I am a former classroom teacher and hold a B.S. in chemistry and math education from Purdue and an M.S. in educational psychology from IU.
In answering questions about Special Education, I would like to point out that Seven Oaks merely cut and pasted selected sections from Article 7, Indiana’s Special Education law. If they were truly committed to providing services to special education students, why didn’t they write their own answers? Why they did is plagiarize?
Approximately 1 in 6 students in Indiana is a special education student. If Seven Oaks enrolls 400 students, they should be planning for the education of 67 special education students, students with autism, AD/HD, traumatic brain injury, dyslexia, speech delays, and a host of other challenges. How can they expect one special education teacher – which is what they have proposed in their application – to provide a free appropriate public education to that many students across a full range of disabilities?
Is Seven Oaks planning to hire additional staff or to contract out for the services provided by a speech pathologist, an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, and others? Guess what, special education teachers are not licensed nor trained to provide such services. What classroom space they are allocating to special education, including space for counseling, speech therapy and a sensory integration room for those with autism? Seven Oaks needs to be ready for all of this from day 1 because parents have a right to know what is offered before applying for admission.
According to Article 7, schools are required to hold a case conference committee meeting within 10 days of the enrollment date of a student who has been receiving special education in another state or another district within the state. Seven Oaks is proposing a 30-day time-line. If they cannot correctly implement a simple, straight-forward section of Article 7, how can they be trusted to educate special education students?
Transportation is also a problem. Seven Oaks has indicated they will not be providing transportation, but Article 7 says that a charter school is ultimately responsible for transportation of students with disabilities and that the parent of a student with a disability shall not be required to provide transportation.
Other questions:
1. Seven Oaks plans to use the old Ellettsville Elementary School. Will this facility, which needs significant renovations, be made fully ADA compliant?
2. How will Seven Oaks provide instruction for students with injuries and temporary or chronic illnesses? Article 7 requires this, even for general education students.
3. Research-based instructional strategies are generally effective for no more than 50 percent of students. This means that educators need multiple research-based programs in their tool box. Only one research-based strategy was mentioned in the Seven Oaks application. What else will they offer?
I am disappointed we don’t already have the answers to these questions.
In my opinion, Seven Oaks is not equipped to provide a free appropriate public education to a broad range of special education students. Therefore, I ask that Grace College deny the Seven Oaks application to establish a charter school within Monroe County.
Thank you.
--Penny Githens
Return to Seven Oaks public comments page
In answering questions about Special Education, I would like to point out that Seven Oaks merely cut and pasted selected sections from Article 7, Indiana’s Special Education law. If they were truly committed to providing services to special education students, why didn’t they write their own answers? Why they did is plagiarize?
Approximately 1 in 6 students in Indiana is a special education student. If Seven Oaks enrolls 400 students, they should be planning for the education of 67 special education students, students with autism, AD/HD, traumatic brain injury, dyslexia, speech delays, and a host of other challenges. How can they expect one special education teacher – which is what they have proposed in their application – to provide a free appropriate public education to that many students across a full range of disabilities?
Is Seven Oaks planning to hire additional staff or to contract out for the services provided by a speech pathologist, an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, and others? Guess what, special education teachers are not licensed nor trained to provide such services. What classroom space they are allocating to special education, including space for counseling, speech therapy and a sensory integration room for those with autism? Seven Oaks needs to be ready for all of this from day 1 because parents have a right to know what is offered before applying for admission.
According to Article 7, schools are required to hold a case conference committee meeting within 10 days of the enrollment date of a student who has been receiving special education in another state or another district within the state. Seven Oaks is proposing a 30-day time-line. If they cannot correctly implement a simple, straight-forward section of Article 7, how can they be trusted to educate special education students?
Transportation is also a problem. Seven Oaks has indicated they will not be providing transportation, but Article 7 says that a charter school is ultimately responsible for transportation of students with disabilities and that the parent of a student with a disability shall not be required to provide transportation.
Other questions:
1. Seven Oaks plans to use the old Ellettsville Elementary School. Will this facility, which needs significant renovations, be made fully ADA compliant?
2. How will Seven Oaks provide instruction for students with injuries and temporary or chronic illnesses? Article 7 requires this, even for general education students.
3. Research-based instructional strategies are generally effective for no more than 50 percent of students. This means that educators need multiple research-based programs in their tool box. Only one research-based strategy was mentioned in the Seven Oaks application. What else will they offer?
I am disappointed we don’t already have the answers to these questions.
In my opinion, Seven Oaks is not equipped to provide a free appropriate public education to a broad range of special education students. Therefore, I ask that Grace College deny the Seven Oaks application to establish a charter school within Monroe County.
Thank you.
--Penny Githens
Return to Seven Oaks public comments page