Back to school..............one more time

Well since my last post the decision was finalized by USD 266 that Kinley would attend Maize South High for her senior year.  That adventure started today when the bus rolled up in front of our house at 6:45 AM.  It really doesn't seem possible that this year will be her last as part of a school community.  Like most parents this kind of event tends to shift you into a reflective mode.  All of the schools she has attended in Olathe, Maize, and Parker (CO) have been amazing.  She has had many wonderful teachers, therapists, paras, and administrators at each stop and we are so grateful for all of them.  Last night I was thinking about how proud I am of her and all she has overcome and accomplished in her life so far. Whenever we have had IEP meetings, parent-teacher conferences, etc over the years we've been told many times what a great attitude she has and how hard she works.  That makes me so proud to be her dad. Have a great senior year Kinley..you're the best!

$!@%#&@$% !!!!!!!!!

Rant in 4,3,2,1...........Right before Thanksgiving we were notified in a very cold, business like memo that Kinley's special education classroom was going to be moved from Maize High to Maize South High in the fall.  No one will take ownership of this decision including the Maize superintendent, the Maize BOE,  and the Sedgwick County special ed co-op board.  All however are willing to play keep away from the parents and send us back and forth to each others meetings trying to get answers.  Basically we're taking an entire classroom of special ed kids from a school with an amazing culture of inclusiveness (130 regular ed kids are involved in Friendship Club at Maize High) and moving them to a new high school.  Oh but we have a shiny new classroom space at Maize South just for them is the party line coming from the administration and folks on the board.  Is that what's best for this group of kids?  Most of these kids have a very difficult time adjusting to new environments and new people but I guess that doesn't matter.  Apparently the thinking is this......the FAA program has a wonderful environment now and these kids are thriving at Maize High so let's move it somewhere else. Brilliant!!  There was no communication with parents asking for input before the decision was made.

Tonight myself and several others attended the special education cooperative board meeting.  Below were my remarks.  The bottom line I have learned is this......if you are a special ed student in any district covered by this co-op you are not truly a part of the school you attend.  It is just a brick and mortar structure where you "receive services" and you can be shipped to another structure at any time if the administration thinks there is a better use for that space you occupy now or they have another space in mind for you.   I'm extremely frustrated if you can't tell.  Had we known this type of action was on the horizon we would have stayed in Colorado and let Kinley finish at Chaparral High.

Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to speak tonite.  My name is John Hower and I am here on behalf of my daughter Kinley who is part of the FAA program and a junior at Maize High.  One thing I learned early on in my journey as Kinley’s dad is that I have to be her advocate.  She can’t drive here, walk into this room and state her case on this matter.  She has a mitochondrial disease that has robbed her of the ability to walk independently, given her Parkinson like tremors in her hands, partial seizures, and developmental delays that can make learning difficult.  But she has a great attitude about life and she loves the community at Maize High. There she is involved in Friendship Club, Pep Club, Tri County sports, and cheerleading through Project Shine.  She feels safe, welcome, loved, and included there and that has nothing to do with the physical dimensions of her class room space or the amenities of the building.  It has everything to do with the people and the culture that has been created in the building by the students and staff there. 

At the Maize school board meeting this week Superintendent Higgins had a very informative powerpoint presentation about how special education is delivered to students within the co-op districts.  He laid out the case as to why the decision to move these kids to Maize South was being made and how it would more evenly distribute the numbers between the high schools.  Well I don’t know how you feel about your kids by mine is NOT a number.  She is an incredible young lady who loves her school community and should not be forced to move to a completely foreign environment because it would help even out some numbers on a chart.  The one thing I have yet to hear from anyone involved is how this move will improve the educational experience and outcomes for Kinley and her classmates in the FAA program.  If this board thinks a shiny new classroom with a little more square footage is the answer I would strongly disagree. While I have a college degree I'll admit it's not a masters level degree in education or school administration; what I do have is over 140,000 hours of experience being Kinley's dad.  That experience and knowledge tells me this move would not be a positive thing for her.

Lastly I will leave you with this thought.  Kinley got the opportunity to cheer at the Maize varsity girls basketball game this week through Project Shine.  I looked around the gym at all the students watching the game, the basketball players, and the cheerleaders.   Each and every one of those young people gets to choose where they are going to finish high school.  Kinley and her classmates however are going to be forced to leave the school community they love and go somewhere else.  That in my opinion is an injustice to these kids who already deal with plenty of challenges every single day.  Please do the right thing and find a solution that will keep these kids at Maize High.  Thank you.