As Promised: Let the CQ Eat CAKE!

It was another week of non-fun, non-festive meetings for the CQ.

Tuesday morning was a meeting with the Director of Spec Ed to discuss "SAI" (Specialized Academic Instruction), which is a new way of recording services on an IEP that has wrought major headaches for parents and staff. It was a productive discussion, although the Crabbiest Queen raised two issues:
1. Why the District doesn't focus more on Special Factors as a means of describing the services that will be provided/the accommodations that will be implemented/the modifications, if any, that will change instruction? Instead, we all dig in positions about DIS services because those are the only promises rendered. If they rendered promises that would truly impact how kids are instructed (that indicate an understanding of how the individual student learns), then my prophecy is reduced IEP team conflict. The Director was scribbling furiously. Score one for CQ.
2. Why the District doesn't use any business models for change management. I fear I didn't HR-sandwich it sufficiently. But here's the fourth largest school district in the nation rolling out a massive reorganization impacting 17000+ kids and we're just making it up as we do it. I asked where were the pilot programs, where was the data demonstrating the new way would achieve better OUTCOMES, and where was the summary of "lessons learned". Mucho scribbling; however, at Thursday evening's meeting, this query was twisted around and repeated IN FRONT OF ME. Subtract one from the CQ's tally column, but add one to CQ's own score-keeping on the Director.

Tuesday afternoon, CQ chaired a special ed committee meeting for a multi-county board. It was fast, but LLGA (my appendage who slept the AM meeting) was wide awake, alert, and trying out some fresh vocal stylings.

Tuesday afternoon's meeting conflicted with a third meeting for the CQ (Charlie-boy's school clinic).

Thursday evening brought a meeting for the advisory committee (also spec ed). The Director mentioned that someone asked about piloting programs and that civil rights laws required otherwise. HUH?! There's no novel civil rights legislation...the District was happy enough with the status quo for years. My questions dealt more with the handful of sites that started keeping their neighborhood kids in their own schools of residence and what we learned. (Well, and a chide that the District doesn't plan for sand!)
CQ undertook a mild rant about the new "notes page" in the online IEP system, that turns out to be an extension of one page -- NOT the opportunity to record useful information that we'd advocated occur. Grrr.

Luckily, GMK purchased a white cake/white frosting slice from Von's -- with a rose. AND, made a yummy moist chocolate bundt cake with white frosting.

And my cheese/caramel mix popcorn from Chicago's Garretts arrived, too!

At least my sweet tooth is happy.