Saturday, February 09, 2008

The beat goes on

It seemed after the IEP meeting that they might be interested in working things out peaceably at last - but not so. They wrote up the IEP as they liked, blowing off the input of our evaluator and everyone else in the meeting except their evaluator. It's like no one else was there, and all this is contrary to the law, which among other things states that the IEP team must arrive at its conclusions through consensus.

They offered after the meeting to pay our expenses in return for my dropping my compliance complaints, which is absurd because they owe those expenses anyway, but I agreed to talk about them when they call, as the SELPA director said they would be doing last week. SELPA never called, but CVUSD sent a certified letter giving completely fallacious arguments for not paying, so it seems that they want to fight to the death, or maybe they're just low-balling and plan to get serious later, but I've always been wrong before when I expected them to be reasonable.

The same day, we got CDE's report on the first complaint, S-0487-07/08, which found CVUSD out of compliance but also stated that they had produced all the records, which would imply that they had produced all the records for the IEP meeting. However, I drew attention to some errors both in law and fact, and they have agreed to reconsider. Perhaps CVUSD was unaware of this latest development before they sent such an insulting letter.

Of course we can't let the IEP be written up as they want, because their intention is clearly to have Stephen in a position where they can do him further harm in the event that the new placement doesn't work out, which is quite possible in view of how Stephen has been traumatized by educational professionals. We'll have to give notice by the end of the month of our intention to file the civil suit, too.

As I said in my conversation with the SELPA director, one real problem is that in some way I am really stupid. I just don't understand CVUSD's determination to provoke confrontation and take every opportunity to hurt Stephen. At any time they could walk away from this fight for a few thousand bucks, and they know that's still possible. They've probably spent more already fighting me, and yet they're going for more. They have to know that this is all going to play unpleasantly in the newspapers, and the risk of getting the State Superintendent personally involved is really there. The County is moving forward with its own investigation of the phony 5150. And yet with nothing to gain for themselves they insist that we must bring it on!

Well, it makes no sense to me. But if only I could see inside their heads I would understand, and I would perhaps be able to find a way. I feel like I'm incorrigibly stupid, but since I have to protect my son, I just have to show up for their challenge until their threat is ended.

But here we see the importance of loving our enemies, praying for those who persecute us and despitefully use us. If we don't, then we will be stupid and miss chances to make peace and avoid needless strife. Since I simply can't understand why these people are acting this way, I am sure I am having that problem. For now, I don't know what to do but thwart their assaults as tenaciously and skillfully as I can, while keeping my hand stretched out to offer a peaceful resolution if that should ever interest them.

I was just reading Psalm 16 today, and that speaks very directly to these questions. I'll have a word on Psalm 16 presently.

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