Are IEP's Taken Seriously at PS 154 in the Bronx?

Individual Educational Plans, or IEP's if you will, are sacrosanct. They are mandated by federal law and are legal documents. Sadly, too many manipulate IEP's for their own evil ways and parents are not aware of their rights and how much power they wield.

Several disturbing stories from sources deep within my now former school, PS 154 in the Bronx, have come to The Crack Team in recent weeks alleging monkey business with student's IEP's and services that are mandated to them.

The first allegation, and this was from several sources as well, was a veteran staff member with involved in the IEP's for the last several years at 154 decided that at the end of the 2013-14 school no longer wished to be involved in the IEP process anymore and decided to move on to a different path at PS 154.

A newbie teacher is now the one who make the decisions and she is one who only has an initial certificate. How could this happen?

The Crack Team was informed that upper echelon at PS 154 was allegedly exerting undue pressure of the veteran staff member to manipulate IEP's. This staff member has a conscience. This staff member could no longer deal with unethical requests.

Better yet to have a pliable newbie teacher for administration to work with, no?

The Crack Team has also come across something as equally disturbing.

Allegedly, paras, one to one paras, have been pulled from being with their students this year at PS 154 to give tutoring to students in Reading Rescue.

Allegedly, these tutoring sessions have been happening in the morning and while we here at SBSB applaud any and all methods to help our most troubled students get up to speed we do not believe it should be done at the expense of students whose federally mandated one to one paras are spending less time do what they should be doing by law. We are also troubled that the Cult of Calkins endorses Reading Rescue.

To get around such shenanigans either the IEP's are either being ignored or being changed.

If they are being ignored then that would be not only unethical but can appear to be stealing money. Funds are allocated for paras based on how much time they spend with a student. If said paras are only spending part of the day with the students they work with then the they are not full time paras and the monies for these paras should be cut.

On the other hand, and we have seen it before at PS 154, IEP's are being changed that a student needs his one to one para for only half the day. Of course this is easy to do in the South Bronx where parents are not fully aware of how much power the posses and not knowing the law. Even with this method monies are being spent for full day paras when they are in essence not full day paras.

We at SBSB are quite concerned with these allegations and wish to see a special blue ribbon panel put together by Chancellor Fariña post haste. The children of PS 154 deserve to be protected.