Billions of dollars are flowing to public school districts across the country through a federal grant program designed to improve poor schools, yet the methods used to determine eligibility include data that have high margins of error, which appears to have enabled wealthy districts to receive some of this money. Continue reading
Tag Archives: department of education
Special ed expenses and questions continue
Unbudgeted expenses continue to pile up on Darien Schools as the district works to fix a complex web of problems in its special education program.
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Onus on parents to investigate
Parents who thought the state would alert them if investigators found their children might have been harmed by Darien Schools’ illegal special education practices will not be getting a notice from state officials addressing that issue.
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Legality of special ed forms questioned
Darien’s special education policies continue to face heavy scrutiny from parents, lawyers and others, who have said the district could be failing to inform parents of their rights when some parents of children with disabilities seek to place their children in private school.
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Newspaper claims schools denied access to info
After no response to at least three requests for public records from the schools, The Darien Times has filed a complaint with state Freedom of Information Commission, alleging the schools have denied access to public documents.
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Some demand state take severe action against schools
It was a bittersweet moment for many on all sides of the special education situation when the state reported on July 18 that Darien violated state and federal laws. Continue reading
Schools given blank check for legal fight against parents
It’s been said that money can’t buy happiness, but according to finance board emails obtained by The Darien Times, money can buy a good legal fight.
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Schools’ lawyer: ‘Mistakes were made’
Illegal activity. Cover-ups. Omissions. Lying. Retribution. Intimidation.
These are but a few of the allegations being thrown at the Darien School district by parents concerned that the schools are not providing some special needs children with the appropriate education they’re entitled to under the law.
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Leaked memo leaves schools speechless
Unanswered questions continue to hover around a controversial memo being used as evidence in a complaint filed with the state, claiming that Darien Schools are violating special education law.
Darien schools accused of violating special ed kids’ rights
Ask and you shall receive.
Except when it comes to getting information about special education program changes in Darien, according to at least 18 parents who filed a complaint against the district with the state Department of Education, urging an unprecedented halt of state and federal money to the public schools because of “the extent of wrongdoing and violations of the rights of students with disabilities.”