nursepower
Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Maryland
Brandon started Kindergarten at Spark Matsunaga, which is less than a mile from our house. I never received any word or notice from the teacher he was doing very poor in reading.
He gets promoted to 1st grade with no problems reported to me. The boundary lines change during the summer and he winds up going to a brand new school. It is further from our house than his previous one. I tried to be positive and thought being new they'd have the latest technology and possibly great teachers who'd be experienced transferring from other schools.
I meet his teacher, Ms. Kline, a week before school starts and I was very worried about how much experience she had as she looked rather young. I asked how long she'd been teaching and sure enough this was her first year.
My son was placed in the lowest reading group with Ms. Kline being the reading teacher.
The first report card comes home and he is at a 2 for reading which is way below average. I started doing home work with him nightly. I made flashcards. I had granddaddy try to work with him thinking perhaps it was me. My mom even tried and when I got his second report card I expected to see progress, but he was now at a 4, still way below grade level. I even attempted to put him in the after school homework club, but he came home with one page done after an hour and said that it was too loud and no one was helping him. The answers he had done were all wrong. He didn't go back again.
Brandon hated reading and he hated school and was not doing well at all. He was acting out at home and some days had complete meltdowns about attending school. I talked to his counselor, Ms. Morris about him giving me such a hard time about school and she told me to offer rewards for going.
I finally enlisted the help of Huntington Learning Center. The center tested him and told me he came out reading at Kindergarten level, three months in.
I took him to Huntington two times a week, for 1.5 hours each time. Third report card comes out and he's at a 7, still below but I see improvement. In May I get called to the school for a conference. Ms. Morris tells me over the phone Brandon is in danger of being held back. I go to the school and meet with Ms. Kline, Ms. Morris, and Mr. Edmundson (the principal).
I asked about him staying behind and asked that since he was in Huntington could the decision to be held back wait until the end of the summer. Mr. Edmundson then told me he was never in danger of being held back! I now feel totally overwhelmed and confused because each person was telling me something different.
We then talk about Brandon's reading and Ms. Kline tells me he's getting better, she's noted improvement. I tell her "I mean no disrespect, but I attribute his success to Huntington". Mr. Edmundson then tells me "If you think Huntington is solely responsible for teaching your child to read you are sadly mistaken". He also said something to the effect of, "Huntington should work with us, not the other way around" when I gave Ms. Kline Huntington's phone number and asked her to call the director.
We then set up a plan on paper of goals for Brandon to achieve regarding tardiness and absences.
I leave the conference and go straight to Huntington to talk to the director, Karen. I tell her about the conference and she offers to go to the school and meet with the teacher to see how they can work together to help Brandon.
In June I go to the conference with Karen, and Ms. Kline walks in the office and first thing she says is "How long is this going to take?" It shouldn't matter how long it takes. We were there to help Brandon. The teacher shows Karen Brandon's graph where they shade in his reading level each month. I see where he was a 2 and then a 4 and then a slight arc to a 7, but I'm pleased to see that June he's now a 14!! Which is absolutely a HUGE increase. Karen and Ms. Kline then talk about things Huntington can do to help prepare Brandon for 2nd grade.
Now fast forward to the end of June, when his report card is mailed home. I open it to find the graph shows the same reading level as third quarter. It shows no spike at all.
Now here is a time line from my saved notes of what happens next.
6.28.07
Called the school regarding Brandon's report card showing the wrong reading level.
Spoke with Kim Vigliotta. She said that nothing could be done until the middle of July because everyone was on vacation and to await her return call after mid July. I also asked her who was responsible for entering the correct level and she replied that the teacher was.
6.28.07 - E-mail Message Received from Kim
I received confirmation from Ms. Kline that Brandon's ending level for
reading was a 14. It will be changed in his file and once the system
for grading and reporting allows us to update levels we will do so on
his report card. I want to also reassure you that we are using his
reading level of a 14 as we consider his placement for next year.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention so his records accurately
reflect the progress he has made this year.
I have copied our assistant principal, Donna Sagona on this e mail if
you have further questions.
Have a wonderful summer.
Kim Vigliotta
7.1.07 - E-mail Message Sent to Kim
Thank you for taking care of this matter. Please send me a corrected copy of
his report card once all the corrections have been made.
Stacy Curtis
7.16.07 - E-mail Message Sent to Kim
Please update me as to where we stand with this.
Thank you,
Stacy CURTIS
7.24.07 - E-mail Message Sent to Kim
Please get back to me regarding Brandon's fixed report card. I can pick it
up anytime.
Thank you,
Stacy CURTIS
7.24.07 E-mail Message Received from Kim
Ms Curtis,
I just spoke to Kathy Shiflett from the office of Student Systems. She
requested that you call her at is 301 279 3755 regarding Brandon's
report card.
Thank you
Kim
7.24.07
Tried to call Kathy and had no answer.
7.25.07
Called Kathy and she explained that the system had been converted to be ready for the next school year around mid July and they could send me a paper detailing the correction was made. She then asked if that was acceptable and I said "no, but it doesn't sound like I have any other options". She then said if I wanted a copy of the report card that they could reverse the system back to the last school year, but it would take 3 days to go back and then 3 days to come to the present and so for 6 days no one would be able to access the database in the entire county.
I then said, "So do I understand that if this had been taken care of in the beginning of July I could have received a corrected report card?" She said absolutely up until July 11 they could have printed a new one. I then explained how I had been dealing with this since before July and was told to wait until mid July due to vacations and I said I had proof of the emails I have sent and received. She then apologized saying "No parent should have to go through this frustration" and said she'd speak with her programmer because he can work miracles and she will get back to me by the latest Monday and if I don't hear from her by then to call back.
7.25.07 Email Sent to Kim (although addressed wrong) Sagona should read Vigliotta.
Ms. Sagona,
Please tell me who Brandon's teacher for 2nd grade will be. Also I'm quite
agitated by the fact that Kathy Shiflett said if she'd known about it in the
beginning of July it would not have been a problem to send a corrected
report card. I have proof that I contacted the school and you personally on
June 28, 2007 and was told at that time that nothing could be done until
mid-July due to everyone being on vacation. Kathy said if she'd been
contacted prior to July 11, this would have been easy to fix.
7.27.07
Spoke via phone to Kathy Shiflett. She informed me that Brandon's report card was reprinted, showing his level of 14. She said she was sending me the report card and to look for it in the mail the next few days. She also apologized again that I had to go through everything that I did to get this corrected.
After this I fired off a letter to the board of education and CC'd everyone he ever came in contact with in the 1st grade. I received a reply from the principal asking for a meeting. I met with him and the AP and asked why Brandon didn't receive specialized reading help and he told me and I have a witness to this that Brandon was so far behind he didn't qualify for extra help. Apparently you have to be at a level 3 to get help and Brandon was only a 2.
He finished Huntington in October and continues to stay on grade level where he should be. We pay $250 a month to Sallie Mae who financed this and it is a big burden on our finances, especially with my husbands school loans coming up.
My question is does the school have any responsibility to help us pay for Huntington since they didn't help him and obviously wouldn't have due to their he's too far behind stance?
Brandon started Kindergarten at Spark Matsunaga, which is less than a mile from our house. I never received any word or notice from the teacher he was doing very poor in reading.
He gets promoted to 1st grade with no problems reported to me. The boundary lines change during the summer and he winds up going to a brand new school. It is further from our house than his previous one. I tried to be positive and thought being new they'd have the latest technology and possibly great teachers who'd be experienced transferring from other schools.
I meet his teacher, Ms. Kline, a week before school starts and I was very worried about how much experience she had as she looked rather young. I asked how long she'd been teaching and sure enough this was her first year.
My son was placed in the lowest reading group with Ms. Kline being the reading teacher.
The first report card comes home and he is at a 2 for reading which is way below average. I started doing home work with him nightly. I made flashcards. I had granddaddy try to work with him thinking perhaps it was me. My mom even tried and when I got his second report card I expected to see progress, but he was now at a 4, still way below grade level. I even attempted to put him in the after school homework club, but he came home with one page done after an hour and said that it was too loud and no one was helping him. The answers he had done were all wrong. He didn't go back again.
Brandon hated reading and he hated school and was not doing well at all. He was acting out at home and some days had complete meltdowns about attending school. I talked to his counselor, Ms. Morris about him giving me such a hard time about school and she told me to offer rewards for going.
I finally enlisted the help of Huntington Learning Center. The center tested him and told me he came out reading at Kindergarten level, three months in.
I took him to Huntington two times a week, for 1.5 hours each time. Third report card comes out and he's at a 7, still below but I see improvement. In May I get called to the school for a conference. Ms. Morris tells me over the phone Brandon is in danger of being held back. I go to the school and meet with Ms. Kline, Ms. Morris, and Mr. Edmundson (the principal).
I asked about him staying behind and asked that since he was in Huntington could the decision to be held back wait until the end of the summer. Mr. Edmundson then told me he was never in danger of being held back! I now feel totally overwhelmed and confused because each person was telling me something different.
We then talk about Brandon's reading and Ms. Kline tells me he's getting better, she's noted improvement. I tell her "I mean no disrespect, but I attribute his success to Huntington". Mr. Edmundson then tells me "If you think Huntington is solely responsible for teaching your child to read you are sadly mistaken". He also said something to the effect of, "Huntington should work with us, not the other way around" when I gave Ms. Kline Huntington's phone number and asked her to call the director.
We then set up a plan on paper of goals for Brandon to achieve regarding tardiness and absences.
I leave the conference and go straight to Huntington to talk to the director, Karen. I tell her about the conference and she offers to go to the school and meet with the teacher to see how they can work together to help Brandon.
In June I go to the conference with Karen, and Ms. Kline walks in the office and first thing she says is "How long is this going to take?" It shouldn't matter how long it takes. We were there to help Brandon. The teacher shows Karen Brandon's graph where they shade in his reading level each month. I see where he was a 2 and then a 4 and then a slight arc to a 7, but I'm pleased to see that June he's now a 14!! Which is absolutely a HUGE increase. Karen and Ms. Kline then talk about things Huntington can do to help prepare Brandon for 2nd grade.
Now fast forward to the end of June, when his report card is mailed home. I open it to find the graph shows the same reading level as third quarter. It shows no spike at all.
Now here is a time line from my saved notes of what happens next.
6.28.07
Called the school regarding Brandon's report card showing the wrong reading level.
Spoke with Kim Vigliotta. She said that nothing could be done until the middle of July because everyone was on vacation and to await her return call after mid July. I also asked her who was responsible for entering the correct level and she replied that the teacher was.
6.28.07 - E-mail Message Received from Kim
I received confirmation from Ms. Kline that Brandon's ending level for
reading was a 14. It will be changed in his file and once the system
for grading and reporting allows us to update levels we will do so on
his report card. I want to also reassure you that we are using his
reading level of a 14 as we consider his placement for next year.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention so his records accurately
reflect the progress he has made this year.
I have copied our assistant principal, Donna Sagona on this e mail if
you have further questions.
Have a wonderful summer.
Kim Vigliotta
7.1.07 - E-mail Message Sent to Kim
Thank you for taking care of this matter. Please send me a corrected copy of
his report card once all the corrections have been made.
Stacy Curtis
7.16.07 - E-mail Message Sent to Kim
Please update me as to where we stand with this.
Thank you,
Stacy CURTIS
7.24.07 - E-mail Message Sent to Kim
Please get back to me regarding Brandon's fixed report card. I can pick it
up anytime.
Thank you,
Stacy CURTIS
7.24.07 E-mail Message Received from Kim
Ms Curtis,
I just spoke to Kathy Shiflett from the office of Student Systems. She
requested that you call her at is 301 279 3755 regarding Brandon's
report card.
Thank you
Kim
7.24.07
Tried to call Kathy and had no answer.
7.25.07
Called Kathy and she explained that the system had been converted to be ready for the next school year around mid July and they could send me a paper detailing the correction was made. She then asked if that was acceptable and I said "no, but it doesn't sound like I have any other options". She then said if I wanted a copy of the report card that they could reverse the system back to the last school year, but it would take 3 days to go back and then 3 days to come to the present and so for 6 days no one would be able to access the database in the entire county.
I then said, "So do I understand that if this had been taken care of in the beginning of July I could have received a corrected report card?" She said absolutely up until July 11 they could have printed a new one. I then explained how I had been dealing with this since before July and was told to wait until mid July due to vacations and I said I had proof of the emails I have sent and received. She then apologized saying "No parent should have to go through this frustration" and said she'd speak with her programmer because he can work miracles and she will get back to me by the latest Monday and if I don't hear from her by then to call back.
7.25.07 Email Sent to Kim (although addressed wrong) Sagona should read Vigliotta.
Ms. Sagona,
Please tell me who Brandon's teacher for 2nd grade will be. Also I'm quite
agitated by the fact that Kathy Shiflett said if she'd known about it in the
beginning of July it would not have been a problem to send a corrected
report card. I have proof that I contacted the school and you personally on
June 28, 2007 and was told at that time that nothing could be done until
mid-July due to everyone being on vacation. Kathy said if she'd been
contacted prior to July 11, this would have been easy to fix.
7.27.07
Spoke via phone to Kathy Shiflett. She informed me that Brandon's report card was reprinted, showing his level of 14. She said she was sending me the report card and to look for it in the mail the next few days. She also apologized again that I had to go through everything that I did to get this corrected.
After this I fired off a letter to the board of education and CC'd everyone he ever came in contact with in the 1st grade. I received a reply from the principal asking for a meeting. I met with him and the AP and asked why Brandon didn't receive specialized reading help and he told me and I have a witness to this that Brandon was so far behind he didn't qualify for extra help. Apparently you have to be at a level 3 to get help and Brandon was only a 2.
He finished Huntington in October and continues to stay on grade level where he should be. We pay $250 a month to Sallie Mae who financed this and it is a big burden on our finances, especially with my husbands school loans coming up.
My question is does the school have any responsibility to help us pay for Huntington since they didn't help him and obviously wouldn't have due to their he's too far behind stance?
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