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Welcome to the 2023 “Summer Edition” of District Deeds!

As we outlined in our 2023 “Summer Edition” Introduction on June 25, 2023,, District Deeds this summer will curate San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) related material for your leisurely summer vacation review during the SDUSD Summer break highlighted in magenta below:

 

In those weeks are providing our readers the District Deeds Sunday Reads Summer Edition (DDSRSE), an abridged version of our school year blog offerings.  The format of these posts is a simple 3 part design.

  • District Deeds Introduction
  • News Item Quotes/District Deeds Notes
  • Conclusions

DD NOTE:  The material listed below includes selected text along with DD Tips and Notes.  Please click on the graphics for a larger type version and the title to read the full story at the source.

ENJOY!

District Deeds Introduction

This week is the FINAL week of the District Deeds Sunday Reads “Summer Edition”.  Tomorrow, barring potential school closures due to Tropical Storm Hilary, is going to be the first day of the SDUSD 2023/2024 school year.

As part of our support for ALL SDUSD Families, we have asked a group of our SDUSD Community contacts to offer key “first week” recommendations to facilitate the very best education for their SDUSD Student(s).

In this post we will provide the recommendations from highly regarded and experienced community leaders and our DD NOTE/DD TIP to help facilitate the recommendations offered.

Ms. Francine Maxwell – Chairwoman

Black Men and Women United

As we return to our campuses to partner with our credentialed educators on joining with you for the education of your children let us not forget to celebrate the parents who are the first teachers.

Everyone should be a open book and highlight the rules and regulations and expectations up front.  To that end every parent should:

  1.  Get a copy of classroom expectations and needs list.

The school is responsible to provide certain items and the community can assist when a needs list is provided.

2.  Celebrate your progress.

Let’s celebrate that your family decided to bring your children to school.

Let’s celebrate those that are home schooling as well.

3.  Celebrate by signing up.

Show up and participating on the School Site Council (SSC), Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) and Site Governance Team (SGT).  Each one of these committees exist and need your voice to support the educational rights of your children

Following these suggestions will ensure that Parents and the SDUSD organization will be focused providing the very best education to your most precious gift…your children.

Mr. David Page

Former SDUSD DAC Chair

Focus on the “First School Day” Questions:

  • How many children are in each of your child’s classes
  • Is there a classroom aide?
  • Is the Teacher credentialed?  Check their FULL name (including middle name/initial) here in the CA.GOV Commission on Teacher Credentialing 
  • Is the Teacher working under their credential certification?
  • Is there a syllabus for the class?
  • What is the busing drop off/pickup route, scheduling and policies?

A SDUSD Counselor

(anonymous)

  • Read and complete the school site Parent Package provided on the first day of school.  Be sure to read ALL the material and contact the Principal. Counselor and/or Teacher with any clarification needed.
  • Get all the information you need to access SDUSD PowerSchool, the link to all your student grading and performance data for all their classes.

Verify ALL info on PowerSchool to especially to be sure all of your contact info including you and your alternate contact person, email and phone number is completely up to date.

A SDUSD Teacher

(Anonymous)

All parents with students that have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP} or 504 Plan need to be sure that all their Teachers are fully aware of all the supports, interventions and accommodations are being fulfilled in the classroom.

Here are the steps to take:

  • Become familiar with the Federal Office of Civil Rights (OCR): Office of Civil Rights Department of Education
  • If you don’t have a copy of your child’s 2023/2024 IEP or 504 Plan, get a copy on the first day of school.  Be sure to identify the name of the administrator from the SDUSD that signed the document.
  • In the first week of school contact each of your child’s teachers via email and ask for a conference to review your child’s 504 plan or IEP accommodations and/or interventions within 3 days.  You may get pushback like “I am extremely busy, can we do this next month?” or “Let me check my calendar and I will get back to you.” or “I understand the interventions but thanks for checking with me!”  ALL of these responses are unacceptable.  Every day your child spends in a classroom without clearly defined and applied supports is a day of education lost.
  • When 3 days have elapsed, send an email to the Administrator requesting a conference about the 504/IEP with them and the teacher(s) that have not satisfactorily responded in the 3 day period.
  • Inform your child of the supports they are to receive and check with them weekly to be sure the IEP/504 has been legally deployed by the SDUSD
  • If you find violations, submit them to the school site principal and copy your SDUSD Board of Education Trustee using the Office of Civil Rights Department of Education Complaint Form 
  • If you still get no timely (3 days) or viable response from the SDUSD, use the following instructions from the Legal Services for Children website and talk to the San Francisco OCR directly:

Parents, caregivers, or students can contact the office to discuss their situation at: (415) 486-5555

DD NOTE:  For background, please read an excellent article on the NTY.com blog titled :  Understanding the Differences Between an IEP and a 504 Plan

Also here is the :  SDUSD IEP Procedural Safeguards Document

We want to thank each of our contributors for their valuable, insightful “First Week” recommendations…it is greatly appreciated!

In closing these First Week 2023/2024 school year recommendations, we have a couple final DD NOTES and TIPS for your review:

DD NOTE: When communicating with the SDUSD teacher, principal, or central office personnel, please follow the SAME DD TIPS we provided for DOCUMENTING Uniform Complaints in District Deeds Sunday Reads back on January 22, 2023 titled “SDUSD HAT TRICK Handbook – Uniform Complaint Chapter 1: Documentation! Documentation! Documentation!“:

DD TIP: Create a a strong email documentation strategy.  Since emails are automatically date stamped, create a file in your email server to capture all communications you send or receive. 

And…

DD TIP: Emails tied to ALL correspondence with the SDUSD is critical for your children to get the best possible supports as explained above.  Use this strategy to memorialize EVERY communication with local, state and federal organizations.

ALL verbal communication with ALL SDUSD employees/representatives should be memorialized with a follow-up email to create a solid paper trail for your requests/complaints.

District Deeds Summer Reads 2023 Denouement

Thank you for spending part of your summer reading the District Deeds Sunday Reads Summer Edition and preparing for the beginning of the SDUSD 2023/2024 school year.   Next week we will continue with our District Deeds HAT Trick Resolution of holding the SDUSD to FULL Honesty. Accountability and Transparency.

Now for our final District Deeds Summer Edition 2023 “Quote of the Week” we hope ALL SDUSD Stakeholders will apply when trying to provide the best possible education for ALL our students:

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Edward Everett Hale

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