When approaching your school in regards to PA?
As most of you know, I'm now going through the 504 process with the school. I started with the school level in the beginning but have since went to the District level as well.
From the very beginning, my biggest adversary has been the R.N. and continues to be. It has been a nightmare, and to be honest, I'm just getting started. But it has made me question, how many other PA parents have dealt with the school nurse being against them.
It's frustrating when any school personnel is against what you are trying to accomplish, but IMO, its more disturbing to me that the nurse, a person in the medical field, is so blind to the seriousness of PA. It would be like me, as a Lic. Realtor, advising someone to purchase property without a title search/policy. It's insane!
The nurse has made many inaccurate and disturbing statements, to the point that I could report her. The reason I don't...because I need her support, and if I report her to her supervisor, she will never see me as anyone other than "the parent who got her in trouble"...so my goal is to grit teeth, smile and educate.
So my question is, who was against your efforts? How did you handle it and did it ultimately effect how things were handled?
Lana [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
![http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]](http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]){kind=link}
We have wonderful staff at our school. Great principal, nurse, counselor, and teachers. There was really no one who was difficult, but to answer your great question: I would place ulitmate responsibility at the feet of our superintendent. (BTW, he is the one who made enlightening comments about liability of bee stings and holes in screens...)
Our problem was that no one was truly owning the responsibility of addressing this issue. The administration told us that it needed to be dealt with a the "building level" (meaning by each individual prinicpal), yet our prinicpal needed the backing of the district before she was willing to go out on a limb making some changes. We felt lost in a finger pointing that we believe was the direct result of the district/schools not having any written policies re FA.
It's tough to be the first because I see the need for a school district to develop policies in order for the school to have the backing it needs to make changes. But in order to develop policy, there needs to be some experience w/ FAs in the schools. So it's sort of a "which comes first, the chicken or the egg?" sort of deal~ the chicken being policy that makes practices occur in the schools... and the egg being experience (and perhpas problems) showing that policy is needed and possible.
Have you met w/ your superintendent? Just a friendly little get together... maybe during Food Allergy Awareness Week... just to say hello and talk about FAs? No problem-solving, complaining... just a visit??
Gail
Cam's Mom, I just wanted you to know that I so wanted to help you with this one, but, as you know, I'm Canadian and don't have 1% of the difficulties that you're experiencing getting my PA child safely into school.
Sure, I have had difficult people to deal with and difficult situations to deal with that I continue to post about here, but I have never experienced what you and I suspect many of my American friends experience simply trying to get their PA child through the doors of the school, never mind safely. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/frown.gif[/img]
In answering the question just generally, and of no help to you whatsoever.... Jesse's first two years of school, I found the principal of the school to be my biggest problem and I eventually had to go to the superintendent to get things straightened out and for the principal to finally "get it".
In Grade 1, surprisingly, we had no trouble at all with his teacher or the school administration.
This year, of course, has been the year from he**, totally unexpected after three years of things going fairly well and if I were to blame anyone (which I do), it would be his teacher.
I'm just hoping I can get things sorted with the principal and superintendent so I don't have a repeat of this year next year.
My heart goes out to you. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
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Quote:Originally posted by Cam's Mom:
[b]
From the very beginning, my biggest adversary has been the R.N. and continues to be. It has been a nightmare, and to be honest, I'm just getting started. But it has made me question, how many other PA parents have dealt with the school nurse being against them.
[/b]
When developing my son's 504 plan, the [b]"Part Time"[/b] school nurse was absent from any meetings. Aside from some VERY GENERAL small talk associated with my son's pa/nuts/asthma/some other legumes, she had no further input that I was made aware or know of.
Perhaps she was not prepared to deal with the situation effectively. Perhaps she had never read and was unaware of the [b]"Position Statements"[/b] by the [i]National Association of School Nurses.[/i] [b]Which, if I was a School Nurse, I would *personally* feel extremely relevant.[/b] Perhaps she had never read her [b]Job Description.[/b] I do not know what value she placed on [b]"Continuing Education"[/b] or in what areas, if any, she had undertaken the same. I can think of several that would be of benefit to her in retrospect, irregardless of what she had received credit for previously, if any at all.
I *personally* feel her position indicated the need for her to be a [b]"key player"[/b], if not primary coordinator, in developing a 504 plan. (as well as recognizing the importance of [b]Anticipatory Guidance[/b]. Perhaps she mistakenly thought I could fill in for her. Perhaps she mistakenly put any "conflict of interest" with the school ahead of her [b]Duty, Professional Obligation, and Ethical Obligation[/b] as a School Nurse to advocate in the best interest of the "Patient" [i]while maintaining an appropriate Standard of Practice.[/i] Which, by the way, I have found *personally* to be quite possible and [i]extremely fullfilling[/i].
Perhaps her experience and education as an RN was not appropriate to the situation. I do not know if she was a [b]"Certified School Nurse".[/b] I do not know if she was [b]"Baccalaureate Degree"[/b] prepared. I do not know what RN experience, if any, she had prior to becomming a [b]Part Time School Nurse.[/b]
All I know is her license was current. [b] I know because I checked.[/b] [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img] Not hard to do online (I live in the US and within the State of Illinois).
Disclaimer: This post not intended as advice in any manner or form.
...Hoping momma2boys will post here as I remember her having trouble w/ her full-time school nurse.... (But later after your 504 request in done [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img] )
[This message has been edited by Gail W (edited May 04, 2003).]
Gail,
You are blessed with a caring school! I haven't met with the Superintendent, but have talked to him on the phone. When I made my first written 504 request, I addressed it to him, and he called me. He is the one who gave me a story about his walnut allergy and how the allergist told him that his throat could swell next time OR it could have just been a one time thing and never happen again...not impressed by that story at all.
This being a tight nit community, if I go meet with him now, they are going to think that I'm going even higher over their heads. I'm 99.99% sure that he has already been informed and very aware of my 2nd request. He is a very political person in my opinion, that is my impression in past dealings with him.
Cindy, You are lucky in getting Jesse in the door, but the problems you are facing are still in line with what I'm asking, because you are having a problem with the school staff. I hope that things can be straightened out for a smoother year in Grade 3.
Mommabear, another member suggested that I give the nurse the position stmts, which I have done, we will see if it changes anything. I know that she is clueless about the severity of FA's, b/c in one of our conversations she kept mentioning that there was another PA child in the school and they have safegaurds in place, blah, blah...I finally told her that I knew that child was also given a PB sandwich with the current safegaurds and her response was "Well, she only took ONE bite" this naturally is one of the frightening comments she made that just terrifies me thinking she is one of the people the school is looking to for medical info on PA.
Hopefully, some of the info I have given the school will make things smoother than the past meetings, however, I still think that its going to be a long battle and a hard one. But maybe when I'm done, some other child will benefit after Cameron, maybe even the child that currently attends there now.
Lana [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
Lana,
Yes, and I humbly count my blessings every night. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] Thanks.
Just something for you to think about... I completely understand your feeling about not wanting to go "over" anyone's head to the superintendent. I definitley abide but that rule, but only when there is a [b]problem[/b]. I give the teacher/nurse whomever their rightful claim to solve the problem, and then work up the food chain as/if needed.
But just to meet (you and your hubby) w/ a friendly agenda is different in my thinking. It's an opportunity for you to AVOID any conflict in your discussion w/ him. Stay away from any confrontation, difference of opinion, etc, and to show him that you are real, normal, reasonable parents. You are involved in your child's life and you will be looking forward to working with everyone in the district. You know, the "we're a team player" and it's "nice to meet you as I think we'll be working a lot together this upcoming year" type of deal. Clue your nurse in ahead of time and share your upbeat enthusiasm about it. Tell her how you're looking forward to it all. Nothing to hide...
We did this with our superintendent, and I'm so glad we did. We WANTED to "flex" our access to him without the need for anyone's permission or approval. We did it during Food Allergy Awareness Week (that was our overt excuse) during our Kindergarten year and we gave him the Peanut Allergy Answer book as a gift.
I really think one of the keys to our success was that we kept at it by repeating our message again and again. We put our face to the issue and got superintendent's ear at a time when there was no conflict or controversary. He knew my face. It [b]definitely[/b] helped to lay that groundwork for when we went to him 2 years later w/ some heavy requests.
It's hard to know how people will interpret your actions... and I'm sure you have a good feel for your situation. Just something to think about...as I think it helped us out a whole lot in our process here.
Take care,
Gail
Gail, here I am! Dont worry the 504 letter is done! Actually Im not sure the problem is my full time nurse , its the problems she is anticipating from the teachers. She has told me repeatedly that they will do everything in their power to make him safe. She even came up with the idea on her own for him to carry med. bag at all times with a walkie talkie, and wishing for food free classrooms.
So its the teachers who are already complaining about the changes that will be made that make me the most uncomfortable. IF they are already upset I just wonder how they will treat him.
Cam's Mom, thank-you for acknowledging the difficulties I've had this year with Jesse's school, especially in a thread where I so wanted to help you (didn't I say that before? [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/eek.gif[/img] ) and really couldn't. I really feel the need to remind you that Jesse has gone to school for three years before all of this sh** started to happen. I'm not saying that I didn't have my head exploding on different occasions in his first three years of school (and I could probably re-raise all of the threads here on PA.com to prove it), but it really has just been the year from he** for us as far as his allergy with this school.
I don't need to remind you that we did it successfully for three years. You know that. I think I'm trying to say that YES, it CAN be done. YES, I HAVE done it. For THREE YEARS things were done successfully. What the he** happened this year is anyone's guess (I'm thinking teacher).
I'm really afraid that my postings this year, where I have had so many difficulties have frightened other PA parents that have the same requirements of the school that I do. I never meant to do that and I feel badly if I have had people re-thinking positions that were similar to mine because of the year from he** I had this year.
But look at some of the other members who have reminded us about hellish years they've had with their children's teachers (I remember California Mom distinctly posting about her daughter's one year) and then the next year things are back to what we WANT them to be like.
I guess it does just take one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch and I finally learned it after Jesse has been in school for four years.
Don't let my difficulties this year dissuade ANYONE from sticking to your guns and getting what you require for your child at school. I am serious. And again, I can say that because I have done it. It can be done and done well.
Again, thank-you for acknowledging me in a thread where I couldn't really offer any advice or anything, but just wanted you to know I was thinking of you and what you're going through just trying to get your wee guy in the door of the school. Bottom line, I still say move to Canada! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img]
Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
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reraising.
reraising.
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