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There's been a lot of content that was posted on Facebook that wasn't posted this blog.
It Only Took 11 Years to Update Fox's 504 Manual
Recently, I wrote on the Fox C-6 Watchdogs Facebook page about Fox finally get their Section 504 Manual updated and approved by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (ED OCR).
Just about everyone I talk to about what we've dealt with in trying to get changes made in our school district can't believe how long OCR has taken to do their job. OCR claims that they do "vigorous enforcement" of the law. Perhaps they should come up with a better catch phrase.
Just about everyone I talk to about what we've dealt with in trying to get changes made in our school district can't believe how long OCR has taken to do their job. OCR claims that they do "vigorous enforcement" of the law. Perhaps they should come up with a better catch phrase.
One statement I heard a lot over the past 11 years from OCR was, "We're hoping to get it done soon." when I would ask them about the March 2010 District Wide Compliance Review investigation. I got the same response when I asked about reviewing the 504 Manual that the district submitted to ED OCR in December 2018.
It took ED OCR five-hundred and one (501) days to do review Fox's 504 manual before issuing a monitoring lettering approving the changes that they agreed to make in the March 2018 Resolution Agreement.
I'm glad that ED OCR didn't tell me, We're hoping to get it done someday., because who knows if Fox's 504 Manual would have ever gotten updated and posted online.
At least for now, Fox's 504 Manual is online and can be downloaded by the public.
It took ED OCR five-hundred and one (501) days to do review Fox's 504 manual before issuing a monitoring lettering approving the changes that they agreed to make in the March 2018 Resolution Agreement.
I'm glad that ED OCR didn't tell me, We're hoping to get it done someday., because who knows if Fox's 504 Manual would have ever gotten updated and posted online.
At least for now, Fox's 504 Manual is online and can be downloaded by the public.
Fox's Updated 504 Manual
You can download a copy of Fox's new 504 Manual from the district website using the link below:
You can download a copy of Fox's new 504 Manual from the district website using the link below:
Kansas City Kansas Public Schools 504 Manual
Even though Fox has finally posted their 504 Manual for the public, I highly recommend reading the Kansas City Kansas Public School District's 504 manual for comparison. You can find a copy of it using the link below.
The Kansas City Kansas manual has searchable text as well as many more references and examples regarding Section 504.
In March 2020, I sent the link to the Kansas City Kansas Public School's Section 504 Manual to Fox's 504 Coordinator because I thought it was one of the best examples of a 504 Manual that I had found to date.
Hopefully, in the near future, Fox will make some improvements to our Section 504 Manual. Some of the things that could be improved are:
- Making it text searchable
- Adding a Table of Contents
- Adding more information about Section 504 Law such as prohibiting retaliation
- Adding more examples of students who qualify for Section 504
ED OCR Resources for Section 504
ED OCR published an excellent Parent and Educator's Resource Guide to Section 504 in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools in 2016.
The Parent and Educator's Resource guide as has 11 scenarios including one about retaliation related to Section 504. This guide was not available in 2008 when we requested a Section 504 Plan from the district.
Typing in the Appropriate Testing scenario entry below reminded me of when the district's attorney gave us an example of what a district doctor may want to do. He gave us an example as reason as to why we may want to revoke our consent to an independent evaluation by the district.
Under Section 504, school district's are allowed to hire their own doctor's or specialist to do an independent evaluation.
The district attorney's example as a reason to revoke consent was as follows: If the district's doctor decided that they wanted to hang our child upside down by her ankles for 3 weeks and we didn't want them to do that type of a test, we could revoke our consent for the independent evaluation.
The district attorney followed up his example by letting us know that if we decided to revoke our consent to an independent evaluation, then the 504 process would end here and now. I'm hoping that our school district's attorney at the time (May 2009) isn't reflective of what other parents may have to go through when requesting a 504 plan.
This kind of behavior by a school district attorney didn't reflect well on the attorney nor our school district. I've shared that story many times. I can say that it didn't sit well with me. But, that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Ultimately, whether or not your child qualifies for a Section 504 Accommodation Plan is up to the 504 Team at your school.
Typing in the Appropriate Testing scenario entry below reminded me of when the district's attorney gave us an example of what a district doctor may want to do. He gave us an example as reason as to why we may want to revoke our consent to an independent evaluation by the district.
Under Section 504, school district's are allowed to hire their own doctor's or specialist to do an independent evaluation.
The district attorney's example as a reason to revoke consent was as follows: If the district's doctor decided that they wanted to hang our child upside down by her ankles for 3 weeks and we didn't want them to do that type of a test, we could revoke our consent for the independent evaluation.
The district attorney followed up his example by letting us know that if we decided to revoke our consent to an independent evaluation, then the 504 process would end here and now. I'm hoping that our school district's attorney at the time (May 2009) isn't reflective of what other parents may have to go through when requesting a 504 plan.
This kind of behavior by a school district attorney didn't reflect well on the attorney nor our school district. I've shared that story many times. I can say that it didn't sit well with me. But, that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Scenarios In OCR's Resource Guide to Section 504
- Scenario 1 - Suspected Disability & Evaluation
- Scenario 2 - Suspected Disability & Involvement of Knowledgeable People
- Scenario 3 - Disabilities in Remission
- Scenario 4 - Appropriate Testing
- Scenario 5 - Timeframes for Evaluation
- Scenario 6 - Disagreement Over Need to Evaluate
- Scenario 7 - Reevaluations and FAPE
- Scenario 8 - Accessibility
- Scenario 9 - Unjustified Different Treatment
- Scenario 10 - Procedural Safeguards
- Scenario 11 - Retaliation
Ultimately, whether or not your child qualifies for a Section 504 Accommodation Plan is up to the 504 Team at your school.
You can download a copy of ED OCR's December 2016, Parent and Educator's Resource Guide to Section 504 in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools using the following link:
