Possible 504 Violation

[maeve]

DD is on a field trip to the Supreme Court right now. We received the letter informing us that she'd been selected last Tuesday. The letter stated that 10 students had been selected and mentioned nothing about chaperones. DD then mentioned that she knew of as many as 15 to 16 students going. DH dropped DD off this morning and chatted briefly with the teacher who was spearheading the field trip (not one of DD's teachers). The teacher mentioned that there were a few parents going. I then saw a Facebook post by a neighbor with a post of her DD (who's the same age) stating they were on "our field trip to the Supreme Court."


According to DD's 504, we are to be offered the opportunity to chaperone. There are times when we have been unable to (though that's happened maybe twice). We were not offered a chaperone spot on this trip. There was no request for volunteers in the letter sent home. Based on the number of students listed in the letter and that a couple of teachers would be attending, I assumed that there was no need for chaperones. I know I should not have assumed.


DD is getting to the age (she's in 8th grade now) where she's not going to want us to chaperone field trips. Other than the logistics of dealing with lunch logistics, I thought this was an ideal field trip for her to be on without us there. (There's no food in the Supreme Court chambers or on the Metro. A smallish group of kids is going on the trip and likely kids selected who are not troublemakers.)


I have paused myself from sending an email right away about this. Any thoughts on whether I should address this? I would not have been able to chaperone but DH might have been able to move a meeting to do so. Any suggestions on what to put in the email should I send it?

[Mookie86]

Do you think that the teacher leading the trip was aware of that part of her 504? I hope she didn't just read 504 for food allergy and not pay attention to much else.  Perhaps she overlooked that you were supposed to be offered a chaperone spot, or maybe she assumed you would ask if you wanted to attend the trip?

Regardless, it couldn't hurt to send a quick email pointing out the oversight and looking to clarify procedures for the future.  I don't think I'd file a violation complaint, but instead treat it as wanting to help things go smoother in the future.

I hope she enjoyed the trip!

Edit:  It sounds like this trip didn't occur yet?  If dh wants to chaperone it, then by all means send an email to the teacher leading it.  Maybe nonchalantly mention that you would like to use the 504 accommodation that dd's parents can chaperone any field trip and that dh would like to serve as a chaperone.

[ninjaroll]

I'd write in as if it's a natural course of action upon being notified of the trip.  Preface it with the provision in her 504 find out the next step to negotiating the trip as a chaperone.  Wait for their chess move.

[Macabre]

I, too, have appreciated opportunities for DS to go on field trips without us. But I do think you should send an email to the tracher and copy the 504C.  And the tone could be cordial in this instance I think. You could say that you may have chosen not to in order to foster independence (really critical for kids with FAs --to find ways of doing this intentionally).  But that you do need to have the opportunity to go--or to purposefully decline--in the future.

Do you think that the teacher leading the trip was aware of that part of her 504? I hope she didn't just read 504 for food allergy and not pay attention to much else.

The teacher is responsible for knowing the 504 and the school administration is responsible for teachers reading 504s.  In DS's sophomore year, his chrmistry teacher had a lab with a heated peanut.  He had been out the first few days of school and missed the meeting where they discussed DS' plan. The 504C should have made sure he understood DS' 504. Similarly in the last two months the speech coach did not follow an accomodation about DS' not having to fly Delta or SWA and made a reservation without consulting me. She knew the 504 but forgot (she was dealing with her husband's health issues and was under stress. Still--the onus was on her to remember accomodations when planning a trip.

[Mookie86]

Absolutely Mac, the teacher should be aware of the entire 504.  However, teachers often skim things and miss stuff.  It's unfortunate, but it's reality.

[maeve]

The trip went just fine except for the fact that they were not able to get in to hear either of the oral arguments presented today. It was too late at the time I posted for either DH or I to attend as chaperone.

The teacher heading the trip is not DD's civics teacher. She would not have reviewed the copy of the 504. However, the civics teachers do have interaction with each other as a team and I imagine DD's teacher picked her for the field trip. The trip consisted of kids who were not all in the same class; the same grade, yes, but they did not all have the same civics teacher.

So this actually brings up logistical issues as DD moves on to HS. There may be ancillary activities that are subject-related but that might be planned and lead by someone who is not DD's teacher and therefore, would not have been part of her 504 meeting. This may necessitate that department chairs attend the meeting in addition to assigned teachers.

I will send an email to the 504C. I'll keep it light but will point out how we need to prevent this going forward.

It was very good practice for DD going on a field trip on her own. She'll be 14 soon and will have many more interactions where we are not there with her. I want her to be able to take on more responsibility in controlled situations like this one.

[Macabre]

In high school, they have also let ancillary individuals know. Theatre. Speech. There's a reason the C is there for the 504C--so he or she can coordinate things.

[Mookie86]

Glad the trip went well, but bummer they didn't get to hear an oral argument.

[Macabre]

I will add something, because I realized I may have implied that things have gone smoothly for us. They haven't. That communication hasn't always been there. I'm MS on field trips I connected with teachers. Say when they went to DC--a hostile history teacher DS had and another one were responsible for it. I connected mainly with the other one, because our teacher had proven lax. 

In high school the first stage production the director didn't know. But because of the chemistry incident the principal dies a better job.