School board meeting

[tinasmom]

Tomorrow night I am going to the school board meeting to request that everyone in the district be seizure trained. I am taking the program director from EFSW with me for support and to answer any questions that I cannot. I am sure that this will not be the first time they will hear my request. I am already collecting information for next month's meeting. I found some great information on the National Epilepsy site. The EFSW offers this training free of charge so there will be no issues regarding money.

[Bernard]

Let us know how it turns out.

[brain]

Kick Butt!

[Birdbomb]

[epileric]

Tomorrow night Tinasmom talking about training to tonic/clonic troubles.......

Totally Terrific!!!!

(actually I'm sure it involves more than tonic/clonic seizures but it just sounded so good)

Good luck

[RobinN]

yes give us an update, since my school district needs the same talk

[skillefer]

Good Luck!

[BuckeyeFan]

I had to fight our local school faculty several times for my children for non-E learning issues.

I am glad to see you are going to the board itself and bringing along the reinforcements. Too often our schools don't want to address the problems of the "lesser" students. They only want to emphasize the "successful" students.

I think it would be great for them to follow up on students 5, 10, and 15 years out of school. I am sure that they would find that their perception of the best students is usually way off track.

Success so often is driven by how people handle the challenges they must face, not how they do on a test.

Go for it TM. You are a hero!!!

[tinasmom]

Well I survived the school board meeting. While I was talking, one man was shaking his head the entire time in agreement with me. Now, I guess that I will just wait to see if they act on my request. If I don't hear anything by next month, I will go again with more information, which I have already started to collect.

Buckeye Fan - I am no more a hero than anyone else here that has to fight for their children and everything that goes along with Epilepsy.

[RobinN]

So, let me understand your process here. You went to the meeting to ask permission to have someone come to a district inservice to teach the employees about epilepsy?
You are going back to the next meeting to see if you will have approval to do this?

[brain]

A meeting for a meeting for approval
and then another meeting to find out
to see if you've been approved or not?

My gosh? Why can't they do it all in
one sitting?



You've got a lot of patience to have to
deal and put up with this! I would have
told them I would expect a response
within 10 business days and not let
them push me around.

But it's awesome that you're putting
your FOOT DOWN!

YOU GO GIRL!

[tinasmom]

The meeting is open to the public and this is when you express your concerns, comments, etc. I will probably call the superintendant tomorrow to find out what I need to do next to get the training started. Although, I really don't like the superintendant as he doesn't seem to care about your concerns. We have some other issues going on with the middle school. It just never ends. I gues that they will get tired of seeing me.

[skillefer]

Yeah, but just remember, it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. That, and there are probably alot of other teachers exactly like me who would cheer you on. The only reason we don't bring stuff up is fear of retaliation.

[tinasmom]

Skillefer - I can understand your fear. Here is what happened at my step-daughter's school. A girl in her class had a seizure and no one knew what to do. A few days later my step-daughter overheard the attendance lady and the vice principal talking about this issue. The attendance lady said that she sure wish she had some training because she was scared not knowing what to do. The vice principal then told her that he did not want any training in his school. I did bring up the information regarding the staff that wanted training, but I did not say anything about the vice principal. I am saving that for the next meeting. My husband did give her a card for the EFSW and she said that she knew some teachers that would also like training. So far, she has not called to set up any training. We'll get there, it just takes time and time I have.

[skillefer]

Offer to schedule the training either after school, at a staff meeting or perhaps at a minimum day when student's are not in attendance. I doubt you'll get the entire district trained, but point out to the board members that training all staff would actually reduce their chances of liability should a student have a seizure and fall and hurt themselves.

[tinasmom]

When the elementary school that Nicole attends had training, it was set up during a monthly meeting time. This could be done at all schools by appointment with our program director at EFSW. She will be doing a follow up letter and so will I. I will remember to mention the liability issue. Thank you for your input.