When Imani Hill arrived at her new job, she learned that rather than a co-teaching position, she would be responsible for teaching six black boys with Individualized Educational Plans (IEP). The boys were currently spending their days in a conference room with the Assistant Principal. When Ms. Hill arrived, they were moved to a classroom where she was to be their teacher. The students' IEPs were not provided to her initially, nor was she given any guidance about the students' levels of functioning or what they needed to be working on. When Ms. Hill did receive copies of the IEPs, she saw that they were out of date. She also saw that the move from regular class placement to the segregated special education class was not documented, nor was there documentation of communication about this with the students' parents. In mid-January, Ms. Hill was asked to update the IEPs, but to backdate them to December. She refused. In this Facebook Live session, Imoni Hill will tell her story of working to assure that these boys received updated testing, updated IEPs, and the supports and services they needed and deserved. She will share the push back and retaliation she received from the school administration. As Ms. Hill tells the story of these six boys, Cheryl Poe, AASR's Director of Diversity Issues and the Founder and Executive Director of Advocating4Kids, Inc., will identify each action the school took that was against federal regulations. Ms. Poe and Ms. Hill will provide an update on what is currently happening in the efforts to assure that these six boys, who are referred to as "the Chesapeake Six" receive. Cheryl will share her experience working with the state Department of Education before and after Virginia received notification from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) that the State was not exercising general supervisory and monitoring responsibilities in accordance with federal requirements. Shawn Eure-Wilson will also join the conversation.
Imani Hill, a former special education teacher in Chesapeake who reached out to VDOE with serious concerns about six African American students assigned to her classroom.
Cheryl Poe is the founder and owner of Advocating 4 Kids, Inc a Special Education Advocacy organization that provides resources, information, and workshops to parents and professionals with a special focus on addressing needs of Black and Brown children and those from lower-socio economic status. Cheryl is the mother two boys with learning disabilities ages 23 and 21.
Shawn Eure-Wilson has been working with children and adults with Special needs for 20 plus years. She is also a Special Olympics volunteer/mentor and mother of 2 Children with Exceptionalities.