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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Alleged Medford robber captured after fleeing Ashland police On landmarks, personal and geologic Where do Ashland’s top chefs go to dine? Speech and debate team claims Jean Ward title 10 things to know for Tuesday, Feb. 3 Education Speech and debate team claims Jean Ward title SOU board names officers, committees Parent files complaint against Ashland schools Learning on the job AHS speech and debate team headed north Environment Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Mt. Ashland Ski Area announces layoffs The top five conservation success of 2014 Protestors want Keystone pipeline plans stopped Business Where do Ashland’s top chefs go to dine? 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EDUCATION Parent files complaint against Ashland schools Comment By Teresa Thomas For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Teresa Thomas For the Tidings Posted Feb. 1, 2015 @ 10:45 am By Teresa Thomas For the Tidings Posted Feb. 1, 2015 @ 10:45 am » Social News The Ashland School District is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights after the parent of a former Walker Elementary student filed a complaint alleging that the district had discriminated against her and her son on the basis of his disability. In her complaint, the parent, who asked not to be identified to protect her son's identity, accuses the district of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by excluding her son from six field trips last spring, enforcing a policy that requires parents of students with disabilities to accompany their children on field trips, revising her son’s Individualized Education Plan without her consent and retaliating against her family for requesting complaint forms. The Office for Civil Rights dismissed two other allegations brought against the district because they failed “to state a violation of one of the laws OCR enforces,” Department of Education Program Manager Monique Malson said in a letter to the mother dated Jan. 9. The boy attended Walker Elementary from kindergarten through the fourth grade, during which time he attended field trips, including 10 during his fourth-grade year, the mother said in an email to the Mail Tribune. She refused to disclose what her son's disability is. Between April and June 2014, the boy was excluded from six field trips, which the mother considers “a form of retaliation,” after she and her husband requested complaint forms and a copy of the district’s annual report on the use of physical restraints and acquired an advocate. Ashland Director of Student Services Samuel Bogdanove "threatened to hold the annual (Individualized Education Plan) meeting without the parent(s)" and "in a spirit of animus contacted my employer to complain that I had used my work email to send non-work-related emails to him and others at the school district," the mother said in an email. The family has since moved to Arizona. Bogdanove, one of three administrators the woman claims violated the ADA, said the district has received a copy of her complaint but cannot comment on open complaints. (In her emails, the woman also criticized Superintendent Jay Hummel and Walker Principal Patty Michiels.) Bogdanove said the district, as a general rule, does not have a policy that requires parental supervision on class field trips. He also said that changing a student’s Individualized Education Plan is a “team process” that involves the parents. “We have oversight through a couple different agencies, Oregon Department of Education, which includes the state Office of Civil Rights, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Programs and Office of Civil Rights,” Bogdanove said. “All those agencies provide oversight, and parents always have recourse if they feel the district is not handling things appropriately.” According to Malson’s letter, the complaint may be resolved by an Office for Civil Rights-facilitated resolution, a written agreement by the district to take remedial actions or an Office for Civil Rights investigation to determine whether the district is in compliance with the applicable legal standards. “OCR’s acceptance of the allegations does not reflect an opinion by the OCR regarding the merits of the allegations or the district’s compliance status with respect to federal civil rights laws,” said Malson in her letter.  Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt.   By Teresa Thomas For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Teresa Thomas For the Tidings Posted Feb. 1, 2015 @ 10:45 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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