Document text
1 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 Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow 10 things to know for Wednesday Police Reports Choirs combine in 'songs with a purpose' 10 things to know for Tuesday Education Bowling for knowledge Sharing black culture It's alive! SOU students create thought-provoking art SOU students targeted in Drive Less campaign Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban 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 Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Silvio Calabi: Range Rover Sport, the off-road GT Where do Ashland’s top chefs go to dine? Ride & Drive: The 2015 BMW M4 Silvio Calabi: Jeep’s Patriot earns respect Politics and elections Oregon's second in command abruptly returns from capital Mark L. Hopkins: Ranking the Obama administration Kent Bush: Fraud kept alive by the left and right Amid rising scrutiny, governor says fiancee won't have role in administration Ashland Fiber Network wants to be able to keep trade secrets State News Oregon's second in command abruptly returns from capital Albany father allegedly killed by son had worked in Ashland for 25 years Amid rising scrutiny, governor says fiancee won't have role in administration Two new wolves confirmed in Southern Oregon, state reviewing status of northeastern packs State records show number of big marijuana farms has increased Nation - World Obituaries Claire G. Craft Theodore F. "Ted" Carter James Fredrick Death Notices Dan Lamont Smith Shareable This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Crater girls, boys cruise to victory in Midwestern League blowouts Beavers' great Bill Enyart dies Surprise! Beavers are back Adams: 'Oregon it is!' SOU's Meister earns player of week award High school Crater girls, boys cruise to victory in Midwestern League blowouts Grizz boys' upset bid falls just short in loss to Churchill Layton picks Western Oregon Ashland girls go 6-1 in multi-team dual meet Raiders, at last Southern Oregon University Beavers' great Bill Enyart dies Surprise! Beavers are back Adams: 'Oregon it is!' SOU's Meister earns player of week award No. 17 Raiders take surprise tumble at Northwest Opinion Latest Stories Tom Loewy: A testimony haunted by murder Granlund cartoon: Jon Stewart’s replacement Letters to the Editor, Feb. 11 Our View: Kitzhaber's Delilah? Our View: GMO ruling was correct Editorial Our View: Kitzhaber's Delilah? Our View: GMO ruling was correct Our View: The benefits are mutual Wolves in our woods Our View: Bricks remodel is a smash Letters Letters to the Editor, Feb. 11 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 10 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 6 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 4 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 2 Guest opinions Council Corner: Transforming Ashland for the future Chris Honoré: Public schools: separate, still unequal Guest Opinion: Why so anxious to tax marijuana? Herb Rothschild Jr.: A good day for peace Guest Opinion: A message to my health care colleagues Revels Latest Stories Bleep Bloop Community blog: Charles Darwin at the Ashland Library 'A Most Violent Year' is a taut, cerebral film Steep Ravine, T Sisters play the Unitarian Fellowship Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Theater Looking inside yourself and finding a character is magic Classics, premiers highlight 2015 season for OSF Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Music Frisell brings fine-tuned act to Armory The Farr Side: Trainor building a music niche A laid-back chat with Marilyn Manson Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘Leviathan’ tells a whale of a human tale Movie review: New ‘SpongeBob’ movie mops up with surrealistic goofiness Movie review: The Wachowskis rebound with sci-fi epic ‘Jupiter Ascending’ Movie review: A slow but sturdy study of corrupt politics and fragile families in ‘Leviathan’ 'A Most Violent Year' is a taut, cerebral film Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Tammy Kelly: Healthy at-home Valentine’s Day meals (and desserts) for two Community Blog: Singing for Peace - Kaleidoscope of Voices 5 Things to Do This Weekend (Feb. 13-15) Donna Knight: Meatloaf holds lessons Lost in Suburbia: Beep goes the strings of my heart Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow ... Oregon's second in command abruptly returns from capital ... Our View: Kitzhaber's Delilah? ... Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow ... Oregon's second in command abruptly returns from capital ... Our View: Kitzhaber's Delilah? ... 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. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501