Before we get started, there was no introduction from Jaqueline Stofflet, the new Speech Pathologist  at the start of the school year that she was going to be seeing Chase. We had no idea who was going to be seeing our son this year and didn't catch on that there was a real problem until one week before Christmas on 12-15-2023.

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Former Speech Pathologist - Rebecca Cann (Kindergarten-4th Grade) who was also  his Special Education Liaison.

Current Speech Pathologist - Jaqueline (Jackie) Stofflet

Current Special Education Liaison and Special Education Teacher - Dana Levin

Current Social and Emotional Teacher - Mr. D

5th Grade Homeroom Teacher (Math) - Mrs. Attaya

5th Grade Teacher (Reading and Writing) - Mrs. Horn

Director of Student Services - Lyn O'Neil

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Kindergarten

Parent teacher conference in December. We were told several times that "Chase can't do school!" Chase's teacher as well as several other specialists were in attendance. After 45 minutes or so when we were wrapping up the conference, I realized we were missing a specialist. The table got quiet and we were informed that OT had not started yet at Thorpe and parents were not informed of this. We have an insider at another school in Danvers who is very familiar with special education in the town of Danvers. She is a friend and teacher and "off the record" via phone call she stated that Thorpe School "dropped the ball" and did not send a letter notifying parents. Riverside School did notify parents via regular mail. In the conference, we were told that this OT person "broke her legs" and they expected her back soon but it didn't happen as quickly as they hoped. They stated she is coming back after the holidays and that his time would be made up which was tough to swallow as that additional time was now going to take away from general learning time.

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2nd Grade

There is a new OT person. I asked Chase who he sees and he said he doesn't see OT anymore. I emailed his teacher asking about this and here is what she said. Teacher email.

 

4th Grade

Chase was no longer receiving OT. We fought hard to keep OT in his last re eval but they would not budge. See email with concerns. Email

12-15-2023

I emailed his teachers (Mrs. Attaya and Mrs. Horn) and included the school nurse, special ed teacher Mrs. Levin about Chase thinking a seizure may be coming. He has a feeling in his face. I always email the teachers when he says this so they can keep a closer eye on him.

12-15-2023 (later in the day)

I realized I did not include the new Speech Pathologist on the email which is important. I always added Rebecca Cann, former speech to these emails. I asked Chase who is his new speech teacher. He stated, "I don't get speech anymore" This was followed by more questions by mom and dad trying to get to the bottom of this. He stands by not receiving speech this year.

12-15-2023

Email to Eric Oxford "This is Amie Keefe, Chase's mom at Thorpe School. Quick question whenever you have a chance. Do you know the name of Chase's teacher for Speech? I can't find that info. Thank you!" No response but it is the weekend.

12-16-2023

Email to Mrs. Attaya "Quick question. Do you know who Chase sees for speech? Thanks!" Email

12-16-2023

A seizure happens at night

12-17-2023

I email the team to let them know he had a seizure.

12-17-2023

I have the speech persons name. I received this information via another mom from Thorpe. Mrs. Stofflet . Chase has never heard of her.

 

Notes from Amie (mom):

Chase is a very smart kid and remembers everything. If he's see's her in person, maybe he will recognize her. But, he should KNOW her if she is seeing him 2 times a week for 30 minutes. He doesn't know her at all!
- Chase has spent the week crying because at this point we are gaslighting him for information when he doesn't have any. He doesn't know who Mrs. Stofflet is. And if he's worked with her a few times since September, it's being done half ass because he doesn't know who she is. And he would know her if he's getting 2 x30 for the past 4.5 months.
I casually ask Chase where he is on Friday's at 1:45 since Mrs. Attaya stated she checked with Mrs. Stofflet and she sees him at 1:45 with Mr. D. Chase states he's in Mrs. Horn's class doing Reading and currently working on History. He even continued to ellborate by mentioning on some Friday's he's even late coming out of school because he's finishing his reading and has to go back to his homeroom to pack up. Mrs. Levin helps him on Friday's at 1:45. He says sometimes he goes to Mrs. Levin's room on Friday's to do text to speech on his writing at 1:45 instead of in the classroom. This was confirmed by 3 other students in the classroom whose parents casually asked them for details on Friday afternoons. As well as using Chase's name. They all state Chase is in the classroom with them and Mrs. Levin helps.

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12-18-2023 In the morning:

I introduced myself to Mrs. Stofflet via email. Email

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Notes according to Mrs. Stofflet:
There have been a few Assembly's on Friday's so Speech has been missed. Assembly days start at approx 1:45pm.
Mrs. Stofflet states she sees Chase at 1:45pm on Friday's for his pull out. She states on the phone on 12/18 as well as an email that "speech" has been skipped sometimes when there's an assembly. (see below)

Email #1 from Mrs. Stofflet
I work with Chase two times a week for 30 minutes sessions. He is on my schedule for speech on Tuesdays and Fridays from 1:45-2:15pm in a group. We weren’t able to have the group on Friday 12/15 because there was a school wide assembly with Tiger Treats scheduled in the time that our group usually meets. 
Chase is doing well in speech and his progress notes from the related service providers will be sent home tomorrow. Please let me know if there is any additional information that I can provide.

Email #2 from Mrs. Stofflet
Hi Amie,
I apologize that I didn’t mention it in my last email, but my speech schedule is changing slightly this week and Chase will now be seen on Thursday 10-10:30am and Friday 1:45-2:15pm. 
I will be in his MTSS block on Thursdays going forward. 
I am wondering if maybe Chase is unclear on my role as the speech therapist here at Thorpe? There are lot of paraprofessionals that help cover classes the needed and I am wondering if he thinks that is my role?  He sees me pop in and out of his classes and I also see him on Fridays in a group that I run with Mr. D that focuses on social language skills such as handling social disagreements and perspective taking. 
I am wondering if you might be able to jog his memory and tell him that I am the teacher who runs the Friday afternoon group with Mr. D? Let me know if he knows if that clue helps him remember who I am? 
I will make sure to pull him aside this week and clarify my role as the speech therapist and review our goals. 
Thank you!

 

Notes from Amie (mom):
She originally said to Mrs. Attaya that she sees him on Thursday's with Mr. D but I confirmed with Chase and his friend that it's only 3 kids and one teacher on that day so she then changed it to Friday's that she sees him. (see email below)

Email from Megan Attaya (Homeroom Teacher)
Hi Amie,
I spoke with her this morning and she said that she sees him on Tuesdays with another student and on Thursdays (with Mr. D.).
Megan

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12-18-2023

I receive a phone call from Mrs. Stofflet and Mrs. Levin together. Mrs. Stofflet stated the same information from her email. One thing caught me off guard in this conversation. I mentioned his "feeling funny" and that his speech has been off. She asked why and what's wrong with him. I do not believe Mrs. Stofflet knew Chase has Epilepsy from the conversation we were having. That's terrifying! When I specifically asked about the "in-class" speech session, she stated on the phone as well as an email that she "pops in and out". I explained this is not how Speech Therapy works and she stated, "It's her approach and she doesn't want to single Chase out".

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12-19-2023

I ask Chase where he is on Friday's at 1:45. He states he's in Mrs. Horn's classroom until they leave for the day. He says they are currently doing history and they do their writing during that time as well. He even says they are usually late packing up to leave school on Friday's because they are writing so much and he needs to get his stuff in Mrs. Attaya's room.

 

Notes from Mom:
Mrs. Levin sees Chase throughout the week. She states in a scheduled that was emailed to me on 12/18/2023 that on Friday's, at 1:45, she sees Chase for writing in Mrs. Horn's classroom. Her schedule matches up with Chase's statement of his location and what he is doing and who he is with. Mrs. Levin's Schedule

12-19-2023

I picked up Chase's report card and I stopped into Mr D's office to ask a few questions. He says he's "seen him in the speech room" on Friday afternoons but was unclear on the time. Well, Mrs. Stofflet claims via email it's "run by herself and Mr. D: so that makes no sense he doesn't know the time. (see email below)

 

Hi Amie,

I apologize that I didn’t mention it in my last email, but my speech schedule is changing slightly this week and Chase will now be seen on Thursday 10-10:30am and Friday 1:45-2:15pm. 

I will be in his MTSS block on Thursdays going forward. 

I am wondering if maybe Chase is unclear on my role as the speech therapist here at Thorpe? There are lot of paraprofessionals that help cover classes the needed and I am wondering if he thinks that is my role?  He sees me pop in and out of his classes and I also see him on Fridays in a group that I run with Mr. D that focuses on social language skills such as handling social disagreements and perspective taking. 

I am wondering if you might be able to jog his memory and tell him that I am the teacher who runs the Friday afternoon group with Mr. D? Let me know if he knows if that clue helps him remember who I am? 

I will make sure to pull him aside this week and clarify my role as the speech therapist and review our goals. 

Thank you!

 

Jackie 

 

Notes from Mom:
- Today, I congratulate myself because I just found out we had twins since Chase is in two different classrooms at the same time with two different teachers.

- Tuesday's are supposedly the "in-class" speech session. Chase says he does not see her and claims to not even know who she is. I have confirmed with 3 other parents that Mrs. Stofflet does not work with Chase in the classroom at all.

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12-19-2023

Emailed Mrs. Stofflet for logs of the dates and times she has seen him since September . I requested by phone for them to be emailed to me by the following day. Mrs. Stofflet stated via phone conversation that she "couldn't provide that." When I demanded she sends me something she stated, "I will see what I can do!"

12-20-2023

Follow up email after no response on speech logs.

12-21-2023

Letter goes home for parents finally introducing herself. Letter

12-22-2023

Still no response from Mrs. Stofflet regarding my emails.

1-2-2024

Mrs. Stofflet "introduced" herself to Chase in school and asked him if he remembered her. He said, "I've seen you around in the school".

1-4-2023

Chase got out of school. I asked how his day was then I asked if he saw Mrs. Stofflet today. According to her "new schedule", she is seeing him on Thursday's at 10am in the classroom. He said she came in at the end of the day for "reading". I asked what they worked on and he said they didn't do anything. I continued to question him on this. He stated neither one of them spoke to each other. She sat next to him for approximately 10 minutes. Did not speak to him because he listens to an audio book and he follows along with the words on his computer. Zero communication happened.

- This is not speech therapy! I texted a friend whose daughter is in the class with Chase. I asked her to please ask her daughter if Mrs. Stofflet was in the classroom. She said, "Yes, she sat with Chase" I had a further conversation with the mom on the phone and we asked that student if there was any talking in the classroom during reading. She stated, "No!." I asked Chase if there was any talking by anyone in the classroom during reading and he state, "No, it is always quiet when we are reading books because everyone is reading!"

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1-5-2024

Chase had Speech in the computer lab. He stated Mr. D was not in the classroom. Mrs. Stofflet claims that class is run by herself and Mr. D.

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1-5-2024

Amie (mom): Emailed Jackie following up on the first week of sessions after the New Year.  

Hi Jackie,

I just wanted to follow up on Speech this week. I'm not sure if he's logging this in a notebook or not but I'd rather ask each week by email. What days, times and location did Chase receive Speech this week and what did you work on? Thank you!

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1-8-2024

I still have no heard from Jackie on his Speech Therapy notes. I am following up. 

Also, I spoke to a friend, an inside source who knows the Special Education department inside and out. They work in the system. They stated that two of the elementary schools in Danvers are in samples and do not have enough staff to meet the IEP of those student who are "not that severe". She stated that Lyn O'Neil in the problem and refuses to hire enough staff and has told her collogues to services the kids who are "severe" and do what you can with the rest. I was told Thorpe School opened a new Learning Center for kids with Ipads and non-verbal. Jackie was told to work with those ones as much as possible and she cannot handle all kids on an IEP so the less severe are not getting their Speech Services.

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2-1-2024 Missed Speech (no makeup)

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2-16 2024 Missed Speech - Email from Mrs. Stofflet: 

Hi Amie,

I just wanted to let you know that when I went to get Chase for his speech session this afternoon he did not want to attend the session with me because his class was watching a movie. I told him that if he decided to stay and watch the movie rather than attend speech, I was going to email you and let you know. Given his options, he decided to stay and watch the move. 

Thank you,

Jackie 

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2-16-2024 - I emailed Mrs. Stofflet and told her to find another pull out day that is not on a Friday or at the end of the day. Here is her response.

Hi Amie,

I just reviewed his attendance sheets and there are only three dates that he has missed for school wide assemblies: 10/13, 12/15, and 1/26. The missed group on 1/26 was made up on the following Monday 1/29/24. I can try to see if he can be moved into another group, but this may not be possible as I try to keep students in groups with other students who are working on similar goals and who are in the same age range. His class schedule also plays a part in when he can be pulled from class as well. 

NOTE: These dates she's giving are not exactly correct.

 

Random thoughts/information.

12-15-2023

A dad we are friends with stated that they had an IEP meeting a few weeks before Christmas and that one of the Special Education persons flat out said they totally screwed up on what (student) was getting and said she was embarrassed to what she saw and changed everything. 

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Final thought from Amie (mom):

10 days or so after this all unfolded, Chase states "If I see her for a special, I don't remember. But if they are telling me I see her, I must see her" (doesn't know her name, where her classroom is located, says she's not in his classroom for push in speech and says he's never sat with Jackie and Mr. D at the same time) Speech is NOT happening and this is NOT ok! Chase did not receive OT in the first Semester of his Kindergarten year and we believe in 2nd grade they were not giving him OT when we questioned it just like Speech this year!