TALK | education
MILLSAPS COLLEGE
by Ronni Mott
J TRIP BURNS
ackson Public Schools is on track with its programs for disabled children, Superintendent Cedrick Gray announced Monday, lifting the threat of losing its accreditation over violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. “When I first came to JPS as superintendent, I inherited a special-education program facing many complicated challenges,” Gray said during a brief press conference. “However, through a collaborative effort with the Mississippi Department of Educa-
JPS Superintendent Cedrick Gray announced Monday that the district has met the state’s conditions and the guidelines set forth in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and will keep its accreditation as a result.
tion, or MDE, we have made a significant difference in improving conditions in exceptional education.” Gray said that through numerous site visits and evaluations, MDE and a dedicated JPS team have corrected all non-compliance issues based on 21 student files. “Substantial progress has been made as a result of our corrective action plan,” Gray said. “It should be noted that although we have climbed this particular mountain, we still have mountains to climb,” Gray said. Those “mountains” are in a sustainability plan to address on-going issues for disabled students, and include organization, discipline and individual education plans for the students. MDE still needs to give its final approval, which Gray expects to receive in April. The actions probably come too late for the teenagers named in the 2010 lawsuit that prompted the changes. The Southern Poverty Law Center accused the district of suspending students with learning or emotional disabilities because of behavior stemming from their disabilities. School officials frequently sent the youngsters to the Capital City Alternative
School instead of helping the children stay in their regular school. The suit, outlined in a January 2012 Jackson Free Press story, said that JPS handcuffed children to metal railings for minor disciplinary infractions, such as not wearing a belt, sassing a teacher or refusing to do homework. School authorities often left those children alone and cuffed for hours without food, water or access to a bathroom. The state Department of Education’s Office of Special Education launched an investigation in response to the suit, and found that JPS had “failed to address the ongoing pattern of behavioral and/or emotional concerns of the student cases reviewed.” MDE threatened to pull JPS’ accreditation if the district didn’t make substantive progress to correct its deficiencies. JPS received two extensions of the November 2012 deadline to come into compliance with the law. This announcement squeaked in under the final Feb. 28 deadline, which the Mississippi Board of Education granted the district last July. Psychologist Joy Hogge, executive director of Families as Allies and the Mississippi chapter of the national Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, attended the press conference. Families as Allies works with parents of disabled children, helping them navigate schools and mental-health resources to provide their children with the help they need and the public education they have a right to expect. While she’s optimistic about the work JPS has completed to retain its accreditation, it’s clear to Hogge that the district has additional work to do. “With some students at some schools, we have seen significant changes,” Hogge said, adding that JPS has many administrators and teachers who are dedicated to making sure disabled students receive the support they need to learn. While these are still isolated incidents, she is seeing students getting appropriate support more frequently. She emphasized, though, that the accreditation evaluation was based on only 21 students in a population of about 400 children enrolled in special education classes in the district. Hogge said that the schools have yet to identify all of the emotional- and learningdisabled children in their care. “I don’t doubt that those 21 children … met compliance, but there are so many more children,” Hogge said. “I haven’t heard any information about what’s going to happen with that greater group.” Comment at www.jfp.ms. Email Ronni Mott at ronni@jacksonfreepress.com. Read the 2012 JFP story at jfp.ms/jps_handcuffs.
Spring 2014 | www.millsaps.edu/conted | 601-974-1130 Course Arts and Crafts
Instructor
Digital Photo Editing Basic Glass Fusion Beginning Basketry Beginning Photography Bob Ross Painting: Landscape Bob Ross Painting: Oceanscape Botanical Drawing Calligraphy Creating Your Own Art Fabric Fine Silver Jewelry Making with Dichroic Glass Mosaics Knitting a Sock or Vest Oil Painting Paint & Antique Furniture Like a Pro Pottery/ Sculpture Spring/Summer Oil Painting Watercolor Painting
Ron Blaylock Laura Tarbutton Linda Mann Ron Blaylock Michael Hughes Michael Hughes Dain Hayes Betsy Greener Rhonda Blasingame Laura Tarbutton Teresa Haygood Donna Peyton Thomas C. Morrison Latresa Enns Thomas C. Morrison Laurel Schoolar Laurel Schoolar
Health and Fitness Boxers Rebellion Hybrid Kickboxing Line Dance for Fun and Fitness liveRIGHTnow Tabatas Tai Chi Yoga for Everyone Zumba®
Jeremy Gordon Sandra Plunkett Terry Sullivan Mike Chadwick Sally Holly Ashleigh Risher
Heritage and History Basic Military Genealogical Research Jackson’s North State Street Mississippi’s Antebellum Architecture Ronald Reagan as a Man of Ideas
Jeff Giambrone Todd Sanders Todd Sanders Michael Reinhard
Home and Garden Gardening and Plants for Small Spaces How to Use Art in Your Landscape Landscape Design Lawn Care 101 and Beyond
Felder Rushing Rick Griffin Rick Griffin Felder Rushing
Language and Literature Conversational French Conversational Spanish How to Sell What You Write Jane Austen Book Club: Lady Susan To Tell the Truth: Creative Nonfiction Writing and Selling Short Stories
Robert Kahn Robert Kahn James Dickerson Carolyn Brown Ellen Ann Fentress John Floyd
Money and Business Fundraising Ethics Basics of Investing Becoming a Better Board Volunteer Board Service 101 Exploring Entrepreneurship
Joe Donovan Mark A. Maxwell Joe Donovan Joe Donovan Joe Donovan
Music Adult Group Piano for Beginners Beginning Guitar Beginning Harmonica
Christy Turner Jimmy Turner Scott Albert Johnson
Special Offerings ACT Test Prep Course All Things Wine Backyard Astronomy Basics of Birding Improvisational Acting Southern Studies Spirituality, Romance, and Relationships
Leonard Blanton John Malanchak Jim Waltman Chris King Jim Fraiser Nell Knox Bob Nevels
Summer Enrichment for Youth Advanced Drawing for the Young Artist Birding Camp Conversational Spanish for Children Discovering the Young Artist Manners with Ms. Wright Mental Math Puppets and Plays Reading and Writing in College Song and Stage Summer Guitar Workshop
Kenny Richardson Chris King Christianne Pinell-Jansen Kenny Richardson DeAnn Wright Christianne Pinell-Jansen Peter Zapletal Anita DeRouen Chrissy Hrivnak Jimmy Turner
jacksonfreepress.com
JPS to Keep Accreditation
COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT
11