Last week Dorothy Cook sent me several emails asking me to video her Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting scheduled for Monday February 18, 2013 and that she would pay me. She cc’ed several folks in the emails to me and 2 persons being Vivian Roach Executive Director Exceptional Children and the Wilson County Public Schools attorney. I purposely didn’t respond to Ms. Cook emails waiting to see if any of the others were going to respond to say I could not video the meeting. I volunteer my services that pertains to children.
On Friday morning I called Ms. Cook to ask her had any of the previous meetings been recorded and she said yes but she was not aware of the meeting being recorded until a lady in one of the meetings asked will everyone be quiet until she change the tape. I said you mean to tell me you were not aware of them recording the meeting and she said no. I said did they give you a copy of tape on the same day and she said no. She said it took a while but she finally got a copy. She said on that tape she was called stupid. I said okay I will video the meeting and I will make the video on the spot so that all parties will be able to receive a copy before I leave.
I responded to the emails that Ms. Cook had sent me stating that I will video the meeting and provide duplicates on the spot. On Saturday morning I received several emails from the attorney asking who was I, was I an attorney and that they would not be paying me for my services. I responded and said I didn’t ask for any money. I stated who I was and that I do not act as an attorney on my behalf nor anyone behalf because I am not an attorney. She said I could attend the meeting but I could not record the meeting.
Ms. Cook responded and said she wanted to know why was the attorney contacting me when she should have been contacting her. Ms. Cook sent an email showing that she was told she could record all meetings. Well the attorney said I could not record the meeting and never stated that the meeting could be recorded in audio only. The attorney said I could attend the meeting as a parent advocate but I could not video.
When I attended the meeting this morning I entered the building and Ms. Cooking was sitting waiting to be called up stairs to the conference room. I asked her was I going to be able to video the meeting and she said yes. I went back to my car and got out my equipment.
We waited and waited and I think around 9:20 we were told we could go upstairs to the conference room. As we entered the room Ms. Roach was sitting opposite from me then a white female, a black female and then on the same side I was sitting on was 2 more white females, myself and Ms. Cook was sitting at the head of the table with Ms. Roach to her immediate left and I was on her immediate right.
Ms. Roach asked that everyone introduce themselves. For some reason she asked me to repeat my name but maybe for clarity I don’t know because I know I said it loud enough for her to hear me. Ms. Roach began the meeting and she made a couple of statements and then Ms. Cook began her conversation. Ms. Cook said she was told that the meeting could be recorded and now you saying it could not. Ms. Roach said she said the meeting could not be videoed but could be recorded in audio. This is when I took out both of my pocket recorders and laid them on the table and I said I can do that.
You can hear what happened for yourself by clicking on the picture below. Remember the following is on audio and I transferred the audio from my pocket recorded via my video camera so that I could post it here.
I thought the following was quite interesting. The meeting was suppose to begin at 9:00 AM and it was around 9:20 before we were called up stairs. The reception kept saying I hate you have to wait but I don’t think Ms. Roach is in the building yet.
Now this is what I found interesting in 6 minutes and 23 seconds of observing Ms. Cook and Ms. Roach.
I found Ms. Roach to seem as a MEAN lady. She did not give an excuse for why the meeting was late. She seemed to have an attitude by the way she was talking to Ms. Cook. It appears that Ms. Roach was trying to intimidate Ms. Cook. After Ms. Roach asked Ms. Cook to begin with her dispute Ms. Cook said she could not speak to anything because she had not received the needed documentation to present her case. Ms. Roach said so since you have not received the documentation do you want to terminate this meeting and Ms. Cook said no. She said why was the meeting called knowing that she didn’t have the information she had requested from Wilson County Public Schools that it would be impossible to present her case when she don’t know what is in the documents.
Ms. Roach said angrily said wait a minute and she got up and walked out of the room and slammed the door. She did not say where she was going or what. Well I didn’t know what was going on at this time so the silence on the audio is when Ms. Roach left the room until she returned.
When Ms. Roach returned she came back and slammed a stack of documents 2 – 3 feet high and sat down.
During the discussion that you can hear in the audio I thought it was right interesting that Ms. Roach walked up on Ms. Cook as she grabbed the documents and was about to grab her luggage bag with her documents in it to leave the meeting because at this time Ms. Cook said the meeting was over. Ms. Roach tried to take the documents out of Ms. Cook hands and trying to hold the door so that Ms. Cook could not get out. Well I had been standing because I had gotten out of my seat and put on my coat and picked up my video camera and tripod but I could not get by Ms. Cook and Ms. Roach. After I seen some clearance where I could get by the 2 of them I said I am leaving because I am not going to be a part of this. But in the meantime Ms. Roach had told one of the ladies in the room to go get somebody and I assumed they were calling the police.
Later I called Ms. Cook and she answered the phone. She told me what happened. We discussed what happened up until I left and I told her that I had to leave because I could not take what was going on.
In my conclusion I feel that Ms. Cook handled herself accordingly. I feel that Ms. Roach created an hostile environment. I question how Ms. Roach saying that she told Ms. Cook she could record the meeting in audio but not video record because I bet that had never come up (video). It appeared to me that Ms. Roach was trying to intimidate Ms. Cook and was trying to get her to terminate the meeting knowing that she didn’t have the documents that she requested but Ms. Roach leave the room and come back with the documents in question and said they were for Ms. Cook in case she didn’t have hers. Well how in the hell was Ms. Cook suppose to go through all of those documents in the meeting in such a short time to be able to present her case.
What I witnessed this morning is what I have been saying over the years and that is if the adult administrators in the school system disrespect the parents what in the hell do you think the children goes through. Now I ain’t talking about a student who is being disrespectful but a student who will question the adult administrators in a respectful manner but the student is made out to be the troublemaker. I have seen it happen before and I have been a victim.
I have been a parent advocate since the early 90’s and in 1993 some students at SouthWest Edgecombe asked me to come to the school to help them resolve an issue when they had staged a walkout when a white teacher had grabbed a black student around the neck in the hallway. Every since that day meeting with the white Student Body Government President and some other students I dedicated myself to be a voice for the children of Edgecombe County but not limited to.
I was asked by a couple of parents to serve on an IEP meeting over the years so I know how the process works.
I have a couple of certificate of training through the NC Justice Law & Education Project where we learned how to advocate on behalf of students and how the school system operates.
My main concern is what is in the best interest of the children involved.
Click on the following picture to hear the audio.
Note: Originally posted Tuesday February 19, 2013 2:34 AM.
Filed under: Dorothy Cook, Vivian Roach Executive Director Exceptional Children, Wilson County Public Schools | Leave a comment »
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