tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27040684148722031002012-02-16T01:49:12.571-05:00Every child deserves to be accepted, nurtured and provided an appropriate education, so that each has an equal opportunity to shine!Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.comBlogger321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-68904489678424622562010-03-30T17:59:00.005-04:002010-03-30T21:00:04.393-04:00

In an article published in today's Philadelphia Inquirer, Board of Education Member, Ken Hartman, compares the current state of our education system to the Titanic. You may read the full version of Kevin Riordan's article hear: "The ship of state is about to sink, by this reckoning"."The captain of the Titanic knew he had a gaping hole beneath the water line," says Hartman, ..."I'm saying, 'Guys

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-7999341622495032212009-04-07T16:39:00.004-04:002009-04-07T17:10:27.361-04:00

OK, so the other day I am sitting here cleaning out the "Junk Folder" in my email box, when something catches my eye. It was not the usual "Save money on watches" or "Get your online degree" message that typically appears on the subject line. Instead, the subject line of this email read, "Demand Letter: Cease and Desist..." At first I thought, OK this must be spam and I almost erased it. I

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-84603654069692571672009-04-03T01:13:00.003-04:002009-04-03T02:00:26.163-04:00

The NJ Joint Committee on the Public Schools is holding a Public Hearing on Special Education issues on April 16 at 11:00 AM at the NJ Statehouse in Trenton. I would strongly encourage Cherry Hill parents to attend this meeting! You may use my blog to arrange carpools if necessary.On the US Committee on Education website there is a statement from Chairman Miller that says, "In addition to the

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-16180984711409324982009-03-29T13:16:00.004-04:002009-03-29T13:26:42.356-04:00

Please note that the Cherry Hill Board of Education has added an extra budget work session on Monday, March 30 to discuss the proposed 2009-2010 budget. The meeting will be held at the Malberg Administration Building and will begin at 7 pm. Many parents have emailed me to ask about the agenda for this meeting and if there will be an opportunity for public comment. I have communicated with our

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-58623205996431707522009-03-22T16:33:00.008-04:002009-03-24T00:02:44.611-04:00

Many parents have expressed concerns regarding the proposed reduction of special education teachers in certain high school inclusion classrooms. One of the proposed changes in the school budget would involve decreasing the presence of a special education teacher in the co-teaching Humanities and Science classes, from every day, to an every other day schedule. This change would cut the number of

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-35711634233643200042009-03-20T20:55:00.003-04:002009-03-20T21:06:25.391-04:00

Are you ready for your child's IEP Meeting? To help you through the process I am offering this area of the blog for tips, strategies and even a few alerts to be familiar with, prior to your IEP Meeting.Parents: Please feel free to keep us posted on your school districts newest strategies for denying students appropriate placement, support services, etc. Please also indicate the school district,

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-15706723554949112822009-03-11T11:13:00.013-04:002009-03-21T21:25:35.727-04:00

Our troubled economy is taking it's toll on everyone -- From families raising typical children, that have decided to cancel vacation plans; to families raising children with disabilities, who are making painful choices regarding the services and therapies they can no longer afford for their children. Somehow we are all surviving, albeit a significant challenge. As we make adjustments in our

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-32687741284480638662009-02-24T08:32:00.003-05:002009-02-24T08:56:08.931-05:00

The New Jersey Coalition for Special Education Funding Reform has requested that this information be passed along to special education advocacy organizations and parents of children with special needs. Many parents contacted our Legislators regarding the Department of Education's "fiscal accountability" regulations. Although the DOE passed the regulations without any input from the disability

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-27931162588931267192009-01-13T17:23:00.005-05:002009-01-13T18:32:00.038-05:00

On August 15, 2008, parents in Fowlerville, Michigan had their infant taken away from them and were charged with child abuse and neglect for allegedly taping a pacifier in the mouth of their infant. (Report: Pacifier Taped in Baby's Mouth) While I tend to agree that taping a pacifier in the mouth of an infant is not the best choice a parent could make, and I am fairly certain many will agree

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-8994357966001277182008-10-17T19:20:00.003-04:002008-10-17T19:52:21.678-04:00

On Wednesday, October 22, 2008 CHSEPTA will be hosting a Special Education Presentation with a Parent Forum. It will be held at the Malberg Administration Building, Cyber Cafe/Tech room, 45 Ranaldo Terrace in Cherry Hill. At 7:00 pm the Special Education Department will be giving a Power Point Presentation titled, “Interpretation and Implementation of IEP’s”. This will be followed with a

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-57098033490380507082008-10-08T09:17:00.008-04:002008-10-08T15:01:01.910-04:00

On Saturday, November 15, 2008 a very special show is coming to Cherry Hill. "Day After Day" is a rock opera that you surely will not want to miss! Just 2 Moms, a non-profit organization that is focused on autism awareness, will be sponsoring this event. The show has received rave reviews from parents, caregivers, teachers and even those previously unfamiliar with autism spectrum disorders.

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-57468852657993898082008-09-29T17:17:00.002-04:002008-09-29T17:19:55.717-04:00

There is a Fall Conference for parents of children with special needs on Saturday, October 18th from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Carmen Tilelli Community Center, 820 Mercer Street, Cherry Hill. This FREE Fall Conference is sponsored by the Cherry Hill Ombudsman for the Disabled and will be packed with information for everyone! Conference topics include: "While the Destination is Important, The

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-3631679570766402862008-06-19T18:40:00.012-04:002008-06-20T00:39:29.313-04:00

It is with sadness and disgust that I share this story with readers. Let me preface this by saying that this did not occur in a local school. I understand however, that some local schools are still using this technique. For the Cherry Hill readers, to the best of my knowledge Cherry Hill is not using weighted blankets to calm our children! On April 17th Gabriel Poirier, a nine year old boy

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-12523787858715850672008-05-28T19:29:00.014-04:002008-06-17T14:01:48.289-04:00

Remember when Cherry Hill had a terrific public school system? When honest hard working people were in leadership roles? You remember them -- the administration that cared about the education of ALL of Cherry Hill's children. The administration that admitted that they occasionally made mistakes, but more importantly learned from their mistakes and strived to do better. The administration that

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-83975384427978832802008-05-11T00:48:00.009-04:002008-05-11T01:43:40.696-04:00

To every mom that follows this Blog, I say with great respect and admiration,Happy Mother's Day!To the moms raising children with Autism, to the moms that support those of us that are...To the moms that knew better than to listen to an inexperienced doctor say the words, "Oh, he'll grow out of it."To the moms that questioned God, "Why my child? Why Autism?"To the moms that thank God everyday, for

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-35654596314797414682008-04-22T14:30:00.010-04:002008-04-23T02:07:24.325-04:00

Many residents in Cherry Hill have decided to begin a letter writing campaign to address the myriad of difficulties that families face in educating our children with special needs. I will be sharing letters from those residents over the next few weeks. To have your letter posted, please email me at: kathimagee@verizon.net The first letter that I have posted (see below) was sent to the Board of

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-66388062603145388052008-04-16T22:56:00.002-04:002008-04-16T23:13:05.365-04:00

If you saw the election results in this morning's Courier Post, it appears that they printed the numbers before the final count was available.The budget passed.Yes votes: 4,126 (53.06%)No votes: 3,650 (46.94%)The new Board of Education members are: Klukoff, Roth, Goodwin.The breakdown of votes is as follows:Muldowney: 2,546Cheston: 1,156*Klukoff: 4,198Roth: 4,599Chaifetz: 1,959Goodwin: 4,699*

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-83350825144730551202008-04-15T17:05:00.002-04:002008-04-15T17:44:57.662-04:00

Well, it's election day and we all know what that means! For some of us it means going out to vote like responsible citizens. For others, it means slick tricks and dirty tactics! Earlier today I noticed that a sign for Muldowney and Chaifetz near the Cherry Hill Mall had been removed. On our way to vote, I noticed that a sign for Muldowney and Chaifetz, near the park on Chapel Ave (just before

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-73313984626289248272008-04-11T17:21:00.003-04:002008-04-11T18:00:14.611-04:00

While I have not always been in agreement with Mayor Platt on various issues, I applaud him for finally asking that we take a closer look at our school district's spending habits. I do not agree that Mayor Platt was "attacking the school district." He made mention of the cuts that the township has made and asked other agencies to look more closely at their spending. He did not target the

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-14783622154137118472008-04-10T12:09:00.003-04:002008-04-10T13:40:46.921-04:00

Perhaps I have been a bit naive in my thinking that when people run for the local school board it simply comes down to voters weighing their options and voting their conscience. I guess I thought that dirty tricks in politics were something that primarily occurred in big elections, like the Presidential election. It appears we have our own little dirty tricks that play out in Cherry Hill. I

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-9423652898029645892008-04-09T00:08:00.003-04:002008-04-09T11:18:40.821-04:00

Nancy Muldowney and Stuart Chaifetz are two of the candidates running for the Board of Education in Cherry Hill. With election day quickly approaching, I thought it would be important for people to hear their philosophies and learn what type of board members they will be, if elected. I have gathered their answers to some of your most critical questions. Whether you are for the budget or against

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-39991966604007939852008-04-06T14:38:00.003-04:002008-04-06T14:52:26.273-04:00

I love the way our school administrators try to play us off! Since our children have special needs we are automatically assumed to be insane for trying to make the school district comply with special education laws. When my son was 3, before autism invaded our lives, I was viewed as a typical parent. I would assume that was because I was raising a "typical" child.My son was a beautiful little boy

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-89045204276768308082008-04-04T00:59:00.003-04:002008-04-04T01:16:42.682-04:00

Cherry Hill Public Schools, Special Education Department is undergoing the Self-Assessment phase of the OSEP Monitoring Process. If you missed the public meeting on March 31, 2008, you may still participate by answering the Focus Questions below.Focus Question #1:Are parents involved in the education of their child with a disability?Focus Question #2:Are there any administrative barriers to

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-75016878105434107732008-04-02T14:07:00.008-04:002008-04-04T01:47:47.786-04:00

I have received so many thoughtful emails and other expressions of appreciation from readers of the Autism Blog, thanking me for my efforts, but I feel that it is my turn to thank all of you! It is YOUR continued support, participation in forums, comments on blogs and the many other ways that you have expressed your dedication to our children that will change the outcome for so many children in

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-6100759885961424352008-03-02T14:37:00.002-05:002008-03-02T14:52:50.733-05:00

Parents raising children with autistic disorders know all too well that the disorder can wreak havoc on a family budget. Faced with rising health insurance premiums, out-of-pocket medical costs, and serious limitations on covered expenses; these families have had to make some very difficult choices. No one understands the budget constraints and the financial balancing act required better than the

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-27591130987003543442008-03-02T13:51:00.003-05:002008-03-02T13:58:12.737-05:00

Autism once affected 1 in 10,000 children. We have seen an explosion in autism rates and there are now 1 in 94 children (1 in 60 boys) suffering with the disorder in the state of NJ. (National estimates are 1 in 150.) Some have estimated that the incidence of autism in certain areas of the state, such as Cherry Hill, may be slightly higher. This may be because families with autistic children have

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-21616366548096549672008-03-02T13:17:00.002-05:002008-03-02T13:26:45.282-05:00

Autistic disorders encompass numerous skill deficits that make it difficult for these students to participate in a regular education environment. Although some may be mainstreamed they usually require support services to maintain them in a regular ed setting. Some may need an educational assistant, while some may require speech, occupational or physical therapies. Students with autistic disorders

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-34611325630805204712007-12-04T17:58:00.001-05:002008-04-04T00:04:41.454-04:00

The Bizarro World originally appeared back in the late 50's in Superman comics. It described the world where the fictional character Bizarro, Superman's polar opposite, lived. In the Bizarro World of Htrae (Earth spelled backwards) everything is the complete opposite of what happens here on Earth. Any Seinfeld fan would also remember this concept, as it was reintroduced in a 1996 series when

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-45938334367235572762007-11-20T00:10:00.001-05:002008-04-04T00:20:19.613-04:00

Many have emailed me personally about the Best Practice Guidelines from the Children's Welfare League of America (CWLA). Some inquired as to how they came about, others asked for the specific guidelines and why Cherry Hill does not follow them.Let me begin by explaining how the CWLA came to their conclusions on what is considered "Best Practice." The CWLA was a participant in the Children's

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-41722894191800564572007-10-24T09:09:00.000-04:002009-02-26T09:23:04.792-05:00

The majority of parents that commented on my last blog (see Cherry Hill's Chokey) were horrified when they learned that physical restraint and aversives, such as seclusion were being used on children in the Cherry Hill public school district. I received over 100 responses to that one blog! That is the highest ever on the Autism Blog, so it was obviously a great concern to many parents.I was

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-15405880930480094702007-10-18T00:35:00.000-04:002008-04-04T00:56:15.292-04:00

We have an area in our home that my son calls his "safe zone." If he feels overwhelmed or stressed he goes there and sits to regain his composure. He initiates it and it is just a quiet area in our living room at the far end where the lighting is dimmer and the distractions are fewer. I call it a "reverse time out" because it eliminates the problem behaviors that would result in a time out for a

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2704068414872203100.post-17526530293486500922007-04-20T11:43:00.001-04:002008-03-02T13:59:08.054-05:00

Imagine living in a world where you felt different than everyone else, a world where you simply did not fit in. You frequently misunderstood others, and therefore could not respond appropriately. What if those around you misunderstood you and as a result you were constantly frustrated? Now, on top of all this, let's set your frustration tolerance down to zero. Oh, you are in for quite a ride!As

Kathi Mageehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10887990904160169361noreply@blogger.com1