>>>
>>> WHEN
>>> WHEN SCHOOLS SWITCH FROM CLASSROOMS TO LIVING ROOMS, IT
WAS STRESSFUL FOR EVERYONE, BUT
MAYBE EVEN MORE SO FOR THOSE
WITH CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS,4@4@4@ IT IS AN IEP, WHIC
STANDS FOR INDIVIDUALIZED
EDUCATION PROGRAM, HERE'S A
CLOSER LOOK, IT BASICALLY
OUTLINES EVERYTHING NEEDED FOR
THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN
SCHOOL, IF A CHILD HAS ONE, NOT
JUST STATE, BUT FEDERAL LAW
REQUIRES DISTRICTS TO FOLLOW
THEM NO MATTER WHAT, EVEN IN A
PANDEMIC WHEN THINGS GO
VIRTUAL.
VIRTUAL.
VIRTUAL. AS TENANT INVESTIGATES 4@AND
COVERED, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN
FOR SOME PARENTS.4@
>> GOING TO BE GOING INTO THE
SECOND GRADE.
SECOND GRADE. >> Reporter: ENERGETIC, LOVABLE
, SEVEN-YEAR-OLD GABE STOVALL
HAS A RARE GENETIC DISORDER
CALLED 4@KABUKI SYNDROME.
>> WE ARE LUCKY GABE4@ IS
RELATIVELY MILDLY AFFECTED.
>> Reporter: HE DOES HAVE SOME
DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS.
DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS. >>4@ A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA HELP
>> Reporter: THAT EXTRA HELP IS
DOCUMENTED HERE4@4@ IN HIS IEP,
WHICH SHOWS FOR GABE TO BE
SUCCESSFUL, ADDITIONAL ADULT
SUPPORT IS NEEDED.
>>4@4@4@ THAT IS KIND 4@OF HIS
TREATMENT.
TREATMENT. >> Reporter: THAT TREATMENT
WASN'T EXACTLY FOLLOWED.
4@ >> OUR K-12 SCHOOLS WILL
CONTINUE WITH DISTANCE
LEARNING.
LEARNING.
LEARNING. >> Reporter: WHEN STUDENTS WERE
FORCED TO GO VIRTUAL WITH
LESSONS IN THE SPRING.
>> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. CAN YOU PLAY TWINKLE TWINKLE
LITTLE STAR FOR ME ONE MORE
TIME?
TIME?
TIME? >>
TIME? >> LUCY WAS BORN WITH A RARE4@4
GENETIC DISORDER.
GENETIC DISORDER. >> Reporter: DESPITE THE RARE
DIAGNOSIS, LUCY CONTINUED
LEARNING AT SCHOOL.
>> HER BRAIN IS NOT AFFECTED,
THANK GOODNESS.
THANK GOODNESS. >> Reporter: LIKE GABE, IN
ORDER TO SUCCEED, SHE DOES NEED
HELP, ALSO OUTLINED IN HER IEP.
>> WAS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ABLE
TO FOLLOW THAT WHEN THE SCHOOL
CLOSED AND WENT VIRTUAL?
>> NO, THEY, NO.4@
NO, NOT REALLY.
>> Reporter: WE HEARD THE SAME
STORY OVER AND OVER IN THESE
EMAILS FROM OTHER HILLSBOROUGH
COUNTY SCHOOL 4@PARENTS. 4@
IT IS ALSO A LAW, ACCORDING TO @
THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER FROM THE
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION, STUDENTS WITH IEP'S
MUST BE GIVEN THE SERVICES
NECESSARY TO 4@ENSURE THEY
EXPERIENCE A FREE AND
APPROPRIATE EDUCATION.
APPROPRIATE EDUCATION. SOME OF THESE PARENTS ARE
SHARING STORIES OF SCHOOLS NOT
FOLLOWING THEIR CHILD'S IEP,
EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC
HAPPENED.4@
HAPPENED.4@ >> THE SCHOOL, THEY DID A LOT
OF EVALUATIONS AND THEY'VE GOT
RECOMMENDATIONS OF ONE ON ONE
AIDE, THEN THEY SAY, WELL, YOU
DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO
PROVIDE ONE.
PROVIDE ONE. >> Reporter: WE WANTED TO KNOW
WHY, 10 INVESTIGATES
INVESTIGATED, AND PINELLAS, SIX,
4@AND PASCO,4@ 20 OPENINGS,
HILLSBOROUGH, 110,
HILLSBOROUGH, 110, HILLSBOROUGH 4@ IS THE THIRD-
LARGEST DISTRICT IN THE STATE,4
WE REACHED OUT TO ORANGE
COUNTY, THEY TOLD US THEY HAVE
10 OPENINGS. 4@
>> THERE IS A BIG DIVIDE, WE
ARE TRYING TO 4@FIGURE OUT WHY.
>> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION, ONE
ARE TRYING TO 4@FIGURE OUT WHY. >> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION, ONE@
THAT, I AM WORKING IN THIS, ONE
OF THE AREAS, LIKE I 4@SAID, IT
IS PERSONAL, ENSURING WE HAVE
WHAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT NOT
ONLY DID THE DIVERSE, 4@NOT ONL
DIVERSE CANDIDATES, BUT ALSO WE
HAVE THE SUPPORT 4@--
>> Reporter: AS OF JULY, THE
NEW CHIEF OF EQUITY AND
DIVERSITY FOR THE HILLSBOROUGH
COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE
BROUGHT OUR CONCERNS TUMOR.4@4@
SHE SAID HER PRIORITY WILL BE
TO FILL OPEN POSITIONS AND MAKE
SURE T4@HE NEEDS OF THESE
CHILDREN ARE MET.
>> LET US HEAR FROM YOU, IF YOU
DIDN'T GET THE SERVICES YOU 4@
SHOULD'VE GOTTEN.
SHOULD'VE GOTTEN. >> Reporter: SERVICES THAT ARE
EVEN MORE ESSENTIAL NOW FOR
STUDENTS LIKE LUCY AND GABE.
>>4@ HE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A
ONE-ON-ONE AIDE BECAUSE HE WAS
FALLING BEHIND AND 4@AT RISK FO
NOT 4@BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE, S
FALLING BEHIND AND 4@AT RISK FO NOT 4@BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE, S@
WE REALLY, THIS TIME4@ IS
CRITICAL FOR HIM.4@4@
>> THEY HAVEN'T EVEN DISCUSSED
AN IEP.
AN IEP.
AN IEP. I
AN IEP. I HAPPENED TO MAKE MY OWN PLAN.
>> Reporter:4@ THEY HAVE ENTERE
INTO THE DISTRICT'S HOSPITAL
HOMEBOUND PROGRAM, BUT4@ THAT
WILL ONLY PROVIDE LUCY WITH
FOUR HOURS OF SCHOOLING FOR THE
ENTIRE WEEK.4@
ENTIRE WEEK.4@ >> OUR TEAM TOOK A DEEPER DIVE
AND ASKED THE 4@EDUCATION
COMMISSIONER FOR AN INTERVIEW
ON HOW THEY ARE HANDLING IEP'S,
INSTEAD, THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION SE4@NT US 4@THIS EMAI
THEY TELL US STUDENTS WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS AND OTHERS4@ MUST
RECEIVE EXTRA EDUCATIONAL
SUPPORT, ACCORDING TO STATE AND
FEDERAL LAW, THEY ALSO WANT TO
MAKE IT CLEAR,4@ NO FEDERAL OR
STATE REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN
WAIVED, REGARDING STUDENTS WITH
STATE REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN WAIVED, REGARDING STUDENTS WITH@
DISABILITIES, THEY TELL US THE
COMMISSIONER EMERGENCY ORDER
REINFORCES CRITICAL SUPPORTS IN
STEPS WITH A STUDENT'S IEP
PROCESS THAT MUST 4@BE MAINTAIN.
IF YOU