TRACIE  L.  WASHINGTON   A  PROFESSIONAL  LAW  CORPORATION   Mediation•Arbitration   1631  Elysian  Fields  Avenue   New  Orleans,  Louisiana  70117   EMAIL:    Tracie@TracieWashington.com     TEL:504.872.9134   Texas  and  Louisiana  Licensed   EMAIL:    tlwesq@cox.net               March  2,  2017     via  hand  delivery       Re:     Dear  Ms.                   We’ve  not  met,  so  allow  me  to  introduce  myself  as  one  of  the  attorneys  who  works   with   Mrs.   Ann   Ford   at   Joseph   A.   Craig   Charter   School   (Craig   School).     I   am   writing   today   because  it  appears  there  has  been  a  grave  misunderstanding  concerning  your     and   actions   by   Mrs.   Ford,   Craig   School’s   Social   Worker,   Mr.   Brightman,   and   the   entire   RTI   Staff,  and  for  this  please  accept  Craig  School’s  apology.     It  was  not  long  after   entered  Craig  School  in  mid-­‐September  that  you,  Mr.   Brightman,  and  Mrs.  Ford  had  to  meet  to  discuss  his  behavior.    In  fact,  within  his  first  two   months   in   school   he   had     Everyone   was   concerned       Despite   your   fears   would   be   suspended   for   this   act,   and   his   poor   behavior   at   school     since   September   Mrs.   Ford,   Mr.   Brightman,   and   the   entire   Response   to   Intervention/School   Based   Leadership   Team   has   worked   with   you   and   met   with   you   and   your  mother  to  keep   in  school.    I  have  attached  another  copy  of  the  Craig  School   Response  to  Intervention  Procedures  for  your  review.       as   you   know,   Craig   School   has   never   suspended   outside   of   school.    As  Mrs.  Ford  indicated  to  you  and  to  your  mother,  sending   home  –  in  effect   penalizing  him  for  what  you  and  everyone  else  understood  was  a  severe  mental  health  issue  –   was  not  and  can  never  be  an  appropriate  response  when  a  student  his  hurting.    Frankly,  too   many   of   our   young   African-­‐American   male   students   are   suspended   from   school   because   uncaring   administrators   won’t   take   the   time   to   work   with   families   to   assist   with   interventions.       TRACIE  L.  WASHINGTON   A  PROFESSIONAL  LAW  CORPORATION   March  2,  2017   Page  2  of  5   _____________________________________       Unfortunately,  even  after  Mr.  Brightman  assisted  you  in  making  appointments  with   agencies   that   could   assist   ,   those   appointments   were   not   kept.     I   am   not   here   to   cast   blame   on   you.     We   understand   you   work   and   getting   to   these   appointments   was   difficult.    Unfortunately,   mental  health  condition  was  spiraling  downward  and  it   was   apparent   to   his   teachers,   Mr.   Brightman,   Mrs.   Ford,   and   your   mother   that   he   might   cause  harm  to  himself  or  others  without  medical  intervention.   The  Department  of  Education’s  recommendation  to  Craig  School  would  have  been  to   continually  suspend    or  to  call  for  outside  crisis  intervention.    In  good  conscience,   Mrs.   Ford   –   an   educator   of   African   American   students   for   over   30   years   –   would   never   choose   state   intervention   (with   the   possibility   that   the   child   would   be   removed   from   the     parent),   as  an  option  here  because  she  knew  both  you  and  your  mother  want   to   continue  in  his  current  environment,  simply  needing  assistance.   Mrs.  Ford  and  your  mother  agreed   would  see  a  psychiatrist  before  returning   to  school,  and  she  sent  him  home  temporarily  until  he  was  treated.      She  gave  your  mother   all   of   assignments   that   he   was   to   complete   during   his   time   away.     Unfortunately,   did  not  return  to  school  with  any  of  the  work  completed.    Therefore,  on  Monday,   March   6,   the   school   has   arranged   for   make-­‐up   sessions   for   the   days   and   class   work   he   missed,   to   take   place   from   3:00p.m.-­‐5:00p.m.   Monday   -­‐   Thursday   for   15   consecutive   days.     The  sessions  will  begin  on  Monday,  March  13th  and  will  end  on  Wednesday,  April  5,  2017.   I  understand  when  you  returned  to  school  prior  in  early  February,  the  entire  RTI/SBL   Team   met   with   you   and   the   Recovery   School   District’s   Outreach   Counselor   we   recommended   you   see.     We   learned   then   has   been   diagnosed   as    Mrs.  Ford  and  the  entire  staff  of  Craig  School  want  to  assure  you   that  this  diagnosis  will  not  handicap   ,  as  it  might  in  other  school  environments,  nor   will  he  be  stigmatized.    Instead,  now  that   medical  condition  has  been  confirmed,   and   the   staff’s   efforts   to   get   him   treatment   have   been   validated,   we   know   he   has   every   opportunity  to  thrive  as  his  medication  is  monitored  by  the  school’s  nurse.    I  have  attached   Craig   School’s   procedures   for   addressing   student   mental   health   needs,   including   ones   not   explicitly  related  to  behavior.       TRACIE  L.  WASHINGTON   A  PROFESSIONAL  LAW  CORPORATION   March  2,  2017   Page  3  of  5   _____________________________________       If   you   have   any   other   questions   or   concerns,   please   feel   free   to   contact   Mrs.   Ford   directly   so   that   she   may   discuss   them.     In   the   future,   Mrs.   Ford   can   be   reached   at   504.940.2115.             cc:                               With  kindest  regards,  I  remain   Very  truly  yours,   Tracie  L.  Washington   via  email:    AFord@mlknola.org     Mrs.  Ann  Ford,  Principal   Joseph  A.  Craig  Charter  School   via  email:    Laura.Hawkins@la.gov     Laura  Hawkins,  Deputy  Chief  of  Staff   Recovery  School  District   via  email:    Kristine.Barker@la.gov     Kristine  Barker,  Manager  of  School  Performance   Louisiana  Department  of  Education   via  email:    Kunjan.Narechania@la.gov     Kunjan  Narechania   Louisiana  Department  of  Education       TRACIE  L.  WASHINGTON   A  PROFESSIONAL  LAW  CORPORATION   March  2,  2017   Page  4  of  5   _____________________________________       JOSEPH  A.  CRAIG  CHARTER  SCHOOL   RESPONSE  TO  INTERVENTION  PROCEDURES       Joseph  A.  Craig  students  participate  in  school-­‐wide  Positive  Behavioral  Interventions   and   Support   (PBIS)   daily.     When   a   student   exhibits   at-­‐risk   factors,   the   classroom   teacher   submits   the   student’s   name   and   relevant   information   to   the   RTI/SBLC   Team   in   order   to   determine   whether   Tier   2   interventions   are   needed.     Regardless   of   whether   Tier   2   interventions   are   needed,   the   RTI/SBLC   Team   will   notify   the   student’s   parent   about   the   concerns  and  the  possible  interventions  that  may  be  needed  to  assure  the  student’s  success   in   the   classroom/school   setting.     The   teacher   presents   the   problem   behavior   to   the   committee,  inclusive  of  the  parent,  along  with  documentation.     If  Tier  2  interventions  are  found  to  be  warranted,  a  Functional  Behavioral  Assessment   (FBA)   is   completed   to   be   used   in   developing   and   deciding   on   an   appropriate   Tier   2   intervention(s).    The  teacher  implements  the  intervention.    Data  is  collected  and  results  are   monitored   weekly   by   the   school   social   worker.     A   report   is   given   to   the   RTI/SBLC   Team   in   order  that  decisions  can  be  made  concerning  adjustments  to  intervention(s),  continuation  of   intervention(s),   or   the   elimination/faze-­‐out   of   the   intervention(s)   when   needed.     If   the   student   does   not   achieve   the   goal   behavior   within   9   weeks   (with   modifications   made   as   needed)  then  the  student  can  move  to  Tier  3  support.     Upon   moving   into   Tier   3   support,   a   Functional   Behavioral   Assessment   (FBA)   is   conducted  and  a  Behavioral  Intervention  Plan  (BIP)  is  developed  by  the  school  social  worker   with   the   written   consent   from   the   parent.     The   RTI/SBLC   Team,   inclusive   of   the   parent,   reviews  the  BIP  and  makes  adjustments  if  needed.    Once  the  BIP  is  completed  and  approved   by   the   RTI/SBLC   Team,   the   teacher   and   social   worker   implement   the   evidence   based   intervention  and  collect  observational  data.    The  RTI/SBLC  Team  reviews  the  progress  of  the   student   weekly,   and   modifies   the   interventions   as   needed.     The   student   will   participate   in       Tier   3   intervention(s)   for   a   minimum   of   9   weeks.     Modification   and   adjustments   to   the   intervention   can   occur   at   any   point   during   the   weekly   RTI/SBLC   Team   behavioral   review.     Significant  changes  to  the  intervention(s)  will  warrant  an  additional  9  week  implementation.     If  the  data  continues  to  show  insufficient  progress,  a  meeting  is  scheduled  with  the  parent   and  RTI/SBLC  Team  to  discuss  further  action.       TRACIE  L.  WASHINGTON   A  PROFESSIONAL  LAW  CORPORATION   March  2,  2017   Page  5  of  5   _____________________________________       PROCEDURES  FOR  ADDRESSING  STUDENT  MENTAL  HEALTH  NEEDS     When   addressing   students   who   are   suspected   of   having   mental   health   needs,   we   contact   the   parent   with   our   concerns.     The   RTI/SBLC   Team   meets   with   the   parent   and   support   is   offered   to   our   students   and   parent(s)   by   our   school   social   worker.     The   social   worker   assists   parents   with   finding   a   reputable   mental   health   provider   if   the   parent   feels   assistance  is  needed.    If  any  student  is  found  to  be  in  a  crisis  situation,  parents  are  notified   immediately  and  a  call  is  made  to  the  NOPD  Crises  Unit.    Parental  consent  is  secured  before  a   student  is  released  to  any  mental  health  provider  or  hospital  facility.