The Toolbox is a one-day training program that helps campus administrators handle the discipline of students with disabilities in effective ways that comply with the extensive legal requirements. One of the tools (Tool #7) is the FAPE-Free Zone.  This refers to the ten days when campus administrators can unilaterally remove a student from the placement called for by the IEP.  We get some creative questions about this one. Such as the inquiry about the FAPE-Free Zone Bank.

The idea was simple. Can the district create a FFZ account for each student and manage it through a campus-wide “bank” whereby days of one student could be transferred to another? The district has a sick leave bank. Why not a FFZ bank?

Nope. Can’t do that.  You may have kids go use up the entire FFZ before Halloween, and others who don’t use up a day all year. Nevertheless, the FFZ of each student belongs to each student and the “days” in the FFZ cannot be moved around, student to student.

Each student has ten days. They start to run on day one of the school year.  When the ten days are used up, they are gone until next school year.  As we explain in the Toolbox Training, the principal still has multiple means of dealing with student misconduct after the 10 days are gone.  But out of school suspension is no longer an option.

If you are interested in a Toolbox Training, let us hear from you!

DAWG BONE: NO SUCH THING AS A FAPE-FREE ZONE BANK.

Tomorrow: If someone calls you "ugly and stupid" have you been sexually harassed?