CPS Removed a Dallas Family's Kids, and the Home-School Community Is Pissed

[TexasTowelie]

For a full and detailed account of what Christina and Trevor Tutt have experienced over the past four months -- a run-in with CPS, the removal of their children by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, an ongoing legal fight to get them back -- read this.

It's a one-sided narrative compiled from third-party accounts that, given the Tutts' public silence and the black box that is family court, is basically impossible to verify. But this much is clear: Texas' home-school community is pissed.

"What we really have here today is abuse of a Christian family," Tim Lambert, president of the Texas Home School Coalition, declared at a press conference on the steps of the Old Red Courthouse on Wednesday.

There was abuse at the hands of Associate Judge Graciela Olvera of Dallas County's 256th Family District Court, who ordered them removed, and abuse by two unnamed CPS workers (identified here) who justified the removal by falsely claiming the children were in imminent danger, Lambert said.

More at http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2014/01/texas_home_school_tutt.php .

[Ilsa]

1. It looks like the family has been discriminated against.

Some people are cut out for having and raising large families. It looks like this woman is.

My only issue is that autistic children need loads of supervision. That's why their classrooms are small with tight ratios of only two or three children per adult (aides and teachers) in the classroom. At certain ages, these children tend to be wanderers. For that reason, I think the autistic child should probably have been placed with a different family.

[mbperrin]

2. I'm not the best person to comment here, because I believe in the public schools

and their mission to educate every child. Homeschooled children do not get that outside look to get a warning about abuse or other problems in the home, and that is another mission of the public schools, child safety.

No home school has the resources nor personnel available in the public schools, and too often, home school is just an excuse to have older kids work or younger kids not need transported.

My bias is obvious: I've taught over the last three decades in a large urban high school, and I've seen some horrendous home backgrounds for some kids, and am happy that some of those at least received help to overcome that.

[DhhD]

3. Every public school has Child Find responsibility. The local school district can send out a person

or Special Needs Bus, to go get the child with disabilities, take the child to therapy, and bring them back home each day. The local school district is responsible for writing a grant for services to this child under The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. If the local school district does not know how, then it is the responsibility of the Texas Education Agency to do so. The US Department of Education-Dallas Branch office can help with Grant Writing, if ask. Special Education is an area that they oversee. It is possible for the grant to go to the family if they are homeschooling and the parent is a State Certified Autism Therapist.

Anyone can go to the local school district and say that they believe that the child is disabled/has multiple disabilities and needs Special Education and Related Care. The school district should immediately set up a Section 504 meeting and must have an ARD Meeting within 30 school days. During the 30 days an assessment and evaluation are done. Has CPS contacted the local school district? In some cases the FAPE-Free Appropriate Public Education and Related Services may be done at the child's home. The grant must be written to reflect homebound needs. Child Find covers a child with disabilities or difficulties from Early Childhood.