Harrow mom says 'hopeless' school system failing to accommodate her son
Essex mayor says she's aware of many other families with similar concerns
A Harrow mom is speaking out for what she says is the public school board's failure to handle her seven-year-old son's education and medical needs.
Jessica McCoy says Harrow Public School limited her son's access to class time and hasn't accommodated his health concerns in a timely manner.
McCoy's issues with the school go back to February last year. At that time, she says her son, who was in senior kindergarten, was only allowed to attend school for one hour a day. She was told it was because Jack was misbehaving.
However, Ontario's Education Act says that a school board can only reduce the length of a day specifically for a student in a special education program.
Because of this, McCody says she was unable to work as she had to be on call to pick up Jack and stay home with him.
McCoy says that Jack would get in trouble for hiding in a locker, jumping off a table or throwing things, which she understands aren't acceptable. But she says the school should be able to handle it.
The school, according to McCoy, told her they don't have the staff to deal with it.
"To me, I felt bullied by the principal at the time. Like it didn't matter what I [said], I was always in the wrong," she said.
"I have to look out for my child's best interest and my child deserved an education, he deserves to be in school, not treated like a monster. I felt like my child was a monster and I failed. When I look at it now, I don't think I failed, I think the school system failed."
McCoy says she even took Jack to Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare's Regional Children's Centre to get his behaviour assessed, but was told that he doesn't have any issues. She said the centre noted it was likely the school environment that causes him to act out.
The school slowly increased his class time and he returned to a full schedule by the end of May last year.
Epilepsy diagnosis not addressed
Earlier this year, Jack was diagnosed with epilepsy — a condition that causes seizures.
McCoy says the seizures could be causing him to be aggressive or irritable and he's now just starting medication, which can also change his actions.
Since his diagnosis in April, his mother says she's unaware of any plans the school has made to accommodate her son. McCoy says she wants to know that staff are trained to handle his seizures.
These situations have left her feeling frustrated and worried about the school's ability to not only educate her son, but also, to keep him safe.
WATCH: McCoy says she wants the school to be responsive
School board won't comment
CBC News reached out to the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) for comment, but was told in an email the board wouldn't comment as it would be a breach of the student's privacy.
McCoy says she feels like she's never had a productive conversation with the principal about Jack's education, despite her attempts to have one.
She also says she has reached out multiple times to the board's superintendent of education Todd Awender, but has not heard back.
It was only after CBC News reached out to the principal and the board, that the school is now trying to schedule a meeting with McCoy.
"It's just a hopeless system," she said.
McCoy says that over the last year and a half, she's experienced unprofessional behaviour from the principal at the school.
Although Jack is now in Grade 1 full-time, McCoy says she still encounters problems.
For example, earlier this month, McCoy says the school told her she had to pick up Jack, because he didn't get ready for the bus in time. When she arrived at the school, she says the principal told her that Jack wouldn't be allowed to attend class the next day, without much of an explanation.
McCoy stresses that she has no issue with the teachers at the school.
When asked about allegations of unprofessional behaviour, as well as a lack of response from the board, the GECDSB's public relation's officer Scott Scantlebury said in an email that that is "a personnel issue, which we would ... not discuss publicly."
He added that there are many "avenues" for parental concerns to be addressed and said "[I] assure you they are heard when presented through the proper channels."
Essex mayor says there are multiple concerns from parents
Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy, whose own children go to Harrow Public School, says she isn't surprised by McCoy's experiences.
Bondy says her own daughter requires accommodations and it's been challenging to coordinate this with the school. She also posted to Facebook last year about the school and says she had about 17 families reach out to her with similar concerns about their children not having the support they need.
"They all had similar themes where the responsiveness wasn't what they expected when it came to approaching school board administration, when it came to getting forms filled out, [individual education plans] in place, meeting with parents," she said.
"And so these children were just hanging in [limbo] for quite a while and not getting the proper supports they need, at the early age they need."
Bondy says she has brought these concerns to the GECDSB's director of education, Erin Kelly, and that she was told parents need to approach administration and the superintendent.
But, since this doesn't appear to help, Bondy says parents have told her they are considering transferring their children from the public board to the Catholic board.
CBC News reached out to the Ministry of Education, but it did not provide comment.
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