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[ Silence ]
>> Tell me about Penelope.
>> She is three and a half, amazing. She's.
>> Your daughter.
>> What?
>> She's your daughter. Right?
>> Yeah. She -- [inaudible] and she doesn't walk, but she scoots herself very well.
>> What I want to find out more about is your -- is your experience at the park. You and
who went to the park?
>> So we just walked to the park and kind of just in la la land, just not really thinking
about anything, just strolling. We had dinner plans that night to a [inaudible] in the city,
and we were just trying to enjoy our first anniversary since having a baby with a lot
of issues. And get to the park, put her on a swing; and I don't -- it's kind of foggy
at this point how soon it happened, but a kid -- we were already getting used to kids
staring. But you don't really ever get use to it, but you learn how to handle it differently.
And the kid, you know, typical staring; but then starting saying things that we hadn't
heard before, like "she's gross," "she's disgusting"; still could have been kind of okay, but the
mother didn't handle it. And --
>> What do you mean the mother didn't handle it?
>> She first ignored it, and I think when she first heard the kid actually saying it
more and seeing that he [inaudible] probably a little visibly upset, her way of handling
it was saying, "she looks like a baby, she smells like a baby; therefore, she must be
a baby," which wasn't really the answer --
>> Literally said that -- literally said that?
>> Oh yeah.
>> She literally said that to us.
>> And we're like, okay, she's not a fake baby. I -- it hurt us even more. Bottom line
that story is -- as a kid you're always scared of adults. As adult, you're not usually scared
of anyone for the most part; and here I am as an adult scared of seven year olds. Literally,
every time we go to a park, a mall, a street, a sidewalk, because they're the ones that
-- younger kids don't really know what to say. They might stare, but they don't say
much or they're too shy or too nervous.
>> Or they lag on to their parent.
>> Or they -- the older kids are either smarter, keep to themselves, or might just be nuts.
But seven year olds, whether they're nice or not nice, don't handle it right, which
is okay; but usually their friends or figure an older brother or sister that can kind of
help out with the situation by explaining [inaudible], which makes it a lot easier.
So basically it is a constant state of fear of going anywhere, of -- because it -- it
was quite traumatic.
>> Okay. So let's fast forward here. What do you want for Penelope?
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>> The last time we were together and we were discussing perhaps -- perhaps.
>> Penelope. Perhaps. That went back and forth for I think a year that maybe, perhaps she
would go to her home school for one half day a week is what we had decided at the end of
last school year.
>> And now --
>> That was big. That was big for everybody in the district to agree.
>> She's full-time.
>> She's full-time at Willard [assumed spelling].
>> [inaudible]
>> Tell me what's it like? What's she like?
>> Okay. So -- so I just had to tell you this. So at the end of last school year it was decided,
so Willard and Park School came together and everybody -- this huge team of people decided
this would be the best way for her to be integrated; and then --
>> Were you scared about having that happen?
>> Terrified. I was.
>> Yeah, because the -- the known is safer than the unknown, that's for sure.
>> I was like I didn't want to burn any bridges with the school board, with the school. We
have to other daughters that will be going through the system, plus is it really good
for Penelope, or is it just good for us, a lot of things. And it's -- I thought it was
a major strain on the school and the budget for the district. Everything I was worried
about. And then the nicest part was when we had our -- one of our first meetings with
Hardy Murphy, the superintendent, he -- I did bring that up. And he said "You will not
be taking one penny of resource from any program here. There will be new funds created for
this." You know state, federal, whatever; but he was like that's the last thing that
you need you to worry about. Because I was scared that other parents --
>> Would be --
>> Other parents that maybe wanted new computers or new whatever at the school; and then they
see us come in getting an elevator put in after the fact of an addition, which was probably
costing twice as much money. A lot of resources were all of a sudden being pushed towards
this. So it was also not just the district I was scared of, I was scared of other -- how
other families may perceive us, you know, getting what we want or being unfairly benefited
from this.
>> Yeah.
>> But none of that has happened. Because the school went from being completely in a
very short period of time not only unprepared for something like this from an educational
standpoint but also from a physical standpoint. Like, what's funny is their one handicap spot
in front of the school is directly where the buses pick up and drop off.
>> Right.
>> They -- no one's ever challenged that before. You know, it's like that doesn't make sense
because they don't want her to park there when we have an actual -- it's an actual,
like, handicapped spot; but it's -- it's -- I mean, it's a learning experience for everybody.
So it's even I think small things like that that get changed.
>> Have you heard anything from parents at her other school, like that -- how are -- do
they inquire with you how you're doing with it all; or is there not a lot of curiosity
about it?
>> It's tough because we never -- I shouldn't speak for you on this one, but it's so segregate
that we really don't get to know that many of the parents.
>> So you were not social of friends of people --
>> Well, a lot of the parents, it's truly a drop off by a bus or a -- or a cab. They're
bused in from somewhere else.
>> Right.
>> Never really -- I never really got to know --
>> I think there's still --
>> That many parents.
>> I think there's still a lot of fear.
>> Uh-huh.
>> I think they have a lot of fear so really --
>> Can I tell, I'm -- that's the thing I'm surprised about, I guess, with -- particularly
with you Matt, saying how afraid you were for her to go. I thought -- I mean, just my
slim thinking would have been that you would have just been so enthused, not that you wouldn't
have some trepidation.
>> I had a ton of trepidation.
>> Yeah.
>> Ton, which most parents probably do.
>> Yeah, I guess so.
>> Well, because they've never done it before.
>> Yeah.
>> Now, so that was the -- I mean, it's just completely fear of the unknown. And when you're
coming from something that you're so safe. You know at her old school and you know it
well; and, you know, you drop them off and you know they're going to be taken care of
and receive all their services, it's easy.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> It's easy. And then all of a sudden you're taking this huge leap, and you have no clue
>> Uh-huh.
>> How it's going to go.
>> So everything is a pleasant surprise.
>> Everything.
>> Unbelievable --
>> I mean, I don't have a single --
>> Never --
>> Even constructive criticism right now.
>> Far surpasses anything we thought possible for her. Ever.
>> What was the reputation of -- what have you heard about the reputation of the Edison
schools? I mean --
>> We always heard the same thing, you know: If you have a kid like Penelope, well, Mack's
better, Glenco's really good, you know. It's -- no one says Evenson unless they -- a lot
of people do like Parksville, so that does grab some people. But the majority overall
system is definitely you got to move to Wilmette, you got to move to Winnetka, or Blanca [phonetic]
>> So --
>> That's what we hear.
>> So move for inclusion?
>> Yes.
>> Yes.
>> So basically if you have a kiddo with severe and [inaudible] disabilities like Penelope,
your options are very limited. It's Park School, which majority of those kiddos are in wheelchairs.
Right? Like they have -- they're not ambulatory. So if you are in a wheelchair, you're definitely
going to Park. Or your option for a more inclusive setting was King [inaudible]. I think it's
been going back like 34 years, and they have the options program, which --
>> Really good.
>> You're in a home base. Right? And then you can be included for different parts of
your day, but never fully.
>> I see.
>> And so that was the extent of your option. So going to your home school was never --
>> Okay.
>> Never an option.
>> What did drive this change?
>> Well, it starts on top.
>> Hardy Murphy.
>> Yeah. If he didn't want this or didn't want to push forward, this would not be happening.
>> No, I don't think so either.
>> When we were at Park, we gave our heart and soul to that place. I mean, it was my
everything. I mean a champion gets cause. I mean, it was just such a huge part of my
life. So to imagine leaving it, I -- it was just crazy. Crazy. I did not ever think that
we would move her from there.
>> Wouldn't be there.
>> No. No. I mean you're talking to two -- a couple that just pendulum swung in a complete
opposite direction that I never thought we would do it. There was no reason to. You're
safe. You're happy. You --
>> And do you think a big part of this good feeling and all is because your kids will
be all in the same school? As little children, I mean --
>> That's a big part; but that's not I don't think, the biggest part. You know that's a
huge --
>> It's a convenience.
>> That's a convenience. I think, yeah, now it's the community.
>> It's the community. It's -- it's -- yeah, everybody in our neighborhood on our street.
>> [multiple speakers]
>> Yeah. I mean, I cannot believe this story truthfully. I thought I was going to hear
lots of limitations.
>> Zero.
>> Zero.
>> And the principal has been overwhelming with his --
>> Oh, wait. One story about Mr. Michael, so --
>> The principal.
>> Sorry. The principal of Willard. And he is always in the hallways, and he's very --
>> Present.
>> Makes his -- thank you. Makes himself really present like during the day. So he popped
in -- no. He was going in the hallway, and she came by him; and [inaudible] went, "Good
Morning, Penelope"; and I think she said good morning back to him.
>> I think she did too.
>> And he ran to Fran, to Ms. Collin's classroom and said, "Oh, my gosh; she said good morning
back to me."
>> It was interesting because --
>> But it really is.
>> Give huge amounts of credit to Fran.
>> The teacher?
>> The teacher. She has done such beautiful disability awareness, I mean, awesome. So
we had this idea that maybe I at the beginning of the school year should go in and give a
little talk about, you know, this is Penelope and this is -- she was like, no, I'm going
to do it. I was like, okay. And she said I talked to them about she is a kid just like
anyone else, and she had this whole very kind and loving way of just introducing her to
the class. And she creates this amazing community in there.
>> I just cannot imagine a more positive story.
>> No. And then there's even -- I mean, there's [inaudible]; and we will probably forget a
lot of them. But another thing is worried about -- worried about her own siblings. Like
Ruby, who's her younger sister is in kindergarten, one of my fears with that was that what if
she's known as the kid in school with the retarded sister or gets teased for that or
it's been the opposite. When I asked Ruby what it's like at school when you see Penelope,
she's like, "Uh, Penelope's everybody's best friend. She's like the most popular kid in
the school." [laughter] It's like we didn't expect that at all.
>> When I drop her off, I'm just like, "okay, bye." I have no worry -- nothing.
>> And if we drive by the school during recess, there's at least two kids that are pushing
her on the swing, one behind and one in the front. Like they -- it's like we see that
from the car, and we're like --
>> There is like a hoard of girls, yeah, that follow her.
>> Yeah, right. This isn't even --
>> Can you tell me about her aide? What does -- what happens? The class goes on normally
and her aide sits with her and --
>> So they have this fantastic schedule where if it's not her one-on-one aide, who's amazing
and loves Penelope --
>> She's pretty loveable.
>> Penelope gets to look in her mouth all day long as Penelope stares --
>> Penelope's a future dentist.
>> She goes like this.
>> Ah --
>> And she wants you to open your mouth. Bridgette's [assumed spelling] like, that's right. Let's
go.
>> Oh, her name is Bridgette?
>> Yes, there is.
>> How about that?
>> Wow. There aren't that many of them.
>> We didn't say Bri-get [phonetic], we said Brid-gette [phonetic].
>> Brid-gette [phonetic]. Okay.
>> [laughter]
>> Okay. So if it's not Bridgette, then it's.
>> She's also called "With Pepsi" is her middle and last name. [laughter]
>> That was good.
>> That was good.
>> If it's not Bridgette, then it's her special-ed teacher and then [inaudible] service. So they
kind of rotate throughout the day but, she is always with somebody. But it's always pushed
into the class, and they're so -- the whole team is very open to suggestion about how
to include her, what they're doing well, what they're not doing well, which is amazing because
they've never -- it's almost like they've never done it before --
>> Yeah.
>> But they're willing to try anything. Fran's like I'm up at night making projects for Penelope
because I know we're studying land masses; and I want her to be able to, you know, participate.
>> She added a spark for everybody.
>> Yes. And so now we sit down and have team meetings the last Friday of the month.
>> Okay.
>> And everybody shows up. You know what I think is so cool, the people I love are the
people that I see every day. I see Miss Ivan, who sits front desk of the school; and she
sits there. And then Miss Henry's the health clerk, and they're amazing. They're like I
saw your girl. I saw her today. She's doing awesome. I mean, they know -- they see her
all the time because she needs to be freshened up, you know --
>> Yes.
>> In the health nurse's office. I just love that they're looking after her, you know,
and they can give me a little update when I walk in to drop something off or, you know,
to come for pick up.
>> Yeah.
>> They're so great, Mr. Meredith, the custodian, is always in there making sure that the tables
have been adjusted to the right height so she can get her wheelchair under them.
>> Oh, my God.
>> So that when she goes to that table --
>> It's unbelievable.
>> Oh, my God. Uh-huh. But academically she's grown so much that I almost want to say to
them, I -- she can really do that.
>> I don't know what's happened, but she's a different child. She really is.
>> Yes. She's a different kid. It -- it's so true.
>> Then the neatest part, which I never thought of was -- forget the educational standpoint
-- the -- at her other school, which is a great school. We love Park School, but the
other students don't really interact as much with each other because they're all pretty
[inaudible] and disabled and at this school they -- the problem is because they're starting
at such a young age, they attack her, they love her. They -- if we have a play date,
we find out that it has to be a secret because the other kids will be jealous that they didn't
get a play date. Then you tell the heartwarming story of just lunch. This is amazing.
>> Okay. So like I was telling [inaudible] before, they created this lunch group because
she has like a working lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays. So the speech therapist will come
into the classroom, so they will say she doesn't go to the lunchroom. She stays in the classroom;
and Ms. Collins, her teacher, decided that she would ask the girls if there are any girls
who would like to stay in and eat lunch with Penelope; and she'll be doing this every week.
And she was -- her expectations were that maybe a few girls would say yes. Every single
hand goes up.
>> Everyone wants to stay with her for lunch.
>> Everybody wanted a turn.
>> Gets better.
>> Everybody wanted a turn to stay with her for lunch. So she was, like, I have to create
a schedule now, like a rotating schedule. And she sets this whole thing up; and then
the boys --
>> Wanted to know why they weren't included.
>> Said Ms. Collins, why don't we get a turn to eat lunch with Penelope.
>> It was [inaudible], it kills ya. So that was amazing.
>> Fran was like I --
>> Yeah, the teacher tears up. I mean --
>> I never thought of it. And they were like, well, we want our turn too. So now the girls
go on Mondays and the boys go on Tuesday, and they're hysterical. They all come in,
and the boys -- and they're sitting around, "Penelope, we have the same juice box." "Penelope,
we have the same cheese stick." I mean, they're just --
>> Is she visibly excited by all this?
>> I think that's -- that's the change we've seen. I think that the attention she's getting
from other kids that know how to play more or her level --
>> Yeah.
>> And then in the -- I think that -- yeah, I think she's definitely likes it. I think
>> Ah, I just think this is just the best story I have ever heard.
>> No, and it's -- the cutest thing --
>> The most hopeful thing I've heard in so long.
>> I'm telling you.
>> I have very rarely taken her to school, and when I do -- it -- I didn't think it would
ever be an enjoyable thing just to drop someone else off at school.
>> Yeah.
>> But they meet outside. All the kids in her class come running because they want to
take over. Like, they -- one wants the wheelchair, one wants to bag, one wants to walk her. She
want to do it, and they come running. And they want to know if her -- if it's cold outside,
is she wearing a bow today, what color is it. Like, one day Penelope -- one day Penelope,
unbeknownst to us because she likes to always hold onto something, took the remote control
to our TV.
>> [laughter]
>> And we didn't know she took it all the way to school. And they all thought that was
the coolest thing and were convinced that the next day she would bring the TV.
>> [laughter]
>> So -- and then they get out at 3?
>> 3:35.
>> Okay. I mean, does she come home just exhausted?
>> No. She never seems to get tired.
>> [laughter]
>> She is the Energizer Bunny.
>> Totally. She dances in her chair. It's like she is always happy, always.
>> Yeah. I noticed.
>> Always happy.
>> It's wonderful.
>> Uh-huh.
>> Well, it could have something to do with who's raising her.
>> Oh, come on.
>> Come on.
>> Yeah.
>> I think so.
>> But I mean, there was one day when she was really sad; and I heard from a bunch of
parents that their kids were very concerned.
>> Why was -- you don't -- you don't know what --
>> No. But they were all thinking it was because her aid was absent that day but they -- and
Fran Holmes told me they just couldn't focus. They were like what is wrong with her. What
can we do? Why is she crying? Let's help her. Nobody -- I will say, nobody stares. Like,
we don't have any more of those incidences where there's a kid staring at her because,
oh, yeah --
>> That wouldn't have happened at the old school either.
>> If she was up in her neighborhood --
>> Right. In her --
>> Yes, it would. But now she's got 500 kids from Willard.
>> It's unbelievable.
>> That know her. She's pretty recognizable. Right?
>> Yeah, yeah.
>> And they line [inaudible] and they will now come up to her, "Hey, Penelope, what's
up." The Chinese [inaudible] just jam packed with people in Chinatown --
>> Penelope.
>> Yeah. Somebody recognized her.
>> Her classmate PJ. Maggie, his mom, comes up to me and he goes, "Megan, oh, my God."
>> I was like, of course.
>> That's great. That's great.
>> So she wears bows everyday; and Theresa, who's one of her classmates now wears bows
everyday --
>> I didn't know that.
>> So that she can be like Penelope.
>> Or the parents will say, "Is that Penelope? We've heard all about Penelope." Like, we
-- and that's a form of being -- feeling welcomed, and that happens --
>> Sure.
>> In very --
>> Oh, yeah.
>> Separate different places.
>> The parents in her class will say, "We hear about Penelope every single night" --
>> Yeah, because the kinds come home and talk about her.
>> What did Penelope do today. I don't know. They're like it's unending.
>> It's wonderful. I mean, it's really what's supposed to happen in -- in life.
>> Right. But the -- back to the fear factor.
>> It's been so fake.
>> It just hasn't been that opportunity for it, I guess. I don't know.
>> Well, you're the groundbreakers.
>> I think what we initially said, our expectations were really simple in the beginning; and I
think that's a really good place to start because you can get totally overwhelmed with
the idea of, okay, let's take her from this environment and just completely mainstream
her. So we decided we're just going to hope that she's safe and happy [inaudible].
>> [multiple speakers]
>> On that for the first month --
>> And I said Day 1, if I ever get even the smallest vibe that she's uncomfortable and
maybe would be more comfortable at her last school, we're done. And nothing like that's
even crossed my mind since I said that.
>> Now, are you feeling now like this is good for now; or do you anticipate what's down
the road? Are you still afraid?
>> I do both. I love where we are now, but I'm still wondering if the next school can
do it.
>> The next school, meaning junior high?
>> Uh-huh.
>> Oh, I'm thinking third grade.
>> Oh, no. No. Yeah.
>> [multiple speakers]
>> Absolutely.
>> Because you're thinking the next teacher and the next situation and --
>> Yeah.
>> How will the kids grow with this and --
>> Not so much the kids. Isn't that funny? I have no fear about the kids. None.
>> Okay.
>> None. I have a fear about being able to take the culture of what Fran has created
and -- and --
>> Move it to third grade?
>> So far it's been beyond our expectations. Just simply beyond.
>> To follow up then, how parents can kind of prioritize their expectations, it's not
to say that the academics shouldn't be a huge focus; but I think if you kind of take it
in chunks, it's easier -- it's easier to kind of digest the whole idea of fully including
your child, like, so that they're in the classroom no matter what's going on because they will
make the right accommodations so that she is participating at whatever level that she
can participate at.
>> It's wonderful. It's so cool.
>> It really is.
>> So let's fast forward here. What do you want for Penelope? What's the baseline that
you really want for --
>> People to receive her, love her for who she is, and not to be scared of her.
>> I think and -- and learn how to approach her because she's not going to interact the
same way that we interact. And I think they so badly want to connect in that same way,
and so they will follow her around in her line of sight. She's not going to acknowledge
you that way. Right? So that's what I want is for them to learn to interact.
>> And is that -- how do you see that happening in life? Is that school? Is that playgrounds?
Is that --
>> It's.
>> Awareness? What is it?
>> It's other people getting out there that have things [inaudible]. I mean, our parent
center [inaudible]. We don't -- we rarely see -- we had never seen it before, but there
are thousands of people out there like that.
>> Are you aware that people like Penelope used to be institutionalized and sort of thrown
away?
>> Absolutely.
>> Okay.
>> Could you imagine that today?
>> No. But I will say it takes a lot of work, a lot; and it's heartbreaking. So, yeah, I
mean, honestly sometimes I could see where you would want to give up. But [inaudible]
it's tremendous. It's every single day. Yeah, so it helps to have support.
>> Yeah.
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