In 5th grade the counselor brought me in to a meeting to
arrange this for my son as he was moving on to middle school.

They told me all his teachers would know about him and his progress since they have meetings, and etc.
Well, it turned out that the Special Ed title for a student brings in special money...Federal funds... and that is all they wanted.
My signature to get money.

When my son's homeroom teacher sent me a nasty letter about my son putting his head down to rest after lunch (this was a med time with a 45 minute adjustment) we found out she had NO CLUE that he was special ed. This was 1/2 way thru the year. This homeroom consisted of non-credit activities and since my son felt "ill", he refused to read. Told her he didn't "have to"... and this ticked her off. (this was back in the "Ritalin days" for him. My son normally did not present negative behaviors in class. )

So my husband read HER the riot act, and I went in to complain to the principal. I had him disenrolled from special ed. He received not one minute of any of the promised things.

It was all about money.

I really think kids have a right to speak up and if something in the school is "not right" parents need to learn it ASAP.