Opinion ID: 1494070
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Mother's Attention to Her Child's Educational Needs

Text: Mr. Kendrick next asserts that a material change in circumstances has occurred since the decree because Mrs. Shoemake has not fully met Jordan's educational needs. In support of his claim that Mrs. Shoemake has been neglecting Jordan's educational needs, Mr. Kendrick introduced the testimony of Anne Kennedy, one of Jordan's teachers during the 1995-1996 school year. She testified that Mrs. Shoemake was aloof and not as communicative with her as was Mr. Kendrick. Mr. Kendrick also introduced evidence that he is very involved in Jordan's education and has been instrumental in ensuring Jordan's development. He has attended most of Jordan's M Team meetings. [10] Despite the terms of the MDA, Mr. Kendrick has had visitation with Jordan almost every weekend. Mr. Kendrick further testified that he works closely with Jordan's teachers during the school year to develop a structured curriculum for his son. Ms. Schulten testified that when she first met Jordan in 1991, he was four years old, still drank milk from a baby bottle, ate only oatmeal, wore diapers, and possessed a very limited vocabulary. Ms. Schulten and Mr. Kendrick were instrumental in procuring from the Hamilton County school system an augmentative communication device known as the Liberator to assist Jordan in developing his communication skills. The record indicates that Jordan's communication skills have vastly improved since he began using the Liberator. He has also developed computer skills. Mrs. Shoemake, however, testified that she has been an active participant in Jordan's classes, serving as a homeroom mother and also taking part in Jordan's M Team meetings. She encourages him to read and write at home, and Mr. Shoemake helps Jordan every night with his homework assignments. Mrs. Shoemake also pursued speech therapy for Jordan at one point, though the sessions have since been discontinued, apparently due to a lack of progress. The record shows that Mr. Kendrick and Mrs. Shoemake have each taken an active role in Jordan's education. As a result of these efforts, Jordan has been a good student, has enjoyed attending school, and has shown demonstrable improvement. There is no indication, however, that Jordan's educational and developmental well-being has been adversely affected by Mrs. Shoemake or her husband. We conclude, therefore, that the preponderance of the evidence fails to show that a material change in circumstances has occurred based upon Mrs. Shoemake's attention to Jordan's educational needs.