Public Schools & your feedback

Michelle - posted on 04/29/2011

1

Renee - posted on 08/01/2010

Arizona - when governor Napolitano was in office I would have given the schools a higher grade (like a 7), now a 5. But I live in one of the top school districts in the Valley (near Phoenix), the surrounding school districts are horrible (in that they don't offer much in the way of services). I do have to say that my parental involvement has been high, they insist I am included in almost every conversation - so 8 for that score.

My son is turning 9 and is entering the 3rd grade with an IEP. Also, our public schools offered no cost developmental preschool to us from age 3-5. There were a couple 6 year olds due to their delays who then started kindergarten the following year. I have a friend who literally lives 2.5 miles from me and her son cannot get any services in that school district, the money, staff and resources are simply not there. I do understand that the federal government mandates a Free Appropriate Public Education for every child, but I'm sorry to say that it doesn't always happen that way.

Annmarie - posted on 08/01/2010

In 1990 Clinton passed law to help our children on a federal level with public schooling. If your school is not complying with law read this...http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/conte...

Responsibility To Provide A Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)?--Yes. A FAPE is defined to mean special education and related services. Special education means "specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of the child with a disability...." Related services are provided if student's require them in order to benefit from specially designed instruction. States are required to ensure the provision of "full educational opportunity" to all children with disabilities.

Julia - posted on 08/01/2010

My autistic daughter lived 'til age 5 in San Francisco. No special education services were ever offered her there.

When she started school in Upstate New York in a suburb near Albany she was given a diagnosis after two weeks -- or less in school. She stayed in that school system --sometimes in shared across district classes called BOCES in NYS, sometimes in district classes --until after she graduated high school. Most years she had amazing teachers usually for 2- 4 years and IEP writing/ meetings were a delight. Helped that by the time she was starting HS I was on my way to being a special ed teacher myself. That district 8 & 8. Maybe higher.

Then we moved an hour away from that district and my daughter didn't want to spend an hour going & coming to school anymore. She spent her last year of school (NYS allows children up to age 21 to go to HS) going to the local school which did a poor job meeting her needs. 3 & 3 for this other district.

Janique - posted on 07/30/2010

Florida , 5 and I was very involved in the IEP process until the teachers and associates changed and the new ones weren't on the same page as I was on my son's needs and condition. So, this new school year..I chose a private school and we will see how it differs.

Michelle - posted on 07/29/2010

After reading other post, glad i live in my school district, PA, My son's school is great with him. rank is 9, and IEP is 10, we have a part in each aspect of his IEP, from what services he gets and hours, to what they teach him.

K - posted on 07/28/2010

When I lived in GA-I would rate the Special Ed Services a 8 and Parental Involvment a 7.

Currently in Northern Virignia-I rate the Services a a 2 with Parental Involvement at a 4/5. It took m 3 yrs of wrangling and back and forth to get an IEP for my 10 yr old. In GA my other spectrum dd was put into a program within days of being diagnosed.

There is a national ranking of states and services, VA is ranked 39 in the union.......wish I knew that before I moved.

Tracy - posted on 07/28/2010

I agree with what Michelle posted, it does vary from district to district as well as state to state. The schools in my area (Long Island, NY) have a great reputation but I have not been happy with my school district for special ed. I would give the overall rating a 4 and parental involvement a 1. I have two children with IEP's, one is in special education and another in mainstream.

I have found that, as a parent, you have to be well versed in your state regulations and rights. The CSE is not going to inform you of these things. I speak with an education advocate (through a free advocacy program for parents) and sometimes call my local branch of the state dept. of special ed if I have questions. At the last CSE meeting for my oldest daughter, I was talked over and interrupted. My input was never asked for or appreciated. Why does it have to be sooo hard!!

Deena - posted on 07/27/2010

Overall with Portland Public Schools, I would say between a 3 - 4. Varied with the teacher, school psychologist, and administration. HS teachers and school psych. that were afraid of school system administration, elementary school psychologist who was from another planet, etc..... a nightmare. We had our son go to a small private school for his middle school years, "a much better experience". Unfortunately that school only went to 8th grade. Shucks.

Natalie - posted on 07/27/2010

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia 2
Parental Involvement 1

Michelle - posted on 07/27/2010

I think that it varies not only state to state but also district to district and even school to school within a district. I live in Illinois and I would say the process has been about a 6. One issue is hiring of aides is done by the school with only "input" from the IEP team. So the VP hires whoever he things is best, and doesn't always look at the recommendation. Before this administration the last one the principal did the hiring of special ed aides personally and really took the time to think about each kid when doing one-on-one aide matches.
Overall the IEP process has been fine, I'd say an 8 for parental involvement. No one ever questioned my presence, the presence of my extra witness/notetaker, we are asked for our input. When one specailist was making claims based on 3 30-minute interviews, every other team member, her classroom teacher fought back against the wrong analysis. I've been thanked by the former psychologist for taking such an active interest (apparently some parents don't). But I know others have had worse experiences in the same district, which is why I say it varies school to school.

MARY - posted on 07/26/2010

Dear susan, I have a 12 yr old Autistic son and he has been in public schools in the AZ areas.... He has an IEP, where we moved from is Parker, AZ and the schools there well not worth talking about, we have recently moved to Prescott, AZ with the past yr and he has been in 2 different schools, the last on that he was in they did help him and seemed to want to be involved. My son has been baggin me to home school him, because he just can't take the picking on that the kids do teacher don't beleive him when he is having a down moment, ect... so I have enrolled him in home schooling thru AZ Vutuail Accad, and he is so excited, I have all the info if u r interested in this hme schooling, I came across it while meeting a new friend and she has 4 Autistic children and they r all home schooled thru this AZ VA.....
When they r in public schools u really have to be on them every step of the way, makig them help ur child, being there for ur child, and I just got tired of seeing my son cry and my self cry as well.
Good luck and let me kw how it goes for ya Susan.

Tammy - posted on 07/26/2010

a 2- I pulled my children out because I could not get any help with my child or the bullying. I placed my children in a public school funded home schooling program called TXVA, it was free they sent us everything from computor to science kits, you have a teacher to help and report to and they have field trips all the time, I would suggest that anyone that wants to go down this path that they join a home schooling group as it does get lonely for the kids. But we have not failed another lesson, its self teaching, and we have been in it now for 2 yrs going into our third.

Susan - posted on 07/23/2010

Texas 3
Parental Involvement 2