What is your opinion of the quality of special education in the public schools where you live?

Question

I am asking you:

1) if your child was evaluated to the highest professional standard and you have confidence in the IEP recommendations given.

2) if your school/district/state has a good record of teaching non-verbal children to speak and other children to improve in ways that are important to you.

3) Do YOU feel confident that the teachers in charge of your child's future will be able to teach them what they need to know?

4) if your school buses contracted private companies or run by the municipality where you live?

5) if when you put your child on the bus, do you have complete confidence in their safety?

6) if you've had problems with competence by transportation providers and their drivers?

7) if you have you ever been dissatisfied with how your children's needs are met and what opposition or cooperation you got in getting your child's needs met.

8) Under what circumstances and by what process does your school district pay for private school?

9) WHERE do you live?

Answer 1

1. The school did an eval to determine if my child qualified for special ed after much fighting on their part and filing many state complaints on my part.

The eval they did was 'ridiculous' at stated by 2 parent advocates. They went over as fast as they could the scores and did not explain anything. It was horrible.

2. I don't know but I VERY HIGHLY doubt it.

3. When my child went to school I have to say NO, because when I started homeschool her teacher told me 'i'm so sorry, the admins just wouldnt' let me help your child'.

Now that I"M her teacher, I have to say YES.

4. I don't know

5. Yes, when she use to ride the bus

6. Oh God YES! My grandson goes to the only blind school in the state 52 miles from his home. The transportation is horrible. They went to the wrong house on the 1st day of school, they brought him back home on the 2nd day becasue the 2nd bus didnt' meet the 1st bus, (this has happened MANY times, by the way)

They get him home LATE everyday even though it's not necessary. Parents have tried to fight it but give up, the school was horrible to them.

Child had to ride on bus 3 hrs ONE way  EVERY day. Now, it's down to 1 1/2 hrs every day which is still way too much.

There are many other things , too many to mention.

7. YES!! I have been thru MANY problems in over 8 yrs of trying to get help for my 2 daughters and one grandson, dealing with 6 different schools in 3 different districts, dealing with over 40 people who ALL did and said the SAME illegal, hostile, intimidating, lying things!

All but one- the school psych who did the sped eval. When he tried to help me understand the testing he did in the IEP eligilbity meeting, he GOT FIRED 2 weeks later.

He was the ONLY one out of ALL the 40 people who were decent.

I learned that this is common all over  the USA. All you have to do is google search for special ed corruption and horror stories in public schools, but I"ll give you a head start --

www.wrightslaw.com

www.specialedlaw.blog.com

www.mothersfromhell2.com

http://www.millermom.proboards107.com/in...

http://community.greatschools.net/groups...

8. Don't know

9. Zebulon, GA

Answer 2

Generally speaking, California has some of the better special ed programs in the US. What most people don't understand is that IDEA is hardly funded, even though it is a federal law, something like only 33%. So the state has to kick in the rest. My state, Florida does not do right by special ed kids unless they are in the most disabled categories such as autistic or severely mentally retarded. If you are learning disabled, forget it. You will be in a huge class or receive very little in the way of resource help if you are included.

Answer 3

Hi Im the SENCO for my preschool and the answers Im giving are based on the feedback from evaluation forms regulary given out.

1) Recommendations by specialists such as Speech and Language, Psyhio etc which made parents feel it was professionals.  Parents met the Area SENCO so they knew that staff in setting were monitored by higher up professionals.

2) Most children in my preschool came with speech difficulties and every one of them has left with atleast some verbal skills---and also makaton signing and symbol recognisition.

3) All the evaluation sheets were positive about this.

4) Not applicable.

7) One parent wasnt satisfied that child was progressing fast enough so we asked them what they wanted us to focus on particulary and we developed an IEP based on the parents wishes as well as ones from professionals.

8) We are government funded for children the term after the 3rd birthday...before then they can apply for funding from social care services. We also have other funding such as INNEX (equipment) and Transitional (to support new children).

9) Suffolk in England.

Answer 4

1) if your child was evaluated to the highest professional standard and you have confidence in the IEP recommendations given.

n/a - she wasn't evaluated to the highest standard

2) if your school/district/state has a good record of teaching non-verbal children to speak and other children to improve in ways that are important to you.

n/a

3) Do YOU feel confident that the teachers in charge of your child's future will be able to teach them what they need to know?

h**l NO

4) if your school buses contracted private companies or run by the municipality where you live?

run by the county school system

5) if when you put your child on the bus, do you have complete confidence in their safety?

physically yes, emotionally no (the bully factor)

6) if you've had problems with competence by transportation providers and their drivers?

yes, takes cell phone calls during runs, my child ends up being late because the driver would pull over on the side of the road to take a call.

7) if you have you ever been dissatisfied with how your children's needs are met and what opposition or cooperation you got in getting your child's needs met.

yes, opposition w/ my request to test for specific ld's

8) Under what circumstances and by what process does your school district pay for private school?

if you ever find out, please let me know.  

9) WHERE do you live?

Washington DC Metro Area