Not feeling optimistic about new ECSE preschool class

[Anonymous]

My daughter entered the ECSE program in January to address some speech issues and a couple other things, like being able to respond to directives without needing modeling. Her teachers were TREMENDOUS and between January and June she made amazing progress. She has a late august birthday so we decided to take the pre k exception and give her another year in her private preschool and the ECSE class she was in through the public schools. We had the IEP meeting in May and were assured she would continue on this year with the same class and teachers.

Well, in June we got a letter that her services had been reassigned to another elementary school. It turns out, we are not inbound for the school she was in and the class filled up with inbound kids and my daughter got the boot. This was the school we had been assigned after she was deemed eligible for services so I was floored that there was ever a possibility she could NOT continue to go there. I fought as hard as I could but was told there was nothing to do about it and she would have to go to school B.

I tried to be optimistic but we had back to school night and I just don't know. I don't get a sense of confidence from these teachers. They don't give me the "it will be okay, they know what they're doing" feeling her old teachers did. I can't tell how much of this is me being dramatic and being nervous about change. My child made such great progress with her previous ECSE teachers (is on track to not need any services once in kindergarten) and I worry that amazing progress won't continue. Please give me any advice you might have if you have had a similar experience. I am being upbeat and positive for my child but inside I am anxious that this class won't be as good a fit for her and then what?

[Anonymous]

I've been in your shoes and the advice I give you is to give it time. Transitions to new teachers are very hard when you have SN kids. I went through this and was initially very critical of my child's new teachers -- and they turned out to be wonderful. But how dare they be different! That ramps up the anxiety level. Give it at least a month before you let your mommy gut make an assessment.

[Anonymous]

I'm really surprised they booted you from a class/teachers that were a good fit, as well. Really surprised.

We are dreading the school year and unhappy with some of the changes made at our SN dc's school so I feel your general angst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm really surprised they booted you from a class/teachers that were a good fit, as well. Really surprised.

We are dreading the school year and unhappy with some of the changes made at our SN dc's school so I feel your general angst.

My understanding is it's just down to class size. The class filled up to the legally mandated amount of slots with inbound kids so the outbound kids got the boot. I really would not have thought it could be so cut and dry with special needs kids but apparently it is . Good luck to you too. I am feeling only marginally better about it today. I feel really aggravates that I made specific plans for her education that revolved around her placement in last year's class that I might not have made had I known she wouldn't be in there. I am giving this class a fair shake but I am admittedly anxious about it.