school for 2nd grade - mild special needs, mixed race child?

[Anonymous]

All, we are returning to the WMA this summer and I have 2 two bi-racial (black/white) kids so don't want an all-White or all anything crowd:

- rising 2nd grader with ADHD, high anxiety, selective mutism

- little brother who won't be 5 by the start of school but is absolutely ready for Kindergarten, so we'd probably put him at the French school in Bethesda since he would make the cut there and we are bi-lingual family.

Welcome your ideas on where to live/ what schools to look into for my eldest, if possible not horribly far from Bethesda as we'd have to drive to VA for work. Bethesda proper or NW DC are options that I've considered so far, and specifically I was looking at:

Bannockburn, Westbrook, Potomac ES in MoCo.

Janney, Lafayette, Ross, Stoddert, and Key ES in DC.

I am able to find all the info on school rankings and racial diversity, but not on how well the schools do in terms of support to special needs.

[Anonymous]

Why don’t you live in VA if that’s where you’re working?

[Anonymous]

Does your 2nd grader have an IEP already?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All, we are returning to the WMA this summer and I have 2 two bi-racial (black/white) kids so don't want an all-White or all anything crowd:

- rising 2nd grader with ADHD, high anxiety, selective mutism

- little brother who won't be 5 by the start of school but is absolutely ready for Kindergarten, so we'd probably put him at the French school in Bethesda since he would make the cut there and we are bi-lingual family.

Welcome your ideas on where to live/ what schools to look into for my eldest, if possible not horribly far from Bethesda as we'd have to drive to VA for work. Bethesda proper or NW DC are options that I've considered so far, and specifically I was looking at:

Bannockburn, Westbrook, Potomac ES in MoCo.

Janney, Lafayette, Ross, Stoddert, and Key ES in DC.

I am able to find all the info on school rankings and racial diversity, but not on how well the schools do in terms of support to special needs.

Many of the schools in Western moco aren't diverse racially or in terms of SES. The good news the same kid will do similarly at almost any of these schools. These rankings are complete nonsense. The biggest issues are in less affluent areas, especially in early ES teachers are so overwhelmed dealing with students that are below grade level that everyone else gets ignored and there are opportunities for acceleration offered to students at the more affluent schools that the same or stronger student would not receive at a less affluent school. However, after ES things pretty much level off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does your 2nd grader have an IEP already?

This.

[Anonymous]

Might be too far from Bethesda for you, but Flora Singer ES has amazing admin and teachers, most of whom are understanding of ADHD and other issues that may impact learning

For private school, you might want to look at McLean

[Anonymous]

So, you've listed some of the whitest and most competitive schools in Western MoCo and NWDC, which doesn't really track with the rest of your post.

I think your best bet is Bethesda ES. It is moderately more diverse than some of the other schools you have listed, and has some special programs for kids with SNs which translates into an overall school environment that is more nurturing/understanding even for kids not in those programs.

[Anonymous]

I would say of your list - Bannockburn because of all the Bethesda ES we toured when we arrived, it was the one with the most comprehensive special needs programs and was the least crowded. You'll have to check that's not changed. They will let you tour (usually with the Principal) and you can ask what is available now.

Otherwise I would be very tempted to put them both in the same school. We tried 2 schools for our kids and it was a lot of work with driving / pick ups and timing.

[Anonymous]

Bonjour et bienvenue, OP,

We’re a French multiracial family living in Bethesda. My oldest with special needs went to Bethesda ES, then to a special program for GT/LD (gifted, talented and learning disabled) in the adjoining cluster: North Bethesda MS and Walter Johnson HS. He had an IEP for most of his school career and MCPS took good care of him. My kids also went/go to Les Classes du Samedi at St Jane de Chantal, to keep up their French.

All the schools DS attended have a great reputation regarding special needs, but they look after their IEP population better than their 504 population, so if your child is borderline between the two, try to get the IEP if you can.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, the last thing a kid with that kind of anxiety needs is either a longer day because they are in aftercare waiting for their parents to drive from VA, and pick up a sibling, or a long commute because they are going to pick up the sibling.

And being "ready" for Kindergarten at 4 isn't predictive for being "ready" for high school at 13, or college at 17. I would be very hesitant to push a kid ahead like that.

Choose a good inclusive school in VA close to where you work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, you've listed some of the whitest and most competitive schools in Western MoCo and NWDC, which doesn't really track with the rest of your post.

I think your best bet is Bethesda ES. It is moderately more diverse than some of the other schools you have listed, and has some special programs for kids with SNs which translates into an overall school environment that is more nurturing/understanding even for kids not in those programs.

LOL that was precisely what I thought. OP is a ball of contradictions. You need to figure out what's most important to you and some of the things you say are important aren't mutually compatible.

In MCPS, you will trade stability and quality for diversity in the school system. The more "diverse" schools in MCPS don't rank as high when it comes to academics and safety and security. There are some that have better balance with those things than others, but you won't find all of those things in one school in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bonjour et bienvenue, OP,

We’re a French multiracial family living in Bethesda. My oldest with special needs went to Bethesda ES, then to a special program for GT/LD (gifted, talented and learning disabled) in the adjoining cluster: North Bethesda MS and Walter Johnson HS. He had an IEP for most of his school career and MCPS took good care of him. My kids also went/go to Les Classes du Samedi at St Jane de Chantal, to keep up their French.

All the schools DS attended have a great reputation regarding special needs, but they look after their IEP population better than their 504 population, so if your child is borderline between the two, try to get the IEP if you can.

Me again. I would never trade "diversity" for a neighborhood or schools I didn't like - we moved to Bethesda from Silver Spring for many reasons: shorter commute, more pleasant walkable neighborhood, and reputation of the school for special needs were priorities. I used to help organize International Night at BE, and there were always more than 50 nations represented, but not a lot of kids from African nations, or African-American kids.

[Anonymous]

^ FYI: the Principal of BE, Lisa Seymour, is African-American. She takes bullying and teasing very seriously. She and the assistant principal Stacey Heintze have been there forever (they were in place 13 years ago when DS first went there!), and they make an excellent team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bonjour et bienvenue, OP,

We’re a French multiracial family living in Bethesda. My oldest with special needs went to Bethesda ES, then to a special program for GT/LD (gifted, talented and learning disabled) in the adjoining cluster: North Bethesda MS and Walter Johnson HS. He had an IEP for most of his school career and MCPS took good care of him. My kids also went/go to Les Classes du Samedi at St Jane de Chantal, to keep up their French.

All the schools DS attended have a great reputation regarding special needs, but they look after their IEP population better than their 504 population, so if your child is borderline between the two, try to get the IEP if you can.

Me again. I would never trade "diversity" for a neighborhood or schools I didn't like - we moved to Bethesda from Silver Spring for many reasons: shorter commute, more pleasant walkable neighborhood, and reputation of the school for special needs were priorities. I used to help organize International Night at BE, and there were always more than 50 nations represented, but not a lot of kids from African nations, or African-American kids.

If you move from Silver Spring to Bethesda/Potomac/Chevy Chase area schools, you will get whiter schools. No ifs, ands, or buts.

You have to be ok with that. If you're not, then go back to Silver Spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ FYI: the Principal of BE, Lisa Seymour, is African-American. She takes bullying and teasing very seriously. She and the assistant principal Stacey Heintze have been there forever (they were in place 13 years ago when DS first went there!), and they make an excellent team.

Ms Heintze just left the school for another position but Ms Seymour is there and excellent. There are a lot of French speakers by the way.