RM vs Churchill

[Anonymous]

My kid has been in special ed since elem. Over the years he’s learned the necessary skills to allow him to be in mainstream classes. He’s currently in the Bridge program at Churchill. This year, he is in mainstream classes for 6 out of 7 periods including 3 AP classes. He has a 4.0 U/W. He has outgrown the academics of the Bridge program.

We live in the walk zone to RM. I’m wondering if it makes sense to bring him “home” next year. His IEP meeting is in May.

Pros—As an 11th grader, he would have access to both AP and IB classes. His foreign language is ASL so he would not be a candidate for the diploma.

Cons—he will know no one at RM. He does not have any neighborhood friends. He’s been with a number of the Bridge kids since elem school.

If I think about college admissions-I think both schools are going to be difficult to stand out at the top on academics alone.

The single period AP science classes vs DP at Churchill is driving my question. At RM, AP Chem is a single period. AP Physics C (mech &E/M) is offered as a single class. This opens up 2 periods for other classes. He will be in MVC/DiffQ for math next year. His favorite class this year is AP Seminar and he’s beyond excited next year to take AP Research which of course is not offered at RM. if it was, I think I would move him without question. While the IB program offers the EE, I think it’s a 2yr sequence like AP Sem/AP Research. Since he’s already taken AP Sem he would be frustrated by having to repeat similar material.

All of the MCPS graduation requirements are done—health, PE, tech class. There’s nothing we can push to summer school to open up a class period if he stays at Churchill. In general he is annoyed and frustrated that he needs to spend 2 periods in classes that come easy to him. He readily acknowledges that the “extra” period would be better spent helping him in AP Lang or AP Research. If he got rid of the dbl period science classes, he could take a resource class to allow him time to focus on the humanities classes where he struggles. I wish taking a resource class wasn’t viewed as such a negative for college admissions.

As for support, for the AP classes, there doesn’t seem to be any at either RM or Churchill. RM does house the SESES program so if he really needed behavioral support, it would be available.

Thoughts? I realize that I get to decide between 2 good options. He is not involved in any ECs at Churchill so he’s wouldn’t lose any standing if he moved to RM. While he’s been with some of the Bridge kids since elem, he’s not friends with them outside of school. His friends are the kids he met through CTY and most of them are at Blair. In 8th grade I could not imagine we would be here and with the number of hours in his IEP, he could not apply for the magnet program.

Apologies for the rambling thoughts—I’m trying to work through the pros and cons of each placement. One more thing—he cannot stay at Churchill unless he takes at least 1 bridge class. If I look to his senior year, that’s Bridge English 12 which is in grade level. So he will be moving from AP Lang in 11th down to grade level English in 12th. He could take AP Lit as an elective if there was room in his schedule. In 11th grade, he will be taking Bridge MWH but there’s nothing else offered for senior year.

[Anonymous]

Could you just do a COSA to keep him at Churchill without him taking a Bridge class? I’m confused about whether he is currently in 10th or 11th at Churchill. The fact that he needed the Bridge program in prior years and MCPS has disfavored moving kids for 11th and 12th in the boundary study, maybe they would approve a COSA for him to stay at Churchill without an explicitly Bridge class. It would give him the flexibility to try a non-Bridge schedule but with the backup of a return to Bridge classes if needed?

You don’t say his diagnosis, but I’d be reluctant to have him switch schools mid-HS.

[Anonymous]

First, yay for your son that he is doing so well both academically and emotionally. He sounds like he has definitely outgrown the program. I agree with the PP that maybe a COSA would be the best solution and you can make a really good case for it. I suspect the school will be happy to allow him to stay if he will be a junior. My concern with RM would be moving him away from friends.

[Anonymous]

Common sense is it's always better to have a continuous 4-year HS experience. Friendship plays a such vital role not only to normal students, but probably more important to sped students. I wouldn't choose to head back to RM unless there's any unaffordable hardship. Apply for a COSA.

[Anonymous]

Agree I would do whatever it took to stay there including staying in the bridge. High school is such an emotionally fragile time I would not want to mess up something that was working

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

As for support, for the AP classes, there doesn’t seem to be any at either RM or Churchill. RM does house the SESES program so if he really needed behavioral support, it would be available.

Have school staff told you that SESES support would be available to him if necessary? The staff for these programs don't generally help out non-program students.

[Anonymous]

The non-IEP COSA window closes on the first school day in April so if you want to go that route - COSA but no bridge class at Churchill - you might need to do it before April 1

Alternatively you might talk to them about having it be an IEP COSA so that he maintains the option of a Bridge class and the support of known specialists in the building rather than having to start over with a whole new IEP/504 team at RM

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/transfers/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid has been in special ed since elem. Over the years he’s learned the necessary skills to allow him to be in mainstream classes. He’s currently in the Bridge program at Churchill. This year, he is in mainstream classes for 6 out of 7 periods including 3 AP classes. He has a 4.0 U/W. He has outgrown the academics of the Bridge program.

We live in the walk zone to RM. I’m wondering if it makes sense to bring him “home” next year. His IEP meeting is in May.

Pros—As an 11th grader, he would have access to both AP and IB classes. His foreign language is ASL so he would not be a candidate for the diploma.

Cons—he will know no one at RM. He does not have any neighborhood friends. He’s been with a number of the Bridge kids since elem school.

If I think about college admissions-I think both schools are going to be difficult to stand out at the top on academics alone.

The single period AP science classes vs DP at Churchill is driving my question. At RM, AP Chem is a single period. AP Physics C (mech &E/M) is offered as a single class. This opens up 2 periods for other classes. He will be in MVC/DiffQ for math next year. His favorite class this year is AP Seminar and he’s beyond excited next year to take AP Research which of course is not offered at RM. if it was, I think I would move him without question. While the IB program offers the EE, I think it’s a 2yr sequence like AP Sem/AP Research. Since he’s already taken AP Sem he would be frustrated by having to repeat similar material.

All of the MCPS graduation requirements are done—health, PE, tech class. There’s nothing we can push to summer school to open up a class period if he stays at Churchill. In general he is annoyed and frustrated that he needs to spend 2 periods in classes that come easy to him. He readily acknowledges that the “extra” period would be better spent helping him in AP Lang or AP Research. If he got rid of the dbl period science classes, he could take a resource class to allow him time to focus on the humanities classes where he struggles. I wish taking a resource class wasn’t viewed as such a negative for college admissions.

As for support, for the AP classes, there doesn’t seem to be any at either RM or Churchill. RM does house the SESES program so if he really needed behavioral support, it would be available.

Thoughts? I realize that I get to decide between 2 good options. He is not involved in any ECs at Churchill so he’s wouldn’t lose any standing if he moved to RM. While he’s been with some of the Bridge kids since elem, he’s not friends with them outside of school. His friends are the kids he met through CTY and most of them are at Blair. In 8th grade I could not imagine we would be here and with the number of hours in his IEP, he could not apply for the magnet program.

Apologies for the rambling thoughts—I’m trying to work through the pros and cons of each placement. One more thing—he cannot stay at Churchill unless he takes at least 1 bridge class. If I look to his senior year, that’s Bridge English 12 which is in grade level. So he will be moving from AP Lang in 11th down to grade level English in 12th. He could take AP Lit as an elective if there was room in his schedule. In 11th grade, he will be taking Bridge MWH but there’s nothing else offered for senior year.

RM has a resource class and the teacher has a background in counseling and special ed if that is helpful information for you.

[Anonymous]

I hear that it is difficult to be qualified to be placed in bridge program even though your kids are special needs. Congratulation that he graduates the bridge program. I would be careful not to mess up and stay at the same high school for the last 1-2 years for stability, ease of anxiety, familiar faces, emotional support and etc..

[Anonymous]

Stay at Churchill for the established friends. Most IB classes at RM aren’t pick and choose like AP. Students are either in the diploma programme taking a whole set or not. AP Chemistry is a single period partly because the Honors Chemistry classes are aligned to prepare for it and have more depth than the MCPS Honors Curriculum.

My suggestion is to take double period chemistry at Churchill next year and finish other graduation requirements (like Modern World.) Then senior year shift to taking some/all courses at Montgomery College. They have a strong disability services and he could be in a supported English 101 class. He can take physics there - 1 semester for Mechanics and 1 for E&M. This would be good transition practice for college and he can decide if he’s ready to go straight to a 4 year after graduation, or maybe continue at MC for a year or through associate’s degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stay at Churchill for the established friends. Most IB classes at RM aren’t pick and choose like AP. Students are either in the diploma programme taking a whole set or not. AP Chemistry is a single period partly because the Honors Chemistry classes are aligned to prepare for it and have more depth than the MCPS Honors Curriculum.

My suggestion is to take double period chemistry at Churchill next year and finish other graduation requirements (like Modern World.) Then senior year shift to taking some/all courses at Montgomery College. They have a strong disability services and he could be in a supported English 101 class. He can take physics there - 1 semester for Mechanics and 1 for E&M. This would be good transition practice for college and he can decide if he’s ready to go straight to a 4 year after graduation, or maybe continue at MC for a year or through associate’s degree.

Good suggestions.