APS Kindergarten Help: Anyone have a tutor recommendation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Email the teacher, principal, and special education coordinator in the same email at your school requesting an evaluation for special education. They just hold a meeting within 10 days of your request to decide next steps.

Agree with this. Email these people and request the evaluation WITHOUT SAYING A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF IN THR EMAIL. Just say, “My son, Larlo Johnson, is in Ms. smith’s kindergarten class. I am requesting a comprehensive evaluation to determine whether he has any learning disabilities or needs an IEP. Thank you, Amy Johnson”

They are required under federal law to do certain things on a certain timeline if you do that.

I suggest not including other things in that email because I don’t want your request for an evaluation to get lost in other words/requests/questions/etc.

What school is this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would request a meeting with the teacher to go over what she is concerned about - which is what you are going to do anyway. She should have some work samples and testing data to show you to back up her claims.

I used to work with that age group in a public school, and it would take mountains and mountains of data to even get a meeting with intervention team members like the AP, the reading/math specialists, etc. I’m not talking about an evaluation. Just a regular meeting to discuss the what the student is struggling with and what interventions must be put in place.

I don’t know what the teacher is telling you OP. But your description of your kid does not sound like a child who should be struggling in Kindergarten so badly that he needs an evaluation. You’re working on stuff at home, you don’t see any issues, etc.

I suggest you wait until the conference and request to review your child’s data and work samples. What are his test scores like compared to other kids? What is he struggling with? She should have a ton of data if she’s implicitly telling you to ask for an evaluation. Because I’m pretty sure they will ask what interventions your kid has received.

I disagree with this. Something is weird here. The child can practice sight words and phonics books at home but is below grade level at school. (Someone should correct me if I’m wrong but I think kids can be not reading AT ALL yet at this point in kinder and still be on grade level, so I’m not sure what the teacher is seeing?) Also OP is having trouble communicating with the teacher. Ask for the eval, OP.

[Anonymous]

To get evaluations, or anything important accomplished, you write old school letters and Cc teacher, principal, superintendent, and sped director.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To get evaluations, or anything important accomplished, you write old school letters and Cc teacher, principal, superintendent, and sped director.

And send by certified mail with signature confirmation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would request a meeting with the teacher to go over what she is concerned about - which is what you are going to do anyway. She should have some work samples and testing data to show you to back up her claims.

I used to work with that age group in a public school, and it would take mountains and mountains of data to even get a meeting with intervention team members like the AP, the reading/math specialists, etc. I’m not talking about an evaluation. Just a regular meeting to discuss the what the student is struggling with and what interventions must be put in place.

I don’t know what the teacher is telling you OP. But your description of your kid does not sound like a child who should be struggling in Kindergarten so badly that he needs an evaluation. You’re working on stuff at home, you don’t see any issues, etc.

I suggest you wait until the conference and request to review your child’s data and work samples. What are his test scores like compared to other kids? What is he struggling with? She should have a ton of data if she’s implicitly telling you to ask for an evaluation. Because I’m pretty sure they will ask what interventions your kid has received.

I disagree with this. Something is weird here. The child can practice sight words and phonics books at home but is below grade level at school. (Someone should correct me if I’m wrong but I think kids can be not reading AT ALL yet at this point in kinder and still be on grade level, so I’m not sure what the teacher is seeing?) Also OP is having trouble communicating with the teacher. Ask for the eval, OP.

I agree. I don’t think the curriculum is even focusing on sight words any more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To get evaluations, or anything important accomplished, you write old school letters and Cc teacher, principal, superintendent, and sped director.

This.

Sounds to me like teacher is circling around the idea that you might need other evaluations but they can’t really say that directly. I’d ask in the SN forum about this and get the evaluative process started. The fact that they don’t want to answer you in writing or send emails is a red flag for this. If you speak on the phone follow up immediately by email. And start looking for an educational advocate to guide you through the process. You’re going to need them.

[Anonymous]

Call the office and speak to or email the sped secretary, principal or assistant principal and ask for a special education evaluation. Teachers often don't know the process. Once you put in the official request to the correct people they legally have 10 days to meet with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Call the office and speak to or email the sped secretary, principal or assistant principal and ask for a special education evaluation. Teachers often don't know the process. Once you put in the official request to the correct people they legally have 10 days to meet with you.

Noooooo — don’t call the office to ask for an evaluation! Send an email. I don’t know why the person upthread thinks there is any magic to a certified letter. An email is fine. But a phone call isn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Call the office and speak to or email the sped secretary, principal or assistant principal and ask for a special education evaluation. Teachers often don't know the process. Once you put in the official request to the correct people they legally have 10 days to meet with you.

Noooooo — don’t call the office to ask for an evaluation! Send an email. I don’t know why the person upthread thinks there is any magic to a certified letter. An email is fine. But a phone call isn’t.

OP stated already email gets no response.

Is a certified letter “necessary”? Not particularly.

Does it work? Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a child in K at APS (Tuckahoe) who scored very low at start of year testing. That allowed him to get to work with the reading specialist (he is great with math, just really struggled with reading/letters etc). They just retested him in Jan and he made so much improvement that he tested out of the reading specialist. To help foster more confidence we asked the reading specialist for tutoring recommendations. She doesn’t tutor, but the specialist at Cardinal does and he is working with her once a week after school. I think it’s smart that you are on this - you don't want to let it go on too long. I learned that from some other friends.

Ours is also in K at Tuckahoe, and we’ve been happy so far. I’ve been impressed by the reading specialist. So glad things are looking up for you all!

[Anonymous]

Is she specifying academics? If not she could be referring to attention/behavioral concerns

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Call the office and speak to or email the sped secretary, principal or assistant principal and ask for a special education evaluation. Teachers often don't know the process. Once you put in the official request to the correct people they legally have 10 days to meet with you.

Noooooo — don’t call the office to ask for an evaluation! Send an email. I don’t know why the person upthread thinks there is any magic to a certified letter. An email is fine. But a phone call isn’t.

PP What exactly is wrong with a phone call speaking with exactly who you need to? Why are people so scared of phone calls!? Schools are old school. You can get on the calendar immediately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Call the office and speak to or email the sped secretary, principal or assistant principal and ask for a special education evaluation. Teachers often don't know the process. Once you put in the official request to the correct people they legally have 10 days to meet with you.

Noooooo — don’t call the office to ask for an evaluation! Send an email. I don’t know why the person upthread thinks there is any magic to a certified letter. An email is fine. But a phone call isn’t.

PP What exactly is wrong with a phone call speaking with exactly who you need to? Why are people so scared of phone calls!? Schools are old school. You can get on the calendar immediately.

Because your request needs to be in writing. That starts the timeline. Send an email.

[Anonymous]

Ask for a "Student Study" (use this wording) and put your request in writing. Send it in an email to the teacher, AP/principal, and school psychologist. Legally this will trigger a clock and the school must complete it during the next 90 (school) days. Don't let them talk you into an informal evaluation. A student study requires them to get feedback from all your child's teachers, parent feedback, plus a whole host of testing - everything from the WISC (IQ test) to reading/decoding/spelling tests to OT and PT. It's a shame that APS really only provides this if the parents know to request it.

[Anonymous]

You should also include the Student Support Coordinator.