SSMA lacks support for Special Needs kids

[Anonymous]

Along the CMI SN question - I've heard stories that something like 1/3 of the kids there have IEPs. Is that anywhere near true? Or just an urban legend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Along the CMI SN question - I've heard stories that something like 1/3 of the kids there have IEPs. Is that anywhere near true? Or just an urban legend?

Look at the school's profile on Learn DC - the equity report section will show this data (special needs percentage).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Along the CMI SN question - I've heard stories that something like 1/3 of the kids there have IEPs. Is that anywhere near true? Or just an urban legend?

Look at the school's profile on Learn DC - the equity report section will show this data (special needs percentage).

It had 6.3% special needs in 2014-15.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Along the CMI SN question - I've heard stories that something like 1/3 of the kids there have IEPs. Is that anywhere near true? Or just an urban legend?

Look at the school's profile on Learn DC - the equity report section will show this data (special needs percentage).

It had 6.3% special needs in 2014-15.

CMI special needs/IEPs is 33.7% according to the equity report on learndc.org so not an urban myth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Along the CMI SN question - I've heard stories that something like 1/3 of the kids there have IEPs. Is that anywhere near true? Or just an urban legend?

Look at the school's profile on Learn DC - the equity report section will show this data (special needs percentage).

It had 6.3% special needs in 2014-15.

CMI special needs/IEPs is 33.7% according to the equity report on learndc.org so not an urban myth.

You are correct - I misread the question. SSMA has 6.3%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Along the CMI SN question - I've heard stories that something like 1/3 of the kids there have IEPs. Is that anywhere near true? Or just an urban legend?

Look at the school's profile on Learn DC - the equity report section will show this data (special needs percentage).

It had 6.3% special needs in 2014-15.

CMI special needs/IEPs is 33.7% according to the equity report on learndc.org so not an urban myth.

Wow - that's pretty substantial. I'm curious if they go out of their way to advertise that or not when they do open houses. I see that Bridges is similar, but I'd always heard they had a SN focus. Interesting that CMI falls into both HRCS and high percentage SN.

[Anonymous]

You should find the CMI thread where this was debated extensively. CMI was designed as an inclusion school, references to Floortime and Greenspan clearly on their website and known special educators in the board. You don't need to put 'special needs' welcome in neon when there is a sensory room open to all kids on site.

Word got out quickly among the SN provider community who spread the word to their clients. And parents of kids with SN applied from the start.

That said these methods can also be good for typical kids.

[Anonymous]

I feel your pain, OP.
Here are some possible schools:

Inspired Teaching
Seaton
SWW@F-S
Murch
Janney
Van Ness (Navy Yard)
Lee Montessori
SWS
Ludlow-Taylor
Hyde-Addison
2R (if your kiddo doesn't need a lot of structure)
Bridges

You should also fight SSMS if you have the energy. The more we let these schools get away with this sh#$ the more they will do it. They are counting on us to just switch schools and forget it. I'm a consultant (advocate but not one of the major ones at all) myself and I had to have a lawyer. It's hard to do and even if you know what you're doing, it is so so hard to handle when it's your own child. I truly feel your pain and hope things are better soon.

--signed someone who got screwed big time by DCPS, waged a 4-year legal battle, won, and got funding in addition to a financial settlement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm writing this as a PSA to other parents of SN kids, because I wish I had known this information when we enrolled in SSMA. Shining Stars Montessori violates federal IDEA law in its handling of the special education process. A family left the school mid-year because SS was unable and unwilling to provide the mandated supports for their child. Our family will be following suit. If our child did not have special needs, we would probably love the school, but their special ed apparatus is dysfunctional and SN kids (and their classmates, who have to deal with unsupported SN kids, including our own) suffer because of it.

Relatedly, has anyone had great experiences with their school's special education process??

SWWFS seems to have a really strong special needs program, both pull out and inclusion. Though, it sounds like you will need an advocate that can help both you and the school find the right accommodations.

I'm curious, though, if it is fair to expect charter school that is clearly based in a certain pedagogy to make specific accommodations that may conflict with the stated mission? For better or worse, Montessori is designed for kids with typical needs and their teachers are not trained to handle kids with special needs.

Not to say that you don't deserve or not entitled to accommodation, but maybe it's not the school's fault?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm writing this as a PSA to other parents of SN kids, because I wish I had known this information when we enrolled in SSMA. Shining Stars Montessori violates federal IDEA law in its handling of the special education process. A family left the school mid-year because SS was unable and unwilling to provide the mandated supports for their child. Our family will be following suit. If our child did not have special needs, we would probably love the school, but their special ed apparatus is dysfunctional and SN kids (and their classmates, who have to deal with unsupported SN kids, including our own) suffer because of it.

Relatedly, has anyone had great experiences with their school's special education process??

SWWFS seems to have a really strong special needs program, both pull out and inclusion. Though, it sounds like you will need an advocate that can help both you and the school find the right accommodations.

I'm curious, though, if it is fair to expect charter school that is clearly based in a certain pedagogy to make specific accommodations that may conflict with the stated mission? For better or worse, Montessori is designed for kids with typical needs and their teachers are not trained to handle kids with special needs.

Not to say that you don't deserve or not entitled to accommodation, but maybe it's not the school's fault?

Fair or not, it's the law. All LEAs must provide necessary accommodations and specialized instruction so that all students can access the curriculum. SS chooses to be its own LEA; charter schools can't fight for independence without also taking on the responsibilities that come with that independence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm writing this as a PSA to other parents of SN kids, because I wish I had known this information when we enrolled in SSMA. Shining Stars Montessori violates federal IDEA law in its handling of the special education process. A family left the school mid-year because SS was unable and unwilling to provide the mandated supports for their child. Our family will be following suit. If our child did not have special needs, we would probably love the school, but their special ed apparatus is dysfunctional and SN kids (and their classmates, who have to deal with unsupported SN kids, including our own) suffer because of it.

Relatedly, has anyone had great experiences with their school's special education process??

SWWFS seems to have a really strong special needs program, both pull out and inclusion. Though, it sounds like you will need an advocate that can help both you and the school find the right accommodations.

I'm curious, though, if it is fair to expect charter school that is clearly based in a certain pedagogy to make specific accommodations that may conflict with the stated mission? For better or worse, Montessori is designed for kids with typical needs and their teachers are not trained to handle kids with special needs.

Not to say that you don't deserve or not entitled to accommodation, but maybe it's not the school's fault?

I would ask the opposite. Is it ethical for an organization to accept public funding, when they can't fulfill the purpose of those funds, which is to provide an education for the entire spectrum of children living in DC? If it's not possible to run a Montessori school and meet the needs of a diverse student body, then it's unethical to found an organization whose mission is to do just that.

Now, I'm not saying that it is actually impossible to provide quality education to children with a wide range of disabilities within the context of Montessori pedagogy. In fact, I do believe it's possible, but if you believe that it's not possible then the only choice is to close SSMA and LAMB and other Montessori public charter schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
SWWFS seems to have a really strong special needs program, both pull out and inclusion. Though, it sounds like you will need an advocate that can help both you and the school find the right accommodations.

Our experience with them (SWW@FS) was abysmal - including related services not being provided, stonewalling from the SEC on basic requests (you know, complying with procedural requirements of the law), lack of responsiveness to some clear issues. Almost drove us to a lawyer (we left instead, it was far cheaper). I wouldn't recommend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm writing this as a PSA to other parents of SN kids, because I wish I had known this information when we enrolled in SSMA. Shining Stars Montessori violates federal IDEA law in its handling of the special education process. A family left the school mid-year because SS was unable and unwilling to provide the mandated supports for their child. Our family will be following suit. If our child did not have special needs, we would probably love the school, but their special ed apparatus is dysfunctional and SN kids (and their classmates, who have to deal with unsupported SN kids, including our own) suffer because of it.

Relatedly, has anyone had great experiences with their school's special education process??

SWWFS seems to have a really strong special needs program, both pull out and inclusion. Though, it sounds like you will need an advocate that can help both you and the school find the right accommodations.

I'm curious, though, if it is fair to expect charter school that is clearly based in a certain pedagogy to make specific accommodations that may conflict with the stated mission? For better or worse, Montessori is designed for kids with typical needs and their teachers are not trained to handle kids with special needs.

Not to say that you don't deserve or not entitled to accommodation, but maybe it's not the school's fault?

I would ask the opposite. Is it ethical for an organization to accept public funding, when they can't fulfill the purpose of those funds, which is to provide an education for the entire spectrum of children living in DC? If it's not possible to run a Montessori school and meet the needs of a diverse student body, then it's unethical to found an organization whose mission is to do just that.

Now, I'm not saying that it is actually impossible to provide quality education to children with a wide range of disabilities within the context of Montessori pedagogy. In fact, I do believe it's possible, but if you believe that it's not possible then the only choice is to close SSMA and LAMB and other Montessori public charter schools.

I agree. ANd my child with a Level 2 IEP went to LAMB from PK3 to 5th (starting in 2004). It can be done. That said, first couple years were bumpy as LAMB developed a special ed program. We never needed an advocate but we had to help build the plane as we were flying, so to speak.

I am glad we stuck it out. It was good for my kid and the school is better for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm writing this as a PSA to other parents of SN kids, because I wish I had known this information when we enrolled in SSMA. Shining Stars Montessori violates federal IDEA law in its handling of the special education process. A family left the school mid-year because SS was unable and unwilling to provide the mandated supports for their child. Our family will be following suit. If our child did not have special needs, we would probably love the school, but their special ed apparatus is dysfunctional and SN kids (and their classmates, who have to deal with unsupported SN kids, including our own) suffer because of it.

Relatedly, has anyone had great experiences with their school's special education process??

SWWFS seems to have a really strong special needs program, both pull out and inclusion. Though, it sounds like you will need an advocate that can help both you and the school find the right accommodations.

I'm curious, though, if it is fair to expect charter school that is clearly based in a certain pedagogy to make specific accommodations that may conflict with the stated mission? For better or worse, Montessori is designed for kids with typical needs and their teachers are not trained to handle kids with special needs.

Not to say that you don't deserve or not entitled to accommodation, but maybe it's not the school's fault?

I would ask the opposite. Is it ethical for an organization to accept public funding, when they can't fulfill the purpose of those funds, which is to provide an education for the entire spectrum of children living in DC? If it's not possible to run a Montessori school and meet the needs of a diverse student body, then it's unethical to found an organization whose mission is to do just that.

Now, I'm not saying that it is actually impossible to provide quality education to children with a wide range of disabilities within the context of Montessori pedagogy. In fact, I do believe it's possible, but if you believe that it's not possible then the only choice is to close SSMA and LAMB and other Montessori public charter schools.

My child is at Lee and does not have any special needs. That said, there are a significant number of kids with special needs integrated into the classroom with additional staff support. It appears to work well and there also appear to be resources devoted to SN kids. So definitely not something that is incompatible with Montessori. Quite the opposite, in fact, where kids get to find their own level and work at it.