Question for parents of kids with special needs in MCPS

[Anonymous]

I am hearing how a granddaughter who is an excellent student is often keeping another student who does not have the skills to be in compacted math class in line. It is not fair to have peers looking after peers with barriers to learning either due to special needs or ESL needs. There should be a flexible model of some pull-out if needed so that all get the chance to gain basic skills on the levels that they are at.

I can tell you that parents are having to do a lot of supplementary programs on the weekends to keep the kids moving along. There seems to be a Saturday school for advanced students and a Saturday school for those behind. At a nearby public library there is an 8-week Girls Who Code class which I think is free. These are all symptoms of the leaner budgets of school divisions and the increasing needs of many students.

One might compare the web sites of the various elementary schools to see just how much is going on at one as to opposed to another. Also the strength of the PTO can be a vehicle to support teachers and to get some better programming at times even if it means through the after-school clubs etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gen ed teacher here. Is anyone else aware that the “home school model” isn’t being adequately supported? Elementary schools were told they’d get adequate support when they switched to the home school model, but then special ed positions were frozen. So there’s 4-8 hours of co-teaching help a week for kids who need 1-1 support. I don’t know what’s happening at the middle school level. Parents, please help and agitate for more support! We can’t adequtely meet their needs and this is a disaster—it’s unsafe and unethical!

Yes, sadly my family has been a victim. Do we know? Oh yessssss we do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen ed teacher here. Is anyone else aware that the “home school model” isn’t being adequately supported? Elementary schools were told they’d get adequate support when they switched to the home school model, but then special ed positions were frozen. So there’s 4-8 hours of co-teaching help a week for kids who need 1-1 support. I don’t know what’s happening at the middle school level. Parents, please help and agitate for more support! We can’t adequtely meet their needs and this is a disaster—it’s unsafe and unethical!

Yes, sadly my family has been a victim. Do we know? Oh yessssss we do

What was your experience? What was the county’s response?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen ed teacher here. Is anyone else aware that the “home school model” isn’t being adequately supported? Elementary schools were told they’d get adequate support when they switched to the home school model, but then special ed positions were frozen. So there’s 4-8 hours of co-teaching help a week for kids who need 1-1 support. I don’t know what’s happening at the middle school level. Parents, please help and agitate for more support! We can’t adequtely meet their needs and this is a disaster—it’s unsafe and unethical!

Yes, sadly my family has been a victim. Do we know? Oh yessssss we do

What was your experience? What was the county’s response?

I have ptsd. I had to hire an advocate. The school dropped the ball, blamed me basically for having a child with disabilities and it’s all really just too painful. We got the hell out. I’m so soured on mcps, sadly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The special educator at our school told me this change was happening. DS was already at the Home school but it meant her workload was increasing significantly. DS hasn’t had much support this year as far as I can tell but oddly enough it’s been a better year than last because the general ed classroom teachers are much better.

This is my second time around with an IEP in MCPS. Services were already lacking. IEPs have never been followed as written for either of my kids. If my child currently needed 1-1 support, I’d be livid. And if I were a teacher I’d also be livid.

This is typical MCPS BS. I’m so sick of hearing about the need to address gifted education and listening to my friends and nieghbors whine about how their kids are being shortchanged. Shortchanged is not providing FAPE and it happens every single day to thousands of students in MCPS.

I have a child who is both gifted AND learning disabled. He's part of the least-served group of students, I can tell you that!
Please don't criticize other parents who complain about their children's needs not being served. It doesn't diminish your child's right to receive services. There's just not enough money to go around and it's hard to distribute the money and effort.

100% agree! Twice exceptional students are definitely some of the most underserved (and misunderstood) population! Most 2e kids don't survive in the system long. So many are homeschooled because MCPS doesn't recognized gifted needs as special needs. Add disabilities to the equation and it's an outright disaster.

[Anonymous]

Every parent in Montgomery County seems to feel that her child is (1) underserved and (2) a tragic victim of a lack of recognition of the child's unique "disability."

[Anonymous]

I get that some of you feel that your GT/LD children are the MOST underserved, but can you really say that without knowing about each group? Let's be real and admit that we are all looking out for our own kids and collectively it does not seem that MCPS with their current model is able to serve many children well. Let's work together to fight the current Home School model to give all of our children more time with a specially trained teacher so that they each can hit their goals- regardless of their coding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get that some of you feel that your GT/LD children are the MOST underserved, but can you really say that without knowing about each group? Let's be real and admit that we are all looking out for our own kids and collectively it does not seem that MCPS with their current model is able to serve many children well. Let's work together to fight the current Home School model to give all of our children more time with a specially trained teacher so that they each can hit their goals- regardless of their coding.

Amen. Teacher here. Unite—they’ll be thrilled if you spend your time fighting each other. You fundamentally have the same goals. I wish this was something that we could tell our union about, but no one trusts the union to keep confidentiality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every parent in Montgomery County seems to feel that her child is (1) underserved and (2) a tragic victim of a lack of recognition of the child's unique "disability."

That’s very helpful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every parent in Montgomery County seems to feel that her child is (1) underserved and (2) a tragic victim of a lack of recognition of the child's unique "disability."

I’m thinking the person who said that should knock on wood. She might not have that particular parenting challenge, but she’s inviting some bad juju by dismissing others’ legit concerns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get that some of you feel that your GT/LD children are the MOST underserved, but can you really say that without knowing about each group? Let's be real and admit that we are all looking out for our own kids and collectively it does not seem that MCPS with their current model is able to serve many children well. Let's work together to fight the current Home School model to give all of our children more time with a specially trained teacher so that they each can hit their goals- regardless of their coding.

Amen. Teacher here. Unite—they’ll be thrilled if you spend your time fighting each other. You fundamentally have the same goals. I wish this was something that we could tell our union about, but no one trusts the union to keep confidentiality.

+1

Every SN has equal opportunity to be given the shaft at MCPS. So 2E parents quit your whining; you're not special.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get that some of you feel that your GT/LD children are the MOST underserved, but can you really say that without knowing about each group? Let's be real and admit that we are all looking out for our own kids and collectively it does not seem that MCPS with their current model is able to serve many children well. Let's work together to fight the current Home School model to give all of our children more time with a specially trained teacher so that they each can hit their goals- regardless of their coding.

Amen. Teacher here. Unite—they’ll be thrilled if you spend your time fighting each other. You fundamentally have the same goals. I wish this was something that we could tell our union about, but no one trusts the union to keep confidentiality.

+1

Every SN has equal opportunity to be given the shaft at MCPS. So 2E parents quit your whining; you're not special.

Not special, but exceptional twice. I kid (parent of shafted 2e kid). Agreed with above point, pp

[Anonymous]

What have you done to help agitate for more support?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What have you done to help agitate for more support?

Is this directed to me, the OP? I initially agitated to my principal, who agreed, agitated himself, and got nowhere. I don’t trust my union to keep my confidence. No one does. There is basically no one in central who would listen. Do you have ideas? That’s why I came on here. I’m hesitant to testify at a public meeting, because of retaliation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What have you done to help agitate for more support?

Is this directed to me, the OP? I initially agitated to my principal, who agreed, agitated himself, and got nowhere. I don’t trust my union to keep my confidence. No one does. There is basically no one in central who would listen. Do you have ideas? That’s why I came on here. I’m hesitant to testify at a public meeting, because of retaliation.

As a parent of a special needs child in a more severe needs setting, I can tell you we are always fighting for more support, and always shut down by the admin. Or someone from central office. It's an uphill battle that teachers (IME) are not fighting hard enough for. I don't have other advice, other than to keep pushing the issue, perhaps to other avenues you are afraid to explore.