Best elementary for special needs in bethesda

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People come here to tell horror stories. Assuming that because of those horror stories that MCPS sucks is ridiculous.

People express concern as their child's needs are not getting met and private therapies are expensive and not 100% effective if teachers and the school will not work with the parents. It is easy for you to comment if you do not have a special needs child who needs some extra support. Language delays, especially receptive delays are often ignored and then people wonder why these kids struggle so much later on.

I have a special needs child who needs a vast amount of extra support.

Making a blanket statement about "illegal practices in Montgomery County" and teachers who have to be nudged/coerced to follow IEPS everywhere but Bethesda Elementary is elitist and makes me roll my eyes. Bethesda Elementary is one of the county's richest. It's great that everything is hunky dory there and they can sit on their laurels about inclusion and so forth. My hat is genuinely off to them and the parents who can afford to live in that district.

But making a blanket statement that BE is the poo and every other elementary school in Mo Co is shit where parents have to battle for their kids basic IEPs and stand up to illegal practices is (1) bizarre (my kid is at a Title IX elementary where no battles have had to be fought) and (2) does nothing but spread fear, gloom, and anxiety among parents with very young children who make up the majority of readers of this forum. It's like the mothers who feel they have to share the most bloodthirsty tales of their labor and delivery -- I was cut from hip to hip! I labored in agony for 80 hours! The majority of us are happy and getting our IEPs enforced.

You have not been to BE recently. We have kids from the military / NIH, apartments, a bit of everything. Increasingly diverse and not enough $$$$ given by parents to PTA.

[Anonymous]

While I don't think all schools in MCPS have bad special needs practices, I think making a blanket statement that the majority of families are happy is completely ignorant.
What we've heard from several advocates is that the less wealthy schools (like yours) are actually MUCH better at handing out IEPs than those in the green zone. In the green zone, the attitude tends to be that the parents can afford to pay for private services so why not make them do so? That way they save money for schools like yours.

You're also clearly not very familiar with Bethesda. Bethesda Elementary is probably the most socio-economically diverse among the Bethesda schools and probably has the highest FARMS rate in Bethesda.

Our own experiences and those of the other SN parents I know who live in our part of the county are very consistent with the stories we're reading on DCUM. Actually, you're lucky you live where you do and everything is hunky dory but don't patronize the rest of us who have kids who have just as serious special needs or greater than your child.

Anonymous wrote:

I have a special needs child who needs a vast amount of extra support.

Making a blanket statement about "illegal practices in Montgomery County" and teachers who have to be nudged/coerced to follow IEPS everywhere but Bethesda Elementary is elitist and makes me roll my eyes. Bethesda Elementary is one of the county's richest. It's great that everything is hunky dory there and they can sit on their laurels about inclusion and so forth. My hat is genuinely off to them and the parents who can afford to live in that district.

But making a blanket statement that BE is the poo and every other elementary school in Mo Co is shit where parents have to battle for their kids basic IEPs and stand up to illegal practices is (1) bizarre (my kid is at a Title IX elementary where no battles have had to be fought) and (2) does nothing but spread fear, gloom, and anxiety among parents with very young children who make up the majority of readers of this forum. It's like the mothers who feel they have to share the most bloodthirsty tales of their labor and delivery -- I was cut from hip to hip! I labored in agony for 80 hours! The majority of us are happy and getting our IEPs enforced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While I don't think all schools in MCPS have bad special needs practices, I think making a blanket statement that the majority of families are happy is completely ignorant.
What we've heard from several advocates is that the less wealthy schools (like yours) are actually MUCH better at handing out IEPs than those in the green zone. In the green zone, the attitude tends to be that the parents can afford to pay for private services so why not make them do so? That way they save money for schools like yours.

You're also clearly not very familiar with Bethesda. Bethesda Elementary is probably the most socio-economically diverse among the Bethesda schools and probably has the highest FARMS rate in Bethesda.

Our own experiences and those of the other SN parents I know who live in our part of the county are very consistent with the stories we're reading on DCUM. Actually, you're lucky you live where you do and everything is hunky dory but don't patronize the rest of us who have kids who have just as serious special needs or greater than your child.

Anonymous wrote:

I have a special needs child who needs a vast amount of extra support.

Making a blanket statement about "illegal practices in Montgomery County" and teachers who have to be nudged/coerced to follow IEPS everywhere but Bethesda Elementary is elitist and makes me roll my eyes. Bethesda Elementary is one of the county's richest. It's great that everything is hunky dory there and they can sit on their laurels about inclusion and so forth. My hat is genuinely off to them and the parents who can afford to live in that district.

But making a blanket statement that BE is the poo and every other elementary school in Mo Co is shit where parents have to battle for their kids basic IEPs and stand up to illegal practices is (1) bizarre (my kid is at a Title IX elementary where no battles have had to be fought) and (2) does nothing but spread fear, gloom, and anxiety among parents with very young children who make up the majority of readers of this forum. It's like the mothers who feel they have to share the most bloodthirsty tales of their labor and delivery -- I was cut from hip to hip! I labored in agony for 80 hours! The majority of us are happy and getting our IEPs enforced.

Pray tell, what is the highest Farms rate in Bethesda?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone out there with feedback on Bannockburn, Westbrook, Carderock, Burning Tree and Somerset?

Wood Acres mom here again. It is my understanding is that Bannockburn and Carderock do not have resources for any kids needing more than very mild supports. Kids get bussed to Wood Acres because of their strong supports and tons of resources.

[Anonymous]

Bethesda ES has a stunning FARMS rate of 6.3.

I'm not sure what "increasingly diverse" even means. It's true, I have not been to BE recently. In fact, I've never been there. How could I?

[Anonymous]

The other ones are close to 0 FARMS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I don't think all schools in MCPS have bad special needs practices, I think making a blanket statement that the majority of families are happy is completely ignorant.
What we've heard from several advocates is that the less wealthy schools (like yours) are actually MUCH better at handing out IEPs than those in the green zone. In the green zone, the attitude tends to be that the parents can afford to pay for private services so why not make them do so? That way they save money for schools like yours.

You're also clearly not very familiar with Bethesda. Bethesda Elementary is probably the most socio-economically diverse among the Bethesda schools and probably has the highest FARMS rate in Bethesda.

Our own experiences and those of the other SN parents I know who live in our part of the county are very consistent with the stories we're reading on DCUM. Actually, you're lucky you live where you do and everything is hunky dory but don't patronize the rest of us who have kids who have just as serious special needs or greater than your child.

Anonymous wrote:

I have a special needs child who needs a vast amount of extra support.

Making a blanket statement about "illegal practices in Montgomery County" and teachers who have to be nudged/coerced to follow IEPS everywhere but Bethesda Elementary is elitist and makes me roll my eyes. Bethesda Elementary is one of the county's richest. It's great that everything is hunky dory there and they can sit on their laurels about inclusion and so forth. My hat is genuinely off to them and the parents who can afford to live in that district.

But making a blanket statement that BE is the poo and every other elementary school in Mo Co is shit where parents have to battle for their kids basic IEPs and stand up to illegal practices is (1) bizarre (my kid is at a Title IX elementary where no battles have had to be fought) and (2) does nothing but spread fear, gloom, and anxiety among parents with very young children who make up the majority of readers of this forum. It's like the mothers who feel they have to share the most bloodthirsty tales of their labor and delivery -- I was cut from hip to hip! I labored in agony for 80 hours! The majority of us are happy and getting our IEPs enforced.

Pray tell, what is the highest Farms rate in Bethesda?

The question by OP asked about schools IN BETHESDA.
Re-read if necessary.

Nothing elitest about answering the question.

My DS attended a different Bethesda-located MCPS elementary school that has not been mentioned.
He is SN.

Our experience was horrible.

We had to battle as you say for any IEP.

In a wealthy low-farms school.

Cut with the anger. The OP is trying to learn something. Again, about schools in Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

We had a similar horrible experience as PP at a Bethesda elementary school that is not Wood Acres and not Bethesda Elementary.

[Anonymous]

We recently moved to Bethesda and I did a ton of research on special ed capabilities to try to move to a school where we have a better shot of staying public. It seems like Bethesda Elementary is touted by all as the best for this. That said, BE is extremely expensive real estate and was not an option for us. We chose Wood Acres ES since it seems to have the most special ed resources in the area we were targeting. It's a large school and I don't know how it will play out yet, but for me it seemed like one of the better options so we could also actually get a house we enjoyed living in.

[Anonymous]

Someone please tell me what FARMS means?

[Anonymous]

free and reduced meals = FARMS. It is a proxy statistic for the level of poverty at a school.

[Anonymous]

Anyone had a good experience with Wyngate or Ashburton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone had a good experience with Wyngate or Ashburton?

Several years ago. Wyngate. No. Issues starting week 1.

That said, our neighbors with kids there (ALL with NT children) love love the school.

[Anonymous]

Westbrook has an Emotional Disabilities program that is very highly regarded. I have heard wonderful things about it. Home schools can only provide up to 15 hours a week of special needs services. Some principals are more savvy than others in this department. I can say that the old Bannockburn principal was pretty darn clueless with regard to accommodating children with special needs. I don't know much about the new principal who started just this year. I know that there was a collective cheer when the old principal left.

[Anonymous]

Can someone tell me more about the ED program?