APS elementary schools and special needs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS gets a lot of criticism for its special education services, but I'm not sure it's all deserved. I know of two cases in the past few years where people who were unhappy with the special education services in APS elementary schools that get particular heat here moved to other counties in part because they thought special education would be better. One family now has their kids in private school and the other family is homeschooling because the services they got in those other systems were actually worse than APS. None of that means APS gets it all right, but I don't know of any school systems that get it all right when it comes to special education.

Agree we moved from FCPS to APS while the system is not perfect I do think its better than FCPS. In FCPS they changed my kid SN pre school without telling me and I only knew when the new teacher emailed me. The new bus ride was 40 minutes and then they complained that my kid misbehave in the bus. We couldn't get them to a dress the root causes of the issues instead they added hours for someone to be with him. APS had been much better for us, while its not perfect, they listens, communicates well and I got all the services my kid need so far.

Can you tell us which school you are happy at within APS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:by "increase capacity" I meant increasing the number of reading specialists who can conduct small group remediation for those who need direct instruction.

I can't speak to the rest of your post, and am sorry to hear it, but FWIW this is not a decision at the school level. APS has defined ratios in terms of how many specialists are assigned based on the population size of a school. No principal can just decide to add a reading specialist, or art teacher, or math coach. Those decisions are at the system level.

Exactly!! That is why a school with 800 kids is not a good choice. The same number of specialists are assigned to other schools with much fewer kids.

Thank you to the poster who posted the ratio PDF. I wish I had the time to work for these changes. One teacher asked 3 times to have a child put into reading pull-outs and was denied. Another sped teacher, after mid-year pals, had her small pull-out group double and progress stopped for all. This is clearly not enough. Maybe I should go get a sped credential. I could get paid and tutor my own child with competence.

It takes little time to send an email to the School Board. If you bother to post on here, take a little time to send an email where it counts.

[Anonymous]

I"m the poster you are quoting and I am doing some advocacy work and agree, should do more. But it's hard to find time with a career, kids and "afterschooling" a SN child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I"m the poster you are quoting and I am doing some advocacy work and agree, should do more. But it's hard to find time with a career, kids and "afterschooling" a SN child.

Sorry but this is a cop out, and it's the same one that I hear from everyone everywhere in Arlington about how they're too busy and blah blah blah. I don't know the extent of your particular child's needs, PP, but I'm irritated that seeing this time and again. If an issue is important, you find the time. You stay up late, you find a sitter, you inconvenience your family to sit on a committee for a year. You watch the SB meeting instead of tv after your kids go to bed so that you can email the Board afterward if you want to. Reach out via FB or your PTA to find the parents who are super active and get their guidance. It sucks, but we're all busy. Things don't change if we don't get involved locally or nationally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I"m the poster you are quoting and I am doing some advocacy work and agree, should do more. But it's hard to find time with a career, kids and "afterschooling" a SN child.

Everyone is busy. Still many do this. Others ride on their efforts, and their efforts would go a lot further if more joined in.

How hard is it to email the School Board? You can't even do that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I"m the poster you are quoting and I am doing some advocacy work and agree, should do more. But it's hard to find time with a career, kids and "afterschooling" a SN child.

Sorry but this is a cop out, and it's the same one that I hear from everyone everywhere in Arlington about how they're too busy and blah blah blah. I don't know the extent of your particular child's needs, PP, but I'm irritated that seeing this time and again. If an issue is important, you find the time. You stay up late, you find a sitter, you inconvenience your family to sit on a committee for a year. You watch the SB meeting instead of tv after your kids go to bed so that you can email the Board afterward if you want to. Reach out via FB or your PTA to find the parents who are super active and get their guidance. It sucks, but we're all busy. Things don't change if we don't get involved locally or nationally.

Yes, this 1000 times. If I can find the time, so can you. It's about priorities. My "hobby" is this. My only hobby, because it's that important.