Any current experiences at GT/LD middle schools, esp. North Bethesda?

[Anonymous]

I see from the archives that there is a GT/LD MCPS middle school which has disappointed parents, although it might not have been North Bethesda.
If anyone has a child in the North Bethesda GT/LD program, recently had a child there, or looked into it at all, I would greatly appreciate your insight.
We are in the process of having our child evaluated, so I have not contacted the GT/LD coordinator yet, but it's on my to-do list.
Basically, I suspect my child is in that gray zone where he may not be GT enough, or LD enough, to warrant a GT/LD placement.
However I am extremely concerned that his home middle school will not recognize his talents, provide adequate differentiation or foster his curiosity, since this has been an ongoing problem in elementary school. I'm less worried about the accommodations because his IEP is pretty solid (of course it depends how they implement it in middle school). Teachers only see the special needs label, and don't realize he also needs acceleration in reading and writing.

Thank you!

(I will cross post on the MD Public Schools board.)

[Anonymous]

OP are you willing to go private and drive?

[Anonymous]

Good question. I am willing to drive, but if we pay for private, then there will be less money down the road for college. Plus, I have other children - would they be entitled to a private school education too? It raises lots of questions I don't have answers to.

[Anonymous]

Try getting on the GT/LD networks listserv and ask if anyone on there will be willing to share about their experience. IME, many there will do so.

GT/LD doesn't look at IQ scores as a cut off, but generally speaking anything around 120 or higher would qualify as GT.

You can also use other markers -- like how they are scoring on MAP reading or what level they are reading at home vs. what they are reading at school. Also, samples of writing done at home can be helpful -- does your DC write stories on his own?

I know a couple of families which seem happy at GT/LD MS, but honestly, their experience in ES was so bad, that anything would be better by comparison.

It's a problem across the board that parents of GT kids don't think they are challenged enough. You will be more successful with your quest for the GT/LD program if you focus on ways that the failure to get appropriate challenge is causing a problem in the homeschool. Access to GT/LD is provided by showing that the homeschool is not able to support the student. It is not provided because a student hits a certain cut off for GT or LD.

For us, this was feeling stupid because DC was constantly needing special ed and never getting anything at his level. Also, some social anxiety was emerging as other kids and the teacher made fun of our DC for special needs. Behavioral problems -- like inattention or acting out or fooling around can also be a result of lack of challenge. You could also need a GT/LD program because your child needs specialized instruction that can't be provided at the home school. For example, our child needed special reading and writing instruction, and it became evident that our ES had no one who was trained to provide that. Well, actually, MCPS as a whole isn't very good at providing that, but the GT/LD ES seemed like it could at least try to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Good question. I am willing to drive, but if we pay for private, then there will be less money down the road for college. Plus, I have other children - would they be entitled to a private school education too? It raises lots of questions I don't have answers to.

On private for one vs. private for all. Our commitment is that each child gets what they need, which is not the same as saying they get the exact same thing nor is the same as saying they all get what they want. We treat our children equally when we meet each one's individual needs, not when we treat them identically. If one child needed a wheelchair, would you let all your kids ride around in wheelchairs?

Private vs. college is a harder Q. In our case, we felt like if we didn't spend for private our child would never make it to college. But, that is because we came to realize that MCPS could not or would not provide the necessary instruction in any setting. In retrospect, we could have spent the same amount of money or less on specialized tutors, but that would have required more management and oversight by a parent.

[Anonymous]

Thank you PPs!

I'm not quite sure how to argue that my son is not getting an appropriate education at the home school.
First, because we are seeking placement for 6th grade, the first year of middle school.
Second, because, I can't compare how better off he'd be with more challenge since he's never had more challenge!

He was rejected from the Humanities magnet program, which would have been a great fit content-wise but perhaps too difficult regarding the load of homework (processing speed is an issue).
He reads in two languages at home, books and magazines for teens and adults. His fave right now is The Lord of the Rings. He's in 5th grade. He's been reading books most of his elementary school teachers have never even heard of, which means he can't really have a meaningful exchange with them.
He needs writing support and indeed has trouble expressing all he knows, both because of his attention issues and also because there's some kind of expressive issue. He is medicated for ADHD, but it can only do so much.
However, his vocabulary and spelling are astounding.
He's a fountain of knowledge in science and history, but again, has trouble expressing it in a school setting.
Math is above average but not his favorite subject.
Fall MAP scores for math and english were 232 or something like that, before he was medicated.

I am so confused.

[Anonymous]

Just a quick. One seconding the GT/LD lists era as a resource. Lots of helpful,people who really empathize with the frustrations that are a part of dealing with MCPS

[Anonymous]

* ugh, autocorrect! That was supposed to say listserv

[Anonymous]

MCPS GT-LD program is AWFUL! Besides the fact it was not challenging, one of my daughters teachers encouraged her to draw a comic instead of writing a paper (which is what she wanted to do!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS GT-LD program is AWFUL! Besides the fact it was not challenging, one of my daughters teachers encouraged her to draw a comic instead of writing a paper (which is what she wanted to do!)

Which GT/LD middle school?

Do you have any other examples of poor teaching methods?
Because making comics is actually a creative exercise in itself. It requires good spatial planning, drawing skills, the ability to compress a storyline into frozen body movement and short, focused text. You have to edit your writing down to the bones and know what to keep. A good comic is hard to do. Perhaps the teacher wished to encourage those skills in your daughter?

[Anonymous]

It was at north Bethesda. She wanted to work on longer writing assignments. when she said she wanted to write the essay, the teacher told her the comic would be easier. Yes, there are good skills that come from writing comics, this teacher was not encouraging her to do the comics for that reason.

[Anonymous]

OP - I was the one who asked if you could afford private and to drive. If you can, go visit Commonwealth Academy in N. Alexandria. It was a sea change for our 2e kid.