Is Oyster pushing out special Ed students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Sorry about tards sucking up your budget. The majority of special needs children have difficulties that are best addressed in an inclusive environment with "pull" services as needed. Speech, motor, attention, etc. They are of normal intelligence. There are several DCPS schools with specialized programs, but every DCPS is required to provide the services outlined in a child's IEP. If they cannot, there are specialized schools for the most needy or fragile and there's a referral process for that. But here's the thing about inclusion - it means that DCPS doesn't get to pick and choose their special needs kids. They will take them all, as required by law. Your child may well be friends with one (don't worry, it's not contagious). If you have a problem with your child being in a school that devotes significant resources to children who need extra help, I recommend a private school because they're not required to adhere to the IDEA Act.

Sorry, not sorry.

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

This whole thread makes me, a mother of a special ed kid realize that people continue to have misconceptions about special needs kids who need special education services.

"I fully agree. My kid doesn't have any special needs but he is in a class with some kids with special needs, I want he learning tolerance, compassion, empathy, working in a team with different people. I don't want him seen in a classroom setting that some children are second class citizens."

I appreciate the sentiment, but what do some of you think a special needs kid LOOKS like? My son wouldn't meet the assumptions some people are making in this thread.

I have a kid with an auditory processing disorder which is a form of dyslexia and who needed speech and language therapy for several years. Frankly, his elementary school classmates wondered why he was pulled out for special reading instruction because he has a superior range IQ. He did not learn to read until he was 10 and now struggles to write.

The situation at Oyster sounds like one in many schools in DCPS - the administration and the teachers don't understand what they need to do and that they are required to do it. This then creates a very frustrting atmosphere for the child and then for the family when the child isn't learning. At some point, you have to give up fighting and move on. DCPS actually counts on this strategy.

DCPS has been miserable at helping kids with special needs. I know too many people who have bailed to the privates when what they were asking for was reasonable and necessary. DCPS needs to do a better job - not just for those who are severely disabled, but also for kids like my son that needs support and instruction. Shoehorning a kid into a local private that gives support, but not extra instruction does not always work.

DCPS needs to do workshops as part of professional development for their teachers - because they are not getting it as part of their overall education unless they decide to become special ed teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school has tried for a long time to be a model of inclusion, and in my opinion it should remain so. They just have to get better at it.

Research shows that bilingual education is actually quite beneficial to many students with cognitive or behavioral disabilities when done right. The key is to have enough resources. As a poster said, O-A has a higher percentage of special education students than some of the other WOTP schools. It also has several times as many English language learners and far more economically-disadvantaged kids.

In my opinion this is not necessarily a barrier to success but it will require more focused leadership.

Unfortunately this new principal is not it. Either DCPS should offer more resources and guidance or we can hope the principal soon recognizes that she's not up to the job and her tenure becomes an unfortunate blip in the school's otherwise impressive history.

No, I don't want the principal to leave. Perhaps another bilingual school's (i.e., Marie Reed, Powell, Bancroft) principal is interested in having their school become a model of inclusion. It doesn't have to be Oyster.

Why no Oyster? Why create a new program in a new school when there is one in place at Oyster already? Are there people currently at Oyster who are actively against inclusion and want to get rid of the program? Is that what I am reading?

I'm not against inclusion at Oyster, but I cannot speak for everyone. That said, I have no problem with Oyster remaining an inclusion school, but why can't other schools (immersion and monolingual) also become model schools? Why should Oyster bear all of the pressure, while dealing with a huge budget cut. If parents/DCPS wants Oyster to have an effective inclusion program, then DCPS better provide ALL of the money to support it.

+100. The new principal is doing a great job for the 600+ students at the school--instead of just focusing on her own pet projects like her predecessor did. O-A is a bilingual public school, not some kid of special ed magnet. As previous posters have already noted, the school already had a higher percentage of special ed kids than other schools, and there are many other areas to pay attention to (such as how to deal with the budget cuts, and how to retain more students in the middle school years).

Sorry about tards sucking up your budget. The majority of special needs children have difficulties that are best addressed in an inclusive environment with "pull" services as needed. Speech, motor, attention, etc. They are of normal intelligence. There are several DCPS schools with specialized programs, but every DCPS is required to provide the services outlined in a child's IEP. If they cannot, there are specialized schools for the most needy or fragile and there's a referral process for that. But here's the thing about inclusion - it means that DCPS doesn't get to pick and choose their special needs kids. They will take them all, as required by law. Your child may well be friends with one (don't worry, it's not contagious). If you have a problem with your child being in a school that devotes significant resources to children who need extra help, I recommend a private school because they're not required to adhere to the IDEA Act.

The only "tard" seems to be you - do you think it is cool to use such language? Are you trying to intimidate someone who doesnt agree with you? Before you embark on your next anti-social diatribe, perhaps you should look up the numbers shared earlier by some PPs. Oyster adams is a significantly more inclusive school than comparable ones, so if you dont like it go take your anger and hate elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Did anybody attend today's meeting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any hope the retention will be improving? Have they made changes to the math curriculum?

Haven't seen changes implemented yet, but new principal was emphasizing academic rigor and differentiation from day one, so i do expect to see changes soon in that direction. A very welcome change from Monica's attitude.

I believe that since earlier this year there's two or three math levels per grade (in the middle school years).

[Anonymous]

Can anyone comment on what was discussed at last night's meeting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school has tried for a long time to be a model of inclusion, and in my opinion it should remain so. They just have to get better at it.

Research shows that bilingual education is actually quite beneficial to many students with cognitive or behavioral disabilities when done right. The key is to have enough resources. As a poster said, O-A has a higher percentage of special education students than some of the other WOTP schools. It also has several times as many English language learners and far more economically-disadvantaged kids.

In my opinion this is not necessarily a barrier to success but it will require more focused leadership.

Unfortunately this new principal is not it. Either DCPS should offer more resources and guidance or we can hope the principal soon recognizes that she's not up to the job and her tenure becomes an unfortunate blip in the school's otherwise impressive history.

No, I don't want the principal to leave. Perhaps another bilingual school's (i.e., Marie Reed, Powell, Bancroft) principal is interested in having their school become a model of inclusion. It doesn't have to be Oyster.

Why no Oyster? Why create a new program in a new school when there is one in place at Oyster already? Are there people currently at Oyster who are actively against inclusion and want to get rid of the program? Is that what I am reading?

I'm not against inclusion at Oyster, but I cannot speak for everyone. That said, I have no problem with Oyster remaining an inclusion school, but why can't other schools (immersion and monolingual) also become model schools? Why should Oyster bear all of the pressure, while dealing with a huge budget cut. If parents/DCPS wants Oyster to have an effective inclusion program, then DCPS better provide ALL of the money to support it.

+100. The new principal is doing a great job for the 600+ students at the school--instead of just focusing on her own pet projects like her predecessor did. O-A is a bilingual public school, not some kid of special ed magnet. As previous posters have already noted, the school already had a higher percentage of special ed kids than other schools, and there are many other areas to pay attention to (such as how to deal with the budget cuts, and how to retain more students in the middle school years).

Sorry about tards sucking up your budget. The majority of special needs children have difficulties that are best addressed in an inclusive environment with "pull" services as needed. Speech, motor, attention, etc. They are of normal intelligence. There are several DCPS schools with specialized programs, but every DCPS is required to provide the services outlined in a child's IEP. If they cannot, there are specialized schools for the most needy or fragile and there's a referral process for that. But here's the thing about inclusion - it means that DCPS doesn't get to pick and choose their special needs kids. They will take them all, as required by law. Your child may well be friends with one (don't worry, it's not contagious). If you have a problem with your child being in a school that devotes significant resources to children who need extra help, I recommend a private school because they're not required to adhere to the IDEA Act.

The only "tard" seems to be you - do you think it is cool to use such language? Are you trying to intimidate someone who doesnt agree with you? Before you embark on your next anti-social diatribe, perhaps you should look up the numbers shared earlier by some PPs. Oyster adams is a significantly more inclusive school than comparable ones, so if you dont like it go take your anger and hate elsewhere.

Did you even read past the first sentence?

[Anonymous]

I did, and found it equally inflammatory and misleading. If you are trying to act as an advocate for special ed students, sorry to say, you are doing an excellent job at alienating allies and one of the few schools trying to do something meaningful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone comment on what was discussed at last night's meeting?

BUMP Did DCPS finally own up to the fact that the program for severely disabled kids was created by Monica for her own child when she was PK age? Did anyone talk about the fact that the physical building in Oyster could be hazardous for the types of chairs some kids need? The Adams building is out of the question. Monica and DCPS promised the moon to families when it was designated a demonstration inclusion school last year. Parents were the ones who practically put it together and pushed it through.

I don't know how it was communicated to families that felt pushed out. It must have been awful. It also sounds like the new principal was being honest with these families about what OA can and cannot do. Hopefully those children will get the education they rightly deserve at a school that will deliver on its promises.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any hope the retention will be improving? Have they made changes to the math curriculum?

Haven't seen changes implemented yet, but new principal was emphasizing academic rigor and differentiation from day one, so i do expect to see changes soon in that direction. A very welcome change from Monica's attitude.

I believe that since earlier this year there's two or three math levels per grade (in the middle school years).

Does anybody have more information?

[Anonymous]

Monica has headed to central - her kiddo is in a different school now... So basically, the rest of the kids with more significant needs were screwed the second Monica left.

[Anonymous]

This is classic dcps confusion and kowtowing. No matter what kids need good inclusion services, but it sounds like that may not be on offer at Oyster. Bigger schools like Janney would be better equipped.

[Anonymous]

All kids should have inclusion offered, but should all schools be equipped to offer inclusion? That is the question probably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone comment on what was discussed at last night's meeting?

BUMP Did DCPS finally own up to the fact that the program for severely disabled kids was created by Monica for her own child when she was PK age? Did anyone talk about the fact that the physical building in Oyster could be hazardous for the types of chairs some kids need? The Adams building is out of the question. Monica and DCPS promised the moon to families when it was designated a demonstration inclusion school last year. Parents were the ones who practically put it together and pushed it through.

I don't know how it was communicated to families that felt pushed out. It must have been awful. It also sounds like the new principal was being honest with these families about what OA can and cannot do. Hopefully those children will get the education they rightly deserve at a school that will deliver on its promises.

Monica (previous principal) was a disaster indeed, and Mayra (new principal) is doing a pretty good job to steer the ship despite the legacy challenges. I hope too that every kid can get the education they deserve.