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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
Bethesda Elementary School, MCPS.

They are an inclusive school, students with special needs are seated in the general ed classrooms, with appropriate pull-outs when necessary. [quote]Contrary to general (illegal) practices in MCPS, [/quote][b][i]they are good about evaluating children and creating IEPs.
Most teachers follow through, some need a nudge or two. But it is vastly better than other public school, and I imagine, general private schools, who have no obligation to cater to students with special needs.

We moved so that DS could go to BE. So far after 5 years of school, it's been good. Educating such children is always difficult and constant adjustments must be made, since they are continually growing and transitioning. We are satisfied.

[/quote]

Please clarify this statement.  My DS attended Wood Acres, a highly regarded MoCo Bethesda area ES, so I want to understand what you mean by this statement.  thanks.[/quote]

Not bashing Wood Acres in particular, PP. I know some people there, and they have not complained about that (displacement because of construction, but that's another subject!). However I have heard complaints again and again from parents of children with special needs on different SN forums and focus groups, who did not get their basic needs met in MCPS schools. As in, refusal to evaluate a child (illegal), refusal to create an IEP after the parent has provided a damming private evaluation from an expert at great expense (illegal), or refusal to follow-through on the IEP once created (illegal). Refusal to comply is most often very insidious and difficult to manage on the part of the parent. Without a clear mandate from the school principal, and a proactive and experienced IEP team, teachers may not understand clearly what to do with an IEP, and may not even be aware they are breaking the law. Stalling is a particularly effective and frustrating tactic - parents are told that their child's issues will resolve with time, that they are still within the range of normal, etc. And they keep punting to the next school until the child's needs are too monstrous to ignore, and far more difficult to manage. Parents are also told that a particular need is not within the school's mandate to accommodate, and parents need to be highly knowledgeable in order to parse the mounds of paperwork and fine print to point out that in fact, it is.
There is a heavy burden placed on the parents to educate themselves on their child's rights, and either negotiate with the school themselves, or hire an expensive advocate (there are plenty being kept in business in the area!) to mediate with the school. It can get ugly quickly if everybody gets defensive and retaliatory, and ultimately the one who suffers most is the child.

In contrast, there is not such an atmosphere of mistrust at BE. Which is not to say that everything is perfect, far from it! Accommodating special needs can never be perfect. However in 5 years everyone has shown themselves willing, within their competency, to do what's best for my child. And that's half the battle already!

[/quote]

Oh, I didn't think you were bashing at all, just wanted to understand what you were saying.  
[b]Our experience at Wood Acres was that the school  - admin and teachers- bent over backwards to provide whatever DS needed[/b].  Actually we didn't have to ask for one accommodation..they gave them to us before we even realized DS needed them. He was general ED for science and social studies, pulled out for reading and math into self-contained. [/quote]

This is so nice to hear. We just moved into this school district and I expect both my kids will need an IEP when the time comes.[/quote]

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