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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP - now is not a good time to be moving into MCPS with a special needs child. There are four things that seem to be either unique or especially bad in MCPS that make it a poor choice for special needs kids.

1. MCPS always cuts support staff - special ed, para educators in budget cuts and then cuts teachers. Another big cut is looming. Other school districts have budget woes but MCPS seems to always be in a worse state and cut teaching/support staff first.

2. There is no accountability in MCPS for staff that illegally do not follow the IEPs. MCPS is like the tobacco company and will throw huge legal resources against fighting families. The BOE has been actively fighting proposed legislation for Burden of Proof which would require schools to provide proof that IEP services were met. Right now, the burden of proof is on you to prove that they didn't, yet you have no access to records. You may not end up down this road but the overall stance toward special needs is hostile in MCPS unless the local school, on its own wants to do something for your child.

3. Whether a local school wants to do something for your child, is inherently unequal and unfair. At every school and for everyone, it comes down to where a principal wants to spend her resources. Its a little kingdom mentality. Minorities and lower income families suffer the most. Families who can afford outside testing and know how to advocate for their legal rights do far better in not letting them get away with this. Its awful but teachers and administrators do have biases against minority children and their performance.  You are more likely to run into teachers who believe that your child just isn't smart not that she has a learning disability. The burden is on you to prove otherwise and identify what services she needs to succeed.

4. The new curriculum is making it worse for special ed students. There is a new grading system is basically pass fail and harmful for special needs kids. NT students who are brilliant get all Ps and special needs students who are performing way below their abilities and their grade get all Ps. [b]My DS who has dysgraphia and other language based LD received all Ps for writing even though all his assignments were blank. The teacher reasoned that he was proficient in the concept because he could verbally answer questions about the writing process. This [/b]makes it impossible to use class work or grades to support the need for special ed and gives you no indication of how far below your child is in comparison to his grade. You need outside testing to find this out. The teachers are overwhelmed with the bad roll out of the curriculum so more support time goes into developing materials, training and dealing with the mess. This takes time away from special needs. [/quote]

Gee, mine got half I's, and they still didn't think it meant anything because it "averaged out" to a P in writing.  I agree that the grading system is totally worthless, totally non-transparent to the kids and parents, and hides real problems.  I do think MCPS has some GREAT teachers, though it can be a little hit or miss.  The implementation of curriculum 2.0 is also a little less than ideal (but I think something that school districts around the country are struggling with, trying to figure out what common core really is and how to implement it.)  But given that good/great teachers are 90% of the academic experience, I'm willing to put up with some of the County stupidity.  I do hope they continue to treat the teachers well, so that they don't all get frustrated and flee to the privates/outer suburbs.[/quote]

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