My son's ES experience with the GTLD program has also been tremendously helpful, improved his academic skills, his self-esteem, and his desire to attend school immeasurably.

True, my son is not yet in Middle School. Like most parents I know with children, GTLD or not, entering middle school next year, I am nervous. However, I can say that a parent I know from our homeschool can not say enough good things about the GTLD program at Clemente and what it has done for her daughter, who did not enter the GTLD program until MS. Another close friend's son attended the GT program at Clemente became best friends with a child in the GTLD program who also loved it. Another friend of mine's son attended North Bethesda's GTLD program several years ago and benefited tremendously.

In addition, last year I attended a student panel of Junior and Senior High School students who have gone through the GTLD program throughout MCPS. They were all doing very well, many were in AP classes, and all of them were regularly facing challenges that they never thought they'd be able to face when before they entered the GTLD program. All of those students had learned to advocate for themselves and to have pride in their skills and no shame over their challenges. To me, that speaks wonders.

I believe that the GTLD program is thriving, but going through bumpy times at certain schools at certain times, as any program would no matter how big the heart or intelligence of the people within it. The fact is that our GTLD kids are still within a very large MCPS system, with perhaps just as many mainstream teachers who get it as those that don't. This does indeed make our jobs more difficult and unending. However, I worked at a private school well-known for its learning center, which was still not able to achieve 100% teacher buy-in, spent little time educating the teachers on the needs of those children in the learning center, nor was able to stop the bullying that many of the GTLD students endured right under our adult noses, without us even knowing. While I know that private school was not the best in the area, most people can not afford those other schools, and MCPS's GTLD program at MCPS is one of only 2 in the country, I believe. It is worth exploring and supporting. Our children have, by law, a right to a free and appropriate education. That is just what the MCPS GTLD program is trying to provide. Marisa Stemple, MCPS's GT/LD Instructional Specialist, works tirelessly along with her GTLD teachers to sensitize the other teachers and administrators to the needs of our GTLD kids. This means that, with our support and time, the GTLD programs should get even better, and increasing percentages of educators and staff should begin to understand the needs of our children and so many like them. The more support and publicity the GTLD program gets, the more likely we can help children not fall through the cracks, and the more effectively we can advocate to have those IEPs truly followed (an issue faced by all populations of families with children with IEPs, unfortunately). When we band together, gather our forces to let our GTLD program's strengths and importance to MCPS in general be more widely known, we can help educate and increase teacher and staff buy-in, better support those teachers and staff who are already working tirelessly to help our children, better encourage each other and our children, and gain rather than lose hope.

If you child is not yet within the MCPS GTLD program, do not lose heart. Contact Marisa Stemple via the MCPS website and talk with her about your child. The program will not solve every problem by any stretch, but it has provided profound help to many children. If your child is already in the program and you are concerned, come to the GTLD Network meetings and express your concerns. We advocate on behalf of all of our children. While the program is not perfect, it is a precious resource not to be taken for granted, and it can help your child tremendously, as it has done for countless others.

I regret that this posting is so long. Thanks for reading and Take Heart, – Kayla

Trust me PP, it is heartbreaking.

I don't know what has happened to the GTLD program, but it is failing. Maybe N. Bethesda is better? Otherwise, there are some privates that do a fantastic job with these kids.

This thread is so disheartening. We have a GT/LD 5th grader with an IEP...doing ok at elementary level, nothing amazing about the services/school experience, but now I am really starting to worry about middle school. I am so sorry to hear about the poster's experience at the GT/LD program. We were considering that for our child, but after reading about the lack of services and extracurricular activities I am seriously re-considering that option.

Are all of the GT/LD program in MoCo that depressing? Would love to hear more specifics, especially about the program at North Bethesda since that would be the one for our child. I would really love to see my kid enjoying school but starting to worry that will never happen.

Westland is well-intentioned and takes IEP stuff seriously, but teachers -- like teachers everywhere -- are uneven in how they apply the accommodations. You have to stay on top of them.

The administration also really supports the implementation of IEPs and that's great.

The execution of GT is less good, I think -- although again, this is more MCPS than Westland. The level of the students is generally pretty high so there's a certain amount of challenge for everyone, but the continued identification and challenge that's part of real GT doesn't really exist. One teacher, for example, based her GT recommendation for a child on whether that child had handed in homework on time. And it's the teacher's designation in individual classes that gets the child recommended for GT the following year. Even if they do get "GT" on their transcript, it doesn't mean much.

What is Westland like for a GT/LD kid with an IEP? Anyone have experience there? What is the process of getting a kid into one of the specific GT/LD programs? I assumed like everything else in MoCo it would be a pretty competitive process, but is that the reality?

Thanks to the original poster for starting this thread because we are also trying to find the best fit.