It is much, much harder to win in MoCo than DC.

Anonymous wrote:Montgomery county does not pay to send their SN kids to private sp Ed schools because they're equipped to meet their needs within the public school system. Hard to win a case against them in court. Anyone know what percentage of DCPS budget goes to paying for private placements?

Wrong. Any school district that loses in court pays for private placement. MoCo is among them.

Anonymous wrote:Montgomery county does not pay to send their SN kids to private sp Ed schools because they're equipped to meet their needs within the public school system. Hard to win a case against them in court. Anyone know what percentage of DCPS budget goes to paying for private placements?

Oh, very untrue. I teach at a special Ed school in DC, and we have Montgomery County students. They pay full tuition and provide transportation for a number of children. Certainly, dc has a larger portion in private placements, but mont. co has plenty as well.

Montgomery county does not pay to send their SN kids to private sp Ed schools because they're equipped to meet their needs within the public school system. Hard to win a case against them in court. Anyone know what percentage of DCPS budget goes to paying for private placements?

The problem is not the private placement process (which admittedly is too easy) but the REASON for the placement need. Schools who just throw up their hands and say they can't do it, won't do it or don't have a damn clue in the world how to do it. Until people buckle down and commit to getting the job done the job is simply NOT getting done by DCPS and DCPCS in most schools. It is a travesty that parents of SN kids have to spend half of their waking hours earning an amateur law degree to advocate so that their kids aren't completely screwed over by the system.

"Squeaky wheel" aka PITA parents always get the services their child needs b/c they're exactly the kind of parents who'll sue DCPS for a private placement if the IEP isn't being met. Not hard to win with a good attorney and they get paid by DCPS if the plaintiffs prevail. Last I heard Ivymount Model Asperger's program is $65k/yr which DCPS will pay and they will transport your child to and fro at no cost to the parents. Worth looking into OP if it does not work out! Ivymount MAP starts in 2nd grade? Check their website.

"Janney"

LMAO. You have to be a big time squeeky wheel to get what you need at Janney. There are so many kids with dxs that the special ed team will dismiss and avoid dealing with anything they can get away with.

Barnard has an open house every Thursday am, but if you specify interest in the SN programs they could arrange a personal tour.

I agree. Even the most highly skilled teachers need a well-written, data-driven IEP. Without quantitative measurements your child will be subject of the anecdotal whims of the observer.

Anonymous wrote:they are fantastic! amazing spec ed team> i have found them to follow to iep to a t.

Good to know, but it's only worthwhile if the IEP is stellar and the implementation equally so. It's easier to impress parents than professionals - the former are emotionally invested in having made a "successful" choice.

It's just something to keep in mind. Don't accept praise, or any other form of narrative. A good IEP is data-driven towards specific goals.

Good luck.

they are fantastic! amazing spec ed team> i have found them to follow to iep to a t.

Anonymous wrote:Janney

OP: Did you find the Sp Ed dept more accommodating and how are they about following the IEP? We are not in-bounds for Janney but we will move for a good public mainstream classroom. At this point, we are looking at Montgomery County but would rather stay in DC. We do not want to sue DCPS for a private placement but will do so if we can't find a school that can accommodate DC's needs.

Janney

So is your SN child still there or have you left?

19:04: Changing a whole school culture is more work than many SN parents can handle with everything else in our lives. The system has been allowed to go on like this with the understanding that people will eventually tire out, leave and gravitate towards one of the schools that serve sped students better.