Each of us is only one data point. I'm glad you felt like you had some good conversations, OP!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I decided to call the schools. Called highly rated Fairfax county schools- the replies were mostly they did not have an inclusion program. So basically my kid will be placed in a special needs classroom irrespective of how high functioning he is. Rest had a huge waiting list.
I then called the schools this board suggested- FKES and Flora Singer, immediately got transferred to someone willing to help and basically got the response I was looking for- he will be placed in a regular classroom with extra help, a teaching aide. I don’t know I’m just very relieved and not getting the comments which spoke negatively about these schools.

It's DCUM - there's always negativity talking about anything or anyone in MCPS.

I’m amused because the Op is trusting what the MCPS employee says will actually happen. When an MCPS employee is speaking you have to seriously question what they are promising. But keep hoping and then come back to this board and join the rest of us who tried to prevent you from getting the t-shirt. Basically my view is Takoma Park cluster or bust - that’s the only neighborhood that’s cared about in the county…hope your kid can 2e into Blair Magnet / then you are a ‘good’ parent worthy of support (you have the right politics and your kid is making a really screwy public school system look good).

Wow: you must have had some negative experiences, and for that I am sorry. Our story does not match yours. Everyone we have worked with has done what they promised to do or been honest with us when something could not happen. We have never had to threaten, argue, beg, or report one person to another; we have never been ignored or dismissed. I have to hope that our school shows the same level of interest and care to every family, because we don't bring any special connections or power to the table and I don't think we're particularly either low-maintenance or high-maintenance.

Congratulations to you. Know your experience is in the minority. Although you didn’t ask we left DMV and all got better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I decided to call the schools. Called highly rated Fairfax county schools- the replies were mostly they did not have an inclusion program. So basically my kid will be placed in a special needs classroom irrespective of how high functioning he is. Rest had a huge waiting list.
I then called the schools this board suggested- FKES and Flora Singer, immediately got transferred to someone willing to help and basically got the response I was looking for- he will be placed in a regular classroom with extra help, a teaching aide. I don’t know I’m just very relieved and not getting the comments which spoke negatively about these schools.

It's DCUM - there's always negativity talking about anything or anyone in MCPS.

I’m amused because the Op is trusting what the MCPS employee says will actually happen. When an MCPS employee is speaking you have to seriously question what they are promising. But keep hoping and then come back to this board and join the rest of us who tried to prevent you from getting the t-shirt. Basically my view is Takoma Park cluster or bust - that’s the only neighborhood that’s cared about in the county…hope your kid can 2e into Blair Magnet / then you are a ‘good’ parent worthy of support (you have the right politics and your kid is making a really screwy public school system look good).

Wow: you must have had some negative experiences, and for that I am sorry. Our story does not match yours. Everyone we have worked with has done what they promised to do or been honest with us when something could not happen. We have never had to threaten, argue, beg, or report one person to another; we have never been ignored or dismissed. I have to hope that our school shows the same level of interest and care to every family, because we don't bring any special connections or power to the table and I don't think we're particularly either low-maintenance or high-maintenance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I decided to call the schools. Called highly rated Fairfax county schools- the replies were mostly they did not have an inclusion program. So basically my kid will be placed in a special needs classroom irrespective of how high functioning he is. Rest had a huge waiting list.
I then called the schools this board suggested- FKES and Flora Singer, immediately got transferred to someone willing to help and basically got the response I was looking for- he will be placed in a regular classroom with extra help, a teaching aide. I don’t know I’m just very relieved and not getting the comments which spoke negatively about these schools.

It's DCUM - there's always negativity talking about anything or anyone in MCPS.

I’m amused because the Op is trusting what the MCPS employee says will actually happen. When an MCPS employee is speaking you have to seriously question what they are promising. But keep hoping and then come back to this board and join the rest of us who tried to prevent you from getting the t-shirt. Basically my view is Takoma Park cluster or bust - that’s the only neighborhood that’s cared about in the county…hope your kid can 2e into Blair Magnet / then you are a ‘good’ parent worthy of support (you have the right politics and your kid is making a really screwy public school system look good).

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I decided to call the schools. Called highly rated Fairfax county schools- the replies were mostly they did not have an inclusion program. So basically my kid will be placed in a special needs classroom irrespective of how high functioning he is. Rest had a huge waiting list.
I then called the schools this board suggested- FKES and Flora Singer, immediately got transferred to someone willing to help and basically got the response I was looking for- he will be placed in a regular classroom with extra help, a teaching aide. I don’t know I’m just very relieved and not getting the comments which spoke negatively about these schools.

We are at Rock View, which nearby. We have had good IEP experiences, and Rock View also hosts a Learning Center for kids who can’t be mainstreamed. So the staff are used to kids with significant special needs (lunch ladies, secretary, etc), and it’s been great. My kid also likes being able to be a leader and help kids with bigger challenges than him, and he doesn’t get to do that much!

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I decided to call the schools. Called highly rated Fairfax county schools- the replies were mostly they did not have an inclusion program. So basically my kid will be placed in a special needs classroom irrespective of how high functioning he is. Rest had a huge waiting list.
I then called the schools this board suggested- FKES and Flora Singer, immediately got transferred to someone willing to help and basically got the response I was looking for- he will be placed in a regular classroom with extra help, a teaching aide. I don’t know I’m just very relieved and not getting the comments which spoke negatively about these schools.

We are at flora singer and while we don’t have any IEPs, we know families with kids who do. They seem pretty happy, there’s an open monthly meeting for parents to discuss issues for kids with special needs specifically. The admin is great overall.

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I decided to call the schools. Called highly rated Fairfax county schools- the replies were mostly they did not have an inclusion program. So basically my kid will be placed in a special needs classroom irrespective of how high functioning he is. Rest had a huge waiting list.
I then called the schools this board suggested- FKES and Flora Singer, immediately got transferred to someone willing to help and basically got the response I was looking for- he will be placed in a regular classroom with extra help, a teaching aide. I don’t know I’m just very relieved and not getting the comments which spoke negatively about these schools.

It's DCUM - there's always negativity talking about anything or anyone in MCPS.

OP here, I decided to call the schools. Called highly rated Fairfax county schools- the replies were mostly they did not have an inclusion program. So basically my kid will be placed in a special needs classroom irrespective of how high functioning he is. Rest had a huge waiting list.
I then called the schools this board suggested- FKES and Flora Singer, immediately got transferred to someone willing to help and basically got the response I was looking for- he will be placed in a regular classroom with extra help, a teaching aide. I don’t know I’m just very relieved and not getting the comments which spoke negatively about these schools.

I found Diamond Elementary to be good - but that was a couple years ago so I can't speak to the current situation. DD had an IEP there.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm an NP and know nothing about Forest Knolls but it does matter what home school your child is zoned for even in the DCC. The key words are choice "process." They actually assign your child to a school based on your choices but if your child is at Forest Knolls there's almost no chance of Blair as an example. Too many inbounds kids selecting Blair. I don't know how popular the other schools are though.

I do know a family with a child at Northwood who did well and the only bad information I've read about Northwood is on this board so there's that.

Just pointing out that OP said her child is 3 1/2 years old.

Anonymous wrote:OP here- The IEP is for Autism. He has a speech delay (both expressive and receptive) but cognitively does well. I’m looking for an elementary school where he’s accepted and also where he is placed in a general Ed classroom with a teaching aide or some extra help. Was thinking of looking for schools in Montgomery, Fairfax and Loudoun county but was partial to MCPS. Rethinking a little after the reviews here.

Your child will not get a teaching aide in a regular classroom, and if by extra help you mean large group pull outs for 30 to 45 minutes once or twice a week you can get that. I really don't know anyone who gets more than that who is mainstreamed.

I would suggest you target a Focus or Title 1 school where the class sizes are smaller. The MCPS schools in wealthy areas can have 27 kids in one classroom, 1 teacher, and several may have IEPs which basically means no help. The Focus and Title 1 schools tend to have class sizes that are closer to 12 to 15 in our area and sometimes they do get extra help in terms of a paraeducator who comes in a few hours a day.

OP, I'm an NP and know nothing about Forest Knolls but it does matter what home school your child is zoned for even in the DCC. The key words are choice "process." They actually assign your child to a school based on your choices but if your child is at Forest Knolls there's almost no chance of Blair as an example. Too many inbounds kids selecting Blair. I don't know how popular the other schools are though.

I do know a family with a child at Northwood who did well and the only bad information I've read about Northwood is on this board so there's that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bannockburn ES
Carderock ES

+1. I'm the one who asked you about the area and type of IEP. I don't think whomever recommended Forest Knolls ES has your best interests at heart.

MCPS has good teachers and programs, but you have to know which programs and which teachers aren't into playing politics with the children. Unfortunately the current MCPS leadership is not very good and until they're replaced you'll probably see a lot of bitter comments posted here.

This is an incredibly unkind sentiment. I'm not the PP, but I've heard great things about FKES and accusing someone of making a bad faith suggestion is just a really crappy way to behave.

To make that accusion while recommending only schools in parts of the county that are outside OP's price range is just doubling down on the kind of classist, nonsense that permeates this board. You should be ashamed PP.

Forest Knolls feeds Northwood.

Anyone steering a family into a ES that feeds a HS with a 16% dropout rate and 80% graduation rate is incredibly unkind themselves.

Forest Knolls is in the DCC, so it feeds 5 HSs. Northwood is the home school, but kids in the DCC have a choice process for all 5. Northwood is also slated for a new school building in the next several years. By pre-pandemic calculations this year's 4th graders would be the first in the new school building, but I don't know what the pandemic has done to those plans.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bannockburn ES
Carderock ES

+1. I'm the one who asked you about the area and type of IEP. I don't think whomever recommended Forest Knolls ES has your best interests at heart.

MCPS has good teachers and programs, but you have to know which programs and which teachers aren't into playing politics with the children. Unfortunately the current MCPS leadership is not very good and until they're replaced you'll probably see a lot of bitter comments posted here.

This is an incredibly unkind sentiment. I'm not the PP, but I've heard great things about FKES and accusing someone of making a bad faith suggestion is just a really crappy way to behave.

To make that accusion while recommending only schools in parts of the county that are outside OP's price range is just doubling down on the kind of classist, nonsense that permeates this board. You should be ashamed PP.

Forest Knolls feeds Northwood.

Anyone steering a family into a ES that feeds a HS with a 16% dropout rate and 80% graduation rate is incredibly unkind themselves.

Because every kid will drop out or not graduate?

I think what the PP is trying to say is that they have no earthly idea how well Forest Knolls ES deals with IEPs, but they bought an expensive house in Bethesda and need to believe the schools in Bethesda are better than Silver Spring schools in every way order to feel good about how financially stretched they are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bannockburn ES
Carderock ES

+1. I'm the one who asked you about the area and type of IEP. I don't think whomever recommended Forest Knolls ES has your best interests at heart.

MCPS has good teachers and programs, but you have to know which programs and which teachers aren't into playing politics with the children. Unfortunately the current MCPS leadership is not very good and until they're replaced you'll probably see a lot of bitter comments posted here.

This is an incredibly unkind sentiment. I'm not the PP, but I've heard great things about FKES and accusing someone of making a bad faith suggestion is just a really crappy way to behave.

To make that accusion while recommending only schools in parts of the county that are outside OP's price range is just doubling down on the kind of classist, nonsense that permeates this board. You should be ashamed PP.

Forest Knolls feeds Northwood.

Anyone steering a family into a ES that feeds a HS with a 16% dropout rate and 80% graduation rate is incredibly unkind themselves.

Because every kid will drop out or not graduate?