Special Education and What Happens Long Term

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As a last ditch effort, we might put our son in private school if we do not think he is progressing enough to pass the TAKS test. Then put him back in public school for the sixth grade. Private schools are not subject to the Texas Legislature's stupid rules.

It is just really sad to think that you may have to go to those lengths to get around the stupid laws! I feel for you, I take it that you don't have a money tree dropping dollar bills on your lawn?

Glad to know you are thinking of options that may work though...

What about Homeschooling?

I am looking online, it looks like there are a lot of practice tests a available online, do you think it would help to have him do these sorts to tests at home all next year to really make them super familiar with him, the format for answering, and make sure he understands the key concepts that will be asked? Identify weak areas that may need bulking up?

*sigh* It really is such bull**** that school has turned out like this, teaching kids to pass a test, not teaching them for a sake of learning! But it is what it is, if you are going to exist in the box, you better shape yourself as best you can like a cube!

Homeschooling wouldn't work for us. We both have to work, and I don't think I would be as effective of a teacher as what our son has in public school.

Guess we'll just have to take it day by day.

I was looking online at Texas Homeschooling laws, they look as relaxed as Ontario. I think it is really scary to think that a lot of parents in your situation may end up withdrawing their kids and homeschooling not because they want to, but just because they feel they have no other choice. Funny that you feel your son is better in the public system, and that they are more "effective" then you, but it is with you he would not need to pass standard tests!

Well, if you are not up to it, I can respect that! I have met a lot of parents that bite off more then they can chew with it, and it is not a good thing!

Anyway, hopefully things start to work out!

Oh, I could get him through it, but I'm not a teacher. I could teach him the basics, but I want him to have better than that. Generally speaking the teachers in public school specialize in the area they are teaching. This, of course, isn't always the case, but for the most part it is. That's why they go to college and get their teaching credentials. I specialize in drafting legal briefs and getting ready for trial. Science, social studies, history, music, and spanish, while interesting to me, are not deeply engrained into my knowledge base. I would be doing my child a disservice pretending to be qualified to teach these things when I don't know a hill of beans about them. Oh yeah, I know there are teacher manuals to help me -- that still doesn't make me qualified to teach those subjects in my opinion.

Further, children tend to act differently in a school setting versus a home setting. My son is way more respectful and put together at school than when he is at home. Home is where he can relax and put his hair down, so to speak. Home is his safe place where he let's go of all the frustrations and anger he has stored throughout the day. He won't have a tantrum at school because he knows the kids will think he's an idiot, but he has no problem displaying them at home where he knows he is loved unconditionally.

Lastly, school is where he gets his social training. Yeah we have him in sports and other activities, but he gets his biggest dose of diverse social skills training in school. There's no way I could ever replicate that at home. Plus, all it costs me is my property tax, which I have to pay anyway.

To Earthcalling and all the others reading this post, please don't take this reply as a slight toward home schooling. I realize that there are very valid reasons why some children need to be home schooled. My son is very high functioning and intelligent, but does poorly in large settings due to his ADHD which is co-morbid with his AS. He has the social equivilency of an 8 year old because of the AS, so social skills training is vital for him. We once lived in an area where the general ed kids would receive, at best, a substandard education, and the special ed kids would receive squat! If we stayed there it would have meant putting our son into private school to give him the education and services he deserved, which is something we couldn't afford. We moved to this area specifically for the education and services our son would receive while still being in the public school system. We left our family, our friends, our jobs, and the State I grew up in order to give our son the best opportunities. We researched many areas before making our decision. In the end we made the best choice possible. The principal of his school has spent his entire career in special education, and he has created a top-notch team to support the kids. Our son is thriving and loves school. It's challenging at times, but we manage through it.

We've been able to manipulate the school system so far...now we just need to figure out how to manipulate the Texas Legislature!

Personally, I find the idea of a test to determine advancement to the next grade a bad idea. It allows someone who didn't do a lick of work all year to pass based on a test score, and a good student to fail if, for some reason, he or she got nervous on a test or had a major upset, such as a death of a person or pet. It doesn't seem fair. Too much teaching plays to learning to pass fill in the bubble type tests. Very often, the information isn't retained after the test.

First and formost, I am not trying to convince you that you SHOULD homeschool, or that homeschooling is better. It is an alternative, that is all. If it is not for you or your son, then that is perfectly respectable!

I think though, that this is a gross misunderstanding of what homeschooling is though! I would agree, in an ideal situation, a school may be able to offer a child a lot more then they could possibly have at home. But, there are a lot of cons with schools:

1.) Usually the classroom learning environment is a very generic place, that specializes in no ones interests or learning styles. For 75% of kids, this is ok, they make it through, they go on to post secondary ed, they have good lives just like everyone wanted for them.

But, what about those kids who don't thrive in the class? Do they get the help and support do they need? Do they loose interest grow frustrated or become disinfanchised with the school system? Certainly with the number of people who never complete highschool, or hate it by the end of it all, it is evident that the school system is NOT meeting the needs of many students!

My son was in a school for 4 years, (2 kindgergarden, gr 1 / gr 2). By the end of it, he could not read Cat in the Hat! Now, I by no means was an expert, but 4 months at home had him reading real books! In a year he was reading Tales of a fourth grade nothing! Now, not all parents can do this, I can respect that, but you don't need to be an expert to help. There is nothing "magical" about teachers. For the most time with challenged learners, it is a matter of trial and error, lots of one on one support and genuine interest to help the child. These are things that most parents do have!

2.) How does studying for standardized tests actaully teach learning? How many times have you heard from teachers that they feel bound and gagged by the tests, having to cram enough info into students to get them to pass tests, while not really learning or understanding "why" and hating every minute of it?

3.) How many teachers actually do teach in areas they specialize in? My sons Grade 6 teacher knows little about math and science! Honestly it is pathetic, she gets a prepackaged cirriculum sheet, makes them fill it out, and grade it (half the time adding up the mark wrong). She was a humanities student, not math / science, and really does NOT do a very good job of it. In later grades though yes they do specialize, and I can appreciate that some parents would be lost teaching grade 10 math! Still though, there are good teachers and bad teachers, don't fool yourself! I know more about how to teacher math and science to my son then my sons teacher. That is kind of sad, but true and not at all cocky! He comes home clueless from her class everyday, and after reviewing it with me, understands well enough to apply it all in class and on tests. He has held a B average in science, and last term since I took over his math, has maintained B's and jumped 2 grade levels! (First term with the school, he failed!) Now again, not all parents can do this!

4.) How many teachers are so jadded and disinfanchised with their jobs / life that they actually really give a damn anymore and pull all the stops to help their students? I know my experiances with teachers there to collect a paycheck vs. Teachers who want to teach have followed a ratio of about 5:1 all my life, my sons life is the same way! It sounds like you have good support, I would not want to rob you or your son of that, but if you read enough parenting posts here, you will see this is not usually the case!

Basically, school is not all its cracked up to be! If it is something you are interested in, then that is great, I can certainly appreciate that, afterall, I have had my son in school again for the last year!



I hear you on the acting differently. At home, my son did not want to do any formal work, he had a ton of general knowledge, but trying to get him to do math without a school telling him he had to? Forget it! That is why I put him back, I knew he was ready to start doing some more formal work, and needed to make that next step. I also needed a line between school and home for him. Ironically we have done more math reading and writting at home in the last 9 months then we did the year and a 1/2 prior! It was time to go back!



This is also why I wanted to put my son back in school, not so much for social training, but I wanted to get a psycho educational evaluation and I was thinking that maybe they could do something with his fine motor skills and writting development. So, we are on a waiting list for a psycho ed (will get it next fall) occupational therapy (two years from now) and I did get a few tips with writting, ironically most of what helps the most is stuff I do with him at home, because they don't have time to help him! I also got in touch with an aunt of mine who works in special education, and she recommended a bunch of software, which I approached the school about it, they had never heard about it, but took it very seriously (partly because I had been riding them for 3 months, and handed in teacher manuals my aunt made for another district for these programs!) Fortuanately they are approved in our district and they are looking into setting him up with them now and getting him a lap top with them next year!! So, I can definately see the resourses being a big draw for keeping him in school. With me, it was stuff like art that I was just struggling to do with him, and I knew he really wanted to do more with too.




I am not offended at all, I know that there are reasons to homeschool, and reasons to keep a child in school. I am not one of those that sees it as a "superior" form of education, but I bet if you really looked into it (and there is no reason why you really should, since you know it won't work for you) you would see that it is indeed not an inferior method of teaching! It allows a lot of flexability and choice for kids to take their natural curiosity about the world and their part in it, and really make a custom tailored program to get them through it. They have found that most Homeschooled children are happy, well adjusted and educationally are usually on par or ahead of their school dwelling peers. They just have "different" opportunities, that is all. I know families that Home school for the lifestyle it offers, to raise their child in a given environment, because their children where bored in school (gifted) or because they where being bullied or lagging behind. You find all types of children that are being homeschooled, all for their own unique reasons. I think that rather then the "child" the deciding factor is the parent and how the parent can cope / function in a homeschooling enviornment. It is not for everyone, some have to work, others are just not the teaching type, others are too afraid, others possibly just need a break from their kids and fear they would not be happy or would "loose it" if they had to deal 24/7 at home with the kids! (I don't think this is wrong or bad either, it is a fact of our modern society, even I breath a sigh of relief these days when two out of the three are in school! although I used to laugh a little at parents who used to groan about "what am I going to do with the kids over spring break home all day!"

A part of me had wondered if you could use HS'ing as a bridge around the tests, pull him out before they write them, the put him back in in September, Maybe they would just put him into the next grade? Although anything like this would have to be reserched or it could horribly backfire if other "tests" needed to be written for placement!

But, again, if this is not for you, then don't think anyone thinks you should! You have a school willing to work with you, a bright boy, and a job and a life of your own! Work with, manipulate and pray as much as you possibly can, I can see you are a determined woman, I am sure you will find a way to make it and the stupid laws work! Just don't stop screaming until things are Ok, and never take an answer you don't like as your reality, fight and scream to the bitter end! It is when they know you won't go away quietly that final accomidations are made!

Best of luck!

Thanks for your post, Earthcalling. We're having a nice conversation about all of this, and it's nice to discuss it with someone who really cares about the subject.

I have just got to say have wonderful it is to have my father and mother-in-law! I am so blessed to have access to their knowledge and inside information about what is really going on in Texas education.

We had a nice discussion of what I can expect, what I should push for and how I should push for it. They say as long as I push it our son will not have to be held back even if he tanks the test! They are also going to send me the code sections, so I can present the specific codes in order to get the second set of text books and anything else we may need.

It's always nice to discuss these things with them. I always feel better about everything!

I am glad that your parents where able to help you this way!

My husband has an aunt who works in special education. She is a little distanced from our family due to a feud between my MIL and herself, but hearing of the troubles we are having she came to the rescue! She was able to give us some great inside information and programs that got the school hopping! Just hearing "I have an aunt who co ordinates special ed in another district sent them flying to their paperwork! (Silly Vogons!)

It sounds like things may work out for the best yet, he will get the support he needs from people you trust, and be allowed to pass to the next grade even if things don't go "exactly" as planned next year!

Have you given any thought to practice tests? I wonder if keeping an eye on them may help you identify areas he may be particularly weak in, and definately increased familiarity with them would help him not to "panic" when writting them in a class next year?

That's a good idea. We'll have to look into that. The more comfortable we are with something, the better we are at it.

Last edited by JsMom on 21 May 2007, 9:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

I saw some online, I was looking over a grade 5 one (from your state) thinking about how my son would do at it!

Apparently they release the tests from prior years, and produce practice ones... Many can be found online...