State of the Educational System

[buddys]

Just wondering what everyone's opinion is on their local educational system.  Ours is so overloaded that if your don't conform to the "normal" group of students then you're on your own.  I have a grandson who had ADHD and is a little dyslexic and they have passed him from grade to grade without him learning enough to fill a thimble.  He reads very slowly and does better if someone reads it to him.  His memory is prodigious and once he has commited something to memory he can recall it years later.  The teachers just don't have the resources to sit with him individually and teach him.  The family do what we can but we can't always help him keep up either.

So what is the state of your local educational system.

[dn3dj]

I have heard that our particular school district is one of the best in our part of the state.  I have always home schooled and didn't want to stop when we moved here.  Since my children are thriving at home and have the one on one attention from me, working at the pace they need to work for a particular subject, I see no need at this time to put them in our public school. 

[buddys]

Good point.  My wife and I offered to homeschool him, but our daughter in law wanted him to have the social aspect of "school".  I disagree but there's little I can do about it.  He is now failing yet another class.  He is supposed to be a senior this school year but I think he only has the credits to be a first semester junior.  I would still like to homeschool him but we are not the parents in this situation and have very little say so.   

[clickprincess]

I have similar issues with my son in the local school system.  My son has been diagnosed with a variety of things from ADHD to ODD along with bipolar and anxiety disorders.  He doesn't show any learning disabilities in the tests so it's difficult to get him the help that he needs.  Last year, the school said that he didn't qualify for an IEP due to only having "emotional" difficulties.  I later found out that this is wrong as the law included emotional issues as reasons to have accommodations.  I have a meeting scheduled later this week and I am much better armed this year.

The issue is that the school district must pay for any accommodations so they fight them whenever they can.  Our public schools are severely underfunded for what is needed today.  I thought briefly of homeschooling  but I know that wouldn't work.  I don't have the patience to teach every day and my son wouldn't listen to me anyway.  I don't have time to commit to it and do it properly.

[Narnian]

Our partiular problem locally is the practice of "social promotion." Elementary and middle school students are passed on to the next grade regardless of whether they actually earned a passing grade, under the assumption that keeping them with other students their age will push them to work harder to reach the same level as their friends.

It doesn't work, and no policies have been implemented to change it, so our high schools are virtually full of teenagers with 4th grade reading levels. *sigh*

[buddys]

Well,  I finally found out why he isn't getting any help.  The school system in my state doesn't recognize his learning problems as a disablity.  Any type of learning disability that is not a physical, mental or developmental problem or injury is not considered a problem that the school system will help with.  Go figure.

[clickprincess]

ADHD and dsylexia are both eligible for special ed services.  Someone needs to get an advocate - google it for your state.  They can help you fight the system.