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I am interested in people who have special needs family members responding preferrably parents/primary caregivers but others please answer too just mention your child's relation to yourself ie: grandparent, uncle etc...
On a scale of one to ten... 1 being horrible and 10 being great...please rate your district and say why you gave the rating you did. I am asking for 2 reasons. First I may have to move if I cannot get what my child needs and secondly there are no resources for families of 'atypical' children on how districts preform in this area.
We are in Sachem school district and I have to give it a 1 for horrible. The nickle and diming is insane and the head of student services runs special ed like he is a dictator. The sad part is much of the teaching staff and some of the old administration still remember the good old days under a previous administrator. So the great reputation Sachem used to have in this area is not even close to how the district is being run now. As far as the superintendent he seems to encourage the behavior and/or convienently let it slide. He is being told he is saving money on paper but too ignorant to factor in all the wasted $$$ for extra CSE meetings, impartial hearings and lawsuits ...not factoring in that each meeting has at least 5 staff members and the law fees associated with all the legal actions.
To sum it up....Sachem is making programs for their lowest functioning students just to keep them out of Bocese and save $$. All the while cutting in a stealthy way (putting more responsibility on one person when clearly another should be hired). They will not provide OT more than twice a week for children despite the child's disability, they push speech groups of 5 children (in one 30 minute session btw 5 minutes a child) on parents saying "they need to learn pragmatics" but the child is non verbal and would obviously need intense therapy on a one on one basis to even speak a word....all in an attempt cut the amount of speech therapists. They cut previous programs especially their once well regarded Step program(for sutistic children) . It is now a shell of what it once was due to cuts especially in one area where they cut Teacher Assistants and replaced the position with aides (aide is a non certified HS dimploma position compared to having to be a certified teacher).
They question even the recommendations of the disabled child's medical team for example not providing air conditioning for children who have medical conditions (remember ALOT of children in special ed in Sachem need a 12 month program) or not providing the appropriate assistive technology or another example is not broviding the appropriate therapist to help with the needs of the child (like no feeding therapist).
So we are at a point of if you are not going to really provide a free appropriate education for kids with disabilities let them go private or cross district them out to a district that will.
So you can see I really wish there was a rating for a districts Special Education departments since obviously I am really dissappointed with Sachem.
So again 1-10 on your district and your opinion please. It will certainly help me and other parents who have kids with special needs.
Islip...eh, maybe a 5...
You have to beg, borrow, and bow for services. This takes over 4 months. Expect paperwork delays and 'gee, I don't knows' from gate keepers. Meanwhile have classroom teachers calling you every day with "Today Johnny zoned out and didn't listen to me."
Eventually my son got a lot of services but they are either very lax or overburdened that it took us kicking up a fuss at our treatment with the director to get our son classified and given services.
However, once classifed, his teacher 'gave up' on him (no messing up the 'stats' now he's special ed.) His special ed teacher was excellent and caring (he went to her 5 mornings a week). The physical therapist was also a gem.
Now we moved and they are actually hustling for him at his new school.
yes your right you have to bend over backwards to get a school district
to give your needy student you are paying taxes for just for services
part of the reason, too many illegals are moving into area, not paying
taxes and yet you have to pay through your taxes to support their
many kids.
Wow I heard Islip was a great Special Ed district... I am so glad I asked this.
I have my own opinion on illegal immigrants using our school system but lets try and keep this on topic. There is no where for parents to find info about Special Education programs on LI aside from speaking with advocates and education lawyers but they can only tell you the bad since they only see clients who need their services.
Syosset-Woodbury School District is great for the child with special needs
Syosset/Woodbury is a great district for the special needs child. The district is in the forefront of educational opportunities for all children and special needs kids have outstanding teachers. It is considered an honor by most in the teaching profession to be on the Syosset staff. These men and women are the best trained teachers around. They are also plentiful. Syosset boasts a strong contingent of consultants in reading psych and speech. The system abounds with tutors as well. Every kid is seen as part of the "team" and so they are encouraged to do well, not shifted to Boces. Many of the best teachers, those that teach honors classes, also teach a class with the special needs child.
In elementary school and middle schools it is not shocking to find 1 or 2 aides in a classroom of 20 for children who require more one on one attention.
Septa meetings are especially well attended and prepared. The professional who advocates for the child are treated as the experts they are and are well respected. Rarely have I had an issue when a doc or therapist has suggested a plan of action. It seems that people in the Septa meeting are already on board.
In terms of testing and counseling Syosset is the best of the districts I have to deal with as an attorney who occasionally represents SEPTA kids and their families.
Bus issues are easily taken care of for the kids with those issues.
Administration is used to dealing with children with challenges. The district even recognizes their achievements at award assemblies with other kids.
The district encourages the acceptance of the special needs child. Taunting and teasing is strongly discouraged and bulling is quickly put to a stop.
The special need family should feel very confident sending their child to the Syosset Central School District, the taxes are high, but children and their educational and social growth needs are investments the families in this district take very seriously.
Last edited by catlaw1; 09-23-2007 at 04:56 PM..
Reason: additional thoughts
I don't know much about this, but I do have a friend in East Rockaway whose child has been getting quite a bit of services. He's now attending a school in, I believe, Woodmere. I don't think she's had any complaints.
Islip...eh, maybe a 5...
You have to beg, borrow, and bow for services. This takes over 4 months. Expect paperwork delays and 'gee, I don't knows' from gate keepers. Meanwhile have classroom teachers calling you every day with "Today Johnny zoned out and didn't listen to me."
Eventually my son got a lot of services but they are either very lax or overburdened that it took us kicking up a fuss at our treatment with the director to get our son classified and given services.
However, once classifed, his teacher 'gave up' on him (no messing up the 'stats' now he's special ed.) His special ed teacher was excellent and caring (he went to her 5 mornings a week). The physical therapist was also a gem.
Now we moved and they are actually hustling for him at his new school.
Longwood is pretty good. We moved out of Pat/med because wanted a bigger house. Our kids go to parochial school. When we were living in Pat/med, we had to beg and beg for services for my 3-4 year old. He needed speech, ot and really should have been in an integreted program. well pat/med said no for almost 2 years. Eventually 6 months before K, they agreed.
Now we live in Longwood. Last year my son's teacher asked if we would have him evualated as his reading was poor. He was in 2nd grade. He was evualated in December and by Jan he had resource ; 180 mins per week. It was wonderful and he is getting it again this year. No questions asked at all.
However as he goes to Parochial, things have changed. Now all the IEP's will be approved by Pat/med as this is where the school is. Longwood I believe will be billed for it. So we dont know what will happen next year.
At the time we were going thru Pat/Med, the person on the board of special ed was horrendous. I believe she moved ; Hempstead I believe. But she was just terrible.
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schools and special ed
