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We pay totally out of pocket for her to attend the school as well as we pay for a speech therapist to work with her for 45 minutes one time per week.  It is finanically challenging for us but WELL worth it.    We are able to provide my daughter with the best possible learning environment for her.   She has only 10 children in her class, is in a structured, mutisensory teaching environment which age blends the students according to thier academic ability.   She is thriving and staying at age level academically.  We are so proud of her.

We are not pursuing financial support from PSS.  The legal challenge for this is so long and "yucky."  However, I do appreciate the heartache this family has gone through to get this ruling.  It benifits many children who need it. 

posted 3 years, 11 months ago
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Read the law..

posted 3 years, 11 months ago
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I am a parent of a child with special needs who has chosen to send my child to private school instead of public school.  We did this because we wanted our child to be in the BEST educational environment for her to succeed to the BEST of her abilities. 

The PPS system could not provide her with the same learning environment.  I was frustrated with how they would have approached her learning challenges.  Thier policy and systematic approach is to provide the fewest amount of supports possible and see if she suceeds.    The amount of supports that were to be provided were so inadequate that failure for her was iminent.  Imagine what that does to a child's sence of self confidence. 

After being a part of early intervention, then going through the kindergarden placement process with much frustration, I am convinced that special education is broken in public schools.  Schools routinely do the minimal possible to abide by the law barely giving these wonderful children enough supports.  I get that this is a budget issue.  The case loads are unbelieveable for the hardworking speech, occupational, and special educational consultants that work so hard with the special ed students.  Imagine if you saw a student who has speech and social issues only 4 times per year or is your could work with them 2 times per week.   Mostly it is only 4 times per year... that is so ineffective it is pointless.   Or imagine if you are a teacher with 4 children with learning challenges in a classroom of 28 with no aid to support these children.  These are not embellished stories, they are typical situations.   If a parent wanted to help the public schools by providing an aid or additional supports for their child (paying for it themselves) they can not. 

This ruling is extremely important to those of us who have children who need help.  Children with special needs, learning disorders etc.  need to have the same chances in life as all others.  If the public system can not or will not provide adequate supports or educational environments, as the law requires, then parents must have other choices to pursue. 

Mom of two

posted 3 years, 11 months ago
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My children atttend a small school called Class Academy.  Each class only has 10 children in it.  It is a year round school, children go to school almost 60 days more a year.  The classes are age blended learning groups based on the working level of the child not the age of the child.  The school teaches mostly with an multisensory approach. 

I am thrilled with the school.   The teachers are amazing, happy and extremely attentive to each child.  It is apparent how only having 10 children in each class affects the child's learning and the teacher's ability to teach.  

 Class Academy works for us because of the intimate learning environment, the small size of the school and the teaching methods.  I have a child with some learning difficulites who would not recieve many supports in the pubic school.  She needs a smaller class with lots of one on one with the teacher.    This is something that is simply not an option in the public system with 26 kids in each kidergarden class.  Additionally the year round schedule works for us because we are a two parent working family. 

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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