Comments on: Wanted: Junior High Options for High Functioning Kid with Down syndrome. Now.

By: Amysilverman

Amysilverman — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 14:41:24 +0000

Elle, I will absolutely be in touch!

By: Elie Gaines

Elie Gaines — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 20:42:59 +0000

Hi Amy. Please give me a call at your convenience. I would love to talk further with you about your experience looking for the best school “fit” for Sophie in Arizona and learn more about the outcome of your decision. If I could assist you in your search I’d be happy to.

Meanwhile, Arizona’s open enrollment policy is one of the most flexible in the country, essentially offering a school option for every child when considering all public district, public charter parochial and private/independent schools. And, AZ education funding opportunities continue to expand. Have you checked into the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program through the ADE? Arizona Tax Credit program? Perhaps these could be helpful, as well.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 16:22:47 +0000

Did you have any luck? I am in the same boat now as you. In my search, there is Piecefulsolutions in chandler which is a 20 min drive for me, not sure how to do that being we are a two income household.
In looking at the local middle schools, one Special Education teacher straight out told me, “I do not modify curriculum due to Common Core”. I am a teacher for gifted students and if I said that to a parent, I would probably be fired as it is my job to do so. This I believe is Against the Idea law, so is it worth the fight? Or is it time to sign up with ESA funds?
Please let me know if you have had any luck.

By: Amysilverman

Amysilverman — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 21:43:42 +0000

thank you karly! ack, it’s not easy for anyone, i fear….

By: Cole

Cole — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 17:24:28 +0000

Have you heard of KIPP charter schools? We have them in Greenville but they aren’t listed on the KIPP.ORG website- regardless a friend who was getting middle school flac from the school district mentioned that when they lived in Philly they used them and the philosophy was such that their child with Ds was welcomed in the regular class so when she moved here she looked for one and is doing the same here. I didn’t see AZ listed on the website- but I’m wondering if that exists there….

By: Karly

Karly — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 16:14:41 +0000

So, open enrollment is not the same as school of choice? Here we have some school of choice options. When the school elects to be school of choice for a given year (done when enrollment is low, luckily not always low because it’s a low-performing school) the enrollment works like a charter school…which is to say they cannot discriminate against those with an IEP. We did get selected for a charter school and like you said, we could have sent our kid, but the services would be much less because the resources/money is not always in place despite charter schools supposedly getting the same money from the state. Anyway, just sending virtual sympathy. We had a very crappy situation with our neighborhood school (after the end of a great year with amazing staff, the SpecEd administration decided not to fund support, but to shift to a contained program in a low performing school). Luckily we have an amazing school for both kids this year via school of choice. Of course we have to transport them 35+ minutes each way. Totally worth it, but still…not viable for most people and speaks volumes about our local district. Best wishes for a great option to magically appear for you guys. On the days when I feel like it shouldn’t be so effing hard, I really wonder at how awfully crap all this likely was for the previous generation of parents and kids.