FL schools SLD programs

I live in Florida and I say good luck. It is a county based system here. That means that there are county approved ciricul and large distances between districts because the counties in FL are large. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t some variation between schools. It appears that principals have the power to hire their own staff and you can get lucky.

We fought last year for a decent program for our son. I was on a first name basis with all the district people. The district would not offer anything appropriate for him (they had their standard treatment and told us the reason it didn’t work the first time was that it wasn’t done correctly). Given no good choices, I pulled him out and homeschooled him partially last year (for reading and language arts).

And this year, guess what!!! The principal hired someone who knows both LIPS and PG.

But hey, she could be gone next year and there certainly isn’t any district level support for providing effective remediation.

I live in Broward county. I would not recommend it.

Beth

Florida’s schools are hurting. The significant poverty (and the needs derived from such poverty) coupled with droves of retirees who vote NO on every educational or service initiative will INSURE there will be no sigificant public county-wide initiatives for our LD students. (The paperwork however will have all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed - keeping the federales happy.) Sorry to give such a low grade to services. Crime remains high but the weather warm.

I found PA to be worse than FL — they had a township system up there. They tried not to identify LD students because they didn’t want to pay for services.

I wanted to make sure you knew of the scholarship program here in FL — if you are unhappy with the schools and have an IEP, there is a list of schools in each county that will accept a voucher. Not all of the schools are SLD and I’ve noticed more schools are accepting the vouchers than the first year.

Also, I was unaware until recently, they have changed the law — you no longer need to prove that the public school is failing your child — only that you as a parent are dissatisfied.

Also, you have a right for your child to attend any public school in your district to meet your child’s needs.

I found this information on a website:

www.opportunityschools.org

In case your PG/LIPs teacher moves on, there is another option. Hope you’re having a good school year. That must be such a relief to have a PG/Lips teacher!!!

Ken,

The new teacher at my son’s school is from Gainesville. Your loss—our gain.

I agree there is a money issue but seems to me that another big part of the problem is the choice of programming for LD and the bureaucratic attitudes of district people. I know my son’s new LD teacher (trained in PG and LIPS) has received district grief for not using the prescribed program. She told me if it works so well, how come none of these kids can read? My son, who I pulled out and used PG with was the one exception. At the beginning of third grade, his reading was the level of the lowest classroom reading group while the other LD third graders were still reading at a first grade level.

On the other hand, she was provided with no materials and no capacity to get additional training unless she got a grant. I gave her a bunch of stuff and lent her other things (figured it was cheaper than a tutor).

Beth

I haven’t had problems with “qualifying” but then my son came in from NY on an IEP. Our problems have been with appropriate programming—some of which is a district problem and some of which was tied to a specific teacher. We came to FL when he was beginning first grade from a wonderful situation but who knows what would have happened if we had done first grade there. I have read these bulletin boards enough to know that FL is not alone.

I know about the scholarship program but what I had seen the child had to be failing in two areas on the IEP. Since we have done so much privately, my son was suceeding by this measure, even though the school had done nothing (in fact he had not even attended resource room). I will keep in mind the changes you mention, in case we lose our teacher!!! (This is FL after all.)

And yes, it is a big relief to have someone competent finally.

Beth

Beth,

You sound like me…buy the materials you wnat the teacher to use! Also, you might want to ask Ken about the issue of grading Great Leaps. He is one of the authors. :-) (Ken, I told her I thought it was inappropriate for the teacher to “grade” GL, by the way.)

Janis

What are LIPS and PG. I am not familiar with these programs. Do you have a company/catalog name where they can be found?

A huge piece of GL is eliminating punishers. Great Leaps measures performance daily - a grade would be difficult to imagine - unless you put a grade on effort and attitude - how can you objectively do that?

Actually, Ken I don’t she is grading GL. I think the grades come from code knowledge tests. Still, I don’t like the idea of grade in resource room.

Beth

LIPS program is very successful for teaching LD children how to read (www.Lindamoodbell.com). It is a very multisensory, intense program.

PG is Phonographix, and this is also a program that has a high success rate at teaching anyone to read. They have a Read America Clinic — website is www.readamerica.net. Also, they put out a book called Reading Reflex, which enables parents/teachers to use their method at home/school.