I am in Montgomery County Please Help!!!!

I have a son that is now fourth grade, and has and IEP. Well last year at my several request that our son be mainstreamed the school put our child in a self-contained 4/5 fifth grade LD setting.b At that time the school explained that those children were well below our child. But I wondered still how wouldthis benefit him being in such a setting. They ran hoops over me and I had an advocate, that told me to leave it alone.

I protested the setting and have the letters to prove this. I backed off when the school began to get a little uncomfortableand very unfriendly for the sake of our child’s well being and my own piece of mind. I even had an advocate from a parent center here that works with county.

Well the advocate advised me to leave things alone since our son appeared to be doing well and that I should never mind the evasive behavior. “After all he was on the Honor Roll quite a bit last in 3rd grade. I was getting from the school. My biggest question was: How was our child doing in such a setting and was ther progression , and I wanted to see this? Also how was the teacher instructing him in third grade math since she had such a combo. It was never fully explained to me how this accomplished, but Iwas told that it was. At the time he was in 4/5th LAD combo. Ok…Fast forward a little…

At the end of third grade school year in the 4/5 grade LAD Setting. I got my childs report card and it showed he was now below grade level in math. This all came about after school was out, report card wre mailed to us. I immedaietly contacted the school because at our last IEP for our son, there was no mention that he had falen beind. I sent an letter to the resource person in charge of of sons case at the school. She responded back with that it was the end of year and that everyone was out on vacation. That I had to wait until school was back in session.

Ok school was now back in session, for his fourth grade year. We met but I was still being put off. Well issues begin particularly in math, I wrote thr teacher several letters. She becam defensive and would ot communicate. Until recently I had to go outseide the school to get cooperation form the school. We met teacher, principal, our advocate, spll, and the recent hired resource person. I won’t go through all the hoopla that was stated, butthis isthe bottom line our son went from a B, C, D, since the beginning of school. Due to test and small quizzes. I tried to communicate with the teacher but unfortunately was not able to the entire school year. I am so happy that this is almost near the end of school. Just had to add that in…:)

In that meeting the advocate and I wanted to know the true validity of the “D”. We also wanted to know hoe could he still be sonsidered on grade level and have a “D”. The grade level is stating on level? The principal stated t hat the “D” is based on fourth grade math curriculum and that since our son was at the beginning of the year from last year 2.3 year level that was reflected in his grade.

The advocate and I were both confused with this. You may know that Montgomery County is now under a new math curriculum that even teachers are struggling with. I need help, what can I do here at home.

I also asked the principal in hat meeting how “would it be unreasonable to have hope that the “D” with hard work can once agin be an “B”. He informed m that he couldnot see our child getting an “B” evne with hard work????

Help what more can I do get book and keep practicing here at home .I have also made the super for our area of the issues, the school is awarer that I have. We have worked so hard to get our son where he was. The school acts as though they could care less. Please refer me to someone that can be of help in this area. Can the school do more. The other thing is the teacher stated at the meeting that last years third grade objectives were missed by our son. Hoe can that be, when they told me that he was being taught on third grade objectives in the settng he was in.