Educational Decisions

Tonight I am feeling upset and unhappy. I got a call late this afternoon from the principal at Jon's school. Today the special education service providers from the school district came out to SCCS to see what the needs were there. One of the students they discussed was Jon Felipe because he was receiving special services in Holland. His IEP states that he is to receive Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT), and Speech. The principal called to let me know that the recommendation of this team was going to be that Jon be moved back to first grade and that he be moved to the public school. Even if we move him to the public school, though, they still want him to repeat 1st grade.

I am not happy with this plan. I might be convinced at some point that it is a good idea, but I am concerned about him being so much older than the other students in his grade. I don't think it will matter much right now, but he is going to turn 9 next month. That means that if he goes back to first grade now, he will be 13 in the 5th grade, and 16 in the 8th grade. At that age, that could be a big difference in comparison to the other children in his grade who will be 2-3 years younger. He will turn 20 in the fall of his senior year of high school. Maybe this will all be okay, but it is hard to predict that right now.

It doesn't sound like SCCS is pushing for Jon to go to public school. Rather, Joe (the principal at SCCS) knew that I would be upset by this recommendation and wanted to give me some warning. I am meeting with the team on Wednesday at 3:30. In the meantime, I hope to go visit the public elementary school (it is about a block from SCCS) tomorrow afternoon. From what I've been told, I don't have much bargaining power, in terms of getting services for my children, if I choose to send them to the Christian school. It is sad and makes me appreciate again how well the public and Christian schools worked together in Holland.