Charles Co Dept of Ed has lost it's mind?

Chasey_Lane

Salt Life
Cliff Notes: Logan Jenkins is a special needs kid and his family wants him to attend Westlake HS in Charles County. The CC BOE has alternative plans for him and want to send him to a "special" school 30 minutes away. The family is upset.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Cliff Notes: Logan Jenkins is a special needs kid and his family wants him to attend Westlake HS in Charles County. The CC BOE has alternative plans for him and want to send him to a "special" school 30 minutes away. The family is upset.

What are his special needs? Because if Westlake isn't equipped to accommodate him, then he probably should be going to the other school. Although 30 minutes away seems a bit much.
 

Chasey_Lane

Salt Life
All I can say is wow! I hope the media takes this and runs with it! That child deserves to go to school that he was zoned for!

I agree, but we also don't know all the facts -- only what the family is presenting. Perhaps Logan will be better suited in a different environment where he can excel more, and extended individual attention can be given to him. He may "get lost" in the high school atmosphere.

I'm curious to hear the BOE side before making final judgment.
 

onebdzee

off the shelf
What are his special needs? Because if Westlake isn't equipped to accommodate him, then he probably should be going to the other school. Although 30 minutes away seems a bit much.

He has Down Syndrome...apparently high functioning as he went to the elementary and middle school that he was zoned for, but for some reason the special education teachers have decided that he would be better off to be taken away from all his friends and put in a school that "fits his needs"

If I were his mom, I would have had a lawyer on the phone before I even got out of the building
 

drivingdaisy

New Member
I'm imagine there are probably a lot of factors to this. Most schools, educators, etc do want what is best for the students.
 

Dedee

New Member
With the publicity that is being generated, I would be willing to bet that he ends up going to Westlake. Since Westlake, unlike the school the BOE wants to send him to, lacks the means to fully provide for Logan's needs, I would also bet that they will have to hire AT LEAST one full-time teacher OR instructional assistant (possibly both) JUST FOR LOGAN. As I recall, a similar incident happened in Calvert County, in which a mother of a special needs child insisted that her child go to a regular high school instead of the school that was created for special needs students. From what I understand, there is now a full-time instructional assistant assigned just for that student. It annoys me that money is spent for these special schools to be created, and then special needs students still end up going to regular schools and requiring additional expenditures for their 1-on-1 needs when it would be more cost effective for them to go to the special needs school that was designed for them.

What school do they want him to attend? Did the FB page say?
 

Sweet 16

^^8^^
He has Down Syndrome...apparently high functioning as he went to the elementary and middle school that he was zoned for, but for some reason the special education teachers have decided that he would be better off to be taken away from all his friends and put in a school that "fits his needs"

If I were his mom, I would have had a lawyer on the phone before I even got out of the building

I'm confused, why wouldn't they send him to a school that fits his needs versus one that doesn't? :shrug: BTW, a 30-minute commute to school around here is not that unusual.
 

Lurk

Happy Creepy Ass Cracka
I'm confused, why wouldn't they send him to a school that fits his needs versus one that doesn't? :shrug: BTW, a 30-minute commute to school around here is not that unusual.

Blinded by the emotions of the situation. 30 minutes away is not driving the family automobile down 301 at 65 mph.
 

aisasami

New Member
As someone said, we don't know much of the situation or how much he is affected by Down Syndrome because he could just need a small classroom setting with other smart but disabled kids. My brother had Asperger's and was able to have a semi-normal class with other kids in a small classroom setting (but, he got out of it during senior year into a normal classroom because he proved to not need it) at Westlake. But right now, the problem is Charles County is understaffed and underfunded for special education because they been rejecting service to kids at the school (My friend's brother had a slight case of autism and the schools tried to refuse to acknowledge it when they took him to a doctor that says he needs help).
 

libertytyranny

Dream Stealer
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Free Appropriate Public Education - Southern Maryland News, Charles County, Calvert County and St. Mary's County News


letter from mom. Interesting. I don't know how I would feel in this situation.

but I feel like it is very kid dependent. If he is as high functioning as they make him out to be...the school with the best resources to teach him is best..give him as much as possbile so he has every opportunity..if he isn't as high functioning as they are making him out to be..and his chances of gaining employment/living in a group housing or something less restrictive than with parents or in a heavily supervised home..then let him be with his friends and enjoy his high school time. That's probably not the politically correct way of looking at it..but thats how I think I would go about it. If a school says they cannot give him what he needs, and there is a school that can...thats the one he needs to be at..even if it isn't exactly fair. :shrug: I dunno..tough call without knowing him or what westlake and the other school can offer him.
 

awpitt

Main Streeter
If Logan has been going to "regular" schools for elementry and middle, why all of a sudden does the BEO feel that the high school isn't just as capable as the elementry and middle schools for meeting Logan's needs?
 

BlissfulJumper

Equestrian :)
I think the boy needs to be allowed to go to westlake. I have a special needs brother and he successfully went to GMHS and the tech center and was able to graduate. He is deaf and mute and has a few other problem. He was given an aide to help him throughout the day. Special needs children need to interact with others it really helps them develop. Going to public school helped my brother and he made tons of friends at GMHS that loved him dearly. At graduation when he walked the entire gym cheered for 5 minutes. Special needs children shouldn't be separated because they are special they should be included, because in the end that's what they all love.. is to feel normal.
 

BlissfulJumper

Equestrian :)
If Logan has been going to "regular" schools for elementry and middle, why all of a sudden does the BEO feel that the high school isn't just as capable as the elementry and middle schools for meeting Logan's needs?

AGREED!

To me it seems like they don't want to deal with the hassle.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Just based on the Mom's letters, I stand with the BOE as well. She seems to want her child to go to this specific school so he can be with his friends, not because they can offer him the best education. I'm sure he'd make friends and be accepted socially at his new school there as well, so I'm not sure what the problem is.
 

BlissfulJumper

Equestrian :)
Just based on the Mom's letters, I stand with the BOE as well. She seems to want her child to go to this specific school so he can be with his friends, not because they can offer him the best education. I'm sure he'd make friends and be accepted socially at his new school there as well, so I'm not sure what the problem is.

I think the problem is the fact that these special schools separate the disabled and they aren't all they are cracked up to be. Most of the time they sit in a room and don't interact with anyone but other special needs and teachers.( i don't know about this new school exactly)

Normal social interaction is key for special needs children/people. It helps them develop social skills and actually become their "own" person
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
If Logan has been going to "regular" schools for elementry and middle, why all of a sudden does the BEO feel that the high school isn't just as capable as the elementry and middle schools for meeting Logan's needs?

Well, if Logan is allowed to go to this high school instead of one more appropriate to his abilities, will he then be accepted at the college of his parents' choice, simply because he went to high school just fine?

High school is a different educational situation than middle and elementary. If they pulled Logan out after a successful freshman year, then there would be questions. As it stands, it makes sense to me that he would be better off in a high school environment more suited to his educational needs.
 
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