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We give up. One 11 year old daughter has been struggling in public school since the beginning. She has IEP, gets special help, tutoring, summer school, etc but we are so worried about her future. I don't think public school is where she needs to be. She is not autistic or socially unaware. She simply can't master or even handle math and her reading skills are way off.
I have a friend who drove her child from CH to Raleigh every day for 3 years and then decided it wasn't helping, was a big waste of time and money and is now home schooling her. Driving to Raleigh daily is out of the question. Surely there must be some schools closer which can help us. Thanks.
Yeah, I'd consider the Hill Center, too. I know folks who have had a good experience there.
What are they not doing in the schools that you would like to see more of? Or are you at a loss as to what she needs? It sounds like they're trying to give her the help they're able to give, but maybe that's not meeting her needs?
In my experience Chapel Hill schools - at least at the high school level - do an extremely poor job with kids who need special accommodations for learning.
Whatever they are doing it isn't helping so I guess her needs aren't being met. They all say she tries more than any kid they have ever seen. I worked non stop with her recently on learning location and spelling of all 50 states and she only got one spelling wrong. She is not dumb. She just can't get it. And summer school is a joke. By the time they have recess, lunch, etc that half day means about an hour of instruction. I fought like the devil to get an IEP. She is adopted and spent the first 7 months of her life in an orphanage in Vietnam. I knew almost immediately she was "behind" but chalked it up to her beginnings. Everytime I told "officials" she wasn't ready for the next step (kindergarten, first grade) I was assured she was just fine. I insisted she repeat 2nd grade but that wasn't the answer. So here we are on the cusp of teen years and I worry she will look to the wrong way to feel good about herself. So I guess public education just isn't for her. We love her dearly and she is very close to her sister who is only 4 months older and I hate to separate them but i don't think we can wait any longer.
In my experience Chapel Hill schools - at least at the high school level - do an extremely poor job with kids who need special accommodations for learning.
At one of our many meetings with school teachers and admins I said "God forbid anybody be average in Chapel Hill". The schools have been terrific for our "gifted" kid but nothing is helping our average or less than average kid.
I wonder if a private school would help or hinder. I think some of them are very good with kids who have learning differences, but I don't know if they're all equipped to help kids with true special needs. My 7th grader is at a charter that is great for somewhat quirky kids and offers a lot of flexibility for kids with ADD, etc, but I don't think they're necessarily great with kids who really need extra tutoring help. I'd be happy to chat with you more about it, though, if you'd like.
I'd check out the Hill Center and maybe consider Montessori or Friends if that's in the cards. If you don't mind sharing, what labels/learning disabilities does she have?
We give up. One 11 year old daughter has been struggling in public school since the beginning. She has IEP, gets special help, tutoring, summer school, etc but we are so worried about her future. I don't think public school is where she needs to be. She is not autistic or socially unaware. She simply can't master or even handle math and her reading skills are way off.
I have a friend who drove her child from CH to Raleigh every day for 3 years and then decided it wasn't helping, was a big waste of time and money and is now home schooling her. Driving to Raleigh daily is out of the question. Surely there must be some schools closer which can help us. Thanks.
Well...you live in Chapel Hill...to be blunt, what did you expect? They aren't the best test scores in the state because they meet the needs of all students. They cater to to specific set of high performing student...They are good at dealing with upper middle class kids with academic parents and those that have the money to live there because they are impressed with the test scores.....children with typical concerns ruin their average so to speak, so they aren't gonna go out of their way.
Where did your friends send their children to school in Wake? Was it a school that could handle her educational needs...or just another private school? I have many friends that found good options in Wake County public schools but they knew exactly what they were looking for. You still seem sort of...well...surprized your kids aren't all above average.
Homeschooling is not the worst thing....at least you are motivated from your posts....but welcome to reality.
children with typical concerns ruin their average so to speak, so they aren't gonna go out of their way.
That's an awfully cynical response. What's more, it's untrue. I have taught in Chapel Hill at the elementary level, and the teachers and specialists I knew worked very hard to help students with learning differences succeed. Obviously, I can only speak to the efforts made in my former school, but I ask that you not paint everyone with the same negative brush.
To the OP's question, I would also recommend the Hill Center. In my experience, they are the best in the area at addressing students' learning needs. Since theirs is a half-day program, you may wish to homeschool your daughter for the rest of the day or perhaps search for another school that has the supportive atmosphere that she needs. The Hill Center might even be able to recommend schools to consider.
One note on the split day schedule: some schools have difficulty arranging a schedule that works with Hill students' needs. Because my current school is part of the Hill Center Partnership, we make sure that Hill students get their science and social studies, plus as many "specials" classes as possible while they are with us. It's a question worth asking as you look at schools.
Another school you might want to consider is Camelot Academy in Durham. They do not specialize in learning differences, but they do have an individualized program in which each student moves at his/her own pace.
Best of luck with your decision. I know that it is a difficult one.
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