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Well....the school systems in NC in general aren't that great on a national level; apparently Michigan's is a little better (before anyone here jumps down my throat saying wake county is way above average for the state of NC take a pill; that's not the point I'm trying to make). The school system in the area of Michigan you live may be better performing and better organized than WCPSS. You can't expect EVERYTHING in a new place you want to move to be better than EVERYTHING in the area you are leaving behind; otherwise you'll always be disappointed (not singling you out this is in general). Some things are just going to be better in the area you left than the area you are moving to.
I hear what you're saying. I will just say that I (personally) don't expect everything. I've moved long distance before and understand and accept the differences in areas. This is a tough pill to swallow because I feel that I have little control over my child's education. Mind you, my daughter has an IEP and structure is important to her success. Her going to preschool is important (she needs the leg-up) and the services she needs different from the average student and as a parent, I (and my husband) are her biggest advocates and I don't take that lightly. This is why you (and others) probably sense my heightened sense of frustration. There just seems to be a lack of organization and clear set of answers and it makes me nervous.
By state-funded preschool, I mean a preschool that is funded largely by taxpayers. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I thought that was what you meant by "public preschools."
Yes, that is what I meant. In Michigan, state-funded (public) preschool is largely funded by taxpayers, but certainly not targeted at low-income families. It's targeted at any family who plans to send their child(ren) to public schools. I can't think of a better way to integrate a child into their future elementary school than to have preschool right there on-site.
I hear what you're saying. I will just say that I (personally) don't expect everything. I've moved long distance before and understand and accept the differences in areas. This is a tough pill to swallow because I feel that I have little control over my child's education. Mind you, my daughter has an IEP and structure is important to her success. Her going to preschool is important (she needs the leg-up) and the services she needs different from the average student and as a parent, I (and my husband) are her biggest advocates and I don't take that lightly. This is why you (and others) probably sense my heightened sense of frustration. There just seems to be a lack of organization and clear set of answers and it makes me nervous.
Oh trust me I understand...WCPSS was one of the biggest factors in us leaving NC. It affects everyone different and for some people its no big deal and works fine for their family; while for others it is just not something they can tolerate.
Thank you for this info. Do you know if Project Enlightenment is the only way a child is "serviced" through WCPSS if he or she has an IEP? I ask this based on the federal mandate to serve children with an existing IEP. I don't see how there can be a waitlist with that mandate.
However, I did just notice that their hours of operation are 1.5 hours per day for a whopping 7.5 hours of operation per week. I certainly hope this is not meant to service all of Wake County's preschool/KG children with special education needs.
I believe Project Enlightenment is the only service for kids younger than kindergarten age. Once in school, IEPs are coordinated through the individual school. I know it takes a few months for their initial intake process, but I don't know how it works if you have an existing IEP.
I think the hours you are referring to must be for their open advice line: TALKline - Project Enlightenment As far as I know, they keep a normal 40 hour work week and you can call any time for an evaluation. I also am told that they have a resource center where you can walk in and use various educational resources, though I've never used it myself. Parent Teacher Resource Center - Project Enlightenment
These links might help.
The first one is Durham Public School's link. (I know you said you are moving to Raleigh. But this will allow you to see what services are available in Durham.)
In Durham there are pre-K programs that are similar to WCPSS. But there are also 2 magnet preschools that feed into Montessori Magnet Schools in Durham (Morehead & Watts).
http://www.osr.nc.gov/Preschool/indexNEW08.asp
This is the More At Four link for NC. It states that:
Since 1991, the Public Schools of North Carolina have entitled all three- four- and pre-k five-year-old children with disabilities a free and appropriate public education mandated through the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, Section 619 legislation.
So depending on your child's IEP she/he might qualify for this program.
I don't have any experience with the WCPSS but I have been very impressed with the Wake County CDSA's Infant/Toddler program (birth - 3). I called about my son right after his second birthday. A team came out to do his assessment within three weeks and the time from the first phone call till he was receiving services was two months. Services are paid for on a sliding fee scale and done in our home (through a private therapist who contracts with the CDSA). They've done a great job keeping me informed throughout the process. At 3 he will transition to (free) public school services.
I believe there are free preschools for hearing impaired and children with vision problems through the department of human services. I think they have all types of kids not just with impairments go there as well. I may be wrong. If you want to look into it here is the link NC GMS: Preschool (http://www.governormorehead.net/content/Preschool/preschool.html - broken link)
I have a child in preschool and I pay around $800/month in Raleigh - But it is a full day program
Another question. How does a 3 or 4 year old get diagnosed as needing an IEP when the staff at private preschools are not required to have special education staff in-house to help diagnose children who might require the IEP? My daughter has an IEP. Out of all of the schools I have called, not one has Special Ed. trained staff on site. Of course, WCPSS will provide special education services to my daughter, which is what sls76 was talking about.
This is one part of the system that is severely flawed. I can imagine that a lot of kids slip through the cracks. My son goes to a church based pre-school and his teacher noticed his language disorder. They referred us to Project Enlightenment, which is the part of the WCPSS that handles early intervention. Someone from PE came to his preschool to observe him and they suggested having him evaluated. They suggested speech therapy and occupational therapy and were going to provide the services for him. We decided to handle it privately because we have an awesome therapy practice only 2 minutes away from our home. It's really convenient for us because he has gone for 2 days a week for the past year. The folks at PE were wonderful when we worked with them.
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