please help!! trying to figure out gifted elementary school options in Broward county (Miami: lease, magnet schools)

[bocamom]

my lease is up in july, so i gave my landlord notice that i was going to move to try to fill what i have been informed is my child's 'special need" to have a more interesting and challenging education

am ok with moving as the beach in north pompano is filthy and i'd like to live on a cleaner one

but i'm evidently not nearly as bright as my kid. i can't seem to find out anything about which schools have good gifted programs from calling the schools or school board or using google.

does anyone know/can anyone please find the info on how gifted kids are currently handled in Broward and which schools have the best gifted programs?

i figure some of you may know the county system of information handling better than i do, even if you don't know about the program. i have found a lot of general information. i need to know only one thing:

is there a place in Broward (or anywhere within 45 miles of boca) where i can live on the beach and my second grade son can be in a very good gifted program? I would prefer an arts emphasis AND the beach. I can get that with a diverse school on palm beach island, but to afford it i would have to live on the WPB airport's plane path and compromise a lot of square feet

I'm not that concerned with the school being an A school, it isn't about the FCAT for me: I just want to find a really good second grade gifted program. I might even move off of the beach for it.

thank you

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by bocamom

my lease is up in july, so i gave my landlord notice that i was going to move to try to fill what i have been informed is my child's 'special need" to have a more interesting and challenging education

am ok with moving as the beach in north pompano is filthy and i'd like to live on a cleaner one

but i'm evidently not nearly as bright as my kid. i can't seem to find out anything about which schools have good gifted programs from calling the schools or school board or using google.

does anyone know/can anyone please find the info on how gifted kids are currently handled in Broward and which schools have the best gifted programs?

i figure some of you may know the county system of information handling better than i do, even if you don't know about the program. i have found a lot of general information. i need to know only one thing:

is there a place in Broward (or anywhere within 45 miles of boca) where i can live on the beach and my second grade son can be in a very good gifted program? I would prefer an arts emphasis AND the beach. I can get that with a diverse school on palm beach island, but to afford it i would have to live on the WPB airport's plane path and compromise a lot of square feet

I'm not that concerned with the school being an A school, it isn't about the FCAT for me: I just want to find a really good second grade gifted program. I might even move off of the beach for it.

thank you

I think Boca has some good gifted programs but I am not familiar with the details. I live in Weston and generally the schools in west Broward are better than the schools in east Broward. There are decent programs in all the elementary schools in Weston. Gator Run, Country Isles, Everglades, Indian Trace, Manatee Bay, Eagle Point. I think that Hawks Bluff is also supposed to have a good program. It's just outside Weston.

[fauve]

Check out the Broward County Magnet Program Page:
Broward Magnet Programs

I would call them and ask to speak to the coordinator of the gifted program and go from there. Has your son gotten an IED yet?

[bocamom]

umm. no.

in palm beach one just brings the qualifying iq/and math and reading tests and the school's evaluation/recommendation letter and the school/test records and awards and such with the immunization exemption and the proof of residency, as I recall. I have spent less time looking at the details for Broward as I am just trying to figure out which schools would be best. I did look into al of the magnet schools years ago and have two years running asked to be included in the wilton manors ib program.

I'm not sure what you are referring to ied, please explain! thank you

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by bocamom

umm. no.

in palm beach one just brings the qualifying iq/and math and reading tests and the school's evaluation/recommendation letter and the school/test records and awards and such with the immunization exemption and the proof of residency, as I recall. I have spent less time looking at the details for Broward as I am just trying to figure out which schools would be best. I did look into al of the magnet schools years ago and have two years running asked to be included in the wilton manors ib program.

I'm not sure what you are referring to ied, please explain! thank you

In Broward all you do is get an IQ test. If your IQ is above 130 you are in. What else are you expecting? FL schools are awful. We are lucky there is any gifted education.

I think she meant IEP.

[fauve]

yeah, IEP! been a few years Individualized Education Program...get in touch with the gifted coordinator to get all that info...it is pretty straight-forward....that's too bad about the wilton manors program - that would be perfect for you.

[bocamom]

thanks. .. . anyone else got ideas for schooling for a skinny gifted second grader who isn't particularly socially savvy? i don't want to move west of the intracoastal if i can help it

[fauve]

Before you are able to get him into any gifted program, you're going to need that IEP. Once you have the IEP, Broward is required to provide him with special needs education - in his case, a gifted program. They also might then find room for him in the Wilton Manors program.

[bocamom]

thanks!

[ISOnewplace]

Hi Boca Mom!

I just DMd you from a different thread about the Wiess School asking for your advice on gifted programs. LOL...it looks like you are in the same boat as me.

We are in Miami and my DS6 just got 150 on the WISC IV. That put's him in the top .1 %. Needless to say, I have been scrambling for information ever since (although we knew for quite some time that we would be facing a challenge...just now its offical).

I wish I could help but I dont know much about Broward. I think we have even worse choices in Miami. The whole system in Florida is pretty bad. Several states have outstounding programs for highly gifted children but Florida still only seems to care about the other end of the spectrum with regard to special needs.

Ayway, you should go to the FLAG (Florida Association for Gifted) website and contact your regional representitive. They can explain the IEP proecess and how the system works.

Anyway, I feel your pain. I wish you the best of luck!