Looking for the best public schools for a special need child in Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, or Newton!! (Boston: where to stay, apartment)

[Ebtehal]

I'm relocating in Massachusetts, near Boston, this summer to find great public schools that provide the best special education programs and services. I'm a mother of a 13 year-old daughter with intellectual disability and language disorder that is suppose to go to grade 7 next year.

I've been searching for a while and really need help deciding between several suburbs near Boston such as, Somerville, Cambridge, Newton, and Brookline. I would appreciate some advices from people who went through this experience.

Also, I'm wondering if the school ratings ( out of 10) really reflect on the quality of services each school provides and should I consider those ratings when I choose where to stay? for example, Newton and Brookline public schools have "above average" ratings unlike Somerville and Cambridge. Is that something to worry about?

BTW, I have another 9 year old daughter who I also keep her in mind when searching for good schools.

[gf2020]

Where will you be working and what is your budget for housing? Those are 2 key elements when deciding which communities to focus on.

[semiurbanite]

Originally Posted by Ebtehal

I'm relocating in Massachusetts, near Boston, this summer to find great public schools that provide the best special education programs and services. I'm a mother of a 13 year-old daughter with intellectual disability and language disorder that is suppose to go to grade 7 next year.

I've been searching for a while and really need help deciding between several suburbs near Boston such as, Somerville, Cambridge, Newton, and Brookline. I would appreciate some advices from people who went through this experience.

Also, I'm wondering if the school ratings ( out of 10) really reflect on the quality of services each school provides and should I consider those ratings when I choose where to stay? for example, Newton and Brookline public schools have "above average" ratings unlike Somerville and Cambridge. Is that something to worry about?

BTW, I have another 9 year old daughter who I also keep her in mind when searching for good schools.

The school ratings on greatschools measure socio-economic status more than school quality. Newton and Brookline lack lower income students. Niche is another site for school reviews that are a bit more balances and not driven as much by my raw test scores. Newton is definitely more suburban. Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline are more urban, though some parts of Brookline feel more suburban and similar to Newton.

[MASSnative]

Let me see if I can get in contact with some of my past clients and see if they'd be willing to chat with you to discuss their experience.

Newton and Brookline are known for their great schools, it's one of the many reasons people moving to the Boston area make their way into these towns. It is definitely pricier though. I don't know much about the Somerville/Cambridge school system, so I can't comment on that.

[Bbqtim]

Be very careful when looking for special needs and using one of those school rating sites. Talk to parents, engage with special needs area community or Facebook groups, and the school. For example, Somerville is not known for special needs, while Lexington is... But that is just what I know from friends with special needs kids. Talk to as many people as possible IN the community. Good luck!

[Ebtehal]

Originally Posted by gf2020

Where will you be working and what is your budget for housing? Those are 2 key elements when deciding which communities to focus on.

I appreciate your reply. I'll be studying at UMASS Boston, but the distance is really not a priority to me as much as finding the best school that fits my daughter needs.

My housing budget would be below $4,000 per month for a 2 bedroom apartment.

[MikePRU]

As the parent of a child with special needs, I would echo what's already been said . . . the "rankings" you can find on the internet for schools are only applicable for "typical" children. They don't have any bearing on a town's special education program. There are definitely towns out there that have excellent school systems and poor special education programs.

The rule of thumb I've gleaned from having a special needs child is that a lower performing/ranked school system typically equates to a poor SPED program. However, a high performing/ranked school system is not a guarantee of a good SPED program but it does seem to increase the odds.

Originally Posted by Ebtehal

I appreciate your reply. I'll be studying at UMASS Boston, but the distance is really not a priority to me as much as finding the best school that fits my daughter needs.

My housing budget would be below $4,000 per month for a 2 bedroom apartment.

I've always been told by people who work with my son that Newton has one of the best special ed programs in the state. $4K a month should get you a nice place there and the school system in Newton is also very well regarded when it comes to "typical" kids.

[Ebtehal]

Thank you all for your generous replies!! I'll take all of your helpful advices into consideration and try to find more details about the Special Ed programs that schools provide..

Any more useful tips or advices would be great since I've never been in Massachusetts. So it's a new experience for my family and I.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by Ebtehal

Thank you all for your generous replies!! I'll take all of your helpful advices into consideration and try to find more details about the Special Ed programs that schools provide..

Any more useful tips or advices would be great since I've never been in Massachusetts. So it's a new experience for my family and I.

Honestly, I've lived in this state pretty much my entire life and I had no idea up until the time that I needed them which special ed programs were good and which were not as good. Even then, it was really hard to figure out. I can't seem to find any published statistics or rankings. All I had to rely upon were opinions from professionals and opinions from my friends whose children are also special needs.

[CaseyB]

There was a woman who used to post here regularly, she lived in Sharon and had a special needs child. She discovered a message board for parents of special needs children and there was information about various school systems in the state and which ones were good for these kids. You might try to find it.