I have mentioned how my kids both are autistic. And in 2019 - 2020 school year before the pandemic my oldest son was in the kindergarten glass at a public school. In that time he learned pretty much nothing and was taught nothing.
Because of the pandemic they have been doing an online charter school that many people on here implied would not be good for them.
On the contrary it has been excellent for them. My oldest son got back on the diploma track after catching up basically learning 3 grade levels worth of information in 2 years. Well my youngest son has had a preliminary evaluation and he appears likely to be on his way back to the diploma track. He just finished up kindergarten online and he tested at a 2nd grade reading level. If he had gone to the public school he'd likely also be stuck in the autism class learning nothing and reading nothing.
Now I don't entirely blame the public school for this because they have autistic kids of various abilities and my kids might not have been behaviorally in a position to be in regular classes. Not because they can't handle the academics but because they simply have trouble sitting still and re-directing.
Our daughter who is not on the spectrum and doesn't have an IEP is certainly going back to regular school next year. We think that is the best thing for her. However we are on the fence about our sons who are on the spectrum as to if one more year online (and receiving accompanying therapies) or sending them back to public school next year is the right move. They are improving behaviorally although they are probably not to the level where they could spend most of their day in mainstream classes. Especially not the youngest, the older one maybe.
Lesson to is that public school is not the right choice for every student and parents should be given the ability no matter what their income to make the right choice for their children. Because sometimes a charter school is the better choice. Sometimes it might be a private school and these decisions are best left to the parents.
This situation has sort of made me glad the pandemic happened. Because I don't think we would have tried online school otherwise.
Because of the pandemic they have been doing an online charter school that many people on here implied would not be good for them.
On the contrary it has been excellent for them. My oldest son got back on the diploma track after catching up basically learning 3 grade levels worth of information in 2 years. Well my youngest son has had a preliminary evaluation and he appears likely to be on his way back to the diploma track. He just finished up kindergarten online and he tested at a 2nd grade reading level. If he had gone to the public school he'd likely also be stuck in the autism class learning nothing and reading nothing.
Now I don't entirely blame the public school for this because they have autistic kids of various abilities and my kids might not have been behaviorally in a position to be in regular classes. Not because they can't handle the academics but because they simply have trouble sitting still and re-directing.
Our daughter who is not on the spectrum and doesn't have an IEP is certainly going back to regular school next year. We think that is the best thing for her. However we are on the fence about our sons who are on the spectrum as to if one more year online (and receiving accompanying therapies) or sending them back to public school next year is the right move. They are improving behaviorally although they are probably not to the level where they could spend most of their day in mainstream classes. Especially not the youngest, the older one maybe.
Lesson to is that public school is not the right choice for every student and parents should be given the ability no matter what their income to make the right choice for their children. Because sometimes a charter school is the better choice. Sometimes it might be a private school and these decisions are best left to the parents.
This situation has sort of made me glad the pandemic happened. Because I don't think we would have tried online school otherwise.