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Drop Out?  I agree with the first poster ... it's more like "Push Out!"  I also look at the "reasons" for dropping out ... none of the reasons list anything to do with the system, lack of appropriate instruction, harrassment and intimidation, etc.  If you don't fit into the "system," your child fails.  We live in a small district.  My son has aspergers and other special needs.  He is very week in his executive function skills.  We worked hard to increase his skills in strategizing to learn, motivation, initiation, time management, etc.  When he entered the public school system he scored more than twice as high in reading (near the 70th percentile) than he did after 2 years (dropped to close to the 30th percentile).  He still spells at the same level and his ability to organize his thoughts and write cohesive paragraphs has plummeted.  The first year he was placed in a "living skills" class ... more akin to babysitting.  Last year he was in a "resource room" with a teacher who didn't know how to teach ... he was coached through his progress monitoring to make it look like he was making progress.  Yet third party testing using standardized tests show he's either decreased or just barely hung on ...  This summer he did well at the community college with intensive supports to bring the skills he's been losing back up ... but now I'm given a choice ... If I want to complain about his special education services I MUST remove him from ALL public schools ... including the early college program he was admitted to ... I am not allowed to secure private special education services unless I either get him "released from compulsary education" (so they are off the hook), waive his special education rights,  or send him to a private school and sue them.  We live in an area of few options.  This is indeed pushing a child out .... two years ago his goal was to get his 4 year degree ... now he wants to drop out and due to the lack of appropriate services as part of his specialized instruction he has become increasingly depressed.  You tell me... What would their "stated" reasons be?  Family difficulties?  Lack of Motivation?  Certainly nothing to do with a system that refuses to address his needs.  I think it all comes down to the cha-ching! ($)  Oregon law allows them to take special education monies and use them in general ed ...

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
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