Alternative school or not?

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Alternative school or not?
14
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 9:24pm

I'm not involved in any sort of decision making on this one, but I'm wondering what you all think....


DD's b/f T is probably ADHD and dyslexic, though he's never been formally diagnosed.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 9:47pm

I always had the same impression of alternative school myself but I talked to a mom in the course of my job-she had kids 2 through 18-whose son ended up in alternative school. He was bright but didnt do assignments, etc. I didnt get the impression there were huge behavior problems-maybe some smart mouth type stuff? She didnt say he had a dx but since the 2 yr old ended up with an autism dx, an ADHD dx wouldnt surprise me

She said it was the best thing for him. Classes were small; teachers were more than willing to step in to help and assignments were minimal. The expectation was that the work would be done at school and homework was rarely assigned. He loved it and graduated on time with ease. She didnt relate any negative experiences or behavioral issues and the way I saw him interact with the 2 yr old? What a fine young man!

I do think, with T's past history, he may be more prone to fall into the wrong crowd than this young fellow. That would certainly be a concern. I think it would take some rather constant shoring up on everyones part. And, remember, there are going to be other kids like T there-maybe they will be a minority, maybe not.

Avatar for jbgattuso
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-29-2003
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 9:53pm

Hey Rose,

I have to say that my answer would be just like your thoughts with the positives and the negetives. I will say that it would depend on the alternative school he would attend, but in my city that school still is for the trouble makers. My nephew who came back from Drug Rehab is in that school, and you know, We really believe that he doesn't stand a chance there, because the only kids that he is associating with are trouble :( My sis is going to look at some Private "alternitive" schools that have that same Idea of low ratio and work at your own pace with different coarse selections. The problem there is it costs lots of money :( When I was in High School, our school had a program built in that was great for kids to go to to learn a trade and "get through" the classes they had to have to graduate. I know we don't have anything like that here.

Good luck, I know I wasn't much help.

Julie

Avatar for kel7col4
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 10:16pm

Rose I hear ya - As I'm sure you just read in my post regarding my dd - she sounds a lot like T. She is missing huge chunks of skills. She was lucky that we haven't moved much, but she just loses the information and has completely fallen through the cracks.

I have recently seriously considered our local alternative school - but like you said, ours really is nothing but trouble makers and it's labeled not so nicely. I worry about the stigma as well as the environment. DD has never been a "problem" child - in fact, she usually ends up as teacher's pet which is why I believe we are in the position we are in now.

What does T want? What is his opinion of the alternative school?




iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 10:30pm

T is of mixed emotion when it comes to the alternative school - he sees the positives of being able to graduate in 09 like he should, and not having to do a lot of homework, having a teacher there to help him out when he needs it.

Avatar for heartsandroses2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 10:49pm

Hi Rose,

My 17dd is in what some consider an alternative HS. It's a Charter school which is actually part of the public school system, but they have more leeway to be creative and allow a lot of independent and alternative studies. In many ways it's been a real positive for my dd. Her self esteem was plummeting in our local HS where she was failing classes and the help the school offered was not enough to truly get her through her classes. At the charter school, the class sizes are much smaller (the school only has 85 student total for grades 10, 11, & 12) so the kids who need the extra help get it.

As far as being mixed in with the types of kids he's distanced himself from, you could inquire what type of guidelines and consequences the school has set up for drug/alcohol abuse. In my dd's charter school they have a Zero tolerance rule for drugs and alcohol, there is no smoking permitted on school grounds, the must be passing 80% of thier classes at all times and will be placed on probation for one quarter to catch up if they dip below that level. DD has been on probation for one class or another off and on. At her school, because it's smaller and independent of our local HS, the administrators can get very creative in how she earns her credits and passes her classes. They have the academics divvied up in such a way that the kids are able to maintain their individuality while still getting an education. You know those kids who are slightly left of center at your local HS? Well, that's the majority at dd's charter school and she fits in very well! And, her school is actually more difficult than the local HS in that they don't just want the kids to pass, they want them to enjoy learning and succeed AFTER graduation.

Overall, I am happy we switched her to this school - she found her niche among her peers in a very non-threatening atmosphere and excelled in ways that were more important to me than getting straight A's. She has loved the experience and is sad to see it end.

Is there any way in which you can make your inquiries? It sounds like T really looks up to you and being able to provide him with a real response may help him feel more comfortable in making this move.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 11:04pm

I'm so hoping that T can have a positive experience at the alternative school.

Avatar for kel7col4
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 11:07pm

Well, T is already one step ahead of my dd in that he knows he needs help and takes the help. My dd has a mouth too and for the most part she hasn't gotten into too much trouble yet.

Can he not get an IEP or 504 and stay mainstream?




iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Thu, 06-07-2007 - 7:17am
I don't know if he can get an IEP or 504.
Avatar for heartsandroses2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 06-07-2007 - 9:06am

It's wonderful that the counselor acted so quickly on just your few words. I have had many conversations about a couple of friends of dd17's friends without ever actually saying their names - lol. I can't wait for graduation day; I have so many kiddos to be proud of!

I know there are some who think alternative schools are hogwash and that the kids should just snap out of it and learn to go with the flow. But for so many that is the most difficult challenge of their day - to go to a school where they don't feel they fit in anywhere, where each day is as struggle and where so many of the teachers misunderstand them. I hope this is a good change for T - everyone deserves the best opportunities.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2006
Thu, 06-07-2007 - 9:29am
I have a DS TT who was diagnosed in 2nd grade (he is now in 10th grade) with a learning disability and ADD so we have run the gammit here. I have a couple of questions. Is it a public alternative school? Our experience with the public school system for my son and his learning differences was not a very good one, not because of the teachers or staff. There are alot of factors that went into the problems but we found it frustrating dealing with the "system" because while he had really great teachers that worked with him the "tailored" program was still within the guidlines of the public school system, so although the concept was great it was not set up for his individual needs. When it was time for middle school we sent him to a private school in our area specifically for kids with learning disabilities in our area called Churchill and they were incredible. Unfortunatley this did not work for DS because he had already given up on himself and was headed to the TT stuff. He refused to take advantage of the tools he was being taught and given. I don't know if things would have been different if we had moved him sooner or not. My son did have a friend that went to the alternative highschool in our old school district for her freshman year, the year before she had some major mental and behavioral issues, she absolutely flourished there. She was involved in drinking and drugs and had alot of mental issues and she is right back on track and said she loved the school. She got the counseling support on a daily basis there and the adults there could spot any bs from these kids. She was required to volunteer for credit, she worked with horses and she also got the other courses that the state requires. She really felt like she was in a nurturing environment. The last I heard about her was that she was thinking of moving back into the "regular" highschool. I know that the old view of the alternative school is that it is for the "troubled" kids but my thought is if you are putting them in an environment with teachers and staff who have the time and knowledge to deal with them then that is all the better for them. How does this young man feel about trying this school? Anyhow that is my experience and my two cents.

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