Hollidaysburg Catholic, Here We Come!

I went to public school. In fact, I grew up in the same school district as we live in now. Our district has always been a good one, probably one of the better districts in the county. I always pictured my kids going to the same schools I did, maybe even having some of the same teachers. For better or worse, that's not how things have turned out.

Jacob spent first grade at the local public elementary school, and while I maintain much respect for his teacher and for the school as a whole, I must admit that we were less than thrilled with his progress. Aside from his classroom teacher, who was always available and courteous, other communications with the school personnel were polite, but curt. I felt early on as if they were being professionally nice, telling me in the words left unsaid that my feelings were unjustified and any concerns I had would be handled their way, not mine. Always smiling, they managed to put me in my place, and not wanting to create a potentially bad atmosphere for Jacob, I did not fight nearly as much as I would have liked. Jacob is a bright kid and the few issues he had were minor in comparison to other children. I was even told that, "he wasn't the worst child in the class." Not to be inconsiderate, but I really don't care about how he compares to other children. My concern is solely the well being of my own child, compared only to himself and his individual potential.

Over the summer, we thought quite a bit about Jacob's and our experiences at the public school last year. Jacob made quite a few friends and felt very at ease by the end of the year. He has been excited about returning to see his buddies and talk about the latest video games and sci-fi shows. But for me, that camaraderie was just not enough to sway the decision to keep him in the public school. I was afraid that the hurdles he needed help with would be swept under the carpet, only minimally addressed, because he is not a child who is screaming for immediate attention. When I contacted the school a month ago in an attempt to be proactive in his education, I was met with the same very nice professional wall. The wall that I was not allowed to climb. I was told that they would take into consideration what my concerns were and then make decisions regarding the plan of action. Don't worry, they said, I'd be a part of the whole process. Really? Because that wasn't the message I was getting from our correspondence. I think they meant that I would be informed of the final action once they determined what it would be. Those communications made me increasingly nervous about what would happen to Jake throughout the year.

I contacted our Catholic school and talked to the principal. I also talked to my brother and sister in-law, whose children attend the school. I talked to some other parents as well as a good friend who has taught there for 25 years. Over and over, I heard the same accolades about the school - the strong sense of family and support, the small school atmosphere, small student: teacher ratio, and the comparable availability of academic resources. When I spoke to the principal and Jacob's potential teacher, they were both very receptive to my concerns regarding his education and were more than ready to offer solutions before he was even enrolled. I also like the fact that a religious component is part of the curriculum.

On top of all of that, I think the Catholic school has a lot more flexibility in their teaching. They are not governed by the No Child Left Behind Act, which in my opinion forces many public school teachers to teach for test material rather than for critical thinking. The Catholic schools have their own methods of assessment and self check, which allow the teachers to choose how to instruct their classrooms.

The smaller size also limits the number of extreme needs in the classrooms. Don't get me wrong, I am a strong advocate for the rights of people with special needs, however; last year in Jacob's classroom I saw some real mainstreaming DON'Ts. In his classroom alone, there were 22 students, a teacher and two therapeutic support staff. That's a lot of bodies in one small room. Each first grade classroom had a severely autistic child, both of whom functioned at about an 18 month old level. Those children became highly agitated with normal classroom activity and noise levels. They got out of their seats, vocalizing, sometimes very loudly, and engaging in typical autistic behaviors such as flapping and rocking. The times when I was in the classroom, it was apparent to me that the child with autism was clearly stressed just by being in the classroom. Not only was he a distraction to the other kids in the class, but he himself was uncomfortable. How is that beneficial for anyone? It was an over-crowded classroom with too many distractions and a very sweet teacher who did her best to keep things calm in a constant state of upheaval. I feel for the parents of that child (although, if he were my child, I would have been fighting to have him placed in a smaller, less stimulating environment, but that's just my opinion). I feel for the teacher who has no control over her enrollees, and I feel for the kids who have to figure out a way to learn amidst chaos.

Yes, kids need to learn to adapt to the world around them. Regular education kids need to be exposed to special education kids. They can learn a lot from each other, can increase tolerance and understanding, and mainstreaming can be beneficial for everyone when done correctly. I just think that it's not done correctly all that often. Then when I look at my child who needs a little extra support, but not as much as say, that autistic child, and see that my child's needs are not met, it makes me quite angry. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. That mentality doesn't sit well with me. All children need special attention in my opinion.

Someone once said that the most difficult part of parenting is not knowing whether or not you are doing a good job. It's so true. You just never know if you have made the right decision until after the fact. Sometimes you can correct it, sometimes it's just about damage control, and I suppose we hope that there are also just as many positive moments when we are confident that the right thing was done.

This summer, I prayed. I prayed a lot about what to do with Jake. There are a number of other things that I took into consideration, beyond what I have mentioned in this blog. I also consulted Jacob. He didn't want to change schools. He wanted to go back with his friends. Would changing schools cause him undue emotional stress? Was it worth it? In the long run, I decided that the long term educational benefits would outweigh the short term adjustment period. He will start at our Catholic school on Monday. I'm sure it won't be an educational utopia. All schools have their pros and cons. But I feel in my gut that this is the right decision. Based on my interactions with the school thus far, I am hopeful that he will get the attention he needs without fighting. We attended the back to school picnic last week and he met a few of his classmates and his teacher. He had a good time playing with the kids, and Greg and I felt comfortable among the parents and staff. Here's praying for a smooth transition, and for a positive educational experience. Hollidaysburg Catholic, here we come!