Let's go back, once again. I apologize for the back and forth, but as soon as I finish one entry I remember so much more that led to that entry that I feel I must explain. Ok, I want to explain. You get it, right?
Lennon's first year at Monarch Academy For Young Children didn't "just happen". I enrolled him when he was 2 years old, twice a week, while he was still receiving Regional Center Services. I knew that once he turned 3 years old he would transition out of the Early Start Program, but I didn't know what our next step would be. Protocol is to have assessments done as well as meetings with Regional Center to discuss our next move. Children either transition out (no further services needed), transition to Special Education Services with an IEP (Individual Education Plan) or continue with Regional Center Services as well as Special Education Services, (with a qualifying developmental disability). You can read more about that here.
When Lennon turned 3 he was transitioned to Special Education Services. And this meant he would be transferring to a Special Education Classroom for preschool, even though he was already enrolled at Monarch Academy. You could see my dilemma can't you? I needed more information before I made the decision on whether or not to take him out of Monarch.
The problem was that Lennon's birthday is on New Years Eve and the district shuts down for the holidays. So our meetings all took place prior to the holiday break with the explanation and expectation (on their part) that once the district reopened Lennon would join the special day classroom mid-year. This meant that I had the entire holiday break to ponder over what decision to make. I had a lot of questions, naturally. I knew how Monarch ran, but was completely oblivious to how a traditional special education classroom ran. I had no idea who the teacher would be and this meant that I couldn't get to know her prior to dropping Lennon off on his 1st day. That didn't sit well with me. I was told that I would be getting a call from the teacher over the break to discuss the new year and I planned on asking all my questions then.
Over the break I did get a call from the teacher and when I asked about drop off and pick up procedures I was told that I would be expected to drop Lennon off in front of the school and not only would I not "be allowed" to walk him to class, I would "not allowed" to stay with him in class. I expressed my concerns and stated that he is only 3 years old, it's his 1st time going to preschool and if he's not ok I will walk him to class. Her response? "He's a big boy, he'll be fine". I still angry laugh at that response today. When I made my concerns even clearer and asked to meet with her before school started so I could know who I was expected to leave my child with she said, "I can't meet with you before school starts, but I'll only have about 5-10 minutes between classes to meet with you". That was the last straw for me. She could hear the frustration in my tone, I'm sure, so she did her best to extinguish the now fueled conversation by saying she would mail me the details of the class and if I had any further concerns after I read through the paperwork to please call her back.
And that is how it was left. I felt angry. And confused. I talked about it with everyone I knew. I didn't know what to do. I was never the parent who just dropped off her child and walked away. Wasn't my style. Still isn't. So what... Was I supposed to turn down services? In a world where children with special needs may not be getting the services they need did I dare say thank you, but no thank you? Did I sign that paper that says I "refused services" and keep him in a private preschool? Well, the answer was yes. I picked the school where we were all already so comfortable and where I knew and trusted the teachers. I picked Monarch. I felt so strongly that I would not just leave my child at the front of a school where he would be left to walk to class all by himself with a group of kids he didn't know and a teacher I had never met that I was willing to say no to a special education classroom. He was 3 years old, (still a baby) and I put his emotional needs first.
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