"We've never asked a child to leave..." These were the exact words the educational director Josephine of CR said to me on the tour of the school. My son attended Community Resources from January until mid March. I went on a tour, and I found the classrooms to be bright, cheerful and full of content. The director presented herself as knowledgeable and seasoned in regards to education as well as children with special needs. I was told that he would be in a supportive environment with frequent parent communication. I was also told that he had a difficult time transitioning into the room, and "help" was offered to him on only his second day. I was grateful for the support; however, I did find the intervention premature. However, I wanted to have an open mind and trust the process. I provided a communication notebook for my son's teacher where I was assured it would be written in once a week. However, it was only written in twice in 2 months, and the conversations were initiated by me. I spoke to the educational director in mid February and we discussed an appointment for an in house evaluation concentrating on speech. On March 9, I received a phone call regarding my son's behavior. He was exhibiting oppositional and aggressive behavior which was a complete shock to me. I was never made aware of ONE incident of this nature. The director informed me that there was consistent communication with my father at pick up each day he was there. This was not the case. My father always said, "They didn't say anything to me." So, I always figured no news was good news. During our phone call, the director wanted to move my son's evaluation to March 17. She also stated that my son belonged in a highly specialized program in a very restrictive setting. Being an educator, I knew that this was the wrong way to go about this. You never speak of placement prior to an evaluation or an individualized education plan meeting. There was no speak of possible setting events, antecedents or strategies put in place in order to regulate his behavior. Why wasn't a token economy system implemented? Any educator worth their salt would have tried this strategy first. If I would have know about what was happening in the room, I would have suggested and created one myself. After speaking with several people in the educational and social work field, who have spent time observing in CR, I was told that there is actually a HIGH TURNOVER of staff, and they never see the same teacher twice. The director has only been in her position minimum two years. During our phone conversation, she actually chuckled when reading the report and said, "I don't know if you want me to finish reading this...it's pretty bad." I got the impression that she enjoyed being abrupt and blunt. "Ideally I want his last day to be March 24." I found that statement odd since she's "never asked a child to leave." Her words sounded like that to me. Also, how would my son get a fair evaluation if his placement was already decided? The one positive I can say is that his teachers were incredibly kind and sweet to my son. I know they are not to blame as they were not given the proper guidance by someone who claims to have the experience that she has. My son began a new school in April. He is loved, supported and celebrated in his new environment. He also has not had one aggressive outburst in over 2 months. He was also evaluated on May 31, and after consulting with his teacher and psychologist performing the evaluation, it is recommended my son be placed in a general education UPK setting with speech and occupational therapy services along with a SEIT providing minimal support when needed. As a parent and an educator, I strongly suggest you DO NOT send your child to this school. The lack of communication and knowledge was wildly disappointing and incredibly upsetting. Never stop searching for the right fit for your child, we are their BEST advocates. read more
