ZD: your definition of inadequate is based on your interpretation. Of course it’s not clear-cut, and that’s one of the reasons the city or county can try to fight private special-Ed placement. For example if a kid speaks only Yiddish at home and the county doesn’t provide Yiddish services would you say such an education is appropriate for a child with very limited learning capabilities? I want your personal opinion, not just the legalese as you’ve come out very strongly against your co-religionists on this issue and it’s truly disheartening.
Unfortunately even in the city it is very difficult to fight the board of Ed. because they have “unlimited” resources to appeal even when they do lose. So you’d need to pay exorbitant tuition and legal fees while your case snails through the court system. Yet at the end of the day — or very often school year — you don’t know whether you’ll get reimbursed. And they make you go through this fight EVERY SINGLE year.
Many people moved to KJ just so their Down Syndrome child can get the education they need and deserve. We are dealing with a self centered teachers’ union pulling the strings, crazy beureacracy and at least a touch of anti-semitism even in NYC.
On the other hand KJ seems to be doing very well with their public school district. And despite many naysayers around here, they do it all LEGALLY. So paradoxically we need to be more isolated (segregated?) and collectively smart to achieve fairness. And then we get backlash for doing just that. Anybody interested in starting a thread about the Monroe annexation issue?