Parents of students with disabilities tell Montgomery County schools leaders, online learning isn’t working
KENSINGTON, Md. - No more virtual learning. That’s the message parents of kids with disabilities want to tell leaders of Montgomery County Public Schools.
Dozens of parents have been sounding-off on social media saying that the methods of virtual learning isn’t working for their kids because they need in person special education.
“He doesn’t associate home with school so to him physically not going somewhere has just been upsetting for him to see it on the screen,” said Maureen Fox of Ashton, whose 11-year-old son, Jacob Fox is on the autism spectrum and is non-verbal.
Fox isn’t alone in dealing with such challenges. The Brown family of Kensington have a 5-year-old son who is also on the autism spectrum.
READ MORE: Maryland parents face frustrations as students return to virtual classes
“I kind of get emotional because it’s just really hard to watch your child try to engage him in learning when it’s just not the appropriate delivery method,” explained Susan Brown.
Both mothers and dozens of other parents of kids with disabilities are demanding that MCPS give them some sort of an option rather than just virtual learning.
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“We would just love to have some sort of support whether that’s outside or being one-on-one with the support staff that facilitates speech therapy, just something,” said Brown.
“Perhaps bring kids in for half a day,” said Fox, “I mean there are five or six kids in Jacob’s class just on a normal day.”
FOX 5’s Ayesha Khan inquired with MCPS to respond and we were told, they are working with county health officials to:
“...bring in small groups of students who receive special education and ESOL services. By mid-September, we will provide more information on our plans to offer these in-person supports in the coming months.
The two mothers are also wondering why MCPS isn’t moving fast enough with bringing back just the population who requires a special one-on-one education.
For example, representatives with the Prince William County Public School system told us in a statement:
“The School Division is following the direction of the School Board, which follows: (1) reopen schools for the 2020-2021 school year on September 8, 2020, with a 100 percent distance learning model for the first quarter. The Division will consider offering in-person services to special education students as determined appropriate by their IEP teams, and to the most vulnerable English Language Learners and students with interrupted learning, as determined to be instructionally appropriate and feasible.
We have about 1,600 students (out of more than 90,000 total) coming back for some type of in-person learning in the first quarter. We will social distance and our staff members are being provided appropriate PPE.”
“I don’t understand honestly why they (MCPS) have left these children behind because it’s not a one size fits all approach,” said Fox.
FOX 5 also contacted board of education president, Shebra Evans but as of Wednesday afternoon, we did not receive a response.