Special Ed Services in North OUSD Elementary Schools
My 7 year old has an IEP and is receiving support at school from a reading specialist and occupational therapist (for dyslexia, fine and gross motor issues, and ADHD--though the IEP is mainly for dyslexia and motor skills, since the ADHD is well managed with medication). I really like the resource team at our school, and I’m happy with my kid’s progress so far, but unfortunately OUSD has decided to close our school (Kaiser elementary) next year. So now I’m looking for another supportive environment for my kid, who will start 3rd grade in fall 2020. If you have any experience—positive, negative, or in between—with special education services at any of these schools, I would really appreciate hearing it!
Chabot
Piedmont Avenue
Emerson
Joaquin Miller
Thornhill
Montclair
Sankofa
(OUSD is suggesting Kaiser families move to Sankofa, but it’s not clear yet who the resource team will be—the Kaiser team, the Sankofa team, some people from each team, or a whole new group, but any feedback on the current Sankofa team would be welcome). I'm not interested in private schools or charters.
And if you can share anything about how your kid’s teachers in 3-5th handled classroom accommodations, that would be appreciated too.
Thank you in advance!
Parent Replies
Our older one attended Piedmont Ave. Elementary school for TK when we lived in that neighborhood. Although test scores scare parents away, we felt the school community and the teachers were fantastic. With a child that has sensory issues and mildly on the spectrum, the teacher, the IEP team, even the lunch ladies were very helpful and accomodating.
We moved and are now at Cleveland Elementary School which is our new neighborhood school. We can also recommend Cleveland with confidence. What both schools have in common are the smaller size, relatively intimate environment for a public school, dedicated teachers and administrators, and truly diverse school community which represents the real Oakland (all of the characteristics that make Kaiser also stand out). Cleveland seems to have a stronger, more resourced, and better organized PTA, although we can't say what PAES PTA is like now, since it's been some years since we left PAES. Cleveland community is not wealthy like the Oakland Hills or Chabot but everyone chips in and PTA raises an impressive amount of money for its size. When our little one who seemed to be lagging slightly behind on reading, the teacher did not miss a beat and helped us get tested for dyslexia and other possible learning differences.