What's the best school around Edwards AFB for a gifted, special needs third grader?
May 14, 2009 2:05 PM Subscribe
I need advice on elementary schools on, near, and around Edwards AFB.
This summer, my family will be PCSing from Eielson AFB, AK, to Edwards AFB, CA. We're trying to look at all the possibilities so we'll have an idea where to find housing, but the most important factor is the schools.
I have an eight year old, rising third grader, with special needs - he is both profoundly gifted and struggling with severe impulse control disorder (NOS) and depression. We need a school environment in which he will be challenged, but at which teachers will work with him to achieve and understand that he has some behavioral difficulties. His teachers and therapist here are trying to work with me, but none of us has enough familiarity with the options in the area to do more than help solidify what we need to look for. In short, we have no idea how to find it.
A charter, magnet, or experimental school might be best. The psychologist recommends looking into private programs; as strapped as California is, there is some concern that my son will fall through the cracks or be pushed aside as the state and its schools try to make ends meet. Money is an issue for us, but we'll make what sacrifices we need to if it means we can enroll him in a program that will be good for him. If there are scholarships or financial aid available, that would also be a plus.
We need to live within an hour's drive of Edwards AFB, and I'd prefer that the school not be more than another half hour in the opposite direction if at all possible.
Is anyone familiar with the schools in the area? Is there anything there that will help us?
This summer, my family will be PCSing from Eielson AFB, AK, to Edwards AFB, CA. We're trying to look at all the possibilities so we'll have an idea where to find housing, but the most important factor is the schools.
I have an eight year old, rising third grader, with special needs - he is both profoundly gifted and struggling with severe impulse control disorder (NOS) and depression. We need a school environment in which he will be challenged, but at which teachers will work with him to achieve and understand that he has some behavioral difficulties. His teachers and therapist here are trying to work with me, but none of us has enough familiarity with the options in the area to do more than help solidify what we need to look for. In short, we have no idea how to find it.
A charter, magnet, or experimental school might be best. The psychologist recommends looking into private programs; as strapped as California is, there is some concern that my son will fall through the cracks or be pushed aside as the state and its schools try to make ends meet. Money is an issue for us, but we'll make what sacrifices we need to if it means we can enroll him in a program that will be good for him. If there are scholarships or financial aid available, that would also be a plus.
We need to live within an hour's drive of Edwards AFB, and I'd prefer that the school not be more than another half hour in the opposite direction if at all possible.
Is anyone familiar with the schools in the area? Is there anything there that will help us?
If you want to live within an hour of Edwards, that leaves you with limited options. Neither Palmdale nor Lancaster have good school choices. As a parent of a child with special needs, when I found myself in an area not known for having a good school system (Maxwell), I found the best option was on base. The base elementary school, because it was funded federally and had a relationship with the base hospital personnel treating my son, was much better suited to come up with some good options/solutions for our family. Because of Edwards isolation, I would be surprised if there wasn't a team (probably through Family Advocacy) assigned to deal with just these types of situations.
Good luck to you!
posted by notcomputersavvy06 at 6:47 PM on May 14, 2009
Good luck to you!
posted by notcomputersavvy06 at 6:47 PM on May 14, 2009
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posted by k8t at 3:33 PM on May 14, 2009