For some parents like me, the moment our children start developing their own personality and talking, we begin to think about what type of schooling will best suit their needs and learning style.
Let’s take that a step further and talk about how parents like me also start to determine that our children are geniuses and that they shall be the next Doogie Howser (Doogie Howser, M.D. is an American medical sitcom about a brilliant teenage doctor who must still navigate the murky waters of adolescence. The show ran for four seasons on ABC from September 19, 1989, to March 24, 1993, totaling 97 episodes).
Once I came back down to earth, and before making my final decision, I had to consider whether public schools or private schools in Michigan would best suit my sons’ learning needs. And, how prevalent were private schools in Michigan anyhow? I learned that from the data collected by the state, Michigan has over six hundred documented private schools with enrollment hovering around 113,000 students, which is about seven percent of all students in the state.
The study showed that all but fourteen of Michigan’s eighty-four counties have at least one private school operating within their boundaries. Furthermore, the study showed that even though private schools in Michigan are widespread, there is very little public information available about them.
According to MLive, “Even the number of Michigan private schools and their enrollment is unclear. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 10 percent of Michigan schoolchildren in grades kindergarten through 12th attend a private school, or an estimated 161,377 students.
But the National Center for Education Statistics, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education, put 2015-16 enrollment at 151,909 in 886 schools, based on its surveys.
Meanwhile, CEPI’s 2016-17 database of Michigan private schools lists 645 schools, of which 578 reported a collective total of 112,047 in enrollment,”.
Are private or public schools better for special education students?
While I am convinced that both of my sons are certainly geniuses (ha ha), my youngest does have some barriers to his education. He has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), Tourette’s, and ED (emotional disturbance).
While looking into alternatives with his healthcare team and his psychiatrist, they suggested that he should have an IEP (individualized education plan) through his school. As a result, we tested him, and he qualified for the IEP.
On Michigan.gov, they state that, “When you enroll your child in a PUBLIC school district: Your child, if eligible, is entitled to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) through an individualized education program (IEP). A FAPE may include:
• Programs
• Services
• Accommodations
• Modifications
• Specialized instruction
When you enroll your child in a NONPUBLIC school: Your child does not have a right to a FAPE and does not have an IEP in a nonpublic school. Some services (such as speech or physical therapy) may be provided through a nonpublic services plan, but the services provided may be less than what your child would receive in a public school.
The services are determined through a process between the public school district and the nonpublic schools, based on the required share of federal funding and the needs of the student. The services are provided by the public school district. Nonpublic schools are not bound by special education law. When the public school district places your child in a nonpublic school: The public school district may, through the IEP team, choose to provide a FAPE by placing your child in a nonpublic school. In this case, your child must have an IEP to receive a FAPE,”.
Because of my younger son’s educational needs and the services offered in public schools, we decided that private school might not be a good fit for him. He is now in high school, and we are happy that we made that choice, as his school district has been accommodating and helpful.
Additionally, once he qualified for the IEP, a nonprofit organization that helps parents with children who have IEPs offered us free workshops on how to advocate for our child, as well as other essential topics.
During one of the workshop sessions, it was suggested that if your child meets specific requirements with their IEP status, they could qualify for federal SSI benefits as well as state Medicaid and food benefit programs. I learned that if your child has an IEP, then SSA should continue to apply the child criteria for SSI until your child graduates or otherwise exits the school system through age twenty-one.
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), it defines a child with a disability as one with one of these top thirteen qualifying disability categories:
• Autism
• Deaf blindness
• Deafness
• Emotional disturbance
• Hearing impairment
• Intellectual disability
• Multiple disabilities
• Orthopedic impairment
• Other health impairment (OHI)
• Specific learning disability (SLD)
• Speech or language impairment (SLI)
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Visual impairment (including blindness)
It looks like my son qualifies under Emotional disturbance and Multiple disabilities.
Alternative high schools for IEP students
Even though the public schools have done a phenomenal job in trying to implement accommodations and modifications for my younger son with the IEP, he is still struggling. The typical public school setting for learning is not conducive to my son’s learning style. Fortunately, the public school system he is in does offer an alternative high school option. They are a top-notch alternative high school, so they have a long waiting list. Our hope is that he will be called up by the start of the next school year in the fall, preferably sooner.
Alternative Education is a separate, non-traditional program within a K-12 public school district or a public school academy established to provide personalized educational services for students who:
- Are at risk of not graduating with their class, and/or
- Have individual needs not being met in a traditional setting
Along with some other students in his ninth-grade class, he is in danger of not graduating on time as he has consistently struggled with impulsivity and not turning in his work, even though he is completing it. That is a direct result of his ADHD.
Are private schools prevalent in Michigan?
In conclusion, Michigan hosts over six hundred private schools, offering various educational alternatives. However, for children with special needs, public schools generally provide more comprehensive support through IEPs and specialized services. For my son, the public school system proved to be the best fit, demonstrating the importance of tailoring educational choices to individual student needs.