Franklin Academy
Wednesday, November 24th, 2004
Franklin Academy
106 River Rd.
East Haddam, CT 06423
860-873-2700
www.fa-ct.org
Sanford Shapiro’s Review of Franklin Academy
Schools with Services for Language-based Learning Disabilities (LLD)
Schools with Services for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Schools with Services for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Once you visit, you’ll know there are better options out there for your NLD child. Find them.
Hi Susan. Where have you gone to that you think are good options for a student with NLD?
Did your child go to Franklin?
What other others options for a child with NLD in New England of average intelligence?
I attended this school for a brief period of time, so I would have first hand experience.
Let me tell you this is by far the worst LD school. Public school worked much better for me. My advice to parents who are considering Franklin Academy is to look elsewhere. You’ll be saving yourself a lot of money and hope if you put your child in public school with special support classes.
I agree with Lewis. FA has the potential of damaging your child severely.
Like Sarah, I attended the school for little over a year, and it was the worst year of my life. The school has NO idea what they’re doing and they don’t help students–it is essentially babysitting. No social, life or organizational skills are taught, and the academic rigor is nonexistent. While I was there, a substantial portion of the school population was on the lower end of the autism spectrum, leading to a very frustrating boarding experience (try living with people who fail to see the social advantages to showering regularly… not fun). Some of the staff are well-meaning, but when it comes down to it, they’re just downright incompetent.
The school has a VERY high turnover rate in both students and teachers, which should tell you something about the quality of the school right there. The vast majority of students I knew at the school (I attended 2 years ago) have transferred out, as have all but one of my teachers.
You’re best off finding another school if you have the best interests of your child in mind.
thought I should perhaps expand a bit more on what made the school bad rather than just saying “didn’t do this and this and was terrible.” Assuming they haven’t made any drastic changes to the system, my experiences should still stand.
The academics were, to put it lightly, odd. They graded based on effort, segregated the kids by sex and grouped kids together based on ability level. Each ability group would attend all of their classes together… good if you got along with your group, horrid if you didn’t (mind you, you were also living with these same people). The academics were basically a joke; the homework, if assigned, was very light at best, and I never spent more than a half-hour total on homework in one night. I can’t remember ever having a single test, either.
Math was not traditional; it was some special program called “Integrated Math” that basically meshed all sorts of different math concepts into one program. I suppose integrated math wouldn’t have been so bad if the teacher didn’t teach the material so slowly. We would literally cover ONE concept for five weeks before moving onto the next one, and considering there are only 27 weeks in the school year, I think you can gather how little we covered in one year. Moreover, math was complicated by the differing math levels of people in the group–I had people in my ability group who were crippled by dyscalculia and couldn’t even do simple multiplication without the aid of a calculator, and then we had other people in the group (like myself) who were of normal mathematical ability. (Hilariously, when parents complained about the lack of math being taught, the administration literally told them to hire a math tutor if they didn’t like it. Way to give the finger to your customers when the school costs $60k)
Science was split up between biology and chemistry–half a year of each (which ended up screwing me over royally in credits when I switched into another school… had to repeat both courses). We did a few labs here and there, but there was very little taught and we ended up covering very little. English was just writing paragraph prompts over and over… I don’t recall ever reading anything in the class, nor did we ever get critique on what we did write. Then I&C… supposedly it was supposed to be our life skills class, but instead it inevitably always turned into a bitch fest where we would LITERALLY begin screaming about how much we hated the school or our irritations with each other. We never accomplished anything productive in that class, either.
Living situation was terrible. The boys were at least segregated by age, but all of the girls lived together on one floor, and we had a HUGE mismatch of social and intelligence levels. We ran into lots of problems the year I was there… a girl consistently stole food and money the entire year, someone kept vandalizing the toilets, people got into physical fights over boyfriends, people got into screaming matches… on and on, and the staff did NOTHING. Their policy for handling those things were “well, it’s a learning experience, and they’ll learn social skills from each other.” Uh… what? These kids have a learning disability. If they could just pick up social skills from being with other kids, they wouldn’t have a disability. Some of these kids have to be explicitly taught not to commit certain social faux pases.
The staff, for the most part, were incompetent. Only a select few of the teachers actually had degrees in special education, and a number of teachers didn’t even have regular teaching degrees. The counselors there were disgustingly incompetent as well, among the worst I’ve come across. The one to which I was assigned was among the most patronizing people I’ve ever met, and I can’t fathom how anyone could reap any benefit from talking to her. Her methodology for fixing problems, like everyone else in that school, was in a nutshell “it’s not that bad, think happy thoughts. Don’t think negatively.” Nice philosophy and all, but it doesn’t help when you have an actual problem. The best part was they used that tactic no matter what the problem was, and by doing so essentially said, “Your problems and concerns aren’t real or worth our time.”
I won’t say everything there was all negative. I gained friends, something which I sorely lacked in mainstream schools, and with that came an explosion in psychosocial development that changed me from a very immature, socially awkward 14/15-year-old to a more socially aware, mature person I am now. Living with other people, even if I hated some of them with an utter passion, taught me to be more self-aware of what I did and how I acted, and dealing with the school’s incompetent staff taught me some things about how people work and how to approach people with a problem.
But would I say that the things I learned were worth attending the school? I’d have to say no; if given the chance, I would have attended 10th grade elsewhere. But what’s done is done; no good will come of lamenting.
Just do your kid a favor and don’t send him there. Trust me. There are good schools out there your kid can do well in, but this school isn’t one of them.
This school is just awful. The comments above really describe it. The facilities are not at all pleasant, and the staff is completely inept. Most od the students hate this school… many leave after a year or less. My daughter spent 2 agonizing months at this dreadful school. $70,000+ per year– the headmaster, who is bereft of any special education expertise, is raking it in while the students suffer miserably. They’ll sell you a bill of goods to get you in the door… then sell your kid down the river.
Yes, Franklin Academy is THAT bad.
Dear Parent,
Terrible that you and your daughter had such a lousy experience. Since some parents and kids seem to stay and like this school, opinions like yours are very important.
That being said, your feedback would be so much more credible if instead of signing an anonymous “Parent” there was a name attached. Seeing your signature makes me wonder slightly whether “Parent” is a current student who doesn’t like the place.
Also, are you saying all staff are “inept?” Statements that are blanket indictments of an entire group feel less credible (to me at least) than specifics (without necessarily mentioning names)with descriptions of behaviors.
No disrespect intended to you, just my opinion about how to make an impact on other parents’ decisions, if that’s your intention.
My daughter has just begun attending Franklin about a month ago so far she has had a pretty good experience. She is the happiest in this school setting that I have ever seen so far. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this continues. So far, I have been very pleased with the school.
I would just like to share with you our overall experience with Franklin Academy. Our daughter, Caitlin, who has NLD has been there 2 1/2 years and is graduating in June. She has just thrived both socially emotionally and academically. She took advantage of every opportunity that Franklin had to offer. She was president of the student body, manager of the school store, an RA, a intern in admissions, made lifelong friends, learned how to live on her own and finally learned to accept herself for who she is and what she has to offer. The teachers and staff and head master at Franklin Academy look at every child individually, offer much emotional support and take their jobs very seriously. What works for one child doesn’t neccessarily work for another. For Caitlin, Franklin changed her life. She was accepted into the college of her dreams, Emerson College and is looking forward to using all the skills she learned at Franklin in college! She has shown us all just how brightly she can shine!! Thanks to Franklin Academy!
Judy, thanks for writing in. Congratulations on your daughter’s growth and success. What will she be studying at Emerson?
She plans to major in creative writing and minor in photography.
Good luck to her. Always liked the work of Dr. Anthony Bashir of Emerson. He’s a great supporter of students with learning differences.
Dear Someone,
As a parent looking for a school, what schools would you reccomend?
Dear “Weasel”
Are you a parent looking for a school? “Someone” represents himself as a former student.
Have you looked through this categorized place within this website www.ldresources.org/2007/09/24/ld-schools-categorized/ ?
Weasel:
I know the comment was made months ago, but I thought I might as well comment anyway. I’m the “someone” who posted the long set of paragraphs up above. My recommendation for you and others who might read this? Get an educational consultant. Every school tries to sell itself, and they’ll tell you what you as a parent wants to hear. It’s difficult to tell which schools are just puffing themselves up and which ones are actually telling the truth without sending your kid there, which is why getting a good educational consultant who knows the schools well is crucial.
I wish I’d gone to one before going to Franklin; I went to one after and learned, much to my dismay, that my sentiments about the school (that it was not well-run) are the sentiments held by most educational consultants familiar with it. Had I gone to an educational consultant before, I wouldn’t have wasted a year finding that out myself. But so it goes. Learn from my mistake.
…I’d like to see how Franklin is doing now, though. They were pretty young and disorganized when I started there, but hopefully they’ve picked up their act a little.
Hey guys,
I just want to put input into this conversation. I’m a student at this school and have been attending it for what would be now my third year. I have been here since 2010 and really love this school. I can socialize freely with my peers and and overall accepted by the community. on the posts above Judi posted about her daughter Caitlin who was president my first year here. i would have to take a stance in this argument over if franklin is right for every one. I would have to say no. Most of the student body like this school and are putting a hundred percent into there own education in academic a social fields. but there is about 10% of of body that does not like our school.
not to characterize all of these kids under one definition, but a large amount of them have rich parents that spoil them rotten. and i mean rich. last year we had the sons of the CEO of well-known and large companies with us and they were just horrible. this is mostly because they normal get what they want. at franklin they don’t let them do what they want. this ranges all over but normally what they would want would be breaking the law, such as drugs, sex, and other things. the school stops them and this pisses them off because they cant do what they can at home which cause problems.
there is a another step to this though. more people who complain about franklin don’t want to change and learn. they have no drive. this is because if you look through it in their eyes, why should they? most of them have family rich enough to support them till they die. they were given golden card that say that they never have to get better.
But on the other hand not all people children with money are like this. in fact only about 10% are, but as you already know, this school is expensive.
so my advise is if your thinking about sending your kid here is, does he want to change, get better or learn? because if your child is not someone who want to better himself franklin is probably not for him.
You guys are there parents. you should if your son or daughter has the drive to want to better them self.
But for the other 90% percent of the population i would have to say we would love to have your son or daughter join us here at Franklin.
Just saying i am a real person who goes here. i stubbled upon this site looking for the franklin calendar which i guess has not been posted yet. I just wanted to clarify it’s not for every one but at them same time it help for most students here.
So to summarize, Know your child, and now if he wants to change. if so send him here because we will help him/her along the way
Dear Royce,
I’m so impressed with some of the points you bring up and also in the way you express yourself. I love it when students write in and give such thought to what they’re wanting to say.
You make a great point in your summary, ” Know your child.”
Each school will work for some students and not work for other kids/families. You have to take the time to test places out and as you say, know your child.
And again,in your words “so my advise is if your thinking about sending your kid here is, does he want to change, get better or learn? because if your child is not someone who want to better himself franklin is probably not for him.
You guys are there parents. you should if your son or daughter has the drive to want to better them self.”
Perfectly stated.
We’d love to hear from you again and how it’s going.
As with Royce, I am a current student going into my third year at franklin. I have known Royce for two years as well. I was as well looking for the calendar and found this.
I agree with Royce as Franklin is a school for kids who want to change. If you child doesn’t want a change, Franklin will in some cases not work out, it just depends on your child. For some it can encourage change. I begged my mom all summer not to send me to Franklin as I being a competitive rider would have to ride less. I went into FA with “its one year, whatever. I have my parents so I dont have to do anything ever.” mind-set. I quickly learned more about myself then I had in 14 years. I then decided for myself that I needed to change as I would not have my parents to “give me the golden ticket” all my life. Yes, I am fortunate to have them support me but I learned that I needed to do things myself.
I would agree with “someone” the academic are easy at points. I would rather it be a little easy and spend a while on a topic and really understand it and then move on to another. Having went to three private schools who have taught math the traditional way, with a textbook going through a chapter a day Franklin is much better as you really learn and know it then learn a few topics more and not learn them as well, thus making it harder for you later in life. Also my sister is in 9th grade at Sacred Heart in Greenwhich CT and has 6 hours of homework a night. Would you rather have your child sitting at their desk all night or spending 1 hour or so working and then hanging out with their friends?
Franklin is a great place to make friends. I had friends who only liked me for what I had not who I was. Unlike the traditional high school where on the first day kids stuck by their friends and only their friends from the last year making new kids feel left out and awkward, at Franklin the kids come right up to you and say hi and actually want to be your friend. Come the first day or in the middle of the year and within the first week you will have friends. And I mean real friends, not friends who just say they are your friends.
Thanks Katherine. Glad Franklin’s working out well for you. Sounds like you’ve made some attitude shifts that are working for you.
“Yes, I am fortunate to have them support me but I learned that I needed to do things myself.”
You’ve got it right. Keep us posted on how things are going for you. We’d love to hear more.
Sanford
Hi my name is Peter, I graduated Franklin in 2011 and took a post grad year there, after that. During my two years at Franklin, I probably learned more than I did in the 7 previous years of my Education. I just started at Champlain college in Burlington Vermont a few days ago, and I am not sure I could be here without Franklin’s help. I admit that it wasn’t easy, I had no trouble getting all the Staff to like me,but I didn’t really mesh with the students at first, I was older than a lot of them and didn’t really feel like I fit in with that age group. I quickly left the underclassmen and joined the more advanced FLI program, which is generally reserved for those who had aren’t first year students. I thrived enough and moved into the program before the semester ended. That is when I really started changing. Over time I became far more confident in my social abilities, academics and everything. People have been telling me my entire life that I am well above average intelligence, I didn’t believe them…, until I got to Franklin.
These people who all their support, made me feel that I could do something, they made me realize that I had a lot to offer the world, they didn’t tell me that, THEY SHOWED ME IT! I quickly became an RA, and eventually became the Head RA the next year as well as briefly being a school store manager and Student Government treasurer. I have had plenty of friends before Franklin so that wasn’t really a problem, but I have never had VERY few teachers before Franklin that were better than average. I admit that I few Franklin staff members feel sub-par to me,but the vast majority of them are incredibly good at their jobs and they all work as a team to provide the best education for year. Byron the college adviser works tireless with each individual student to get them into the college that suits them best.
Royce brings up many great points, every time I seen a student leave the school and then badmouth it afterwards has almost always been the student’s fault. The staff will help you,but you have to WANT to change and be helped. Every person who has failed at Franklin in my two years have pretty much without out-fail been major trouble makers, who hate the school and refuse to change, they see everyone else as the problem,not them. And yes the school is not for everybody,but most of the people who are there, are there for good reason.
A couple of my friends are good examples of those who have made major strides to change themselves for the better and Franklin helped them do it( only using first initials for them) E came to the school at the start of my second and final year as a PG, she was an emotional wreck, despite being very intelligent. She had never had a real friend in her life, nobody thought she would last, nobody but the staff. They worked with her and within a mere 3 or so weeks, the staff had helped her overcome parts of years worth of emotion issues. She still struggled of course ( we all did) ,but she made friends, I value her friendship and I am proud of her for all she did to make this change happened. She ended her first year as someone far more self-confident and far more controlled. In less than a full calender year she herself ( with help) overcame a large amount of what she had been struggling with for years before Franklin. Now there is my good friend M. M and I came at the same time, I hated him, a lot of people hated him, he got in trouble with the staff and other students multiple times a week. I was so sure he was going to get kicked out, I couldn’t see the changes he was slowly making overtime. He turned from what seemed like a volatile jock with made passes at every girl in 10 mile radius to a very mature ( generally =) ) hardworking and general fun guy. There was a turning point through the year that I was a little part of, he had just gotten another mark on his school record and I was being an RA at his meeting with the staff, he fought the staff at most turns and eventually gave in.. I didn’t think much of it, same old M. Suddenly a turning point happened, I broke one of his things by accident during a hockey game a week or so after that, and I thought it was over, he was going to flip out and get kicked out. He told me it was no big deal, even when I offered to pay for it. Suddenly I realized he really had improved and by the end of the year he had been accepted into FLI, which seemed completely out of his reach and went from one of the most disliked on Campus, to one of the most loved by Staff and students alike. W was probably my closest friend in all of Franklin, he was quiet very quiet, well spoken and intelligent. I didn’t realize until talking to him later that he was a timebomb of nervousness and depression. He certainly would have gotten to that point at other places,but he never reached the exploding point at Franklin. That is because the staff urged him on and believed in him enough that he became not only an RA, but he also gave an incredible senior speech at the 2012 graduation ceremony.
For myself I changed so much, I got a girlfriend at the beginning of my PG year, me having the courage and to ask a girl out and being a good boyfriend would have been impossible previously ,but I did it. Franklin gave me a lot of that courage.
As mentioned before the staff at Franklin are Fantastic I would like to mention a few who I believe are the best of the best.
I met Chris Wenz Rez Dean for FLI in my 2 years there, when I was still an underclassmen, he seemed like an fun guy,but I soon met him again for my FLI interview when I got in. Suddenly with me joined FLI we formed a strong bond, he was my RD and English teacher and he taught me so much. He became more than a teacher and RD, he became an older brother, a mentor. Who made me believe that I can do great things. He was never afraid to challenge me either, he was always willing to call me out on my behavior at any point and he wasn’t always nice about it,but he wasn’t mean about it either, he knew exactly what to do to get me to improve myself and gain better understanding. And at those times he challenged me, I of course disliked him when he did that, until I begin to realize that he was challenging me to change myself for the better, and under his guidance change I did. He is wise well beyond his 28 years and has been one of those teachers that really changed my life for the better,but it says something about Franklin when he wasn’t even the one who helped me change the most.
Kinsley Sanders is that person who helped me change the most at of anyone at Franklin and is one of the greatest people I have ever met, give her time and I think she could be compared to the greatest of teachers. I didn’t get along with Kinsley at first not at all, I found her abrasive and hard to agree with for a large portion of the first semester of my last year. I can’t remember where or exactly why,but that suddenly changed a lot, she soon became like a second mother to me, a mentor, someone who I could trust better more than anyone else. I had a lot of big changes happen in my life during the second semester, most for the worse. I was far more nervous and depressed that semester. These personal events that happened to me would have consumed me if not for her. I was in constant turmoil, more than I had ever been in my entire life. Despite not being a therapist she would meet with me when needed, she talk me step by step through my problems offer me advice and comfort me when needed. She often did this on HER TIME OFF! And Kinsley works immensely long hours as it is and is a single mother to three kids. I am not a religious person at all,but I think she qualifies for Saint Hood. Kinsley is looks very warm,motherly and huggable and she is all of those things,but she will not hesitate to whip you into to Shape and tear you down a peg. She can be scary. Kinsley is only about 5’4 and certainly not intimidating looking in the slightest ,but when she gets made she make someone like me, a 6’4 200 pound male, who generally doesn’t get intimidated, quake in my boots. She has a fierce intelligence behind those glasses and an immensely kind heart. And she is very modest to, despite all she has done for me, she gives the credit of my growth entirely to me and she has told me how proud she is of me and made me swear to stay in contact with her, I certainly will and I must say that when the time comes for me to get married, she will be the first name on the invitation list. While Kinsley is not the norm for Franklin ( or anywhere) the norm for a faculty member is still a example of a teacher or adviser or admin or immense quality and intelligence.
I could go on an and on for pages and pages about all the amazing things about Franklin,but I still have college orientation stuff to do, I just had to take a break from it, when I found this site and found out the misinformation so many people were spread about the school. Franklin doesn’t just help you do well in school, it helps you do well in life in general.
Ps. sorry about all the typing errors, I typed this all up in like 30 minutes and I am in a huge hurry.
My name is Alec, and I guess I’ll jump on this bandwagon of everyone sharing their stories. So I graduated Franklin in 2011 and completed a postgrad year there (same as the above Peter).
I started Franklin Academy as a Sophomore in high school in 2008. And I’m going to be honest – the first year I was at the school I had about the same opinion of the place as “Parent” from January 2010. I thought that the school was awful. I thought that the staff members were incompetent. I didn’t expect to stay at Franklin more than a year. But I will also admit I had a LOT of behavioral and social problems. Behavioral and social problems that the school was desperately trying to help me with. I would get in trouble a lot because of the stunts I’d pull, and I hated getting in trouble, and I hadn’t made the connection between what I was doing and the trouble I would get in.
And that’s what the staff do. They are committed to helping the students to make changes in their lives, as long as the child wants to. As Royce said, the student has to want to change.
By the end of June 2012, I had gone on three trips with Franklin (Australia, Hawaii, and Greece). I was an RA serving under the aforementioned Kinsley Sanders and the Head RA (Peter – post above). I won the award for the student most transformed in life. I had been accepted to work at the school’s summer camp as an intern. I was all set to go down to college.
I am writing this from my apartment in Florida where I currently attend college. I would not be in college had I not found Franklin and gotten all the help from them that I had. This is not the perfect fit for every student with NLD or Asperger’s on the planet, but if you are willing to change and put in the effort, I am walking proof of ALL the positive change that Franklin can and will do for you as a person.
I was especially moved by the help of Kinsley, Chris Wenz, Melissa, Bridget, Krishna, and Chris Carlin. Although some of the staff that really helped me make the difference in my life are no longer employed there, I will keep singing the school’s praises for the rest of my life. There isn’t much else I can think of to say here. But if it wasn’t for Franklin, again I don’t know where I would be. So I leap to the school’s defense.
There are my two cents. I’m going back to my game of Pokemon now.
Peter and Alex,
You both express yourself really well and make some great points. Bottom lines that you help remind us about: No school is perfect for everyone (never rush into a school selection) and that you get out what you put in. Glad things are moving in the right direction for you both.
Sanford
i was at this school for a year and it did not help me. the acdemics were too easy, and it did not help me socially. If your child needs alot of help socially send them here. But if you want a school that knows how to communicate, and is challenging academics do not send your child here. Also the admissions people do not communicate with the various deans for the girls and boys. This is a good school for those who need it. Please consider other schools also any decent educational consultant, will not send your child here.If they do they have not done their homework. This school made me depressed. I have asperbergs and adhd, and this school did nothing for me. As for no bullying you are living with 15 plus other girls that are at different ends of the social spectrum. If do everything you are told you are left in the dark and are expected to fend for yourself. I did not get the help i needed because the majority of the girls were getting into trouble. Do not let this school lie and ruin your child’s life like it ruined mine. Also there is no pe and no healthy options in the dining hall. If your child is acting out, because they need help, they will take away their cell phone and laptop. You have to earn to keep everything. Also if your child is noise sensitive, they will become very elevated by the noise through out the dorm. Do not send your child here
i commented above. The school never expells kids ever. If they do its rare. You make a mistake you go away get better they let you come back. That is not teaching kids anything. Thats saying you mess up in life you always get another chance. That does not fly in college or in life
Nora,
Thanks for writing in.
So, what are you doing now? I assume you transferred out of Franklin.
When schools take too wide a range of kids (wide range of difficulties) and try to be everything to everyone, it can work in reverse. Get it?
That’s part of how it sounds like from your point of view.
I’ve known some kids and heard of some kids for whom the school was quite helpful. Obviously though not for you.
i am now at middle bridge school, and yes i would agree the school is helpful for those who need it. I have some friends that have maid great gains there . I know it can work in reverse. There are three staff members in particular that were helpful to me while there. Joule bazemore, Carrie mcgilligudy and ali svenson
Thanks so much Nora. It’s awesome to get your voice in this forum. I hope you’re getting what you need at Middlebridge; an even newer school.
Please stay in touch and share with us whenever you feel like it. I’d love to hear of your present-day experiences. Other kids can benefit from you too.
Take care.
Sanford
I’m a 17 year old student with Asperger’s, depression, and anxiety. Though I visited the school, and was impressed with everything. Reading the reviews now makes me feel a little nervous. I am willing to work on my issues. But is it worth everything else?
Dear Maggie,
Thanks for writing in and letting us in on your dilemma. I understand; it’s a big decision. Don’t forget however…If you look over the comments on Franklin carefully, you’ll see that some folks, students and parents alike, have great things to say, while others describe their experiences with some real negativity. This just goes to show that the experience of schools is somewhat in the eye of the beholder. Understand? So, what’s right or wrong for one person is true for them only.
I know you’ve visited there already, but it sounds like you need more information. Don’t be afraid to ask and seek it out. You can ask the school for students to talk with (maybe some alumni). Be open about some of your doubts and see what you learn.
You might consider going for a second visit and spending additional time in the dorms and in a classroom setting. When my son was looking a colleges, he often spent the night to really see what life was like.
Good luck with your decision. I’d love to hear from you again and we’ll help as much as we can.
Sanford
As a parent of a student who went there, I will say that Franklin did not work well for my child. He attended for two years, and during that time he was never required to do anything outside of going to classes. When we interviewed there we were told he would have to go on one activity out side the school setting every weekend and one activity on campus every weekend. They did not ever require that he attend, and was allowed to stay in his room playing on the computer for hours all weekend. ”
We as parents were informed that “some kids are just not good at math and to get over it.” We had a councilor tell us if he continued to see his councilor at home they would not work with him, and that “they had worked with prisoners so the kids could not pull the wool over on them.” We reported this and were told it was meant as a joke and it was dropped.
My child had other problems and Franklin could not help him, he is now in a state run group home for kids with ASD, and Psy issues and doing well. But Franklin kept saying they could help him. And, even though he was having a psychotic break they did not even know. He was living in a world of his own making.
The administration only cared where the money was coming from. If you could not donate they would send you letters and request that you send it to grandparents or others to give money.
For our family that every adult was called by their first name was a problem, we felt this shows no respect for others. The school wanted the other kids to call me by my first name, and was not happy when I did not allow it. They even tried to get my son to call me by my given name.
I choice not to give my name as my son is still in contact with friends with students there and they do not need to know of his issues right now.
b1996,
I’m curious to know if the school tried to get your son involved in activities and they failed, or whether he was simply allowed the choice to stay on campus, in his room. i imagine you brought this up from time to time.
It’s important for the school (any school) to be a facilitator of treatment teams (or at least supportive…or at the very least, not be an impediment) that involve non-school members, such as therapists.
I’m glad to know that your son is getting the help he needs now. Sounds as though he has more psychiatric needs (at least for now), which must be closely monitored and supported.
Frankly the issue of calling adults by their first names seems like a non issue, especially in light of the other more serious issues you raise, though I do get it that parents get called “mom” or “dad” (although many step-parents get called by their first names. I for one have always been known to kids by my first name. I guess Sanford is a formal enough sounding name but I like the relationship building that’s encouraged by first names. Building respect and setting boundaries is more than the name. I have had a few families that are from cultures that encourage or even require that teachers or mentors be known by their surname and in that case, I’m perfectly ok with “Mr. Shapiro.” But, again, small potatoes compared to other larger issues you raise.
Thanks for writing in.
I’m at Franklin now. and not feeling comfortable here.
Is this your first year Maggie?
Yes, it is my first year and I hate it. The girls are vicious, we got locked out of our dorm for 5 days because someone wanted attention! The teachers act more like friends then teachers. The “team leaders” are almost never here, and when they’re here, they are always on the phone. It’s all about dating here too! I didn’t come out of my room for 3 days and I regret coming out here. I don’t care if I’ve been here a week. This isn’t the right placement for me, but my parents are insistent that I want to go here and will not listen to letting me leave. I will say Alex is the best here, but he’s never here.
Thanks Maggie. When you say you were all locked out of the dorms for 5 days; does that mean that someone did something wrong and you all paid the consequence of not getting dorm privileges, except to sleep?
Maggie, is there any type of student government or forum where you could express your concerns and hopes for the school?
maggie, if this is not the best school for you maybe you should look elsewhere. You could ask your parents to hire an educational consultant. What is your learning difference, have you considered eagle hill school, middlebridge school, grier school, brehm, or rockpoint. Maybe if yo do some research and prove to your parents that this is not the right place for you they will listen.
Dear ‘a person’
Good advice and good questions.
how can you find a good educational consultant that knows their stuff and isn’t just reading the schools “propoganda” material? My parents are supposedly working with one and all they get are bills and have to nag this woman to return e-mails and calls. My sister wants to be helped and not be left hanging. She has social and general anxiety and isn’t getting the help she needs or deserves. She has a therapist who is helpful sometimes and othertimes calls it in.
Where can we find a reputable person who will advocate for sister? I don’t want her falling through the cracks. She deserves better.
This educational consultant doesn’t really suggest anything except when my parents bring up things. They asked about the Summer Sojourn — does anyone here know about it, done it, is it worth tying up 2 weeks of summer? Would it be helpful to someone with social anxiety? Need to find out things behind the glossy brochures.
Sister needs guidance and tools for social… she longs for friends but lacks some of skills. Never had a real friend since 1st grade it seems since she’s been kind of isolated.
Great questions. You have to do homework on consultants as well as programs. IECA is an organization that may help.
Please feel free to write me offline at sanfordmshapiro@gmail.com