Your experience sounds awful and if I received that response I would feel discouraged as well. I went to a school located in Hyde Park, IL called Ancona (private school) and received literature from them. Does anyone know anything about them? The teaching staff and students were out on field trips the day I visited the school during the last week before summer break. So, I didn't get the privilege of viewing the classrooms and meeting different personnel. The receptionist was very pleasant and helpful. I viewed over their website and inquired on greatschools about them. I also researched the authentic Montessori philosophy at Montessori.org website and Montessori Foundation website. I was impressed by what I read and watched their videos. It shared how to detect true Montessori schools from others that are not and have their own philosophy intertwined with theirs. It shared at a true Montessori school the atmosphere is calm, serene, friendly, welcoming, open, and how the classrooms are not typical desk in a row. It shared how the children have the freedom of chosing their subject of study, etc. and how the setting and layout of the classrooms have age-appropriate, mixed, multi-learning tools placed on open counters for the child's choosing; and that they don't teach traditional out-of-the textbook. It also shared how the child is taught on his/her own level and at his/her pace; how the classes are set-up with three age groups such as: 3yr, 4yrs, and 5yr old children; 6yr, 7yr, and 8yr-old children in another class setting, and so on. They shared their theory on how children learn easier by seeing older children. So the older child shares their knowledge in a community-like appoach,they all work together like such, and only the older child after mastering that class level goes on to the next level. So, even the teachers get to learn each child's needs during the duration of time together. From the information I gathered, it sounds like a great approach if you can afford it. Ancona website shared that they also have financial assistance for families unable to afford the tuition, but the applications have to be submitted before (I think) Januarny/February 15th. before the school year of interest and they are limited with the funding.

Yes we have. I'm your typical parent who believes in following the chain of command. I started with the teachers, and when no corrections were made over a long period of time, and refusal to have an open-line-of-communication, in spite of my many alternative solutions were ignored, I went to the asst. principal (several meetings with and without the teachers). More months of unsolved issues that were getting more serious and dangerous for our children arised. I turned to the principal of the school (several meetings); then to the district office; then to the Area Instruction Office (several in-school meetings); to the alderman's office; special ed office at the district; finally to Arne Duncan's office (5 different departments) within his office. When nothing was resolved, I went legal. This was over a period of the whole 2007-2008 school year. I filed every letter faxed or handed to them personally. My files are over 4-inches thick. I always believed in a paper trail. Our attorney is speaking with the CPS legal office now. We have a large family and all five of our children suffered at the hands of the teachers and bullies at the school. We have multiple violations spreaded out among the five children. The attorney specializes with violations of federal law concerning disability rights. His team are mainly focusing on our two children who were gravely hindered that are Type 1 Diabetics. He states it may be difficult to get the CPS to transfer all 5 children to a private school. They have never recalled a case like it, but they also stated they never experienced handling a case like ours before either that was treated to this extreme.
Thanks for your response. Any advice you can send our way will be greatly appreciated.

If you've suffered retaliation and abuse at the schools, have you filed additional legal complaints? What I'm thinking is that if the CPS can't provide FAPE (free, appropriate public education) then the courts may say they need to provide for your children's education in a private setting. I don't have personal experience with CPS, but my neices all attend a CPS magnet school in the City, and they have had very positive experiences.

At one point, I also looked into Montessori schools for my son, and I must say that there are as many "varieties" of Montessori schools as any other kind, with some Headmasters running a very strict school, others with more nurturing....Many people in the city of Chicago like the Catholic school system, even if they aren't Catholic. Again, there is a cost factor involved.

While it's not answering your original question about where to get financial help, I would like to invite you to join Greatschools Learning and Attention Difficulties Group at community.greatschools.net/groups/11554, where more parents can relate to your special ed concerns....

Good Morning. I'm not sure how much knowledge you have with Montessori, but it isn't anything I would do. Montessori is very strict and doesn't believe in showing a lot of TLC. I was going to enroll my son at one pointen time and that is what they told me believe it for not. They believe in pushing children to their max which is very stressful. Children learn at all different ages and pushing isn't the answer. The school told me if my son couldn't keep up on his daily homework he would not be able to go outside with the other children. They said this would reinforce him to make him keep up with his class. I was blown away!