Success on Many Levels

We did it! Zack is going back to Gow. In fact, we will drop him off tomorrow and classes start on Monday. Yep, even though it's a holiday, they have classes. For the first marking period, Zack will attend classes from 7am to 2:30pm, with a break for lunch. From 3-5:30 they have athletics. The school does not offer physical education, so all students must participate in a sport, each season.

They shower, have dinner and then report to mandatory study hall at 6:30. This is proctored by various instructors and, if needed, students can make an appointment with a specific teacher during this time. Study hall ends around 8:30 and then the boys get some free time. IF Zack does his job, keeps up with his studies, etc. his instructors can recommend that he participate in dorm study.

Last year, Zack earned dorm study each semester and I don't anticipate it being a problem this year. In fact, last year, when he had some difficulties before exams, he went to study hall to get the help he needed.


So, his day will go from sun up to sun down.... I guess all days do that, eh? He will also go to school on Saturdays, until noon. He will work hard and he WILL succeed!

We want to thank SO many people for their help in getting Zack back to school. It means the world to us that family and friends were willing to help. Thanks to all of you, we were able to pay the bulk of Zack's tuition. We will pay the rest off over the course of the year. If you know anyone who is interested in giving to the indiegogo campaign, it has 29 days left,  so please direct them to the site!!


http://www.indiegogo.com/ZackGow


Thank you all so much. I will be posting updates here for those that are invested in this magnificent child!

Hitting the Wall.... And Then Climbing Over It!

We have 77 days left in our campaign on indiegogo-  http://www.indiegogo.com/ZackGow?a=740312 Donations, through the site, have started to dwindle, so I continue to look for new and exciting ways to advertise.

In visiting the website for Yale's Center for Dyslexia & Creativity , I came upon a list of successful people who have dyslexia. Many of them didn't have their dyslexia diagnosed, until late in life. Largely, they seem to see this as a good thing- their perseverance, creative thinking, etc. helped make them the people that they are today. I think that it is wonderful that they were able to overcome the difficulties that their dyslexia presented!

On the other hand, I don't want Zack to be defeated by a system that, currently, does not provide appropriate accommodations for students with dyslexia. If he becomes so disheartened that he gives up altogether, I will be heartbroken. SO, I am going on another letter writing campaign. I will be sending personalized letters to each of the individuals on that list, provided I can find their contact information, and asking them to spread the word about Zack's situation and need.

My decision to do this was reaffirmed when I saw the following piece on NBC's today show...

Couple Building American Palace

If you don't have time to watch the video, here's the blurb:

New documentary “The Queen of Versailles” follows a Florida couple, David and Jackie Siegel, who set out to build the biggest house in America when the recession caused their opulent lifestyle to crumble. Jackie and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield talk about the surprising turn of events neither of them expected.

This feeds right into my "life isn't fair" issue and the fact that there are some in this country that have more money than good sense. I know that the wealthy have no obligation to do charitable works and there are, certainly, charitable organizations that would benefit more than "just" Zack from funding. However, I am disheartened by the fact that Today believed that this story was newsworthy. And, if you didn't watch the video, you will be relieved to know that the couple has recovered and are hoping to sell the home, upon completion. If they are unable to sell it, then they will just have to suffer through and live in it. The house with the bowling alley. Sad.

Really, I hope that their take away from this is that "things" will not bring them happiness, especially when times are tough! And, to that end, I am off to write some letters!

Defualt.... Default.... which one looks right?

Over this weekend, we have had the pleasure of hosting extended family for the wedding of my brother in law, Jay and his lovely bride, Claire. It has been an uplifting celebration and we are thrilled to have been a part of it. Even more thrilling, however, is the opportunity to watch Z interact and  his cognizance of spelling. "Spelling" you say? Yes, spelling. I don't recall how it came up, but over the weekend, Z tried to spell "default." His father stopped him, mid-spell, when he made an error, and corrected him. Z, looking dubious, walked over to a piece of paper and wrote the word, as his father had spelled it, and then substituted in his original spelling. Once he had done that, he was immediately able to apply the skills he's gained from RL at Gow and recognized that his father was, indeed, correct.

This might sound inconsequential to you, but, for him, it is a huge milestone. He may not be able to hear the sounds, but he can look at the word and, using the "rules" from RL, he can figure out where it's wrong and how to correct it!

And, THAT is what a GOW education will get you!

Beg, Borrow and Steal (& a CSE Update)

Parenthood is such an adventure. Our parenting styles differ as much as our personalities. Reflecting on my parenting career, I think about the "burning" questions that people have asked, such as, "are you going to find out the baby's sex," "Do you have a birth plan," "Cloth diapers or disposables," and my favorite...

"What would you do without or sacrifice for your child?" Throughout my kids' lives, I have given up the obvious things: alcohol during pregnancy, sleep (while nursing,) trading quiet time for back to back soccer games, etc.

It really wasn't until we started down the road of getting Zack diagnosed with dyslexia that I really understood what it meant to sacrifice for my child. As a teacher, I am used to being grilled by parents and being in the "power position." As a teacher, I always wanted my students' parents to be involved in their child's education. Of course, there were times that a parent crossed the boundary between reasonable request and petulant demand but, even then, I was glad that they cared enough to seek me out.   Our school district is supposed to be one of the best in the area, but they were very resistant to the idea of testing our son. I won't re-hash it, but if you are interested in reading about that experience, you can do so here.  When I was in the "parent" position, it was very difficult for me to ask questions, seek support and, in the end, make petulant demands that my child receive the services that he deserved.

Now, I find myself in the least "comfortable" parental position ever.  I know what he needs. I know where he can get it. The only challenge that I face is a matter of finances. Neither P nor I come from families of wealth. I teach in a public school system that has not given teachers a "raise" since 2004- and even then it didn't make up the gap since the previous raise in 1998. I LOVE my students, but the pay does not give me great joy. P is self-employed and that means that our monthly income can fluctuate quite a bit. And, frankly, there has yet to be a month where we say "woo hoo, we have EXTRA money this month!"

So, here I am, looking down the barrel of four years of tuition at the school that will most benefit my child. I have asked myself, "what are you willing to give up/do for your child?" And, I feel like I have failed, before I've even gotten started. The annual tuition is more than I make, before taxes, annually. Even if P made the SAME amount that I do, we wouldn't have that much left over for tuition. The school has been generous with their financial aid, effectively cutting the tuition in half. Even with that generosity, we are looking at $2,000 per month, plus miscellaneous fees of about $3,500 annually. What would I do for my child? Anything. I have worked in an after school program. I have TRIED to get a job teaching summer school. I sell things on ebay. I sell things on Craig's List. I coupon to the point that we don't pay for toiletries. All of those things are good. But they are not enough.

I find myself envious of Z's classmates, whose families pay full tuition and even some who have more than one child at the school. I am angry at, what I perceive to be, a convoluted financial aid program at the school.  I filled out the paperwork. I turned in our tax returns. The magic financial aid website said that we should be able to afford "x" amount, but we are now expected to come up with 6x that amount. I want to stomp my feet and shout, "It's not fair!" Then I hear my own voice saying to my children, "life isn't fair." But, I also tell them that "Fair is not when everyone gets the same thing. Fair is when everyone gets what they NEED." And, by golly, Zack needs Gow.

An education at Gow is, as one friend put it, a game changer. It isn't a matter of life and death, but it has the potential to alter his life path, significantly. So, what will I do for my child? I  will beg, borrow and steal for him. I will take to the internet and pester every organization that I can find to give him a small scholarship. I will ask my friends to give $5 and spread the word of our mission. I will do ANYTHING  within my power to get him what he needs. I will HOPE. I will have FAITH. And, I will LOVE him unconditionally with the expectation that others will follow my lead.



PLEASE. If you are reading this blog (and I know there aren't many) PLEASE share this information with your friends. Help Zack get what he needs. His future depends on it.

His fundraising website is here.

Thank you!!!

UPDATE: On June 19, 2012, we had our annual IEP meeting with Clarence. They have come a long way towards meeting Zack's needs, but still aren't where they need to be to give him what Gow can. Unfortunately, they are not obligated to meet that standard. They are only obligated to provide him with a "Free and Appropriate Public Education." With their current offer/plan, Zack would get adaptive technology and resource room. He would have consultant teachers in the core classes and they said that they would give him an Orton-Gillingham program, daily. The O-G program would probably be Wilson or Sondae, both of which are good, but they don't even hold a candle to the RL program at Gow. Unfortunately, because they have worked to meet us halfway, we do not have a legal case against them. We have consulted an attorney who specializes in this area (their son also went to Gow) and they agree that it would not be wise to pursue a suit at this time. Our best option, for district reimbursement, would be to let Z go back to Clarence, watch him fail/lose ground, and then file suit for reimbursement. That's a big gamble to take with his life and we want to avoid doing so, if at all possible.

Hope is a Funny Thing....

Our little fundraising campaign is at $300! that might not seem like such a big deal to you, but it gives me hope that we can achieve our goal!  Just that little thread of hope makes me want to keep pushing, telling our story and trying to raise awareness about dyslexia.

It is my, sincere, hope that Zack's legacy will be more than just "making it" and graduating from The Gow School. I really hope that our experience with Gow will lead to changes in the public school system.

Knowing that 80% of "LD" labeled kids in public schools have dyslexia really makes me scratch my head. Even more astonishing is that (most) public schools use programs that are unproven, in terms of their benefit to dyslexic students- especially when there are several specific programs that really WOULD benefit them. At a time when school districts are laying teachers off, due to budget cuts, it seems, statistically, intelligent to implement a program that would benefit 80% of your LD students, as well as 100% of your gen ed students. Unfortunately, districts and school boards seem hell-bent on continuing down their, already-established, paths, using programs that are already paid for- even if they don't show themselves to be particularly helpful.

So, once we get Zack's education squared away, I will be on a mission to educate districts about the reality of their student populations and the benefit that ALL students will gain from using an Orton-Gillingham based program. Such programs, used early on in the introduction to phonics, etc. might reduce the need for the "one size fits most" programs that are unsuccessfully implemented in later years when that window of opportunity has narrowed.

As much as we love The Gow School (www.gow.org) and, believe me, we do, NO ONE should have to pay private boarding school tuition for an LD that impacts so much of the public school population. I hope that our experience will show public schools that adopting an o-g based curriculum is in the best interest of students and families in their community!

View Zack's video here:  $5 Can Help Our Young Einstein

Blowin' Up the Twittersphere!

My last post was kind of depressing and, definitely, defeatist. After a few days of wallowing, we are back on the "you can do it" bandwagon!

I joined twitter and am sending out as many tweets as I can, to as many people as I can, asking for $5 donations. Essentially, my thinking is that a whole bunch of $5 donations will add up to enough to make it happen for Zack. I am working on a new video for his fundraising website and hope to have it finished this afternoon. He is being such a good sport about conducting the interviews, considering that he is very uncomfortable in front of the camera!

At any rate, check me out on Twitter (@RebeccaLaczkows) and you will get updates, when we get donations!

UPDATE: Zack's new video is done- please check it out!  http://goo.gl/1LYwi

Good News! Bad News... :-(

In true "me" style, I finished up the 2011-2012 school year with a nasty bout of the flu. I'm not talking about "ugh, I don't feel good" but the real, honest-to-goodness flu! The Immediate Care people gave me the diagnosis about 24 hours before I started to feel better. Anyone know how to diagnose the flu?...

Anyone?....

Well, let me tell you. They take a 6" long flexible stick with a q-tip-type end and put that sucker all the way up your nostril, into your brain, until you gag and cough all over them. THEN, they take that thing out and stick it up the other nostril! What a nightmare!

So. I made it back to work for the very last day of school and was so glad to say goodbye for the summer and some, much needed, rest.

Jake finished the year on the Merit Roll and can officially say that he survived his first year in middle school. He has made new friends and is looking forward to swimming and doing a whole lotta nothing! 

Zack finished the year at Gow in the best way possible. He was awarded the David W. Gow award which is given to the middle school student who has set an example for the rest: academically, socially and athletically. He was bursting with pride as he walked up to the stage to get his trophy, and so was I.

And now, on to the bad news. It doesn't look like he will be able to go to Gow in the fall. My heart, absolutely, breaks to be typing those words. The truth of the matter is that we can't afford it. Not, as in, "Gee, if we send Z to Gow, we will have to put of the new kitchen until next year." We can't afford it, in a, "Gosh, I enjoy eating food and sleeping in a house" kind of way. The school was very generous with their financial aid offer and, while there's still the possibility of more, it is unlikely that we can make up the difference, even with the help of dear family and friends who have been SO generous in offers to help.

As a last-ditch effort, I have started a fundraising campaign on www.indiegogo.com. I figure that if they can raise $600,000 for a school bus aide, someone might want to help us, too. Zack made the video all on his own, although, I admit that I did re-write the cards because his handwriting is awful, LOL! At the very least, please click the link below and take a look at it!

Zack's You Tube Video