In August, a women by the name 'Lady D' had left a review of abuse at this school with a child being dragged down the hall. I thought my god, I told myself 'but Liam loves it here'. Transportation with DPS is a mess which added to morning being rough for my son with autism and the lack of consistency in routine. On September 13, I had tea with the principal where she said there are 5 teachers and paras in the classroom at all times giving students one on one. I met with her after and ironically after I had a conversation, my son began to hate it here. Today she said nothing when I confronted her about this and my son's classroom had at least 24 children in the classroom and only two paras in the room. The children all sitting at the table with nothing there bored out of their minds. A little boy looked at me in a way I knew he didn't want to be sitting there and he'd get in trouble for moving about. No teacher in site. The email to never just come into the school came to mind. It was a red flag and another confirming message to not go here. Three years should be doing something at the table and parents are allowed to come into the school whenever they like.
So why else did we leave? I asked for resources, a letter from his therapist, that would allow another organization to help my son by providing things I couldn't free of charge. $1,000 in resources to be exact. I was denied and told it wasn't needed because to them my son was doing great. Just because he was going better than another child with autism doesn't mean there isn't a need; he is non-verbal. I suggested they write a letter for all of the children with autism. The principal wouldn't even email me back or return my call. This school had no problem bending the rules legally to bring money into it but couldn't find a way to write a letter for me. Today the principal told me "legally we just can't". The disrespect of not reaching out to me the last two months to even say so and she had the audacity to be offended I told her "I don't care what the school thinks my son needs" - which is nothing. You have to care to have people care about you.
We took a certain hallway to go to school it was the same hallway we needed to take to check the mail and attend events in my building. For my son, going down the hall became torture. It was such a battle. For example, my son would cry and scream every time until we made it to the room with the event and saw it wasn't school. At first I thought it was just the drivers that caused this behavior. But we got the flu, stopped going to school, and my son stop crying about going down that hallway. Suddenly going to check the mail was peaceful again not running to the other elevator. I saw the article of a child with autism dead due to abuse at school and I woke up. There is discrimination and abuse at this school. Which is so sad because I choose this school because I wanted my son to love. Children should love going to school and be safe.
Equity in education starts with caring about the child and understanding the home environment impacts the school environment and vice versa. I helped the school in many ways but they couldn't help me. If you're child has autism, learning disabilities - I wouldn't go here. Others schools in DPS do so much more and are more appreciative when you hand over $20 in box tops or extra school supplies. read more