I was extremely hesitant to leave a review because I was honestly close to filing a claim against…read morethis school over how my son was treated. After six months, I ultimately had to pull my four-year-old out because the situation was severely affecting his confidence and well-being.
My son had been home with me his entire life. He had structure and routine at home, but starting TK was a completely new environment: 20+ children, two teachers, new rules, constant transitions, and expectations he had never experienced. He is a genuinely good, loving child who was struggling to adjust--not a child who deserved to be treated as though he was a problem.
Unfortunately, his TK teacher, Mrs. Schreier, seemed to give up on him almost immediately. Instead of helping him gradually become comfortable in the classroom, he was pushed toward an IEP and eventually spent much of his time isolated in the learning center with a rotation of teachers. His "body breaks" could consist of simply moving from one chair to another. Recess was repeatedly restricted or taken away. When he was rarely given recess, he was closely shadowed despite never having aggressive or physical behavior toward another child. At times, even lunch and restroom access became issues, and he came home with two accidents after being unable to use the restroom.
He desperately wanted to be with his classmates. The constant restrictions and isolation understandably led to more acting out. In my opinion, his behavior was a reaction to an environment where he felt controlled, excluded, and desperate to return to his peers.
I worked extensively with the school and repeatedly told them I was willing to reinforce anything at home that would help him succeed. I tried to build relationships with every teacher involved in his care, including the behavior teacher, Miss Reily, the principal, Mrs. Lane, seven resource teachers, and the vice principal. Unfortunately, I often felt dismissed, and the lack of empathy and communication was extremely frustrating.
There were also repeated concerns about autism that I felt were being pushed too quickly, despite not seeing the same behaviors anywhere else. Months later, teachers themselves acknowledged they were no longer seeing the signs they had previously been concerned about. That was extremely concerning to me.
The experience became so stressful that I was physically and mentally overwhelmed. My son experienced two anxiety attacks when I picked him up early, including difficulty breathing, because he desperately wanted to be around his peers and teacher. I communicated this to the school, yet I did not feel his emotional or physical well-being was treated with the urgency it deserved.
During this same period, my son underwent tonsil surgery to address severe sleep apnea because I wanted to eliminate anything that could be contributing to his difficulties at school. Even after surgery, I was disappointed by how little effort seemed to be made to help him feel included. When I asked whether his classmates could make him a simple get-well card, his teacher said she was not going to ask them to do so, but there was a craft table if they chose to make one. How would his classmates know he had surgery if no one told them? It was another moment where I felt my son was being treated as though he didn't belong.
What has been most eye-opening is what happened after leaving. My son now attends John Adams Academy, and within TWO WEEKS I have seen an entirely different child. He is listening, comfortable, participating, enjoying school, and making tremendous progress. I was honest with his new teacher about everything we experienced. Her response was, "He may have his bad days, but I'm not giving up on him, nor am I going to leave him."
That sentence alone says everything.
A four-year-old entering school for the first time needs patience, encouragement, consistency, and someone willing to help him learn how to succeed in a completely new environment. Instead, I felt my son was labeled, isolated, and treated as though his struggles were simply his fault.
I gave this school six months, countless conversations, cooperation at home, and every opportunity to work with us. I even spent hours sitting in my car outside the school trying everything I could to support my son and understand what was happening. I tried to be patient and understanding, but eventually I had to put my child's well-being first.
I am grateful we made the decision to leave. Watching my son thrive in a new classroom has shown me that there was never something inherently wrong with my child. He needed adults who were willing to understand him, teach him, and not give up on him.
I sincerely hope this school takes a hard look at how it handles children who struggle during their transition into school. They are four years old. They are still learning. They need guidance--not to feel like they are a problem that needs to be removed.
