Responses to “Schools Without Rules.”

I try not to judge people when I’ve never walked in their shoes. But that’s what the Sentinel did in its articles on school-choice scholarships and the schools where families use them (“Schools Without Rules,” OrlandoSentinel.com).

The Sentinel report was critical of the school attended by my 8-year-old son, Abisai, who has autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The report made TDR Learning Academy sound like a bad school. It made parents sound like they have no clue.

But here’s a fact the Sentinel left out: TDR has been a lifesaver for my son.

Abisai started in public school, and it was a nightmare. He is sensitive to light and sound. He doesn’t like being crowded. Little things can make him upset. But instead of working with me on techniques that would calm him, teachers just sent him to the principal’s office. Every day I wondered when the phone would ring and a voice would say, “Your son had another episode. Come pick him up.”

Thank God I had options. I got a McKay Scholarship for Abisai, which allowed me to see if there was a private school that might be better. I’m a stay-at-home mom, and my husband works in a shipping warehouse. We couldn’t afford tuition without the scholarship.

I researched schools. I visited some. I chose TDR. It was the best decision I ever made.

TDR is a small school with small classes. But the staff isn’t better just because there are more of them. They care more. They worked with me on handling Abisai’s meltdowns. They created a schedule that fits his needs. More than anything, they treat him like family.

TDR is a Christian school, too. I think it helps create the atmosphere that allows Abisai to succeed.

I can’t believe the Sentinel reporters would judge the school on appearances. They suggest that because TDR is in a strip mall, it’s inferior, and that because the principal is 24 years old, he can’t be capable. Maybe people who don’t live with the challenges I see fail to realize this, but greatness can blossom anywhere.

Abisai is a different boy now. His meltdowns are happening less, and he’s reading far above his grade level. He loves Percy Jackson and “Chronicles of Narnia.” He made so much progress his first year that he became valedictorian and delivered a speech to his classmates. Watching it brought tears to my eyes.

I can’t tell you the relief I feel, knowing my son is happy and learning. This is what every parent wants but too many don’t get. The scholarships are changing this.

Are all these schools great? No. The Sentinel wrote about some with problems, but TDR isn’t one. Maybe if the reporters had stopped long enough to truly know the school and kids like Abisai, they would have realized that.