The Whole Life Charter School targets children in grades 4-12 struggling with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Language Based Learning Disabilities, and Asperger's Syndrome.
Once chartered and operating the Whole Life Charter School will be the only tuition-free school designed to support and educate these children in Pennsylvania.
Children having these differences are often cast aside and marginalized by their peer group or, in more severe situations, bullied by others in their school because they "aren't normal."
Frequently, underserved by even the best intentioned schools and school districts, these children often lose much of their self esteem as their grades fail to match their capabilities.
Unfortunately, parents of these children frequently have to fight for accommodations from the school district as Individualized Education Plans (IEP's) add to the costs of educating a child with these learning issues.The Whole Life Charter School will offer each student a highly customized learning plan, multi-modal teaching strategies, understanding friends, and a faculty that are dedicated experts in their education. Following, in their own words, parents explain why they hope the WLCS will be realized:
- "My son has struggled academically and socially in his public school. We are looking for a school where he can fit in and make progress in all areas. And also most importantly, his self-confidence and self-esteem will grow!"
- "We are looking for a school environment that will be appropriate for our gifted daughter who has Asperger's Syndrome. The local public school is only able to offer an environment that is overly stimulating from a sensory standpoint, with too many transitions during the day, not enough flexibility, and not enough academic challenge. Whole Life Charter School is offering an "outside the box" approach to education that seems better able to meet the individual needs of its students, while also giving them better preparation for the real world. It sounds very exciting."
- "My child is able and capable of learning but we don't understand why his interest in learning is frustrated with achieving academically. We believe Whole Life Charter School will help our son achieve academically along with feeling understood, accepted, and safe."
There are many more parents who have written to us with the hope that we will be authorized to open our doors to their children. Our hope is that this petition will prove support of our mission and act as a recommendation to School Board of Springfield Township that they authorize the Whole Life Charter School.
