Faces of Freedom

“Both of my sons (16 & 11) are dyslexic and the public school system in Little Rock did not teach them how to read. You see dyslexics can only learn to read using a structured literacy program. The Little Rock School District was using a balanced literacy approach when my boys were in their schools. My oldest son was able to get the Succeed

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Scholarship and attend Catholic High School in Little Rock. He had no idea how to takes notes or even study when he started Catholic High in 9th grade (2018). He has come so far and now as aspirations of going to college because he knows his potential! When you have an IEP in the public school system they just pass you along and are under this notion that you can’t learn, you aren’t smart. The damage done to his self esteem is another story but Catholic High is building it back.
My younger son attended an LRSD elementary school and after I had him tested at an outside organization he was diagnosed with dyslexia also. I had to fight LRSD for a psycho-educational eval! I knew better with him and as soon as he got an IEP we applied for the Succeed Scholarship. To say it saved their lives would not be overstating it. Because of the Succeed Scholarship both of my boys can get the education they deserve, the education that will take them far in life!”

– Stephanie

“Thank you, Thank you, Thank you … to the state of Arkansas for providing such a wonderful program – the Succeed Scholarship! We have a son who got lost in the system in his public school experience. Being new to the northwest Arkansas area, we searched for a new school that would meet his needs for education.

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He has Down syndrome. At his past public school he was referred to the school’s “resource room” for his education. They tried to meet his needs, but it was us, as the parents, that have pushed the education bar high for our son, not the school. They did not provide any hope of our son doing more than doing menial/mindless labor for his future.

We decided to look at more options for schools than the public school system. We found out that private schools cost quite a bit of money.

We found a private school that aligned with our personal family goals for our son. The school was not free … it would put a dent in our budget.

Someone told us about the Succeed Scholarship, and it has made our goals for our son possible. He is thriving at a wonderful private high school that has pushed him academically in the direction of a purposeful future. Our son can learn, he can make a difference in society, and he can actively engage in normal High School classes and activities.” Thank you, Thank you, Succeed Scholarship!

– Diane

“Words can’t even describe what the Succeed Scholarship has done for my son and my family!!! First of all, if it was not for the Succeed Scholarship being available for my son and other students, I as a mom don’t know where we would be. I was able to take my son out of the public school where he was constantly being bullied and had suicidal

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tendencies because of these situations. I was able to put him in a private school, and here we are four years later.  He is excelling into a bright young man with a huge future ahead of him.”  For myself and my family, the scholarship has helped us not just emotionally, but financially as well. Having a large family there would have been no way for me and my husband to be able to afford to put our son into a private school. Our son has blossomed because of this program being available, and it would be a HUGE mistake for the program to be suspended for idiocracy from other groups of people who have no idea what it does for students and families. I plead that you do not take this away from my son and other students who may need this for whatever reasons.

– Erica

“The Succeed Scholarship program has become a necessity for families throughout the state. My experience is simple. My 12 year-old son in on the autism spectrum. My husband and I bounced around schools to find a place where he could not only THRIVE academically, but socially and emotionally.

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There he is blossoming into a young man of character and a natural leader. His teachers speak highly of his academic success (high honor roll), consideration of his fellow students and staff. It has also boosted his self confidence at a crucial age of self-awareness and development.” … “
“Writing on behalf of the Succeed Scholarship fund is needed! Please HEAR our stories! Let us SHOW the faces of the beneficiaries-our children. This isn’t about pitting school choices against the others. This is about something greater.”

– Shanta, North Little Rock

“In July of 2013, we adopted two brothers and their little sister through the foster care system.” … “Because of constant appointments for physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, counseling, pediatrician visits, dental care, vision care, medical tests for everything, and the regular childhood colds, I had to resign my position as a

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social worker. We were and are a one-income family. The children’s needs are overwhelming.” … “We needed a miracle. [Our chosen private school]! Geared toward children whose challenges made public school impossible. It was a perfect fit. But how could we afford this chance for our son? We couldn’t without his scholarship that this funding makes possible. We urge you to provide for these children. We can’t do it alone.”

– Rae, Conway

“My daughter was struggling in public school. She had meltdowns and even self harmed hitting her head with her hands. She hated going to school. Now 2 years later at [this private school], there are no more meltdowns or self harming. She had made friends and is learning much more than just a basic education, she is learning to live and

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thrive in the world around her and she is being taught by the most loving people I have ever met. My daughter is 11 years old and already transitioning into a wonderful young lady thanks to this scholarship and some of the best teachers I’ve ever seen,  I am confident her future will be bright. Thank you for this scholarship, it has changed our lives.”

– Lesley, Mayflower

“Without the scholarship, my child would be unable to go to school at all, especially a public school where they would not be equipped to handle her many medical issues. My 12-year-old daughter has chronic autoimmune encephalitis and has very specialized needs.

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… For the first time in her life, my daughter has friends and a social life and is flourishing on grade level. Our family puts all of our extra money into finding medical treatments for her and we have traveled to six different states looking for it and paying for a lot of it out of pocket in spite of having two forms of medical insurance. Therefore we could not afford specialized school or any other school if it were not for the scholarship.”

– Marcelyn, Conway

“… I knew that my child needed more support. … Most importantly, I knew that when he started visiting the regular classrooms, he became more and more withdrawn and less assured of his abilities.  That was not an acceptable outcome for my child with autism, and it shouldn’t be the fate of innocent

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children whose brains work differently than their neuro-typical peers. After much thought and prayer, we enrolled our child in a school that was staffed and structured to help kids with special needs. … As a parent, there is no price too high to pay just to know that your child is safe and in a quality learning environment. But, that’s not the full story.  The truth is that there was a price, and it cost us dearly. … Even with all of our efforts, we were still overwhelmed by the additional costs for his therapies, childcare, and transportation.  The hard truth was that we were slowly going into serious debt. When the Succeed Scholarship was announced, I was one of the first parents trying to find out more about it. I thought this would be an answer to so many prayers, and it was just that.  Once we received the scholarship, it truly changed our lives. … There is no substitute for having the peace that comes with knowing that you are giving your child with special needs the supports he or she deserves to reach their full potential. I will advocate day and night for my child and others like him, and this scholarship is certainly something that I truly believe makes a difference for families with kids with special needs. I will always be eternally grateful for my state leaders and the visionaries that cared enough about our kids to fund The Succeed Scholarship. I’m so proud that they never accepted that one size fits all and that they valued my child by investing in his education and the future our very special kids!”

– Staci

“I am writing to let you know about the profound impact the AR Succeed Scholarship has had on my family. My daughter is approximately 4 years behind her same-age peers in physical growth and all areas of development. She attends a private school with special education classes with the help

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of the Succeed Scholarship. Although my husband and I are both working, we have other family members to support including another daughter who will begin college next year. Even with 2 incomes, affording the care required by a special needs child is a challenge. Succeed is aptly named. It gives children like my daughter and her friends the chance to succeed – not just in academics, but in being happy and growing socially in a place that feels right for them, because it is right for them.  Every family’s vision of success for the special child is unique, and it is imperative that we have opportunities to select the educational programming that best positions our children for future success as we define it.”

– Alison, Little Rock

“Our 10-year-old daughter Scarlett loves attending Chenal Valley Montessori. Scarlett suffers ADHD, Global Developmental Delay and Developmental Coordination Disorder and expressive language disorder.

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Before the Succeed Scholarship, she went to a highly rated public school. When she was two months into first grade, three six-year-old boys violently beat her with their fists and took turns kicking her for five minutes until other students found a teacher to help. For the next two years the boys — still in her school and her grade — continued to be around her, so she had to have a para assign to her to ensure she would not be harmed. Her safety concerns impeded her learning socially and academically. She has progressed so much in her small classroom. We are so thankful for the program. The school teaches learning for whole child, she is so happy.

– Chad and Nicole

“I am a stay at home mom, not by choice, but because our older daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 7 in 2008 and have been fighting recurrences since then, which forced me to quit my job and stay home to care for

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her. We have twins that just turned 13 – a boy that is “typical” and a girl, who was diagnosed with a chromosome deletion when she was 2 – causing several physiological differences as well as developmental delays.” … “It may seem like a small thing but the thought of her sitting at lunch by herself  is truly heartbreaking and I worry that this would become her “norm” if she was forced to attend a mainstream school… not to mention completely failing academically. She already has a hard time with school but with the scholarship, she’s able to attend a school that accepts and embraces her, allowing for an open & friendly learning environment.”

– Melissa, Greenbrier

“Without the Succeed Scholarship we would not be able to enroll her in [this private school]. This scholarship and this school have made such a difference in her life and ours. We are thankful for the opportunity this scholarship provides for our family.”

– Jamie, Conway

“This is the first year for our son to receive the Succeed Scholarship, and we are so grateful for it. He was adopted at the age of 3 and had a very traumatic history filled with neglect and abuse before coming to us. The trauma

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has led to him being completely overwhelmed and unable to function in large group settings. Being able to attend his private school with very small class size where he is loved and celebrated for just being him is vital to his educational success. On top of the trauma based emotional disturbance issues, he is severely ADHD, which makes the smaller class size even more important for him. Having three adopted children with varying needs, it is a blessing to have this scholarship to help with the cost of getting one of them the services and educational environment he needs to set him up for a successful future, despite the tragic start to his life. This optimal learning environment for our son would not be possible without the Succeed Scholarship.

– Natalie

“My son is Case Smith, a 6 yr. old student at ACCESS Academy in Little Rock. Case has a processing and reasoning disorder. Case was struggling in a regular school setting for 2 years until we put him at ACCESS. With the Show more

help of the Succeed Scholarship, Case is getting what he needs as far as his condition. I have seen tremendous strides especially the last 2-3 months in his development. Because of ACCESS, the Succeed Scholarship has also helped my best friend, who has adopted 3 children with learning disabilities. In a regular school setting these kids could not receive the help that they need. I have been a public educator for 20 years and now four years as a private school teacher in Little Rock. This shouldn’t be political. We say in our country that we are about doing what is best for people, with the Succeed Scholarship we are providing the best for kids. My son,  along with many other kids, now can have a chance whereas in a regular setting, they wouldn’t.

– Chris

“I wanted to share my story on why the Succeed Scholarship plays a crucial role in my daughter’s education. She was diagnosed with a rare chromosome disorder at 19 weeks gestational. There is currently under 200 cases worldwide Show more

with her diagnosis.

Without a school such as Access Academy, my daughter would not be at the learning level today if it was not for this amazing school, teaching staff, and therapy team. With that being said, it’s because of the Succeed Scholarship she is able to attend this school. It has helped us tremendously to financially afford the school. Yes, I agree that every child deserves proper education and for those that are currently attacking the Succeed Scholarship program, I am in complete disbelief and disgusted by it!

This scholarship is to help children with a disability attend a school that can emphasis the education and proper learning tools they need to successfully learn, make appropriate decisions, teach them life skills, and basic necessities. A public school system is not going to provide the time, the team, nor the therapy the child deserves.

In the letter it speaks on “communities of color,” “students from low income families,” and “free or reduced lunches.” The Succeed Scholarship literally has NOTHING to do with any of that. If you have a child that meets the criteria for the Succeed Scholarship, it’s awarded on a first come, first served bases. It does not ask of your race, your income, free meal plan, and none of the other ridiculous information you placed in your letter to defund the scholarship.

So don’t come looking for money you think you deserve because the public school system is hurting for money, or to blame on COVID-19, or the protest regarding systemic discrimination and racism.

The defund letter also mentions “voucher recipients are not statewide, but concentrated in cities and suburbs, with over one-third in Little Rock, AR.” I currently drive my daughter every day 45 minutes one-way to attend her school. This scholarship has been made known on the local news channels, posted on social media, and noted in magazines. It’s not a hidden treasure for those of a particular color or income level. To attack this scholarship on grounds such as those mentioned above, is really hitting an all time low.

If a parent wants their child to go to a school that can help give them more specialized education, therapy resources, and smaller classroom settling, then by all means, have the parent fill out the form. You have to make time to earn this scholarship, it’s not just given to you. Every child that has been awarded this scholarship, is very much deserving of it.

My husband and I educated ourselves on the scholarship, we filled the form out ahead of time, so we could submit the form the morning it was open. The Succeed Scholarship allows us to fight for our child’s education in a way the public school system would never be able to do. You can try to attack a program such as the Succeed Scholarship, but you have definitely underestimated the fight we as parents will uphold in order to protect and advocate what is best for them, which is the Succeed Scholarship.

– Amber

“My son was not doing well in his public school setting. Lots of behavior issues. Not learning. He had to have a one on one aide. I moved him to Compass Academy in 8th grade and started receiving the succeed scholarship in 10th grade.

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He did not need an aide in his new school and grew so much. His communication delays were more heavily addressed and he was able to drop all of his meds for regulation of aggressive behaviors. He needed to be there. The cost of 2 years full tuition still impacts our home from debt. He could not have completed the other 3 years without the scholarship.
I know the costs of hiring an aide for him and providing his therapies far exceed what the scholarship paid the school. These scholarships save the school districts money. These scholarships help the families not have the financial burden and care for their kids in the way that makes them most comfortable. It is scary and stressful raising a child with severe disabilities without a family feeling like they have no choice in where they send their child because of money.

– Kristalynn

“Last year my oldest son, who has autism and ADHD among other disorders, had such a hard time in school. He was very unhappy and was failing and got sent home near daily because of behaviors, until we switched to Compass Academy and got the

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Succeed Scholarship. Now, he’s thriving and making good grades and making friends. He has never been able to do this before. He has made so much progress.

Not only has he been able to accomplish this, but his little brother, my other son, is now enrolled at the same school and receiving the scholarship, too.

He started struggling and getting into trouble at school and grades dropping and stopped interacting, until I switched him to this school. Now he’s thriving and making good grades and new friends, and he thanked me for for putting him in this school.

I am a single mother, and, if it wasn’t for the Succeed Scholarship, my children would not have this opportunity to thrive and be great and actually love going to school. We found our home here; please don’t take that away.

– Kimberly

“I wanted to write to address my concern about some members of the AR legislature stating that the Succeed Scholarship should be defunded. I want to express that losing that scholarship could be the worst thing that could happen to my son. I am a single mother

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and I have two children that I support on my own. If we are not able to continue to receive the financial assistance of the Succeed Scholarship, I will not be able to afford to send my son to Access Academy.

My son is 8 years old and is dyslexic. I went a few years not knowing why my son was struggling so badly in public schools. I finally got him tested and found out he was dyslexic. I instantly looked to find a school that could help him. For two years, I left him in public school because they were doing their best to provide him therapy services. He still did not progress at all.

My son Tyson currently goes to Access Academy. He is progressing so much now that he is getting the proper education. I do hope that Tyson can one day graduate out of a private school and back into a public school. I say this because that will mean he has learned how to handle his dyslexia enough to learn the way most kids do in a full classroom with other kids his age. Then, we can give our space to another student with special needs who needs intervention, and hopefully they can have the opportunity to receive the scholarship.

Without the scholarship my son would still be in public schools learning behind his normal class. They even suggested I hold him back one year. That was not what he needed at all. He needed to be in a school that could teach him the way he needed to be taught.

Schools like Access Academy specialize in teaching our children the appropriate way; which is not like public schools. It would be great if our children could go to these type of schools for free, but we are just happy to have some type of financial assistance all around.

Most parents only want what’s best for their kids. Having the support of Reform Alliance providing the Succeed Scholarship gives us hope. I am so grateful for these funds and I do hope that we can continue to have the opportunity to receive them. Please don’t take this away from us.

– Alexis

“I am a parent of a special needs child who attends Access School and takes advantage of the generous and necessary Succeed Scholarship that you have made available to my child.

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I cannot tell you how beneficial this scholarship
has been to my child’s academic success and social development and hope that despite petition from various individuals who wish to see this scholarship eliminated that you consider how beneficial it is to families like mine.
My son is currently 17 years-old and has attended Access School since 18 months-of-age. He originally transferred to Access after an incident in which his former school lost him after a walk from the school playground back to the
school, in which he wandered three blocks, crossing two streets by himself before someone located him and returned him to his former school. Access has been our safe haven since this incident occurred, but it has not come at an easy cost for my family financially. When our son, Aidan, was 6 we considered placing him into public school to reduce the heavy financial expenditure associated with the cost of Access, however, upon touring the special needs
classrooms we found children watching tv with minimal attendance or engagement, which immediately convinced us that Access was, in fact, the correct placement for our son.

Two years ago I was informed about this gracious scholarship that you have made available to children like my son, who has been diagnosed with Mosaic Down syndrome with autistic features and is flourishing at Access through
constant academic challenges and long standing social relationships.

What is concerning to me and overly telling that these “executive directors” have no empathy or understanding regarding children with special needs, as
they are attempting to get your blessing to defund this scholarship due to inability to draw a statistical comparison in test scores and/or academic outcomes – had they any clue of this special population they would surely recognize that these are not “typical” children, and each and every child is
different. Test scores or statistical data cannot qualify or quantify the importance of my son’s education through Access. If further oversight and regulation is needed to keep this scholarship in place, then please provide the criteria and I am sure that the staff at Access are more than willing to oblige.

I realize that COVID has made it difficult from a financial standpoint for everyone, but I beg you not to take away our children’s progress and future, as they are the most at risk for negative outcomes.

– Kimberly

“My daughter, Kiyah, who has Autism, has made HUGE strides because of ACCESS! Their education is individualized to her strengths and her challenges complicated by her

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compromised immune system. She has severe deficits especially in speech but thanks to ACCESS, Kiyah is able to have regular conversations. Kiyah was not able to speak in full sentences and answer questions before ACCESS. She didn’t have a lot of social skills and now she has many friends. I don’t have to worry about her being bullied or her academic strides and abilities at ACCESS. Her favorite subject is math and she talks about going to college one day like her sisters have. Without ACCESS, I would be homeschooling my daughter to make sure she gets the individualized education she needs and to make sure she is safe. But she would have missed out on the wonderful extracurricular activities and socialization that she loves at ACCESS. Taking away choices from the most vulnerable children in our society is not the way to fix an education system especially in a pandemic age. If I and everyone were more confident in the current public education choices, we wouldn’t look for alternatives. I was very concerned after meeting with the potential public school Kiyah would have attended that they wouldn’t be able to meet her needs as she became older (past Kindergarten). With ACCESS, I have witnessed the strides she has made every year and every day I know she will not be bullied or hurt and receive the best education for her disability. ACCESS has existed for a long time and they know what works and it works for my daughter.

– Jeannine

“Succeed Scholarship has been a blessing to our household, but, more importantly, our 9yr old daughter who has Autism. Succeed has allowed her to attend a school (Compass

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  Academy) where learning is at her pace. A pace she understands and an environment that offers no distractions.

Distractions meaning, not having to worry about being made fun of because of who she is, how she is and what it is that sets her apart from other kids. For instance, she likes to hum a lot, stare off into the universe, avoid loud noises, help her teachers and Friends constantly. She loves singing, she has a small selection of foods, she has a strict schedule that she knows by heart and gets very agitated if we deviate from that schedule for anything. We drive the same route to school and home. I share all this to say, great progress has been made since attending Compass Academy through the Succeed Scholarship. Her work have become a priority to her. She loves, Math, Science, English, Art, Music and all her other subjects along with friends, teachers and therapists. Our daughter has to work extra hard to learn all her lessons in school and that don’t detour her one bit, because, the Succeed Scholarship Program allows her to attend a school that has a Faculty who’s patient and willing to keep pushing her regardless of how long it takes, and we, as parents, knows that when a child has a full team all working towards positive goals, that child will Succeed!! Parents + Teachers + Therapist + Friends & Family = Success. That’s the paved learning path Succeed Scholarship has put on daughter on. I pray that this paved road don’t become a rocky road. We will fight for Succeed Scholarship.

– Benitha

“The Succeed Scholarship has changed our lives. My daughter struggled in public school because the teachers could not teach her.  Since she was born prematurely, she was behind

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all the other kids her age, and the teacher didn’t have time to give her that one on one instruction or small group instruction that she’s able to receive at a private school that caters to kids with disabilities.

Without this scholarship, my daughter would still be struggling in public school. It is too expensive for me to pay for private school, but with this scholarship I am able to send my daughter to a private school. She has learned so much and is now able to read with a lot of confidence. The teachers at Access are amazing. They have patience and are loving and just want the kids to learn as much as they can without being stressed. Public school teachers were stressing my daughter out and she felt like she couldn’t learn anything at all. I don’t know what we would have done without the help of this scholarship. We have truly been blessed! Please continue to help out with kids with disabilities going to private schools. 

– Lynette

“My child was failing in public school, being told she was ‘stupid’ and ‘could possibly work as an adult in food service one day.’ We were able to get the Succeed Scholarship, and in one school

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year her confidence is amazing, she is performing on her correct grade level and isn’t coming home from school crying each day. In her words, ‘We did the right thing, Mommie.’

Please do not unfund this wonderful scholarship program. My child’s future depends on this!  

– Andrea

“My son was an LRSD student from K-6th grade. Each year we saw little to no progress socially, academically and physically. The Succeed Scholarship has allowed him to attend ACCESS

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Academy where he is now beginning to thrive in all of these areas. He has completed the 7th grade at ACCESS and is currently an 8th grader. This scholarship is greatly needed for us to continue to be able to afford sending him to school where he loves to learn and excel in all areas.

– Chandra

“Our family has three Succeed Scholarship stories to share. As you may know, dyslexia runs in families, and three of our five children have been diagnosed with a learning disability in reading due to dyslexia.

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Our son Eli was diagnosed when he was seven in 2011. At that time, the State of Arkansas did not have a Dyslexia Act to help children in the public school system with reading difficulties due to dyslexia. We were fortunate to find a reading therapist that was trained in an Orton-Gillingham reading program for children with dyslexia. We placed our son in a private school that would allow the reading therapist to come to the school and work with our son. Having a smaller class size and a reading therapist that could collaborate with our son’s teachers allowed our son to be successful in reading and in all of his academic subjects. We paid for all of his private school tuition, and his reading therapy for six years out of our own pocket. This was an enormous cost for our family which required many sacrifices. When our son was awarded the Succeed Scholarship, it allowed him to continue his education in a small private junior high where he was provided a special education teacher to address his needs both individually with our son and in collaboration with his teachers. He had smaller classrooms with teachers that had time to provide accommodations so that our son could be successful in the general education setting. Our son Eli is now in a public high school setting because we felt that our local high school could best meet his current needs, and because we felt that Eli is now prepared to be successful in a larger school environment. We are grateful that the Succeed Scholarship helped to lay the foundation for his current and future success.

Our second story is with our daughter Karis. Since we had an older child with dyslexia, we knew the signs and symptoms right a way. Karis was diagnosed in 2018, and we decided that since the public school was providing small group sessions to address dyslexia that Karis should attend a public school to get those services daily. Karis was provided daily reading session using a program called Seeing Stars.

Despite her wonderful teachers using the program with fidelity, Karis’s reading ability did not improve. We needed a different approach; we needed an Orton-Gillingham program that works for children with Dyslexia. Our public school did not have Orton-Gillingham program, so we applied for the Succeed Scholarship and were able to place Karis is a private school that uses Connections: OG in 3D (the OG stands for Orton-Gillingham). This program is recognized by the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education as an approved program for Arkansas Literacy curriculum . The Seeing Stars program is not on the approved list. At this time we are again grateful to the Succeed Scholarship program for providing our daughter the opportunity to receive reading instruction that is approved by the State of Arkansas to address the needs of a student with dyslexia. Our daughter has made tremendous progress in reading this past year, and more importantly, she is gaining confidence in herself and her abilities to be successful.

Our third story is just beginning. Our fifth child Atticus was just diagnosed with dyslexia in spring 2020. After Karis’s experience we decided to immediately apply for the Succeed Scholarship and were able to place him in the same private school as our daughter. Atticus will have the benefit of receiving the Connections: OG in 3D program from the very beginning of his reading instruction. Again, we are grateful for the opportunity to provide an approved Arkansas Literacy Curriculum for our son.

Education is not a one size fits all endeavor. We are grateful for the opportunity to have a choice when it comes to the special educational needs of our children. Thank you to the Succeed Scholarship for providing that choice. 

– Tom

“We (the adopted grandparents) are the recipient of the Succeed Scholarship. We consider this funding as a ‘God’ sent for us. Our child has several underlying conditions that require a little more attention.

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Well, he’s genuinely getting this through his private school setting. He’s being taught on a consistent basis these values that we stress so very much at home and in our church. So it’s like he’s getting a double dose, trust if you knew how hard it is to reach our child…this is absolutely a plus for us. We believe with this opportunity of him being in the private school environment, he can go on and live a productive life. This is our dream for him. We know he will probably out live us, so he very much need this opportunity for growth. We cannot stress enough that without this scholarship, we cannot see our child succeeding. We plead with you to please continue this Scholarship funding. I’m speaking for us, and I believe, for every parent that has a child with ‘special needs.’ (Every child deserves this opportunity). I’m sure the desire is the same.  

– Andrea

“The Succeed Scholarship is a vital piece to the puzzle of education and socialization for my 16 year old son who is on the autism spectrum. We moved here from Nevada in 2011 only to find out that the public school system

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was not fulfilling any of the needs of kids with special needs. We left a great situation in NV to what I can only describe as a worst nightmare scenario in Arkansas. None of the Federal requirements were being met; my child was regressing at a horrifying pace, and the school only cared about mainstreaming him where he would sit in a regular class for hours doing nothing. We moved him to Access where he thrived and has become a young man who has a hope of being independent one day. It is because the Succeed Scholarship made it affordable to attend Access. I cannot think of any possible reason to eliminate this scholarship for the kids. It would devastate so many and make the future bleak for so many as well. There are few things that the government does well when it come to spending money; I know this is one of the really good ones

– Will

“My son Thomas was diagnosed with dyslexia in the 3rd grade. It was at that time that I realized why I had struggled the same as he had in school; I just never had a name for it. I went to public schools most of my school years

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and do not remember a time that I did not struggle with the large classroom numbers and how the material was presented to me. When Thomas was diagnosed, I was on a mission to make sure that he was in the very best environment to help him reach his best potential — not someone else’s best, but his best. I knew he was very smart but struggled with many aspects of the educational environment. As an occupational therapist myself, I knew a lot of what he would need and what he would not need to be successful. When we heard about the Succeed Scholarship, I was over the moon with excitement. We applied four times before being awarded the scholarship. Thomas is at Immaculate Heart of Mary School where his is thriving as an 8th grader. The classroom sizes are very small, and the teachers are very good at understanding what he needs. Each teacher is able to really know Thomas and present materials and tests the way he needs them to be presented. They have been great at making up a plan that has all of the accommodations that work best for Thomas. Thomas also is learning and living his Catholic faith which is a very important part of our family. His grades are good, but most importantly he feels good about who he is as a person. See success is not measured in a child getting straight A’s or even straight B’s: It is measured by their self esteem and self worth as a person in this world. I know with dyslexia that it is a life long specific learning disability, but I like to think of it as a gift because he is a gift. I know without the Succeed Scholarship, Thomas would not thrive like he does today. This scholarship is very important to the life of my son Thomas and his future.”

– Susan

“I hope you will continue to fund the Succeed Scholarship. There are so many children who need an alternative to public schools. My son Justin is one of them. He struggled in public school. He had some teachers who understood

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him, but most did not especially substitute teachers and most of his classmates. The environment was too big, too loud, too much. It was sensory overload for him. Last year we enrolled him into Compass Academy. Although it was not easy, it was so much better for him. This year he is thriving and succeeding in school. His circle of friends has grown; he is developing leadership skills, and all the teachers understand him. Our director, Courtney Williams, is amazing and goes above and beyond her duty. She has a great love and genuine concern for the children, including my son. Children need to feel safe and understood to succeed in school. They receive this and so much more at Compass Academy. It would be a misfortune for my son and others to have this great institution taken away from them because we cannot afford to keep them there. I understand that making good grades are important, but it is more important for for my son and other children to have an education that teaches them life skills, develop good character, discover a love for learning, and to think for themselves. Not all good education can be measured by tests alone, ‘but the training of the mind to think.’ (Albert Einstein) 

– Molly

“When my child first started showing signs that he was not excelling in school, I worried that he would fall through the cracks. He wasn’t failing his classes, but he was getting by. Since he didn’t fall into a specific category,

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he was often left to learn materials on his own. My child was the child that was in the gray area. Originally recognized by his kindergarten teacher to have some reading/articulation issues early on, but then dismissed and cleared from any reading intervention once he was about to start second grade. I was skeptical about this and asked them to keep him in the program for another year. A year later, I was proactive and took him for a private evaluation and he was diagnosed with dyslexia.

As a parent, I want my child to have the opportunity to excel just as other children have. Through the Succeed Scholarship, my son now has that opportunity. This scholarship has given my son the chance to go to a school that fits his needs and allow him to excel in his education. Without the opportunity to go to a school that tailors to my child’s learning, I have no doubt that he would still be underperforming and falling behind.

We should not settle for our child’s education. Doing just enough shouldn’t be acceptable. School is not a one-size fit all scenario, and children that learn differently need the opportunity to go to a school suits their style of learning. The Succeed Scholarship has allowed my son to flourish in his education and he is now successful in his education path. 

– Shannon

“I’m a concerned parent of my child. I have recently been informed that there are some people wanting to defund the Succeed Scholarship, which greatly would impact not only my child, but so many other children.

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I would like to tell you what this scholarship has done for my daughter that has speech apraxia and developmental issues. If she was not able to attend Access Academy, which is a private school for children with disabilities, she would not receive the one-on-one therapy, which includes speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. They also come into the classrooms and work with the students. They all work as a team. Each child is different and needs certain accommodations. My child started two years ago. We have tried other schools, and unfortunately, they are just not equipped to deal with certain disabilities. Since her being at this school, she can actually read to me for the first time ever!!! She is 11 years old. She has progressed tremendously!!! The scholarship has helped us so much. As most Americans, we live pay check to pay check and it is very hard to come up with the funds to pay for the school, especially since these latest economic times. We feel so blessed to have this. I honestly don’t know what we would do without the help. I know in my heart she would not progress in a public school unfortunately at this time!!! So I pray and hope that you all consider not defunding a scholarship that is and will help so many children to get the help that they truly need.”

– Brandy

“My son is 9 years old and should technically be in the fourth grade. He attended a Head Start program for Pre-K and then public school from kindergarten through the first semester of his 3rd grade year.

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I noticed he was struggling throughout school and questioned teachers and special ed staff multiple times for screenings and testing all to be told he was at grade level and there was nothing to be concerned about. After continuing to press for screenings and testing with no success, a friend informed me that once I put my request for a comprehensive evaluation in writing the school was then legally required to complete the evaluation and hold a conference within 90 days.

Once his evaluation was complete, it indicated that he was on a kindergarten grade level and has dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia! The public school system did not meet my son’s needs. The public school failed to identify that he was falling behind and instead passed him through to the next grade level indicating that he was satisfactory in all subjects and even had him as an all A student! It was obvious that all A’s was impossible since we couldn’t even get through homework and his test scores were always low.

The public school system also failed to provide proper guidance when addressed with my concerns. I had to advocate for my son on my own. Through the knowledge of friends, outside resources and much of my own research, we were finally able to receive the proper screenings and testing to identify his learning disabilities.

An IEP was implemented after his comprehensive evaluation, and he continued to struggle in identifying letters, numbers, sounds and writing. Let me remind you he was in third grade and still unable to identify letters and numbers! He would cry hysterically and beg me to not send him to school. Being that behind was very traumatizing to him.

At that age it was obvious to other children that he learns differently, but that does not mean that they were accepting of it. He was ridiculed by other students. The teacher would also call on him to answer questions, and when he couldn’t answer correctly, she would make comments about him being dyslexic and tell him he would have to catch up in his resource class. The public school system was not helpful for my son.

After more research, I found The Hannah School, which is devoted to educating children with dyslexia. Dyslexics need a special way to learn, and many schools are not providing it. They are at high risk for dropping out of school, and being trapped in a cycle of illiteracy that will leave them unable to secure a job or remain underemployed. The Hannah School can break this cycle and ensure dyslexic students achieve their full potential. The mission of Hannah School is to move students forward by creating a cooperative, multi-sensory learning environment that will uncover and illuminate their unique strengths. They equip their students with the tools they need to overcome learning differences. Academic deficits can be remediated using a proven intervention model for education.

My son started The Hannah School Jan. 3, 2020, and has made tremendous progress. He now recognizes all of his letters, numbers, can say all of his primary and secondary sounds and is adding and subtracting. All of this was made possible in a relatively short amount of time due to the multi-sensory learning environment that is provided by The Hannah School. Being a Succeed Scholarship recipient allows my son to be in a school that uses an educational program geared specifically towards dyslexic students. He does not have access to this program in a public school setting nor did the IEP and Resource class he was placed in have the ability to meet his needs. Defunding the Succeed Scholarship would be detrimental to my son’s academic success.

Also, the Succeed Scholarship is available to anyone who is currently enrolled in a public school district and has been for at least one full school year (Active duty military exempt and individual waivers available), has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), Individualized Service Plan (ISP), or qualifying medical diagnosis from a licensed physician as a child with a disability under 20 U.S.C. 1401(3)(A).

Any parent that has a child that meets the requirements can apply for this scholarship. The scholarship is advertised on local news and radio stations, is accessible online, and it comes up in the search engine when researching accommodations for children with learning disabilities, so I feel any parent advocating for their child has access to this information and the application. It is my hope that you realize the importance and necessity of the Succeed Scholarship and its ability to give children with learning disabilities the opportunity to attend a school to meet their specific needs in order to excel academically.

I appreciate your time and consideration in this matter.

– Kimberley

“This is the second year my daughter, Runa, has had the privilege of attending ACCESS. We only have this opportunity because of help through the Succeed Scholarship, and I’m constantly thinking of how grateful I am for this chance for

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her. Runa was adopted from India and has a diagnosis of global delays. She is so bright in her own ways but also behind in many ways we didn’t see the overwhelmed public schools being able to fully help with. This was proven during her kindergarten year when she attended our local public school and apparently was passed around so many times she was ultimately forgotten. She missed at least half a year of speech therapy, and didn’t receive all the hours she was supposed to in another therapy. She was so far behind already in kindergarten, and we knew it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for her to ever catch up.

The next year we thankfully were told about the Succeed Scholarship so she could attend ACCESS. Immediately we knew this was going to be the most perfect place for her. Through her time there she has grown in huge ways academically and socially. She gets group and individualized attention every day, and we receive constant updates on what she’s working on and how she’s growing. She comes home happy and with stories of all the fun ways she learned that day. She’s slowly but surely catching up to grade level when we know there’s no way it would have happened this quickly anywhere else. We couldn’t ask for a more well rounded education for her and we hope to never have to worry again about what we’re going to do with our daughter getting lost in an overwhelmed system.

I have read the most recent letter asking for the funding to be taken away from Succeed Scholarship to be put back in the public school system. I completely understand and have complete empathy for what is being asked. However, I do NOT think that taking away a few thousand much needed dollars for students who were getting lost in the public system will be the fix to what is needed. There are much bigger issues than a little more money thrown at it will correct. Real conversations need to happen, and big changes need to be made, but taking away money from students that are thriving is not the way to handle it.

My family is entirely grateful for the opportunity we have received through the Succeed Scholarship, and I hope it will always be available to help children thrive in amazing ways.

– Natalie

“Jacob is my 15 year old son whom has Down syndrome. He has attended a not-for-profit private school for the last three years. We have received the Succeed Scholarship for the last two years. It has allowed him to continue his education

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at his pace and comfort level. He attended public school, but it was not the best education system for him. He is able to attend school now and enjoys going to school and has friends that he did not have while at public school. He is learning independent activities and is comfortable at school. We are so blessed to have found a school that meets his needs. The Succeed Scholarship allows him to continue his education with the best method for him.

If the Scholarship is not continued, it will place his education at jeopardy. Please allow this scholarship to continue for our children, whom are at risk and may need a different education that will be able to help them reach their full potential which everyone will benefit from in the future.”

– Kimberly

“I am a single mother of one. My son is turning 11 next week. He was diagnosed with autism when he was 3 1/2. When my son started school, we enrolled in the public setting. Staff was great but accommodation not so much, and I

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understood. The school was limited on what they could provide for him. My son has a lot of sensory issues; big crowds, noises and changes overwhelm him and prevents him from doing other things that he is capable of. He needed a lot of structure, more one on one. We stayed there for two years, and we struggled.

I was devastated; I did not know where to turn. I started looking for options and every turn I made, I will hit a dead end with no hopes. The schools available I couldn’t afford. I was always researching, something very usual with every parent in this journey. We are always looking for ways, options, etc. One day going online, I read about the Succeed Scholarship. No one told me about it; I just it read online. I remember taking my lunch break to go speak with someone regarding the program. I remember driving to down town to the department of education – special education unit, wanting to know more about the program and what I needed to do. I was then given a name and a phone number to call, and I remember calling and speaking with Courtney Salas-Ford, who gave me all the information. This was back on June 2016.

Without the scholarship, my son could not attend the school he is in. This is our fourth year, and we are so thankful. When I read the letter that was sent to the governor requesting that the program should be defunded, my heart sank. I couldn’t believe it; how could they attack us? My son is entitled to his funds! I am making a huge effort to maintain my son in the private setting and I am doing this for his well being. The scholarship pays a portion of it. I have to pay the remaining, but without the funds (that again my son is entitled to), I couldn’t come up with the full tuition payment to keep him in the school we are in right now. I couldn’t imagine losing it! My son is so happy in his school. This is his 4th year there. He knows everyone, he receives all his therapies in one place. I am not having to go look for extra minutes of therapy so that he can get more service. He gets one on one, individualized program on what he actually needs. They work with him when he is not having a good day and work around to calm him and to make him function.

They have a lot patience, something that is hard to find and that requires a lot from staff members to do in bigger settings. He is more aware of his surroundings, talking a lot more, physically he has improved enormously. He is tolerating bigger crowds, noises, changes way more now. He is learning, reading, writing. I am in peace, and I see it in him as well. I couldn’t imagine taking him out now because again I can’t afford the school without the scholarship. Like me, I see a lot of families on this journey. I am working hard to keep him there financially. It has not been easy. But as long as I have a job and health, I will do anything for him. I pray for things to get better in general for everyone really and also for those in public school and their directors who are advocating for their children and families as well. I pray for peace. I have faith and I believe we will be ok. I just wanted to share my little story and our journey. We are thankful and hope for the best.

– Yaribeth

“My son Josh was diagnosed with Autism when he was about four years old. For years he struggled to even speak a full sentence. With the help of many talented therapists, his speech has improved.

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Our discovery of the Access School has been a blessing. And the Succeed scholarship has made it possible for Josh to be a student there. At Access, the whole staff is trained to help kids with disabilities overcome the challenges in their lives. We are so thankful for the scholarship! We know it is making a huge difference in Josh’s development into a self-sufficient adult.

– Brian