A message from redefinED atlanta:
“Monday’s Board vote is disappointing to the nearly 650 Atlanta families who want to enroll their children at Tapestry Public Charter School and all of us who support them. APS students with special needs have lower graduation rates and higher dropout rates than the state averages. Yet, the Board of Education, via their 7-2 vote, has once again denied a school that specializes in serving such students. We believe every student in every community of Atlanta deserves equitable access to educational opportunities that help them thrive. Yesterday’s vote underscores the district’s unwillingness to support neurodiverse students. We will continue to support Tapestry’s commitment to replicate and serve more families with special needs and learning differences.”
About Tapestry
Vision & Mission:
Tapestry provides a rigorous and enriching education for a neurodiverse student body in grades 6-12, thereby creating an inclusive, innovative, and replicable academic model.
The mission of Tapestry Public Charter School is to offer an inclusive, individualized learning environment that is academically engaging, both for neurotypical students and those on the autism spectrum, and to create a positive school culture that empowers all students to take possession of their innate talents and become creative builders of their own futures.
Learn more about Tapestry’s academic model here.
Act Now
The Atlanta Board of Education must vote YES for Tapestry. Let the Board know that neurodivergent and special education students deserve a school like Tapestry. Make sure you submit your email before their next meeting on June 3, 2024. These students need your support!
In September 2023, the Board’s decision to deny Tapestry Public Charter School’s petition was deeply concerning. With 650 families eager to enroll their students, including many students with disabilities, this action ignored the desperate need for inclusive learning environments.
While the Board framed it as a delay, it remains a denial of a vital educational opportunity for hundreds of families. Tapestry’s proven model fosters academic excellence in a welcoming space for both neurotypical and neurodivergent students.
You can correct the Board’s mistake by recommending Tapestry for approval to the interim superintendent in the upcoming June 3rd meeting.
Media Coverage
- Atlanta BOE Votes to Reject Charter School with Options for Neurodivergent Students FOX 5 Atlanta, 5 Sept. 2023
- Atlanta School Board Denies Charter School for Students with Special Needs The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5 Sept. 2023
- Atlanta Public Schools Denies Application for a Public Charter Focused on Serving Students with Special Needs Education in Atlanta, 6 Sept. 2023
- Atlanta School Board Denies Charter School for Kids with Special Needs 95.5 WSB Radio, 6 Sept. 2023
- Atlanta Public Schools to Vote on Expanding Charter School That Specializes in Serving Neurodivergent Students 11Alive, 5 Sept. 2023
- Education establishment puts adults ahead of kids The Brunswick News, 11 Sept. 2023
Last updated June 4, 2024