511 E 43rd St, Baltimore, MD 21212

One of the biggest problems I have experienced is the difficulty locating my children when I arrive to pick them up. Almost every time I come to the school, there seems to be an issue with finding them. The front desk staff frequently do not know exactly where my children are or which staff member they are with. As a parent, this is extremely frustrating and concerning. When I arrive to pick up my children, I expect the school to have a reliable system for knowing where every student is and for quickly identifying where my children are located. I have also had concerns about the way some teachers and staff interact with students. I have witnessed or become aware of situations involving teachers arguing with students and yelling at students. Regardless of how challenging a situation may be, I believe children should be spoken to respectfully and handled appropriately. This is especially important when working with children who are on the autism spectrum or who have other special needs. Another major concern is that multiple staff members do not appear to be adequately trained to work with children on the autism spectrum. My special-needs son deserves to be in an environment where the adults responsible for him understand his needs and know how to respond appropriately when he is struggling. Autism can affect communication, sensory processing, behavior, transitions, and reactions to stressful situations. Staff members need to understand those differences instead of automatically treating a child’s behavior as intentional defiance or misconduct. I also have concerns about the school’s restrictions on parent access. Parents are not allowed to freely enter the school and are generally restricted to the front office. I understand that schools need security procedures and that visitors cannot simply walk through the building without authorization. However, when parents are prevented from entering beyond the front office, there needs to be strong communication and transparency from the school.