Montessori School For The Arts & Sciences

I am deeply concerned by my experiences with the administrative staff at this school, particularly in the context of special education and disability protections.Rather than evaluating students based on their individual needs, the administration repeatedly compares students with disabilities to “average” peers, which is inconsistent with both IDEA and Section 504. Federal law requires individualized consideration—not normalization against nondisabled students—yet this distinction is routinely ignored.Administrative staff are frequently confrontational and verbally combative in tone. They regularly misstate or oversimplify federal special education law and attempt to substitute school board policy where federal protections should control. During our district-to-district transfer, I observed repeated instances where IEP language was interpreted in a way that benefited the district administratively rather than the student educationally.Despite repeated assurances that they are “looking forward to collaborating,” collaboration in practice appears to mean that decisions are made unilaterally, often before Written Prior Notice is issued and sometimes before relevant medical documentation is even reviewed. Parents’ input and licensed medical providers’ recommendations are routinely minimized or dismissed, which undermines meaningful parental participation.There have also been numerous procedural violations, including improper handling and timing of Written Prior Notices, exclusionary meeting practices, and actions taken prior to legally required notice. These are not minor technical errors—they directly impact a child’s access to services and protections.Parents should be aware that advocating here requires constant vigilance, legal knowledge, and documentation. Families seeking a truly collaborative, legally compliant, and welcoming special education environment may find this school extremely challenging to work with.