Ridgeway Early Learning Center

I’m sharing our experience because families of children with disabilities deserve transparency. My experience with Porter-Leath has been deeply disappointing and concerning. Throughout my children’s time in the program, I repeatedly raised concerns about their disability-related needs and requested accommodations that would allow them to safely and successfully participate in class. During these conversations, I was told that because Porter-Leath is not part of the school district, they do not have to follow IEPs or IFSPs. As a parent of children with documented disabilities, hearing that was alarming. When I requested sensory supports for my child — including safety and regulation accommodations such as sensory tools, access to quiet areas, crash pads, chewies, and other supports recommended for sensory regulation — I was told these accommodations could not and would not be provided. I was specifically told that allowing my child access to these supports “wouldn’t be fair” to the other children in the classroom, that additional sensory accommodations would not be allowed because they did not have one-on-one staffing, and that it was not up to the teachers because they were not going to be expected to keep up with my children’s sensory supports and regulation tools. Instead of recognizing these as legitimate disability-related accommodations, our concerns were repeatedly minimized. My children’s sensory and developmental needs were too often treated as behavior problems rather than needs requiring understanding and support. As a parent, I trusted this program to uphold the protections families rely on, including IDEA, ADA protections, and Head Start’s obligation to ensure children with disabilities have equitable access to education and services. Based on our experience, I have serious concerns about whether these obligations are being properly understood or implemented. No family should have to fight this hard just to have their child’s documented needs acknowledged. I’m speaking out because children with disabilities deserve more than dismissal and excuses. They deserve inclusion, accommodation, and educators who understand that equity is not giving every child the exact same thing — it’s giving each child the support they need to succeed. This is what an entire school year of “work” from Porter-Leath Head Start looks like for ONE of my children. After almost a month of requesting records, files, portfolios, and classroom work, this is all I was given. My other child had nothing sent home at all. Parents trust programs like Head Start to provide meaningful learning, developmental support, and documentation of our children’s progress throughout the year. A full school year should reflect actual educational effort, growth, and engagement — not just a small pile of random coloring pages and scribbles with little to no evidence of structured learning, writing practice, developmental tracking, or consistent educational activities. This is exactly why I’ve raised concerns about the lack of support, accountability, and transparency. Families deserve better. Children deserve better. #PorterLeath #HeadStart #EarlyChildhoodEducation #ParentsDeserveAnswers #ChildrenDeserveBetter