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The Providence Academy invited the first lady Ann Scott to the school after reading the article in the Orlando Sentinel that she had been appointed as the Florida Children's advocate.  We wanted to make sure she knew who she was advocating for. Providence Academy is a not for profit private school for special needs children, with campuses in east and west Orlando.  Most of our children receive McKay Scholarship funds, which were cut with the state education budget.  These families rely on the scholarship funds in order to send their children to Providence. 

The visit with the first lady went beautifully.  She arrived with Tanya Wilkins who is the wife of the head of the Florida Department of Children and Families, and the upper school students waited at the door and greeted them as they entered the building.

Mrs. Scott and Mrs. Wilkins spent some time in the front lobby with the administration and listened to some history about the school and our program.  They asked wonderful questions about how the school is funded, and this opened up discussion about McKay Scholarships, Federal Proportionate Share Funds, and private donations.  We also discussed how challenging it is for parents to cover the costs for the children because it is not just the tuition balance, but often therapies on top of tuition. 

We then toured the school and they were able to see the students in action. The first lady and Mrs. Wilkins saw the students in their instructional language arts groups, and we showed them how we provide different seating options for students based on their needs, as well as sensory supports like weighted vests, noise canceling headphones, and small individualized instruction.  The children were awesome and stayed on task, even with the distractions. The younger students met in the front room with Mrs. Scott and Mrs. Wilkins. We skyped the west campus students in so they could participate. First Lady Scott read a book called Grace for President and Mrs. Wilkins read a book called Enemy Pie, which is a story about friendship.  The students listened attentively and participated appropriately. 

We moved to the upper school where the older students asked Mrs. Scott about her role in the government and her job as the Florida Children's Advocate. They spoke clearly and listened carefully to her responses. 

Before Mrs. Scott and Mrs. Wilkins left, they had an opportunity to meet with six parents from the east and west campus.  Each parent was able to tell a little bit about their child and how Providence has helped them.  They shared that the McKay Scholarship was crucial in helping them fund their child's education.  Two parents spoke about not having access to the McKay Scholarship. These parents decided not to put their child through the public school system, because they knew it wouldn't work for their child.  These stories really touched the First Lady and Mrs. Wilkins, and it brought tears to their eyes on several occasions.  As they left the building, there were hugs and hand shakes and they repeatedly said how impressed they were with the school.