When 19-year-old Aleysha Ortiz told Hartford City Council members in May that the public school system stole her education, she had to memorize her speech.

Ortiz, who was a senior at Hartford Public High School at the time, wrote the speech using the talk-to-text function on her phone. She listened to it repeatedly to memorize it.

That鈥檚 because she was never taught to read or write 鈥� despite attending schools in Hartford since she was 6.

Ortiz, who came to Hartford from Puerto Rico with her family when she was young, struggled with language and other challenges along the way. But a confluence of circumstances, apparent apathy and institutional inertia pushed her haphazardly through the school system, according to Ortiz, her attorney and district officials.

Those officials, in statements that her attorney says display 鈥渟hocking鈥� educational neglect, have acknowledged that Ortiz never received instruction in reading.

Despite this, she received her diploma this spring after improving her grades in high school 鈥� with help from the speech-to-text function 鈥� and getting on the honor roll. She began her studies at the University of Connecticut this summer.

Ortiz can鈥檛 read even most one-syllable words. The words she can read were memorized during karaoke or from subtitles at the bottom of TV screens and associating the words she saw with what she heard, she said.

鈥淚 was pushed through. I was moved from class to class not being taught anything,鈥� Ortiz told The Connecticut Mirror during a series of interviews. 鈥淭hey stole something from me 鈥� I wanted to do more, and I didn鈥檛 have the chance to do that.鈥�

Ortiz was diagnosed with a speech impediment and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in early childhood and has been classified as a student with a disability for 鈥渁s long as I can remember,鈥� she said.

Ortiz also wasn鈥檛 taught how to tell time or how to count money. She can barely hold a pencil because of unaddressed issues with hand fatigue and disputes about school-based occupational therapy, she and her attorney said. She learned basic math, like addition, but has no other math skills.

Accommodations in her Individualized Education Plan, which spell out what services students will receive that school year, allowed her to audio-record classes and meetings with school leadership because of her inability to read or write in high school.

In recordings shared with the CT Mirror, made from March through June of this year, district officials acknowledged that in 12 years, Ortiz never received reading instruction or intervention. The CT Mirror also reviewed Ortiz鈥檚 educational records, including her recent IEPs and other documents.

鈥淚n my review of Aleysha鈥檚 IEP, she was never provided reading instruction,鈥� Noreen Trenchard, a special education administrator for the district, said at a May 29 Planning and Placement Team (PPT) meeting. 鈥淲hat is most concerning to me, honestly, at this time, is 鈥� with all of that information prior to today, no direct reading instruction was provided for her, and no PPT was requested to add that to an IEP. 鈥� That鈥檚 very concerning, very, very concerning.鈥�

Trenchard did not respond to a request for comment.

Ortiz said her mother鈥檚 ability to advocate for her was limited because of language barriers, insufficient translation services, and because the family didn鈥檛 know their legal rights to challenge district decisions.

Ortiz filed for 鈥渄ue process鈥� against the district in late June, which is a legal procedure in special education that鈥檚 triggered when families feel their rights were violated.

Ortiz鈥檚 lawyer, , said the young woman鈥檚 story may be one of the 鈥渕ost shocking cases鈥� of educational neglect she has seen in 24 years.

鈥淚t is really shocking, and it should never have happened and shouldn鈥檛 be happening,鈥� Spencer said. 鈥淗er whole future is going to be impacted.鈥�

Ortiz repeatedly described her special education experience with one word: traumatic.

She said she was unlawfully restrained, spent months in classrooms without a special education teacher or paraeducators, and was ridiculed by untrained staff who would laugh at her.

Her time in Hartford Public Schools was defined by feelings of isolation and loneliness as she sat in the back of classrooms for years and wished she would be able to do what the other kids were doing, she said.

While other students made friends and learned basic math and reading skills, Ortiz said she was stuck tracing letter worksheets on her own from first grade well into her middle school years.

Since first grade, she said, teachers, school leaders and district administrators failed her.

In a recording of a June 6 meeting with Trenchard, the district鈥檚 special education administrator, Ortiz can be heard saying she was denied the right to a fair education when teachers didn鈥檛 teach her how to write, when disability testing wasn鈥檛 done accurately and when she felt shamed by educators after she brought up how her IEP wasn鈥檛 being followed correctly.

鈥淧eople didn鈥檛 forget about me 鈥� no 鈥� people chose not to [educate me]. People chose not to [change] my IEP. People chose not to do this and that and this and that,鈥� Ortiz said at the meeting. 鈥淚鈥檓 the one paying the consequences, while those people are still getting their checks.鈥�

Ortiz tried to teach herself and make up for the areas her formal education lacked, but through those efforts, the 19-year-old said, she also lost the chance to just be a kid.

鈥淏asically [in high school], I would go to class. I would record and try to memorize everything the teacher said and what I wanted to write. Then, when I went home, I would stay and hear the recordings. I basically went to school two times in one day,鈥� Ortiz said.

鈥淚 wanted to join clubs, but I couldn鈥檛 do that because I didn鈥檛 have the time. 鈥� To this day, I鈥檝e never been out to the movie theater with friends, ever,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have time to have fun. It was either enjoy myself or fail my classes, and maybe if I was more ahead in reading or writing, I would鈥檝e had time [to make friends].鈥�

Ortiz鈥檚 story can鈥檛 be defined as a student who fell through the cracks 鈥� several people knew how her education was being neglected and did nothing, Spencer said.

鈥淪he鈥檚 had so many teachers. I don鈥檛 know how everybody failed her,鈥� Spencer said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how the district could have passed her through. I don鈥檛 understand how this happened. It鈥檚 negligence, in my opinion.鈥�

The district declined to 鈥渟peak specifically to student matters,鈥� because of 鈥渟tate and federal legal obligations,鈥� after requests for comment by the CT Mirror, particularly in regards to why it took so long to find a problem with Ortiz鈥檚 academic progress and whether officials were aware of similar situations happening with other students in Hartford.

But in a meeting on June 6, Trenchard acknowledged that educators may have violated Ortiz鈥檚 IEP, which is a legally binding document under the  and outlines the services and accommodations that will make a student with a disability successful in a classroom.

鈥淎nd truthfully, from what I鈥檝e seen, I see that you didn鈥檛 even have an appropriate IEP,鈥� Trenchard said.

鈥淧eople got to you too late, which has been the story of your life here,鈥� a Hartford Public High School administrator can be heard telling Ortiz in the recording from the meeting on June 6, despite Ortiz saying she had raised concerns for several years and they were never formally addressed.

Ortiz was able to graduate because she had met all her credit requirements, but she says she was only able to 鈥渟urvive鈥� high school through the use of speech-to-text applications and a calculator.

And though limited, the accommodations helped Ortiz become an honor-roll student and led to her acceptance to several colleges, including the University of Connecticut-Hartford, which she began attending part-time in August.

Ortiz鈥檚 success may be unique, but her challenges in the district are not, several current and former staff members from the school district told the CT Mirror.

鈥淚 think this happens a lot through Hartford schools,鈥� said a Hartford paraeducator who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think a lot of kids in Hartford get their services. She鈥檚 not the only one. 鈥� Any school [in the district], you鈥檒l find kids, even that are not in special ed, that don鈥檛 even know how to read and write 鈥� they just pass them over.鈥�

鈥淯nfortunately, the way the district runs, it鈥檚 short-staffed. It鈥檚 fast-paced,鈥� said a social worker who worked with Ortiz in high school and also requested anonymity for fear of retaliation. 鈥淲hile Aleysha is a very sad and touching story, it is one of many in the district that get overlooked.鈥�

Ortiz and her attorney think so too.

鈥淥ne of the reasons I didn鈥檛 drop out was from anger 鈥� and knowing that I might not be the only one, but you don鈥檛 hear it around,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淲ith me, people knew about it and didn鈥檛 want to do their job, and knowing this 鈥� it must be happening in other places.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 happening all the time, and it鈥檚 not just Hartford,鈥� Spencer said.

Aleysha鈥檚 story

At the age of 32, Carmen Cruz decided to migrate from Puerto Rico to the South End of Hartford with three of her four children, including Ortiz, who was 5 at the time, the second-youngest.

Ortiz鈥檚 mother declined interview requests, but Ortiz said her family came to the United States because services for students with disabilities were limited in Puerto Rico.

鈥淲e heard Connecticut had the best education and things like that, which is one of the reasons we came to Hartford,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淲e came to get better opportunities.”

In testimony to state lawmakers for more school funding earlier this year, Ortiz described preparing for her first day of first grade at Burr School, when the school educated grades K-8. That day was full of nerves but also tinges of excitement.

Ortiz only spoke Spanish, and learning English with a speech disability would be challenging. But Ortiz said her mother thought she would get the proper services and support to make sure she was successful.

鈥淭he first day of school, I was holding my mom鈥檚 hand and didn鈥檛 want to let go,鈥� she said in the testimony. 鈥淚 finally did, and I believe it was the biggest mistake of my life. 鈥� From the first day, I struggled so much.鈥�

Despite bringing a signed document from the Puerto Rico Department of Education outlining the need for occupational therapy, the service was never provided to Ortiz in Hartford Public Schools, according to her IEP and audio recordings.

For many of her primary school years, Ortiz admits, she struggled with behavioral issues, including throwing things in a classroom, screaming and running away. As she鈥檚 grown older, Ortiz said, she realized those behaviors were rooted in anger that manifested from an inability to communicate.

Throughout elementary school, Ortiz was often isolated from classmates and engaged in activities that didn鈥檛 pertain to learning, including organizing books, sweeping, resting her head on the desk and drawing pictures in the back of the room, she said. Through fifth grade, the only school work she was assigned was tracing letters on worksheets.

鈥淚nstead of teaching me, they would tell me 鈥楬ere, you go play games over there.鈥� And I鈥檇 see the other kids and would get angry,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淚 would just look and stare at the other kids doing their work. 鈥� It got to a point where I was the bad kid, and it felt good 鈥� because even though I was not like the other kids, at least I was something. And that, for me, was what mattered. I was something to someone [even if it meant getting in trouble].鈥�

Ortiz described several instances where she was removed by security guards by force, including a prone restraint practice where she would be forced onto her stomach and a knee was put on her back to the point that, she said, she couldn鈥檛 breathe.

Harford Public Schools did not comment on Ortiz鈥檚 allegations, but said, in general, 鈥減hysical intervention and seclusion are only used as a last resort and emergency intervention, by certified personnel, for students, after other verbal and nonverbal strategies have been attempted and only when the student presents immediate or imminent injury to the student or to others.鈥�

Ortiz said that wasn鈥檛 her experience.

鈥淚nstead of the security guards trying to have a conversation with me, they would literally just remove me by force,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淚 remember the principal came in, and she was like, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 not how you do it! That鈥檚 not how you do it! Check if she has marks.鈥� 鈥� I was traumatized. 鈥� and I was [thinking] 鈥榃ow, this is how America is?’鈥�

When Ortiz began to learn more English skills in third grade, she said, she developed a relationship with a homeroom teacher, but her communication efforts were shut down after hearing educators discuss how they couldn鈥檛 understand her.

When another teacher asked the homeroom teacher if they knew what Ortiz was saying, the homeroom teacher responded, 鈥極h, I don鈥檛 understand what she鈥檚 saying, I just say yes to whatever she says,鈥� Ortiz said.

鈥淛ust because I鈥檓 a special education student doesn鈥檛 mean I鈥檓 deaf 鈥� it鈥檚 why I stopped talking,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淭hose things made me feel trapped, insecure and everything. I thought I could talk to someone, then that happened.鈥�

In fifth grade, intervention efforts were short-lived because there wasn鈥檛 enough extra staff support, Ortiz said, adding that she didn鈥檛 receive her first paraeducator until sixth grade and, even then, she spent most of her middle school career without a special education teacher.

By seventh grade, Ortiz recalled that principals said they 鈥渟hared custody鈥� of her because she spent more time in the front office than a classroom.

鈥淚nstead of sending her to class, the principal had her with her all the time,鈥� the paraeducator told the CT Mirror.

That year, Ortiz was in a classroom 鈥渘ot a lot, maybe four times,鈥� she said.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit at the end of Ortiz鈥檚 eighth-grade year.

Throughout the summer, preparing for high school, Ortiz went to local libraries and tried to use picture books to teach herself how to read. When she wasn鈥檛 successful, she got through online learning during her freshman year with Google Translate, which can scan a photo and read the text out loud.

鈥淭he way I did assignments was very difficult. When I was given something to read or write, I would use Google,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淚f the teacher said 鈥楢leysha, can you read this aloud?鈥� 鈥� I would turn my computer off and pretend like it died, so I didn鈥檛 have to read it. 鈥� Or with the camera off, I would repeat [what the translate app said]. That鈥檚 literally how I survived ninth grade.鈥�

Sophomore year changed everything.

It was Ortiz鈥檚 鈥渇irst time doing the same work as everybody else,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 love learning because I never had the opportunity to learn. People be like, 鈥楢leysha, why do you like to go to school all the time?鈥� And it鈥檚 because it鈥檚 something new 鈥� the amount of times I did the same thing over and over, it鈥檚 crazy,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淪ometimes I do complain, because we learn something new every day and it鈥檚 hard to get it, but it鈥檚 better than doing the same thing every day.鈥�

Small wins in the classroom built her confidence enough that it allowed her to open up to trusted adults in positions she once felt betrayed by in elementary school. As more people learned her story, a team of staff members gathered behind her and pushed for more services, intervention and support her junior and senior year.

But by then, she was always told any intervention was 鈥渢oo late.鈥�

鈥淪ince [my junior year], I told my case manager, I want to learn how to write, and she鈥檇 tell me, 鈥業n college, they don鈥檛 do that. They go in there, record and leave, they do the same thing you do,’鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淚鈥檇 say 鈥榊eah, but I still want to know how to write. It鈥檚 my right. I wanted to learn,鈥� but [I was told] there wasn鈥檛 time, and there weren鈥檛 teachers to sit down and teach me.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of students, and unfortunately, there鈥檚 situations like Aleysha, where she has a village behind her, advocating, pushing 鈥� and [proper services] still [were] not happening,鈥� the social worker said.

A district鈥檚 failure

Ortiz has recorded more than 700 audio files on her phone.

In her last four months in the public school system, more than a dozen of those audio recordings were either PPT meetings, requests for disability testing or administrators reviewing the results of Ortiz鈥檚 academic progress with her.

The conversations were often riddled with , with several instances of people speaking over one another or Ortiz leaving the room in tears.

鈥淭here was a lot of pushback stating that [the district doesn鈥檛] provide that at the high school level, that they would need to get creative in how they could provide these services to her, and there was always kind of a lingering talk of something would be done, but there was never anything proactive being done,鈥� the social worker said.

Meetings particularly ramped up as Ortiz got closer to graduation and as she was trying to navigate her transition into higher education.

But it always felt like there wasn鈥檛 enough time for intervention.

鈥淚 feel like right now people are like, 鈥榃ell, she鈥檚 graduating,鈥� and they just move on. They just forget about [what鈥檚 happening to me],鈥� Ortiz said in a PPT meeting on May 29. 鈥淚鈥檝e been asking, I鈥檝e been doing everything for years and years. I sat here for 12 years. And right now it鈥檚 like 鈥榃ell 鈥� we should have done this 鈥� but we didn鈥檛.’鈥�

One point of contention centered around school-based occupational therapy.

For years, Ortiz had complained of pain in her hand and an inability to hold a pencil for longer than a few minutes. In March, Ortiz鈥檚 case manager agreed to consult with an occupational therapist to see what recommendations they had.

But by May 29, district officials declined to have a formal occupational therapy evaluation.

In an emailed statement to the CT Mirror, a spokesperson from Hartford Public Schools said, 鈥淚f there is no relevant data to support a request for an evaluation, a PPT can determine that a particular type of evaluation is not appropriate at that time.鈥�

鈥淭he purpose is to be able to function in a school environment, which Aleysha has been able to do,鈥� a district official said at the May 29 PPT, despite protests from teachers and school staff that Ortiz is only able to perform in a school environment with 鈥渋ncredible difficulty.鈥�

At the meeting, district officials recommended that Ortiz type assignments on a computer going forward.

鈥淧eople expect me to use a computer for the rest of my life,鈥� Ortiz said.

The underlying concern in all the meetings, in addition to her inability to write, was also the lack of progress in her reading ability.

Ortiz and other staff members repeatedly requested dyslexia testing with the notion that, if she couldn鈥檛 receive intervention, then at least having the diagnosis could open the door to more resources after high school.

Those requests were declined by administrators, who instead reviewed previous data, then completed a series of comprehensive testing to 鈥渒now exactly where we鈥檙e at in instruction,鈥� Trenchard said at a meeting on June 13.

In May, Trenchard, the district鈥檚 special education administrator, began to review Ortiz鈥檚 case. When she went over reading results that were conducted earlier in the school year, she called them 鈥渟urprising.鈥�

鈥淸The scores] are low low, like they were surprising to me. It would make sense that reading is hard for you, but it looks like things pretty much across the board are hard,鈥� Trenchard said at a meeting on May 20. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know how to [read, write or do math] because nobody ever taught you. 鈥� I wish we met each other earlier 鈥� because it bothers me to hear about it and to just see that for years what was missing.鈥�

Trenchard, at a meeting on May 29, said Ortiz鈥檚 difficulties in , which are the processes of using letter/sound knowledge to write and read words in a text, could be 鈥渟ymptomatic of dyslexia鈥� but could also be 鈥渟ymptomatic of not having received instruction.鈥�

鈥淎nd in my review of Aleysha鈥檚 IEPs, she was never provided reading instruction,鈥� Trenchard said, adding that she didn鈥檛 believe Ortiz was dyslexic because 鈥渢here are many missing pieces toward even leaning toward that diagnosis.鈥�

Spencer, however, argues that the district violated its legal obligation to provide dyslexia testing because there was a reasonable belief that it could have been an issue.

鈥淚f she was showing no reading issues, and all the testing showed she was fine, and she was on grade level, and she just wanted to get the testing 鈥� then they could have an argument,鈥� Spencer said. 鈥淏ut, when it鈥檚 a suspected area, it must be tested. 鈥� There鈥檚 no way a reasonable person would have overlooked this.鈥�

Ortiz received a comprehensive reading evaluation on June 6 and scored 鈥渧ery poor鈥� in every category. Ortiz needed to be taught every reading and spelling skill, according to the test results.

And beyond failing to provide basic education, the district may have also failed to provide an appropriate IEP, and with the limited accommodations that were written, they were not consistently implemented or provided, Trenchard said in one of the recordings.

At Ortiz鈥檚 last PPT meeting on June 14, just two days before graduation, district officials recommended that she defer her diploma and take 100 hours of reading intervention over the summer at the district鈥檚 central office.

Without speaking to Ortiz鈥檚 case, Hartford Public Schools told the CT Mirror that recommendations are made 鈥渙n an individualized basis by the student鈥檚 PPT,鈥� and that a student鈥檚 exit criteria could be reviewed or revised 鈥渦p to and including the day of graduation if necessary.鈥�

Ortiz and several of her teachers shared a hesitancy about the deferment plan, especially in regards to uncertainty from the district about who would provide direct instruction to Ortiz if she stayed back amid millions of dollars of budget cuts in the upcoming school year.

鈥淭he bigger question is who is doing this? 鈥� As of right now, we are working with very minimal staffing, and our special ed staff is doing everything they can, but there鈥檚 no one here,鈥� a teacher at the PPT meeting said.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 require me not to take my diploma and expect me to go along with whatever you say, knowing damn well we don鈥檛 have the people here,鈥� Ortiz said at the meeting. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e saying we have the teachers training, we have the people here 鈥� where are they? If they are here, and they are training, where are they?鈥�

Ortiz was also set to begin a mandatory transition to college program at UConn that ran from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. throughout the summer. The district did not provide any further accommodations or compromise for reading intervention, according to the audio recording of the meeting.

Ortiz ultimately decided to accept her diploma. By the time she had graduated from Hartford Public Schools, she hadn鈥檛 been tested for dyslexia and had never received reading intervention.

Systemic shortfalls

At the same time that Ortiz, her advocates and district leaders met about additional accommodations and intervention services, the district also announced a looming  for the upcoming school year.

 200 special education teachers, 360 paraeducators and 150 counselors, social workers and school psychologists were employed across the district鈥檚 schools in 2022-23.

At Hartford Public High School, which Ortiz attended, there were 21 special education teachers, 19 paras and about 15 social workers, counselors and school psychologists in . With over 109 students with disabilities enrolled at the school, social workers could be assigned dozens of cases.

鈥淎t the end of the 2022-23 school year, we were short-staffed multiple social workers in the building. Myself, alone, was required to service 50 or more students,鈥� said Ortiz鈥檚 former social worker, who added that she ultimately left the district because of the workload.

鈥淸A big part of why I left] comes down to not being able to fully provide children with what they need, and becoming a part of the failure,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was part of that team of service providers who didn鈥檛 always meet Aleysha where she needed perfectly every month. 鈥� There were times I wouldn鈥檛 see her for two weeks. 鈥� It wasn鈥檛 fair to her, but due to the system of the school and the district, we did the best we could, but that鈥檚 not the answer we should be giving, especially for students like Aleysha.鈥�

Ortiz was assigned a handful of different social workers during her time at Hartford Public High School because of staffing turnover, the social worker said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 plenty of students who are kind of slipping through the cracks,鈥� she added.

When asked about student-teacher ratios in special education, Hartford Public Schools said 鈥渃aseloads are specific to each school,鈥� and depends on 鈥渆ach PPT according to each student鈥檚 individualized needs.鈥�

With the expiration of federal COVID-19 relief funds in September, the district cut school staff by 8% by eliminating 229 roles, a majority of which were temporary or non-certified employees like social workers, paraeducators, resource teachers, student engagement specialists and family community school support providers who were hired during the pandemic.

Hartford Public Schools, after its final budget passed in July, lost a total of about 30 counselors, psychologists and social workers.

A spokesperson from the district said that paraeducator staffing has increased from 457 in 2023-24 to 460 in 2024-25, with an increase of 44 special education para positions and a decrease of 41 in all other para positions.

Despite the increase, school staff and education stakeholders say they still anticipate drawbacks in the classroom, including a growing difficulty to provide individualized services and larger classroom sizes for already struggling teachers.

Staffing levels at schools are 鈥渄isconcerting,鈥� Spencer said.

鈥淭hey were bad before COVID, but they are really bad right now,鈥� Spencer said. 鈥淪chools are not implementing IEPs, are not identifying children, they鈥檙e not providing the staff that are required, and it is a real crisis.鈥�

A spokesperson from Hartford Public Schools said that 鈥渟taff turnover for any position causes a ripple effect for schools, not just special education.鈥�

鈥淗artford Public Schools is actively working to fill special education vacancies via targeted approaches such as building partnerships with universities, cultivating internal pathways for paraeducators interested in becoming teachers, utilizing social media and attending job fairs,鈥� the spokesperson said.

A  from the state Department of Education showed the problem is not just in Hartford but that school staffing shortages are occurring across the state.

Ortiz was front and center in funding advocacy her senior year through letters to the city council, , state Department of Education and a senior capstone project titled 鈥淪pecial Education: A systemic failure.鈥�

鈥淚 should have had the help of a special education teacher, a paraprofessional, lessons designed to meet me where I was and challenge me, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. I felt like [no one] cared about my future, because I didn鈥檛 receive those supports. I now realize that this was due to a lack of funding and the inability to keep good teachers and staff,鈥� Ortiz wrote to state legislators.

Ortiz told the CT Mirror that she shared her story so her experience doesn鈥檛 repeat in other children.

鈥淚t鈥檚 knowing that more kids are falling through the cracks of the system, and we are still making it seem like everything鈥檚 great, that we鈥檙e doing better for the next generation, and I always ask 鈥榃hen?’鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淭he amount of times I would try to look for stories that can relate to me, so I could be like 鈥極K, I鈥檓 not the only one.鈥� I would try to do that, I would Google people that went to college and did not know how to read. I couldn鈥檛 find anyone. 鈥� So maybe if I am the first, and I know I鈥檓 not, maybe people can be like, 鈥楾hat person made it.’ 鈥�

The bowls of Caesar salad, spaghetti and chicken piccata are all made with fresh ingredients. And each bowl has tongs for the half dozen students and a teacher at each table to serve themselves as they rotate the wheel. 

Two students at the Ohio school step to the front of the cafeteria to present what the school鈥檚 founding principal A.J. Stich calls the school鈥檚 鈥済race鈥� 鈥� its goals for each student when they become adults.

One of the two students reads each line aloud, then pauses for the 102 kindergarten through fourth grade students in the cafeteria to repeat it: 

Each day, I will work to achieve our Age 27 goals:

Being physically and mentally healthy,

Demonstrating character and integrity,

Preparing for a career and for financial independence,

And living my own definition of success.

May this food help our bodies;

We are thankful for the hands that made it and for the friends we share it with.

Family-style meals and the daily repetition of goals for their adult lives are one of several ways the Greater Dayton School sets itself apart from a typical school. 

A private school that only accepts low income students, Greater Dayton is designed to help them with more than academics. Its goal is to let students set their own course in life and be financially independent and healthy as adults, not just graduate from high school or go to college. 

Launched in the fall of 2022, the Greater Dayton School has income limits for all students, other than children of staff who may also attend. The school has a health clinic for students, extended school days until 5 p.m, two teachers in every classroom, individualized learning plans, and even schoolwide toothbrushing times.

Initially housed in a former Salvation Army administration building, the school hopes to grow to about 400 students from preschool to eighth grade. It鈥檚 still an experiment that鈥檚 too young to show a track record of success, but it already has a buzz around the city and drew Ohio鈥檚 Lt. governor to the grand opening of its new, much larger $50 million building this spring

鈥淚t’s really about the whole child, not just about academics,鈥� said Larry Connor, a Dayton real estate developer whose and foundation is funding most of the school. 鈥淢ake no mistake, academics is important. But their physical health and their mental health is integral in obtaining good academic outcomes.鈥�

Though the school is partially funded by state tuition vouchers of $6,165 per student, Greater Dayton spends $30,000 a year or more per student, with Connor and his company鈥檚 foundation covering the gap.

鈥淥ur objective is to build a model that can be replicated in cities throughout the United States,鈥� Connor said. 鈥淲e’re trying to take a really long term view, because every community in America has this type of need.鈥�

Stich and other school leaders consulted successful schools across the country such as Meeting Street Academy in Charleston, S.C., Christina Seix Academy in Trenton, N.J., and the Waterside School in Stamford, Conn. as they built their plan to offer all the supports research says low-income kids need.

The school creates personal education plans for each student and lets them set much of their plan for each day 鈥� what the school calls their playlist 鈥� to give them ownership of their learning. 

It limits classes to 20 students, then places two full-time teachers in each class. Students do much of their work online at their own pace, using programs from Zearn or Lexia while the teachers work with students individually or in small groups. 

Students are grouped with a few grades in each classroom to intentionally mix ages. Eventually, after it adds grades, the school will group students in classrooms of Prek, K-2, 3-5 and 6-8.

鈥淔rom an academic standpoint, I think it’s wonderful,鈥� said Brittany Wylie, who teaches grades 2-4 as the school grows. 鈥淎nd it’s effective. In years past, if I had a fifth grade classroom, the actual academic level of those students could range anywhere from kindergarten through sixth grade, but I was expected to teach them all just fifth grade curriculum, whether they actually grasp it or not. Here, I feel like I’m actually seeing students understand and digest and then be able to move on.鈥�

Greater Dayton also supports students and families with after school activities until 5 p.m. The extra time solves child care needs of working parents, while also helping close the gap between what suburban and affluent students receive in enrichment activities and what lower income families can afford.

While some students build models of rockets or the Taj Mahal with Legos, others run a store where others buy items with 鈥渕oney鈥� they earn by meeting school goals. Mark Kreider, the school鈥檚 financial literacy teacher, oversees the store after spending the day teaching even the youngest students the basics of business and savings.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no such thing as too early,鈥� Kreider said. 鈥淚 really think that this idea of building wealth, versus just surviving is such a critical concept for our kids,鈥� said Kreider. 鈥淲e talk about financial independence鈥ecause if you’re in this cycle of paycheck to paycheck, drowning in debt, your options are just incredibly narrow.鈥�

鈥淚 don’t know what our kids are going to do when they get older,鈥� he added. 鈥淏ut I just want them to have options. Will they all own a small business? Probably not. But they should at least know how and know how to think about it. It’s almost like a worldview, a perspective. Hey, that’s the dream.鈥�

Students also earn freedom with good behavior, earning the right to work outside the classroom, often on the giant open staircase and terrace with couches that overlook the cafeteria.

Student health is a major part of the school鈥檚 mission. Students have more than an hour of physical education each day. Meals are at least 80 percent whole foods, with minimal processing or sugar, other than a dessert only on Fridays.

The school also has created a medical and dental office in the school, run by Dayton Children鈥檚 Hospital, so students can receive care as part of the school day, without parents having to take them out of school. Because Medicaid eligibility is a requirement for most students to enroll, the care is already covered.

鈥淲hen it’s time for kids to go to the doctor, go to the dentist, they walk downstairs, and then they go back to class,鈥� Stitch said.

The school even makes brushing teeth a daily habit by having all students head to the bathrooms at scheduled times to brush, as teachers watch to be sure they do it right.

Mental health is also a priority, particularly since students can come from families facing financial and other challenges. The school has a mental health counselor now for its 102 students and plans to add another as the school grows. 

How much impact the school is having is still unclear. Like other Ohio private schools, its students don鈥檛 take Ohio鈥檚 state tests. Using NWEA diagnostic test scores and NWEA鈥檚 own model for comparing scores to Ohio state tests, the school estimates that students are gaining academically faster than state averages and that 72 percent of its students score as proficient, compared to 45 percent of low-income students in Dayton鈥檚 county.

Wylie, who previously taught in the high-poverty Youngstown schools, said the school setting high standards and then rewarding students who meet them creates an atmosphere of accountability and trust that shows students how to thrive.

鈥淲e really believe that they can do anything they set their mind to, that they will be successful, and that they are valuable,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y personal belief is that students from any background, if they haven’t had an example modeled for them, they don’t know any better. They just need the opportunity to be shown.鈥�

School is starting in Hawaii as rising global temperatures and decreasing trade winds have led to hotter days. Record high temperatures in the state were set or tied on eight days in July, according to the National Weather Service.

For the thousands of teachers that still lack air conditioning in their classrooms, this means they鈥檒l need to get creative.

鈥淚 currently have 20-plus fans in my room,鈥� said Aaron Kubo, a social studies teacher at Hilo Intermediate School.

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Around 3,400 classrooms in the state lack air conditioning, and it could take another four or five years to get cooling systems installed 鈥� if the department gets an additional $10 million a year from the Legislature to make the improvements, said Randall Tanaka, Department of Education assistant superintendent in charge of facilities and operations.

The  by the Legislature last year for cooling classrooms has already been committed, Tanaka said. It will cover air conditioning units in 860 classrooms. Installing a window unit costs about $5,000 per classroom, but electrical upgrades cost more and vary depending on what work is needed, he said.

Teachers and advocates say they are frustrated with the pace of the department鈥檚 progress and the lack of transparency around exactly how many units still need to be installed and where.

Corey Rosenlee, former president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association and a teacher at James Campbell High School, said the department should be transparent about which classrooms in the state already have AC, which do not, and which still need electrical upgrades.

The most important thing is taking care of children鈥檚 basic needs, he said. 鈥淒o they have something to eat, something to drink? Do they have a classroom environment that鈥檚 conducive to learning?鈥�

Tanaka said the department has a list of the schools that still need air conditioning but has not provided it despite numerous requests. He said he did not want to 鈥渃reate any more anxiety鈥� among teachers in classrooms that are lower on the list because they are not at high-priority schools.

But Rosenlee said the push for ACs in schools has gone on too long, and the department needs to be held accountable.

鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating that we鈥檙e still fighting after all these years,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been fighting for this since I got to Campbell in 2006.鈥�

Campbell High School now has air conditioning.

Slow Progress

Former Gov. David Ige signed legislation in 2016  projects in schools and pledged to air condition 1,000 classrooms by the end of the year. About 7,000 of the state鈥檚 roughly 11,000 classrooms didn鈥檛 have air conditioning at the time.

But the pace of the progress was slow, and Ige called for the work in 2017.

Around 880 solar-powered air conditioning units were installed at a total cost of about $125 million, Tanaka said. That cost also included some infrastructure upgrades.

鈥淏ack in 2016, I think it was a relatively new idea, and it was a pretty tough lift,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we fully understood what that effort would take.鈥�

But the units .

They were only designed to carry three or four hours of charge and would automatically shut down, Tanaka said. Some malfunctioned when contractors ran software updates.

Now, many are outside of their warranty period, and eventually, they鈥檒l all need to be replaced, he said.

For Rosenlee, the time and money spent on the faulty solar ACs could have been used more efficiently to cool more classrooms.

Osa Tui Jr., president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, called the solar-powered ACs a 鈥渄isaster鈥� and said he feared it could make legislators more reluctant to fund other education initiatives.

鈥淭his only perpetuates the idea that the department is given too much money and that government is wasteful,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fiascos like this that cause problems elsewhere in the system.鈥�

鈥楾hey鈥檙e Dripping Onto The Floor鈥�

Kubo said last year, despite the 20 fans whirring in his Hilo classroom, his students had difficulty focusing many days.

鈥淭he kids come in, they sit down and they start sweating, and the sweating doesn鈥檛 stop,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e dripping onto the table. They鈥檙e dripping onto the floor.鈥�

Kubo has been tracking the temperature of his classroom in a spreadsheet since 2018, and the temperature is consistently above 80 degrees. With the humidity factored in, it often feels like it鈥檚 above 90.

Sometimes, as he tries to teach students a concept, he can tell it鈥檚 not sinking in.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not the lesson, it鈥檚 just the situation,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is heartbreaking. There鈥檚 nothing I can do.鈥�

In a survey conducted by the HSTA in June, many teachers reported not having AC in their classrooms, and some who did said the machines often malfunctioned. Some said having multiple ACs running in their schools trip the electrical circuits and cause power outages. Others said they had to buy fans, Gatorade or popsicles for their classrooms with their own money or ask parents for donations.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a shame that kids in Hawaii are still having to go to classrooms that are just too hot to learn in,鈥� Rosenlee said. 鈥淎nd we know .鈥�

As Kubo was setting up his classroom for the first day of school, it was 87.4 degrees inside, and that was without 25 to 30 students in the room.

He鈥檒l continue to do what he can to keep his students cool, but he said the state needs do its part to make sure everyone has a productive environment to learn in.

When asked what his message was for teachers who would have to continue waiting, Tanaka said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to get to you. It may be later than sooner 鈥� just hang in there with us.鈥�

Civil Beat鈥檚 education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy.

Pfizer-BioNTech has submitted initial data to the Food and Drug Administration that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for 5- to 11-year olds, the pharmaceutical company Tuesday.

The development represents another key step toward shots for young children, but Pfizer has yet to formally submit a request to the FDA for authorization to inoculate the roughly Americans under 12 years old, which it must do before the federal agency can fully begin the weeks-long review process.

Though younger children are not yet cleared for the vaccine, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered COVID shots for all eligible K-12 students in the state, marking the first such statewide move in the nation. The mandate but depends on when vaccines receive full FDA approval for young people ages 12 and up, the Los Angeles Times reports. Currently, Pfizer shots have full FDA approval for use in individuals 16 or older.

鈥淭his is just another vaccine,鈥� Newsom said. Coronavirus shots will be added to 鈥渁 well-established list that currently includes 10 vaccines and well-established rules and regulations that have been advanced by the Legislature for decades.鈥�

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Pfizer鈥檚 submission for emergency use authorization among kids under 12 will come , CEO Albert Bourla told ABC News on Sunday.

If Bourla鈥檚 company sticks to that timeline, young kids should have access to COVID shots before the end of next month, said Dr. Anthony Fauci.

“I would imagine in the next few weeks [the FDA] will examine that data and hopefully give the OK so we can start vaccinating children hopefully by the end of October,” the nation鈥檚 top infectious disease expert told MSNBC鈥檚 Morning Joe.

An anonymous source familiar with the authorization process, however, told The Wall Street Journal that if Pfizer delays its submission to the FDA, clearance for young children to receive shots

Either way, it’s big news for schools, says Atlanta-based pediatrician Jennifer Shu. Though classrooms have not proven to be the locus of viral spread through the pandemic, circulation of the highly contagious Delta variant this fall has spurred outbreaks forcing some already since buildings opened. In late September, minors made up , the American Academy of Pediatrics reports, though the risk of severe outcomes remains small, doctors say.

鈥淥nce kids ages 5 to 11 are eligible for [the] vaccine, attending school during the pandemic will be safer,鈥� Shu wrote in a message to 社区黑料.

The Pfizer data included 2,268 participants ages 5 to 11 who were each given a two-dose regimen of the vaccine 21 days apart. Children were given a 10 microgram dose, smaller than the 30 micrograms administered to older children and adults, which the drug company said was a carefully selected dosage for safety, tolerability and effectiveness.

In an internal review of the results last week, Pfizer reported that one month after the second dose, the shots produced a 鈥渞obust鈥� antibody response, including immunity and side effects comparable to that delivered by the larger dose in 16- to 25-year-old patients.

The FDA said that it will analyze those data as soon as possible, the .

In the Atlanta pediatrician鈥檚 practice, patients are eager to have youngsters inoculated 鈥� though Shu鈥檚 clientele may be the exception, from a nationwide perspective.

鈥淚鈥檓 mostly seeing families that are all in,鈥� she said. 鈥溾�嬧�婥hildren are telling me they can鈥檛 wait until they can get the vaccine, since they are often the only ones in their family who haven鈥檛 even gotten one dose yet.鈥�

Youth ages 12 and up have been eligible for doses since May, but , according to the AAP. By that measure, inoculating those under 12 years old may prove a challenge.

A Kaiser Family Foundation national poll from mid-August found that only of 5- to 11-year olds would want their child to receive the COVID-19 shot right away after it鈥檚 cleared, while another 40 percent said they would 鈥渨ait and see.鈥� That attitude may be changing, however, as of U.S. parents surveyed in a Gallup poll published Tuesday indicated that they would have their children inoculated against COVID-19 if shots were available.

Getting children under 12 vaccinated 鈥渨ill be an uphill battle,鈥� Rebecca Wurtz, professor of health policy at the University of Minnesota, told 社区黑料. 鈥淚 think parents are even more protective of their younger kids (than their older children).鈥�

In the Kaiser survey, an additional 9 percent of parents said they would get their youngsters vaccinated only if the shots were required. Meanwhile, momentum is building for schools to do just that.

Last week, Oakland Unified School District in California joined Golden State counterparts Los Angeles and Culver City, as well as Hoboken, New Jersey, in in order to attend in-person school.

Los Angeles Unified School District officials chose not to comment when asked by 社区黑料 last week whether they would extend their student vaccine requirement to learners ages 5 to 11, should shots be approved for that age group.

Whether or not student vaccination mandates continue to expand, Shu believes the real-world outcomes from COVID shots should encourage parents who may be on the fence.

鈥淢ore than 5.5 billion doses of COVID vaccine have been given worldwide,鈥� she points out. 鈥淚 hope that builds confidence for parents to give it to their children.鈥�