Author

Lisa Buie

Lisa Buie is online reporter for redefinED. The daughter of a public school superintendent, she spent more than a dozen years as a reporter and bureau chief at the Tampa Bay Times before joining Shriners Hospitals for Children — Tampa, where she served for nearly five years as marketing and communications manager. She lives with her husband and their teenage son, who has benefited from education choice.

Private school leaders react to news of continued public school closure

Lisa Buie April 20, 2020

Lisa Buie

Schools in 31 states, including Florida, have announced that schools will remain closed for the remainder of the school year. Chart: Council of Chief State School Officers

Leaders at several Florida private schools greeted with relief Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to keep public school campuses closed and continue distance learning for the rest of the academic year due to possible effects of COVID-19.

The governor’s announcement came over the weekend amid pressure from advocates on both sides of the issue.

“We think it was the best decision under the circumstances,” said Chris Pastura, superintendent of schools for the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg, which includes 47 schools and centers that serve 43,000 students in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. Many students receive state scholarships administered by Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog.

Pastura said reopening campuses would have been “an administrative nightmare” if even one student, parent or staff member had become infected with the virus.

“We would then have to look at closing more than one school,” he said, based on whether the infected person had siblings at another school or whether another one of the diocese’s schools was located close to the school where the case occurred.

DeSantis said in his announcement that his decision came after consulting with educators and parents.

“The last thing that we’re going to do is force everyone in school and have half the kids not show up with their parents,” he said. “And then teachers will not want to do it.”

Florida now joins 30 other states that have closed brick-and-mortar schools until August or September.

The governor’s decision came two days after President Donald Trump released federal guidelines that included a three-phase plan but no timelines, leaving specifics to each state’s governor. However, those guidelines recommended that school buildings remain closed during the first phase.

DeSantis had said on April 9 that he saw value in reopening school campuses in May, even if only for two weeks. That statement prompted public school educators across the state to begin making reopening plans, although some private school leaders said they would make their own decisions. Among options they considered were staggered schedules to allow for social distancing, a combination of distance learning and physical attendance, requiring masks and instituting enhanced disinfection procedures.

Now, private school leaders say, they will focus on making the best of the distance learning programs they launched in mid-March and have worked to improve.

“Teaching remotely has its challenges and requires accommodations, applied sometimes daily for some students to make it work,” said Kim Kuruzovich, executive director for LiFT Academy. “But we are keeping our students and staff safe while meeting virtually face to face.”

The school, about 25 miles west of Tampa, serves 140 students in K-12, 96 percent of whom attend on private school scholarships. Of those, 48 participate in the Gardiner Scholarship Program for students with unique abilities. Two receive a Florida Tax Credit Scholarship.

Kuruzovich said feedback from parents has been positive, and that school leaders have begun considering options for summer and the start of the 2020-21 school year.

“There is a desire by staff and parents to err on the side of caution and not rush to go back to what we had before without first seeing where we are with the coronavirus,” Kuruzovich said. “Most importantly, as with every school is to do what keeps all of us safe and moving forward academically.”

Stacy Angier, principal at Abundant Life Christian Academy, said she understands the reasons behind the decision but is disappointed for families. The school, which serves students in grades K-11 in hard-hit Broward County, was among the first in the state to pivot to virtual education and has worked hard to keep students engaged while online.

On Thursday, Abundant Life will host a virtual school pep rally for its 462 students, 234 of whom attend on a Florida Tax Credit Scholarship.

Meanwhile, plans for a virtual kindergarten graduation are underway, Angier said. The ceremony will take place via video, complete with individual photos of each child in cap and gown.

April 20, 2020 0 comment

Featured Florida Tax Credit Scholarship News Parent Empowerment School Choice

New automated tuition payment system offers FTC families convenience, improved security

Lisa Buie April 17, 2020

Lisa Buie

Schools and families that participate in the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program now have a faster, easier and more secure way to process tuition payments.

A new automated system developed by Step Up For Students, Florida’s largest scholarship funding organization, allows parents to approve tuition payments for their children’s schools electronically. The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program, the largest of six scholarship programs in the state, serves about 100,000 economically disadvantaged students and allows companies to receive state tax credits in exchange for scholarship donations.

Families received emails this week explaining the new process and requesting payment approvals for the final payment of the 2019-20 school year. Those who haven’t responded will receive follow-up emails and texts today.

Here’s how it works: Based on each school’s verification of scholarship students’ attendance, Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, will email each parent or guardian a link that includes the amount of their tuition check. The parent or guardian will be asked to click on the link and approve or deny the amount electronically. Once approved, an ACH payment will be sent on the already existing Florida Tax Credit Scholarship schedule.

At that time, an advisory email will be sent to the school that the money is being deposited into its bank account. Parents who deny payments will be required to give a reason. A Step Up For Students representative will contact them to follow up. Step Up officials are urging parents to contact the organization before denying a payment to allow the opportunity to address any issues.

Under the former system, Step Up mailed paper checks via traditional mail to the schools. Parents then had to visit the school and sign over their checks, which the school accounting staff deposited into the school’s bank account.

The law establishing the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program in 2001 required that paper checks be signed in person. In 2017, the law was changed to allow alternative methods of fund transfers.

Step Up already had been working toward an electronic system, but social distancing ordered to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic prompted staff to fast-track the project, said chief financial officer Joe Pfountz.

“It really helps from a cost and documentation perspective,” Pfountz said. “The electronic process allows us to be even better stewards of the generous gifts donors have entrusted to us to help every student receive a high-quality education by attending the school that best fits their needs.”

The new system will allow non-contact processing, which means parents and school staff can maintain social distancing, keeping them safer during the pandemic. Beyond that, it also will allow business to continue during emergencies such as hurricanes.

Currently, the new system is being used only for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program, but Step Up expects to expand it to serve families receiving the other scholarship programs it administers.

“Most schools are closed right now, so they won’t have to open for parents to sign checks,” said Scott Smith, director of program accounting for Step Up For Students.

Smith said the old system left the program vulnerable to errors and fraud due to checks being lost in the mail or stolen by third parties. The new system will prevent that and speed up processing time to as little as two business days once a parent approves the payment.

“Some of our schools are very small and depend on scholarship payments to meet their payroll and pay their bills,” Smith said. “They don’t have a large safety net.”

Parents and school staff must do their part for the new system to work. Parents should open the emails and click on the links and approve the payments as soon as they receive them so that scholarship payments are not delayed. Those who fail to approve payments risk forfeiting their child’s scholarship.

Meanwhile, schools should make sure they update their banking information with Step Up For Students now and whenever they switch banks or accounts so that payments can be deposited promptly, Pfountz said.

April 17, 2020 4 comments

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Education Choice Featured News Private School Scholarships Private Schools School Choice Virtual Education

Pinellas County private school managing academics, behavior in online setting

Lisa Buie April 9, 2020

Lisa Buie

LiFT Academy student Raina Phenicie, 16, participates in a virtual physical education class from the kitchen in her Pinellas County home.

On the first day of virtual school, Raina Phenicie attended all her classes, including P.E.

“It just blew my mind,” said her dad, Scott Phenicie. “Here’s a kid in my kitchen doing jumping jacks and pushups. She was sweating and breathing and drinking water.”

When music time came, she was banging on pots and pans.

Raina, 16, was born with Velocardialfacial syndrome, a genetic condition characterized by a varying combination of medical issues. Among them are palatal differences, heart defects, difficulty fighting infection and low calcium levels. The condition often involves learning challenges.

Like many of her classmates with neurodiversities, Raina sometimes gets distracted. But Raina’s school, LiFT Academy in Seminole, specializes in celebrating unique abilities. So, when the coronavirus pandemic forced schools to move online, it was business as usual for LiFT Academy teachers.

“We’re masters of accommodation,” said Kim Kuruzovich, executive director of the K-12 nonprofit private school that normally operates on two tree-lined church campuses about 25 miles west of Tampa. Ninety-six percent of the school’s 140 students attend on private school scholarships. Of those, 48 participate in the Gardiner Scholarship Program for students with unique abilities. Two receive a Florida Tax Credit Scholarship. (Both scholarships programs are administered by Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog.)

Beyond 12^th grade, the school offers LiFT University Transition Program, a four-year post-secondary opportunity for students to develop skills necessary for independent living.

Kuruzovich, a co-founder of LiFT Academy and the mother of a daughter with learning differences, says the key to academic success is the same whether students attend school onsite or online.

“It’s about knowing each student well and providing accommodations so that education works for them,” she said.

Those accommodations could include allowing a child to stand in front of his or her workstation or sit on a balance ball to do schoolwork. Or it could mean building in more frequent breaks, especially for younger students, or encouraging a child to do pushups against the wall if he or she needs to release energy.

But even in the best-managed classrooms, behavior issues can crop up. Add the stress of an all-virtual classroom, and those challenges could escalate.

Raina’s father, Scott, built a makeshift tent around her workstation to help keep distractions to a minimum.

At LiFT, which stands for Learning Independence For Tomorrow, teachers have been successfully managing their virtual classrooms in recent weeks by employing a few strategies. Administrators have all-access passes to Zoom classes to help deal with any academic or behavior issue that may arise. Kuruzovich keeps the door to her virtual office open all day in case a teacher needs a consultation.

Students are muted in live classes unless they have a question. Teachers enable the chat button only during the last five minutes of class. The opportunity to socialize is a reward for staying focused.

“Classroom management is a big focus at LiFT, as our student base is very unique, and so at times it can be tough during a regular day,” said music teacher Damien Ward. “So, when students are home with their siblings around, TV, cell phones, etcetera, it can be hard to keep their full attention during a class period.”

To maintain order, Ward has banned eating during class. He mutes all students while he’s speaking. He’s lightened some workloads and extended deadlines.

“Instead of work having to be finished in class, I have allowed a few students to simply make sure it is emailed to me by the next class period, as I know we have students who struggle with technology or who will panic under the pressure of completing work immediately,” Ward said. “Thus far, it has been working out just fine.”

He’s also become a fan of screen sharing.

“I can set my students a task and if I feel that they aren’t concentrating fully or if they feel that they have something to share with me or the class, they can share their computer screen with me and can show me instantly,” he said.

English teacher Meghan Flores has a group of “very active boys” in one class who often need help staying on track. Besides setting aside office hours when students can virtually visit with her if they have questions or need clarification on assignments, she’s made it a point to get them moving during the school day.

“When I need to make accommodations, it is really simple to allow students to stand and stretch just outside of camera view so they are not a distraction to other students,” she said.

Guidance from experienced online educators indicates LiFT is on the right track with its classroom management strategy. Florida Virtual School, the nation’s largest online education platform, recommends that schools provide an accessible code of conduct and that they remind parents and students of expectations, maintain communication, make lessons engaging and fun, and be familiar with virtual classroom tools that can be used to prevent or correct discipline problems.

Phenicie is pleased that LiFT has made his daughter’s transition to online learning seamless.

“She’s more focused right now,” said Phenicie, who built a makeshift tent around Raina’s kitchen workstation to minimize background views. “In class, little things distract her. But now, she’s got this computer screen to focus on. We watch her from a distance, and we’re seeing independence.”

Something Phenicie hopes LiFT and other schools will continue to keep front and center when they return to brick-and-mortar settings.

April 9, 2020 0 comment

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Education Choice Featured Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Gardiner Scholarship News Private Schools School Choice Virtual Education

Longwood private school uses imagination to spark online learning

Lisa Buie April 2, 2020

Lisa Buie

Pace Brantley head coach Evan Starcher leads his students in a virtual version of jumping jacks to keep them moving during the school day.

When teachers at a central Florida private school that strives to celebrate the uniqueness of each student learned they had only a few days to transition to remote learning, they vowed to get creative.

Really creative.

A math teacher devised a lesson plan using groceries from her pantry to show her students the difference between a polyhedral and a non-polyhedral. A physical education teacher designed a jumping jacks routine. A science teacher began mapping out a virtual tour of her farm.

Meanwhile, a social studies teacher laid out all the steps he takes to check the oil in his family’s Honda Accord.

While many schools throughout the state and the nation are recording lessons for students to access on demand, Pace Brantley School in Longwood is delivering online learning as if it’s a regular school day – and doing it with a healthy dose of imagination. The media team compiled a video to show the myriad ways teachers have come together to serve their students while staying within the bounds of social distancing.

“The kids are seeing their academic teachers as if they were still here on a block schedule,” said head of school Pam Tapley. “We take attendance. Two guidance counselors are monitoring. We just have a lot of great people supporting the classroom.”

Founded in 1972 with 10 students and two teachers, Pace Brantley specializes in educating students from kindergarten through high school with special needs, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder and other challenges that affect learning. The school serves 165 students, 47 of whom participate in the Gardiner Scholarship program for children with unique abilities. One student attends on a Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, which along with the Gardiner program is administered by Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog.

Despite advice from some education experts who have encouraged simplification of schedules during coronavirus-induced distance learning, staff at Pace Brantley decided to stick with a structured day because they know it’s what works best for their students. Parents were encouraged at the outset to set up a workspace for their children dedicated to their virtual school day. Students start the morning by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the school pledge, promising to treat everyone with fairness, kindness and respect, just as they did when they were reporting to their 9-acre campus.

The first half of each 90-minute period includes live lessons on Zoom. Students spend the second half working independently or in small groups. They also get one-on-one access to their teachers if they have questions.

“I’m getting overwhelming emails from parents,” Tapley said. “Our kids thrive on having their schedule.”

One of those parents is Ann Zanca, whose son, Ben, attends Pace Brantley on a Gardiner Scholarship. Born with CLOVES Syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by tissue overgrowth and complex vascular anomalies, he is susceptible to respiratory issues, which puts him at higher risk for Covid-19 complications.

“When they started shutting down the school, part of me, as the mom of a kid at risk, was happy,” Zanca said.

She reports that Ben hasn’t missed a beat since the transition, which is critical if the 17-year-old is to stay on his college prep track.

“He needs to have a reason to get up and take a shower in the morning,” Zanca said, adding that she’s been impressed with how quickly the school responded to delivering distance learning.

“They put a lot of thought into it and made it as much like school as possible,” she said. “I listen at his door, and he’s engaging, and he’s laughing and doing his work.”

Another Pace Brantley parent, Susan Sleboda, said the experience has been similar for her son, Ryan. The 18-year-old senior is class president and a lead anchor and editor on the school’s morning news show.

“They’ve done a stellar job at providing this online format where students are actually able to interact with their teachers,” Sleboda said.

She was unsure at first how Ryan, who is on the autism spectrum and didn’t speak until he was 7, would acclimate to the change. Sleboda said he has adapted well and was eager to work with his peers to produce a virtual news program.

“By Day 2, he was telling a student that he was filming in an area where he had too much light,” she said. “Every day I’ve seen him gaining confidence in the system.”

Ryan, who plans to study anthrozoology at Beacon College in Leesburg next year, said he and his classmates are making the best of the situation, finding it not that much different from how things operated at their brick-and-mortar school. Instead of showing a lesson on the white board, his teachers are sharing their screens. Instead of producing a scene from “The Little Mermaid” for a live production of the school’s Broadway Dinner Night, the crew will pivot to a virtual production.

“It feels really weird, but I’m going to get used to it,” Ryan said.

If head of school Tapley had any doubts about her students’ ability to rise to the occasion, those doubts disappeared this week.

She learned, via parent emails, that some of the students are getting up and putting on their school uniforms before taking their places at their online workstations.

April 2, 2020 0 comment

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Education Choice Featured School Choice Virtual Education

DOE approves expansion for Florida Virtual School

Lisa Buie April 1, 2020

Lisa Buie

The Florida Board of Education earlier today unanimously approved Florida Virtual School’s request to spend $4.3 million to boost capacity, allowing it to serve 2.7 million students in district, charter and private schools. The vote came amid the need to expand online learning across the state in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The board, acting as the Florida Virtual School Board of Trustees, approved the request during a meeting held via conference call. The approval allows the public nonprofit organization to increase the value of existing technology contracts to upgrade its technology and expand capacity to serve 470,000 students in grades K-12 by April 17. Full expansion should be in place by May 4.

Current license subscriptions of $2.5 million will be expanded to $6.3 million, while funds available for servers and equipment will grow from $170,538 to $340,000. Money earmarked for data storage hardware will increase from $72,000 to $340,000, and the allotment for data collection services will grow from $341,760 to $495,000.

Florida Virtual School CEO Louis Algaze said 147 K-12 teachers already have completed training through the organization and an additional 3,417 are signed up for training. Additional resources are housed on a web page that serves as a “one-stop” shop for online education resources.

Florida education commissioner Richard Corcoran, in his report to the Florida Board of Education at that board’s conference call earlier in the day, described the transition to online learning as “the most massive pivot the educational world has ever seen,” noting that Florida Virtual School is making its investment “without asking for one dollar from the Legislature.”

In May, the Legislature dismantled the Florida Virtual School Board of Trustees and temporarily gave control to the Florida Board of Education while state officials conduct an audit and determine how the virtual school board should be run.

April 1, 2020 0 comment

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Education Choice Faith-based Education Featured Private Schools School Choice Virtual Education

Broward County private school uses ingenuity, technology to keep learning on track

Lisa Buie March 23, 2020

Lisa Buie

Patricia McNeil, a fifth-grade teacher at Abundant Life Christian Academy in Margate, engages her students in an online dialogue to make sure they’re paying attention.

Stacy Angier figured it was only a matter of time.

Three days before the announcement of a statewide school shutdown, the principal of Abundant Life Christian Academy had been privy to updates on how Covid-19 was ravaging Broward County through her volunteer position as a commissioner for the North Broward Hospital District.

Determined that no virus was going to stop learning at Abundant Life, Angier made a decision. At the next morning’s faculty meeting, she dropped the bombshell: Teachers would transition to virtual education and they had two days to learn how.

“I said, ‘It’s up to you to keep your job, and it’s your job to teach your kids,’ ” Angier recalled.

Fourth-grade teacher Jasmine White and third-grade teacher Sharon Nugent teamed up to learn how to deliver virtual instruction to their students at Abundant Life Christian Academy.

A couple of teachers were familiar with Google Classroom, a free service that allows educators to virtually create, distribute and grade assignments. The platform also streamlines file sharing between teachers and students. They helped train their colleagues at the school, which educates 462 students in preschool through 11^th grade in Margate, a community about 15 miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale.

“A lot of teachers were excited,” said Patricia McNeil, a fifth-grade teacher. “We do have a few who were not as tech savvy, but we all came together. We discussed apps we had used and we started learning together.”

A father who worked at an online university provided additional training, and soon, Abundant Life faculty felt confident about making the transition. School officials let families know they could come by to pick up their child’s textbooks and supplies. They issued their supply of Google Chromebooks to those who lacked appropriate electronic devices and ordered 30 more.

One day later, students and teachers embarked on their virtual education journey.

“I love this!” parent Rachel Allen wrote on the school’s social media page. Just two hours into her daughter’s remote learning, Allen said she was amazed at how “awesome and organized” everything was.

Annick Joseph, whose kindergartener and third-grader attend Abundant Life, also offered rave reviews.

“It is moments like these that confirm I made the right decision to become part of the (Abundant Life) family,” Joseph posted.

Not that there weren’t a few hiccups. At first, teachers providing enrichment programs, such as art, were fully participating. Some parents found that overwhelming, so the administration decided to limit online offerings to core subjects – math, English, history and science. For now, enrichment is optional, offered as a way for kids to have fun in an environment that could feel like quarantine.

Abundant Life teachers Sarah Hennebery and Carmen Mondesir conduct an end-of-week lesson in the new virtual format.

Some teachers who teach older students are using Google Zoom to conduct live lessons. All lessons are recorded for children who can’t make the scheduled time because they are sharing the device with siblings or who need to review the lesson.

“It allows the students to interact with their classmates and their teachers,” said McNeil, who engages her students in a dialogue to ensure they pay attention during her twice-weekly lessons. She said the students are enjoying the interaction.

“Some are already logged on before I am,” she said.

Angier said one class sang “Happy Birthday” to a student whose party was canceled due to Covid-19.

“I think we made a mama cry,” she said.

Angier said she’s proud of her staff for adapting so quickly during stressful circumstances. Because of their hard work, student progress remains uninterrupted. She expects spring break, which begins today, will give everyone time to work through any additional challenges.

“We have to learn how to live differently in the midst of what we’re going through,” Angier said. “It would be tragic if it were a wasted year.”

March 23, 2020 1 comment

Education and Public Policy Education Choice Education Legislation Featured Gardiner Scholarship News Reading Scholarship School Choice

Florida Legislature approves $42 million funding boost for Gardiner Scholarships

Lisa Buie March 19, 2020

Lisa Buie

Efforts advanced by parents, educators and students at a rally at the Capitol in January bore fruit today with lawmakers’ decision to provide additional funding for the Gardiner Scholarship program. Photo: COLIN HACKLEY

Florida House and Senate members today unanimously approved a $93.2 billion state budget that includes an additional $42 million for the Gardiner Scholarship program, an education savings account for students with unique abilities.

The approval brings the total amount allocated to the program to $189,901,004 and opens the program to more families.

“I am thankful the Florida state lawmakers, even during this time of great uncertainty, are putting the needs of Florida’s exceptional and most vulnerable kids at the forefront of their agenda,” said Katie Swingle of Winter Haven after learning of the vote. Swingle, whose 12-year-old son, Gregory, receives a Gardiner Scholarship, was among hundreds of parents, teachers and students who attended a January rally at the Capitol to encourage lawmakers to support a funding increase.

Created in 2014, the scholarship currently serves more than 13,000 students. It differs from other state scholarship programs in that it provides an education savings account that parents can use to direct money toward a combination of programs and approved providers. Approved expenses include tuition, therapy, curriculum, technology and a college savings account.

Lawmakers also allocated $7.6 million for the Reading Scholarship Account program, open to public school students in grades 3-5 who experience reading difficulty.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle praised the budget as responsible and realistic.

“This is a bipartisan effort,” said Rep. Wengay Newton, D-St. Petersburg. “We’ve got to be looking at ways to survive and work together. I think we’re in a great place.”

March 19, 2020 0 comment

Education Choice Education Savings Accounts Featured Gardiner Scholarship Homeschooling School Choice Spotlights Student spotlight

Gardiner Scholarship brings hope, healing to blind teen

Lisa Buie March 18, 2020

Lisa Buie

Sarah Clanton, blind since birth, works twice a week with therapist Lisa Michelangeo, owner of Emerald M Therapeutic Riding Center. The center has been an approved Gardiner Scholarship provider since 2016.

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — The teenage girl in the bright pink helmet sits astride the dark bay horse with the poise of an experienced equestrian.

“Sarah, can you tell your horse to go?” the physical therapist asks. Sarah gently taps the top of Cappy’s head, and the 1,000-pound beast negotiates the ring at a gentle trot.

For half an hour or so, Sarah and Cappy move as one. Sarah experiences the horse’s movements, which are similar to the human gait. Sessions like this are helping Sarah learn to walk. They’re also helping the 13-year-old, who was born blind, learn balance and coordination.

The therapist guides her through a routine that includes raising her arms, then reaching for a plastic ring and grabbing it. Sarah’s mother, Yvonne Clanton, watches from just outside the fence.

“Yvonne said we were her last hope,” said Lisa Michelangelo, who has worked with Sarah for nearly two years. “She has improved tremendously.”

Sarah uses a bareback pad so she can feel the motion of the horse beneath her.

Sarah was non-verbal and didn’t want to be touched when she first arrived at Emerald M Therapeutic Riding Center, carried in her brother’s arms.

Now, each therapy session ends with Michelangelo asking: “Sarah, can you hug your horse?”

Every time, Sarah leans forward and wraps her arms around Cappy’s neck.

***

Before her adoptive parents named her Sarah, this daughter of a Russian army soldier was named Victoria. But the workers at the Ukraine mental institution where she was sent shortly after her birth never used her name. They never cuddled her. They kept her head shaved.

Born with Peter’s Anomaly, a rare genetic condition that involves thinning and clouding of the cornea, she spent the first five years of her life strapped to a bed.

Yvonne and her husband, Jon, pastor of a local church and chaplain at a nearby state prison, already had two children, but they were captivated by a photo of Victoria that they saw on an international adoption website. Yvonne initially planned to launch a fundraising campaign and encourage a family to adopt Victoria.

“That lasted about three days,” Yvonne said.

Within eight weeks, the Clantons had initiated adoption proceedings and were off to Ukraine to bring their daughter home.

Yvonne recalls seeing Victoria for the first time sitting in a wheelchair in the institution’s foyer. The child could barely move and was unable to hold her body upright. She weighed only 18 lbs. and wore infant-sized clothing.

For the next two-and-a-half months, the couple made daily visits to feed and play with her. They changed her name to Sarah, which means “princess” in Hebrew.

After each visit, a worker would return the child to her small cot and apply three straps, one across her chest, one at her waist and one across her thighs.

“They told us she was mentally retarded, that she would never walk or talk,” Yvonne said. “They said, ‘She’s always going to be a vegetable.’ ”

The staff’s attitude changed when the Clantons brought their son Sam to visit. Born with the same condition as Sarah, as well as cerebral palsy, he had learned to walk.

“It’s like they began trusting us more,” Yvonne said.

***

Back home, the family’s challenges were just beginning. Their pediatrician told them Sarah was only months from dying when they rescued her.

After they got her stabilized, they enrolled her in the Hernando County School District’s hospital homebound program for medically fragile children, but it wasn’t a good fit. Then they learned that both Sarah and Sam were eligible for the Gardiner Scholarship, which helps Florida families individualize education plans for their children with certain special needs.

The Clantons used Gardiner funds to send Sarah and Sam to a small private school. But Sam got sick and had to be hospitalized, so Yvonne opted to homeschool both children.

Meanwhile, the family experimented with many therapies to help Sarah gain more independence. Her strength improved, but she still had no motor control. And because she was blind, she had trouble orienting herself. Therapists told the family she probably would never walk. Invest in a handicap-accessible van, they suggested.

As Sarah grew, it became more and more difficult for Yvonne to carry her and to lift her in and out of the bathtub. Then she remembered seeing an Emerald M flier at Sarah’s former private school, and she made what turned out to be a life-changing phone call.

Sarah’s therapy includes movement exercises that have improved her agility both on and off her horse.

The 20-acre center nestled in the rolling hills of eastern Hernando County has been providing horse therapy to veterans and special needs children for four years. Among its offerings is hippotheraphy, a modality used by physical, occupational and speech therapists to utilize the movements of a horse to assist clients with motor and sensory impairments. Luckily for the Clantons, Emerald M has been an approved Gardiner Scholarship program provider since 2016. They were able to use their scholarship funds to pay for Sarah’s twice-a-week horse therapy.

“It’s been tremendous in servicing our families who may not be able to afford this type of therapy for their child,” Michelangelo said, noting that not all health insurance providers cover horse therapy.

But even with the financial burden lifted, the therapist knew Sarah would have challenges given what she endured in Ukraine.

“She had no concept of where the placement of her feet were,” Michelangelo said. “The legs were crisscrossing and scissoring, her knees were giving way, her hips were buckling. Her pelvis was all over.”

Residual traumatic stress caused Sarah to fear noise and touch. She balked at getting close to the horse’s face. Michelangelo positioned her on a bareback pad so she could better feel the horse move beneath her. Within weeks, the therapy team started seeing improvements. Sarah’s core strengthened. She became more aware of her movements. She began maneuvering better.

The team then had her touch the horse’s face and feel its breath. Michelangelo put her hand over Sarah’s, guiding her to make the horse move forward by tapping it twice. Now Sarah can command the horse to move on her own.

“It just blows my mind because … she’s never seen a horse,” Michelangelo said. “She has no idea what it looks like, but she trusts that he’s here to help her.”

***

Sarah’s mother, Yvonne, sees weekly improvement in her daughter thanks to the Gardiner Scholarship.

Sarah’s progress extends beyond the ring at Emerald M. Her sessions there, combined with more traditional physical therapy, have made it possible for her to get in and out of the bathtub with only a handhold from Yvonne. She can move from one couch to another in the family’s living room and can navigate the van on her own.

She’s also developing verbal skills, saying “yeah” and making an “n” sound for no.

Yvonne, who still carries with her the photo of Sarah at age 5, wishes her daughter’s former caregivers could see her now, benefiting from equipment purchased with Gardiner funds including a record player, rocking toys for vision-impaired children and an indoor foam slide.

“Here’s this little kid who was tied to a bed in Ukraine, and she’s in my living room throwing herself down the slide, just like any other kid would do,” Yvonne said.

She credits the Gardiner Scholarship for giving Sarah a second chance.

“Gardiner is an incredible thing to have in our family, and we are so completely grateful for it,” she said. “It has changed our lives.”

March 18, 2020 0 comment