Charity Profile
Innovative Dallas school has children at all learning levels lined up to get in
The Rise School of Dallas was built out of dedication. Wendy and John Poston wanted the best education possible for their son, William, who has Down syndrome. When they couldn’t find what they wanted in Dallas, they worked out a way to create it here.
That was 15 years ago. Today, Rise has developed a culture of dedication, where lead teachers love their jobs and stick with them, assistants get in line to move up, and children both with and without learning delays populate the waiting list.
The program is that good.
The key is that each classroom includes about seven children with Down syndrome or delayed learning, as well as three to five “typical learners,” those without any impediment to learning. This approach has given a boost to the whole range of students.
The school is housed at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, where it is a ministry of the congregation. The school has five classrooms and operates year-round, with breaks similar to those in local school districts.
Rise maintains a 3:1 child-teacher ratio; each classroom has one lead teacher with two assistants. The school has partnerships with the University of Texas at Dallas and Texas Woman’s University for training and research.
Vote now for the Rise School of Dallas — or any of the other worthy local nonprofits — in the CultureMap Charity Challenge.
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Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty is pleased to support the outstanding work of The Rise School of Dallas.
