P.A.C.E.

Our charter school will be called Pattison's Academy for Comprehensive Education and will be located in Charleston County School District. If everything goes according to plan, it will open in the fall of 2010. So far so good!

• May 20, 2009 we defended Pattison's Academy for Comprehensive Education's Charter School Application in Columbia to the South Carolina Department of Education and the Charter School Advisory Committee.
• June 2nd, 2009 our charter application was officially approved by South Carolina Department of Education and the Charter School Advisory Committee. See the article in June 3, 2009 edition of The Post and Courier.
• July 7, 2009 Charleston County School District decided it did not need a hearing and the charter could stand as approved by the state.
• August 25, 2009 the South Carolina State Department of Education awarded the initial phase of a Federal Planning and Implementation Grant for Charter Schools.
• August 26, 2009 we begin searching for location, equipment, supplies, staff. Check out our wish list here. See our Job Postings here.
• October 1, 2009 - January 1, 2010 - OPEN ENROLLMENT!!!
• First Day of School - August 18, 2010.
• August 24, 2010 - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony featuring Darius and Beth Rucker, Elizabeth Anderson, Jack Calahan and many others who have helped us along the way.

If you are interested in assisting with this process in any way, please contact .

Mission Statement

Pattison's Academy for Comprehensive Education will improve the quality of life for children with multiple disabilities by providing a comprehensive education program that integrates educational cirricula with funcational rehabilitation instruction to maximize the potential and well being of the child and to ensure family inclusion.

Below is a list of the members our charter planning committee for Pattison's Academy for Comprehensive Education (PACE).

• Sissy Langford (President)
• Julia Schrecker (Vice President)
• Kim Cliffton (Secretary)
• John McElwaine (Treasurer)
• Rufus Britt
• Sloan Cooper
• Donald Corry
• Robin Halewood
• Stephen Kiernan
• Jimmy Lamb
• Jimmy McElligot
• Courtney Read
• Pam Sloat
• Beth Smith
• Kimberly Wilson

Pattison’s Academy for Comprehensive Education (PACE) was born out of the desire of families, professionals, and community members for children with multiple and severe disabilities to have quality educational choices.  Children with multiple and severe disabilities arguably have the most limited options of anyone in terms of school choice. Generally, the only choice for this population is a self-contained classroom within a traditional public school. There are no local private schools that can meet the complex needs of these children, and home schooling is not usually an alternative either.  PACE will provide school choice to those who have none.

The purpose of PACE is to provide students with multiple and severe disabilities a comprehensive educational and rehabilitative program in a charter school environment.  Traditionally, this population has been served in a Profoundly Mentally Disabled (PMD) classroom or a Trainable Mentally Disabled (TMD) classroom where related services, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, are only provided as they pertain to a limited number of educational goals.  These students typically require additional rehabilitative services, and families are then left to use valuable after school hours to meet the additional therapy needs of the child.  These needs sometimes go unmet, and the child consequently has difficulty reaching his or her full potential.

Children with multiple and severe disabilities can benefit from a different kind of learning opportunity.  PACE will weave together educational and rehabilitative goals to improve overall quality of life.  PACE will meet these goals by using innovative approaches, including flexible teaching and partnerships with therapists.  In order for a child with multiple disabilities to maximize learning capabilities, physical needs must be addressed as well.   PACE will demonstrate accountability to its students, their families, the community, the South Carolina Department of Education, and the sponsor district (Charleston County School District).  In addition to test scores and data collection, PACE will also measure progress by how the student’s quality of life improves.  South Carolina has the opportunity through PACE to achieve academic excellence with students with special needs by supporting this creative and innovative charter school.

PACE will open in the Fall of 2010.