I am a military-connected parent, and for several years our experience with Utah Connections…read moreAcademy was very positive. My original feedback to the school reflected that. I specifically praised the academic support, communication, flexibility, individualized support, and the way my child was able to thrive. When the school later asked whether I would participate in a video about our experience, I declined being on camera and let them know they could use the written feedback I had already provided. I was also told someone from the military leadership side wanted to conduct a phone interview, but that never happened.
Over time, however, there were several situations that changed my experience.
During one of my son's last IEP meetings before he transitioned to a 504 Plan, a comment was made that I understood as implying I was an overbearing parent. I chose not to address it at the time because I did not want to create unnecessary conflict. There were also communication issues with a staff member regarding an IEP progress report, including difficulty getting a response and concerns about how my son was being evaluated on whether he advocated for help. These were not isolated concerns.
More recently, I had an issue with my son's high school schedule. His plan was focused on graduating early, and he had decided he did not want Honors English or Honors Secondary Math. I asked that those courses be replaced with standard courses. Instead, I was questioned about whether he should try the honors courses and change them later, even though I had already explained the plan and that honors courses were not necessary for graduation. This was frustrating because, as his parent, I am responsible for making decisions about what is appropriate for my child. When I communicate a decision about his education, I expect it to be respected rather than repeatedly pushed in another direction.
During the same conversation, the counselor asked whether the school was aware that my son had ASD. He had been enrolled at the school for years, had previously had an IEP, had transitioned to a 504 Plan, and I had referenced his 504 Plan in my communication. The schedule was corrected the following morning, and I documented my concerns with school leadership. I did not receive a response.
Later, there was another serious issue involving a questionnaire completed during a live lesson. The counselor contacted me immediately about a response that raised a serious concern. I took the matter seriously and immediately took the appropriate steps. I then asked the school for documentation showing what had been asked and what response had been reported. The initial response was that my concerns were being shared with administration for further review and that I would be contacted. After speaking with the Manager of Counseling, she listened to my concerns, acknowledged that the student's file should have been reviewed in connection with the earlier scheduling issue, and provided the documentation I had requested.
At that point, I specifically stated that I did not want further interaction between this counselor and my son or me. Shortly afterward, I noticed the same counselor listed on my son's school homepage as a teacher/contact for a touch-based group. I am not making assumptions about why that occurred, but given the conversation I had just had with the counseling manager, it was unexpected because she did not show on his homepage before this interaction.
There were also broader concerns about communication and staffing. I was told the school had more than 1,200 students, while the staff information available to families appeared limited and did not seem fully current. That alone would not have caused us to leave, but it added context to some of the communication issues we experienced.
Throughout my son's time at this school, I have made myself available, communicated directly, and remained respectful and professional, including when I disagreed with something happening at school. I expected the same level of professionalism and respect from the staff I interacted with. There were at least two separate situations in which I felt comments or interactions crossed a line, and I was not comfortable with how those situations were handled after I reached out to leadership.
Ultimately, I withdrew my son and transferred him to another school. That decision was not based on one conversation or one isolated incident. It followed a buildup of concerns involving communication, staff interactions, respect for parental decisions, familiarity with my child's educational history, and how concerns were handled when I brought them forward.
