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Parents, Tapestry staff urge Clayton County board to consider neurodiverse charter
Summary
During public comment, parents, teachers and Tapestry staff described the school’s neurodiverse, inclusive model and asked the Clayton County Board of Education to approve Tapestry Public Charter School’s petition to open in the county.
Speakers at the Clayton County Board of Education’s public comment period urged the board to approve a petition from Tapestry Public Charter School to open a campus in Clayton County, saying the school’s model supports students with autism, ADHD and other neurodiverse needs.
The speakers said the school uses inclusive classrooms, social‑emotional supports and specialized staff to serve students who have not found the right fit in traditional settings. “Tapestry is a critical tool in the toolbox of education,” said Patricia Neely, a District 1 resident and parent, during the public comment period. Neely described searching multiple Clayton County schools for supports for her son before finding Tapestry and asked the board to “approve their petition.”
Assistant principal Maria Alejandra Kepler described Tapestry as “a title 1 majority minority school” that maintains roughly a 50/50 balance of neurotypical and neurodiverse students and that uses programs including PEERS and restorative practices to support social development. Kepler said Tapestry staff and administrators train broadly in de‑escalation and restorative methods and run small‑group social skills sessions for middle‑school students.
Teacher Tina Burgess said Tapestry’s approach is “real active intentional inclusion,” adding that inclusion improves outcomes for all students and fosters empathy and collaboration. Parent Angel Willingham described her son’s progress at Tapestry — academic and social — and said the school’s culture and supports helped him graduate with strong academics and extracurricular leadership.
Marmalinda Harris, speaking earlier in the comment period, asked the board to view Tapestry as a partner that can serve neurodiverse learners who otherwise must leave the county for specialized options.
Board members on the dais expressed interest and some support: Mark Christmas and board member Jesse Goree said they had visited or screened Tapestry and urged the district to ensure families need not travel out of county for those services. The transcript does not show a formal board vote or decision on Tapestry’s petition during this meeting; the item was discussed only during public comment and in members’ brief remarks.
The superintendent and staff did not announce an immediate action or timetable for the board to vote on the charter petition during the meeting.
