Spotlight on S.E.A.D. My son's story: from struggle to stardom

The curtains part, and *Steve appears on stage. Adjusting his cap, he faces the audience and begins to speak, his words clear and dramatic. I rummage for my sunglasses to hide the pools of tears filling my eyes.

Could this star performer really be my little Steve? That same little boy who’d struggled and cried, and never met anything short of despair and failure?

My mind drifts to Steven’s earliest school experiences. A flood of memories pour through my mind. Images of a bewildered little boy trying desperately to string sounds together, visions of Steve shredding his homework in despair,  and finally, the inevitable sobbing Steven refusing to return to school.

Boy, was that a tough year! His struggles with language and focusing sent him on a downward spiral, turning each day into a living nightmare. Learning became a bitter struggle, and disappointment was his constant companion.

But, so much has changed in the past three years.

I glance around at the parents of my son’s classmates. Most are watching the performance with avid interest, and clap excitedly when their child performs. I am ashamed to be the only parent in tears, but I know that behind my son’s picture perfect performance on stage, there was a lifetime of struggle. Struggle that has met with success at last.

This year Steve is at the top of his 4th grade class in our community school. His classmates are proud to be his friends, and his teachers have only compliments for his performance. From struggling to success, Steven’s life is a real miracle tale, and the hero of his life is SEAD.

Steve joined the Special Education Academy of Deal for kindergarten at his nursery teacher’s recommendation. We were apprehensive at first, as Steven was a smart, talented boy who was simply prevented from learning by his difficulty with language and focus. But within weeks, we began to see tremendous changes. His new teachers recognized his extraordinary abilities and tapped into his talents. Not only did they teach him to read and understand, they gave him the tools to be a master of his own learning. Steven stayed on for three short years full of growth, then rejoined his friends at his old school.

What a metamorphosis! Steve is succeeding beyond our expectations. He reads above grade level, and has superb understanding and mastery of lessons. He is popular and capable, and respected by all. But most importantly, he is happy and content. He has finally gotten the chance to taste success.
As I watch him conclude his starring role in the school play, my heart is filled with emotion. I am overwhelmed with pride at his accomplishments and joy. At the same time, I am filled with gratitude for the devoted staff at SEAD who have given my child back his life.

SEAD was founded in 2002 by Morris A. Sutton to assist children who were unable to achieve academic success in our community schools. SEAD is committed to giving every child who walks through their doors a personalized education based on his or her individual educational needs. At SEAD, the focus is on the entire child, and a unique educational plan is designed for each student that addresses his or her particular learning challenges. With proper intervention at an early age, most children can be rapidly transitioned to the mainstream classroom. With dedicated teachers, expert therapists, a small staff/student ratio, and a warm, nurturing school environment, all children have the chance to reach their full potential.

For information about sponsorship opportunities or to find out more about how SEAD can help your child, please call (732) 460-1700 or email office@seadprogram.org.

Sharing the Mitzvah
I founded SEAD in 2002 as a partnership with a team of dedicated professionals. Our goal was to provide an ideal learning environment for children with diverse needs. Over the past nine years, with Hashem’s help, SEAD has flourished into a full fledged school, with professional teachers and therapists providing individualized education to help each child succeed.

At the start of the school year, I attended SEAD’s open school night. As I walked in, a new parent came running over and said, “Morris, I cannot thank you and the school enough—you’ve given me back my life!” He continued to repeat, over and over, how his life had begun anew, and then melted into the audience to listen to the program.

Knowing his child had been with us for but a few days, I caught the education director and mentioned the incident, speculating as to his seemingly premature excitement. “I’m sure three days here couldn’t have been that significant,” I said, not expecting a response.

“Morris, you don’t understand how much he meant it,” she replied. “When a child is struggling, his life and that of his entire family often turns into a living nightmare. The stress, the confusion, the struggling and disappointment each day is so tough, that when the parents come in here and share their burden, they feel like a load has been lifted. Once they start school and realize we’re taking their struggle into our hands, they really do feel like they’ve been given their lives back.”

I was wowed, and still can’t get over how much this school changes lives. So many children who’ve despaired before, are now smiling, learning, and succeeding. What a great mitzvah!

But as golden as this opportunity is, it doesn’t come easy—the cost of providing such specialized education tallies to over $30,000  per child! I’ve been fundraising and organizing and collecting for years, but it has come to the point that I no longer can go it alone, and thus turn to my dear community members to please join me in this great mitzvah. The opportunities to help are endless, and can be as easy as a small monthly commitment. Please call me or the school to hear about additional opportunities to join in changing the lives of so many.

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*Names have been changed to protect privacy.