 In January of 1971, founders Shirley Meredith and David Dunn, both special education teachers themselves, began the program with tutorial services for three part-time students. These much-needed services were soon expanded to include evaluations, tutoring, Saturday classes, and a summer program. By 1978, a full day private school program was operational. In 1980, Meredith-Dunn acquired the old Melbourne Heights School from Jefferson County Public Schools. The program included 37 full time students, limited support services, and Meriday Preschool-an early childhood developmental program that provided preschool and extended daycare services. A generous benefactor in 1982 purchased the school building and donated it to Meredith-Dunn School. This major contribution provided the springboard for growth and expansion of the instructional and support programs, and from that point forward, Meredith-Dunn School was truly on its way! The positive impact of all the services provided by Meredith-Dunn School had long been recognized through its affiliation with Kentucky Association of Independent Schools and the Learning Disabilities Association of Kentucky. However, in order to gain national recognition as a quality institution, the staff and administration, in 1995, began the comprehensive task of qualifying for full accreditation by the Independent School Association of the Central States (ISACS). In 1997, Meredith-Dunn School was awarded full membership in ISACS, and subsequently in the Louisville Association of Independent Schools. Certainly one of the highlights of our Fall 2009 season was the notification that Meredith-Dunn School had been recognized nationally as a "School of Distinction" by the Schools Attuned teacher-training program. Our school became one of thirteen schools throughout the country- and the only school in Kentucky to be recognized in this way. Research increasingly affirms the importance of identifying and recognizing a child’s strengths and affinities, while giving praise that is genuine and specific. Indeed, our teachers learned during the Schools Attuned training that first and foremost, the greatest emphasis must be placed on the identification of the student’s strengths and affinities, before attention is given to identifying the areas of weakness. In essence, we strive to recognize and celebrate the positives first. Meredith-Dunn School, a non-profit organization presently serves students in grades 1-8 who have been identified as having specific learning disabilities and/or other learning differences. It is noteworthy that approximately only 10% of our population of learners would qualify as learning disabled under federal guidelines and be eligible for any special services in public schools. Since Meredith-Dunn receives no federal or state special education dollars, the program’s continued development must rely on tuition, grants, private donations, and fund-raising efforts. |
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