Fletcher Blog

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The pandemic changed how people do things from grocery shopping to working and even how parents educate their kids.

More parents have started looking beyond public schools for learning options. In 2020 a census survey found the share of families homeschooling their children doubled.

Homeschooling is a challenging task for working parents.

In those cases, parents have turned to specialized private schools after a discovery they made about how their child learns during the pandemic shutdown.

From the outside, The Fletcher School in South Charlotte is like any other school, but inside you’ll find classrooms with dimmed lighting and clutterless walls. The focus is on fewer distractions for students with learning differences.

“It’s truly a joyful place and full of people who have struggled in school. They come here, and they are happy because they are being taught the right way,” Head of School Dr. Tara Terry said.

Parent Perrin Hedgepeth noticed her son was falling behind in public school when he was in first grade. She already knew about The Fletcher School as she was a graduate herself.

“To this day, there are tools that I learned that I still use to work in my life,” Hedgepeth said.

When the school passed those skills and tools on to her son, he immediately changed his attitude.

“He loves school (and) before he hated going to school. Homework was a nightmare. I think there were tears from everybody,” said Hedgepeth.

Part of the love for school comes from teachers getting to know students individually with a small teacher-to-student ratio.

“For us, the 6 to 1 ratio means we usually have no more than six students in a class because the teachers need to know exactly how each of those students learn,” Terry said.

That individual learning type for students with learning differences has improved test scores and grades.

“To think about the journey and where we started when we first walked through these doors to where we are sitting today, or he is sitting today, as a parent, it is everything you hope for,” Hedgepeth said.

Leaders at The Fletcher School say they have seen a 60% increase in inquiries since 2020 and a 10% increase in enrollment.