Missions, Beliefs & History
Our Mission
Working with each family, Porter Academy strives to create an accepting community that meets each child where they are academically, developmentally, socially, and emotionally and challenges each child as much as is appropriate for that child at that time. Our goal is to remediate weaknesses and foster strengths, enabling children to leave here with a strong foundation and confidence in their own abilities.
Our Beliefs
- Children can reach untapped potential when provided with
- appropriate small group instruction
- social-emotional guidance
- therapeutic support
- Children are best able to succeed academically and socially when the school
- utilizes a whole-child approach
- simultaneously develops academics and foundational abilities (e.g., processing skills, attention, motor skills)
- promotes development of self-esteem and intrinsic motivation
- Regular assessments are necessary to determine the most effective intervention for each child
Our History
The Porter School was founded in 2000 by Claudia Porter, an educator and speech language pathologist. After teaching the “focus class” at High Meadows for ten years, Claudia decided to break off and start her own school to allow for complete freedom to teach how she wanted to teach. Muriel Lange, a parent of one of her students and math teacher, joined her in this adventure. The school’s objective was to create an environment where children with learning differences could be successful both academically and socially.
The Porter School was first located at Christ United Church in Roswell, Georgia, with an enrollment of sixteen children in grades one through three. The curriculum included core courses as well as one-on-one instruction in language processing with Claudia Porter. The following year, a fourth grade class was added to the school and a larger facility was needed. The Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in Marietta, Georgia became the new home for The Porter School. Through word of mouth and recommendations by local psychologists, The Porter School was beginning to secure a reputation as a school where children felt safe, happy, and open to learning. As a result of that reputation, The Porter School found itself in a position to seek out a new facility that would include kindergarten through fifth grade. In 2002, The Porter School purchased the present location, which consisted of two buildings and three acres of land.
As younger students came looking, and older students resisted leaving, The Porter School expanded it’s age range to cover K-5. In 2007, the Board of Directors recommended that The Porter School change its name to Porter Academy in hopes of improving the receipt of grants and funding. Also in 2007, before and after school programs were initiated. In 2010, Pre-Kindergarten and Middle School programs were added, expanding the age range to four years old through 14 years old.
