Overhaul at School for the Blind turns complaints to praise

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Parents say that new administration at the Kentucky School of the Blind has transformed the state institution for the better.

The Courier-Journal reported (http://cjky.it/2ngcVCr ) Thursday that Education Department and Commissioner Stephen Pruitt has enacted significant changes after parents raised concerns in late 2015 that new school practices were aimed at weeding out children with disabilities in addition to blindness.

Pruitt is directly involved with the operation of the K-12 school with 65 students.

Parents credit the appointment of interim principal Tristan Parsons and a new culture of transparency with reversing what they felt was a marked deterioration in education and unwillingness to accommodate complex needs.

Some parents had pulled their students out of the school, but have since returned.