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Mission & History

Our Mission

To build a solid educational foundation for students with dyslexia and develop their rich potential.

Our mission at The Schenck School is to empower students with dyslexia by providing a comprehensive, evidence-based education that nurtures their unique strengths. We strive to cultivate confident, capable learners who are prepared to excel in both school and life.

schenck founders

Core Beliefs

#1: Unlocking Potential

Students with dyslexia have great potential in school and life.

#2: Success Through Research Based Practice

Academic success can be achieved through evidence-based teaching methods, including the Orton-Gillingham Approach.

#3: Optimal Learning Environments

Small class size, low student-teacher ratios and multi-sensory instruction create the optimal educational setting.

#4: Expert Educators

The faculty understands dyslexia, believes in their students, and are trained to meet the students' educational needs.

#5: Building Independence

Students should develop high self-esteem, become self advocates, and view themselves as competent and independent learners.

#6: Community-Driven Success

Students are best served by an active community of parents, faculty, administrators, specialists, and trustees.

#7: Foundations for Lifelong Learning

After a two to three year placement at The Schenck School, students leave with a firm foundation for continued learning

david t schenck

History of The Schenck School

The Schenck School was founded by David T. Schenck in 1959, after he was inspired by his own struggles with dyslexia and his work at The Rectory School and Camp Ways-Awi, one of the first U.S. camps to use the Orton-Gillingham Approach. A World War II veteran, Schenck earned a business degree from the University of Michigan and later obtained a master’s degree in education from Emory University. Realizing that dyslexic learners needed more than just tutoring, he and his wife Dee started The Reading School, later renamed The Schenck School.

The school moved several times before settling at its current location on Mt. Paran Road in 1966. Schenck's innovative approach involved enrolling students for approximately three years of intensive remedial education before guiding families in selecting the next school. In 1997, The Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators was founded, with Schenck as one of the original fellows. In 2013, with the help of the Board of Trustees, The Schenck School launched a non-profit called The Dyslexia Resource Trust (now ReadSource). ReadSource has become the gold standard for teacher training in literacy education, and has partnered with Purpose Built Schools Atlanta to offer remedial literacy education to students in Atlanta Public Schools.

David SchenckI never for a moment doubted the rightness of my dreams of working with dyslexic children and adults. Helping them to read and spell gives them the gift of being able to learn. I have loved working with the thousands of students who have come to my school. They saw my dreams come true and so could theirs.

Opening its doors in 1959, The Schenck School is the oldest elementary school serving dyslexic learners in the United States and is widely recognized as a top-tier institution for dyslexia remediation.

Building on the techniques and methods developed by David Schenck and his successors, we continue to transform the lives of students and families. As we look ahead, one thing remains constant: David Schenck's vision of a school that inspires children and builds their confidence and capabilities remains at the heart of what we do.