Josh, a 12-year-old who proudly goes by the nickname “Josh T. Rex” thanks to his love of dinosaurs, recently completed sixth grade at Lexington Life Academy.
This is Josh’s second year at the school. His parents enrolled him at Lexington Life Academy after feeling he was being overlooked at his previous school. “They didn’t seem to care about him,” said his father, Jonathan Gordan. “It felt like he was just falling behind and no one was doing anything about it.”
According to Gordon, the change has been great for Josh.
“Lexington Life has been amazing,” Gordan said. “The staff works so well with Josh, especially in helping him manage his anger, regulate his emotions and feel accepted.”
One of the most meaningful signs of support, Gordon said, is that the staff embraces Josh’s nickname. “That may seem small, but it’s huge,” Gordan said. “At his old school, they refused to use his nickname, even though it made him feel seen.”
Josh is making strong academic progress, particularly in math and reading, and continues to work on his writing. But for Gordan, the most noticeable growth has been in life skills.
“Before, we had to do everything for him,” he said. “Now, he gets up on his own, gets dressed, packs his lunch, grabs snacks and even throws away his trash. It’s a big deal.”
Gordan credits much of Josh’s progress to the compassion and skill of the Lexington Life staff. He especially praised staff members Miss Marnie and Miss Jessica for supporting Josh through a difficult time.
The family also values the school’s before- and after-care program, which helps accommodate their work schedules. Josh is excited to attend Lexington Life’s summer camp again this year. “It helps so much since both my wife and I work,” Gordan said. “He loved it last year and is already looking forward to going back.”
The family utilizes Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program and said without it, attending Lexington Life would not be financially possible.
“With the ESA scholarship, we can choose the right environment for him, and that makes all the difference.”
As for the future, Gordan’s hopes are like any parents. “I just want Josh to be self-sufficient,” he said. “I don’t know if that’ll be possible, but I do know that Lexington Life is helping him get as close as he can. They don’t treat your child like just another number. They work with each student as an individual. They care.”
“Before, we had to do everything for him, Now, he gets up on his own, gets dressed, packs his lunch, grabs snacks and even throws away his trash. It’s a big deal.”