Kids First Podcast - A Charter School Podcast with Chris Neeley · Kids First Podcast

Harold Koffler a Charter School Parent and "Dadvocate"

·25 min·2 clips

Harold describes how his daughter would lash out after school, forcing him to take her to Chick-fil-A as a soft place to land.

This episode features Harold Koffler, a father and federal contractor, discussing his family's journey to find appropriate education for his daughter Hope, who has dyslexia. Host Chris Neeley leads a conversation focused on parental advocacy within the school choice and charter school landscape. Harold details the family's moves across South Carolina, from Myrtle Beach to Greenville and finally to Columbia, in search of effective support. In kindergarten, Hope began to withdraw and face peer ridicule due to reading difficulties, despite being a previously vibrant child. The family initially hired Hope's own teachers as private tutors and engaged extensively with the public school system, including IEP meetings. They spent over $40,000, depleting Harold's 401k, to enroll Hope in a private specialized school, Einstein Academy, in Greenville. A key turning point was connecting with advocate Becky Barnes and a professional dyslexia teacher, Sue Marichello, who helped Hope progress. Harold describes the immense strain, including Hope experiencing anxiety so severe she would sometimes vomit before school or hide under covers crying. He notes that a public school teacher once told Hope and a struggling classmate they could "take naps" during class. The family discovered Pace Academy through Melissa Rabin, its founder, whom Harold met at a Wright's Law advocacy convention. They abruptly moved to Columbia, living in a hotel for months, when a spot opened at Pace. A surprising insight is Harold's framing of dyslexia as a "super power" and his emphasis that it involves processing delays beyond letter reversal. He reveals that marriages with children who learn differently face high stress, citing a 70% marital strain statistic. Harold coined the term "dadvocate" to describe his role as a fatherly advocate. He argues the real cost of inadequate support is emotional, leading children to "check out" and later be mislabeled as behavioral problems. The episode highlights that Pace Academy's teachers include individuals who are dyslexic themselves, creating a culture of belonging. Harold observes the school makes the IEP "come alive," contrasting it with previous experiences where plans were not followed. He stresses that while teachers are often trying, systemic constraints and low tax funding in South Carolina create significant barriers. The tone is personal, emotional, and conversational, structured as a heartfelt interview sharing one family's narrative. The style is advocacy-oriented and inspirational, aiming to empower other parents. This episode would deeply resonate with parents of children with learning differences, especially dyslexia, and those interested in education advocacy or charter school missions. Listeners seeking broad policy analysis or critical debate on school choice might find the focus too narrowly personal.

As heard by us

A father's school search becomes a clear case for parent advocacy and charter-school hope.

Harold Koffler's account makes a plainspoken case for parent advocacy, school choice, and the patience persistence can take. He describes moving around South Carolina with Lisa for their daughter Hope, who has dyslexia, and paying over $40,000 for private school in Greenville…

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If you are weighing school choice with real skin in the game, start here.

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