From 5th Grade to My 50‘s

Do you remember when you were in 5th grade? (For many readers, this may have been a long while ago like it is for me.) For me, 5th grade – with my friend Barbara D. – is when my heart & mind aligned and I realized that my path would be serving people with unique needs. I did not know how, when or where but I knew that I experienced fulfillment and purpose as Barbara’s friend. Barbara was fun, funny, smart, different and authentic. I remember that she was always caring & positive, never sad or selfish. Barbara had brain cancer. She never expected any special treatment, yet I was compelled to support her and help others understand her needs. That is when I learned the difference between sympathy and empathy. Barbara didn’t feel sorry for herself and didn’t want anyone else to feel sorry for her, but she gladly accepted my support which I demonstrated through listening, helping when asked, treating her as “normal” vs fragile, encouraging her through tough times and always finding a way to bring out smiles & laughter.

Fast forward to about 45 years (what?!?), I am still passionate about working with & serving students with unique needs as well as their families, school staff and all stakeholders that contribute to student success.

CHANGED MY MIND

I went to college at the University of North Texas to get my Bachelor’s degree to be a Teacher (Secondary level certification in Speech and English.) During my senior year of college I took a phonetics course & that is when I knew I had to be an SLP – it was a perfect fit for SO many reasons! I called my parents & excitedly told them that I knew that SLP was the path I had to take…and all of the details. They both listened and were excited about my discovery. (Have I mentioned that I am the youngest of 6 children?) Once I finished talking and took a breath they said, “That is great! You can do whatever you want to do!” My response to them was, “Really?!! An SLP is a Master’s degree.” And my loving, supportive, empowering parents said, “Yes! You can do whatever you want to do as soon as you graduate and get a job.” I love my parents. So I did exactly that: I started teaching Speech, Theatre and PE at a junior high school (grades 6, 7 & 8) and went to grad. school at night and in the summers. (Did I mention that I was teaching in the district that I went through all of my school years in?) I graduated with my Master’s in Speech Pathology & Audiology from Baylor University. I then continued to worked as an SLP, then Lead SLP and then a Special Education Specialist (Supervisor). It was amazing to work & serve in the district that educated me from 1st grade through high school.

MET THE LOVE OF MY LIFE: MOVED & WELCOMED NEW WORK OPPORTUNITIES

Then I met the love of my life and moved to South Texas where I worked at a county Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) as the Education Coordinator before returning to my passion of serving public education as an SLP in a local school district. I worked on multiple campuses, but the majority of time was on the district’s elementary campus. One day the campus Principal asked me if I had my mid-management certification because he wanted me to be his Assistant Principal. I was surprised, honored & excited all at once. I did have the certification & I worked as Mr. Terry Avery’s Assistant Principal for multiple years on that campus and learned a ton from him. I am very grateful for his mentorship. The Director of Special Education position opened up in this same district. I applied, got hired by Dr. Crawford Helms & served in this role for 17 years of my 34-year education career…but not 17 years in a row – that would be too simple. While I was in South Texas I obtained my Diagnostician certification, my Superintendent certification and my Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. (Have I mentioned that I love learning?)

RETURNED TO MY HOMETOWN & ALMA MATER

I had the opportunity to return to my hometown and to the campus level at my alma mater district as a Principal & I jumped at the chance thinking I would eventually retire as a campus Principal. I served as Principal at a Professional Development magnet campus for fine arts for 5 years. It was very hard work...and it was a blast!!!! Selfishly, the immediate gratification of working with students & staff every day really made me happy. One of a thousand examples is that I had the distinct experience of having my 2nd grade Teacher as a 3rd grade Teacher on my campus. Mrs. Jennings taught me a lot, both as her 2nd grade student and as her Principal. Some of my best memories & funniest stories are from the years working as a Principal at a PK-5 campus with the most dedicated staff I have every known.

Over time and through intentional, deep reflection I realized that although I was very happy – I was not fulfilled. I was getting consumed by the “busy-ness” of the job and that did not serve me well as a person. After spending a substantial amount of time in deep introspection that included revisiting my passion, my purpose, my vision, an analysis of the return on my investment as a Principal and in-depth conversations with my loved ones I realized that I needed to get back into the Special Education arena. It was a hard decision, but one I don’t regret.

AAAAAAND WE’RE BACK IN SPED

A friend shared a posting with me & that is the job that I have now: Director of Special Programs in a public school. In this role I coordinate multiple programs: Special Education, 504, Homeless, Foster Care, MTSS and Dyslexia. I have been in this role in this district for 5 years (my 15th as a Director) and I am happy and fulfilled. As in most areas of education, every day is a new day and I love what I do! One of my favorite things I get to do is visit with Parents to explain the special education referral process and the 504 referral process. I love to do this because empowering others with facts, truth, authentic empathy and frankness helps everyone involved in the often complicated processes. My objective is to minimize (hopefully eliminate) the excessive effort, worry, fear, reactiveness and stress related to the “procedures” so that all energy is focused on the student.

PASSION INTO ACTION

So, you may be wondering: if I am happy and fulfilled then why have I launched M.E.S.A.? The answer is simple: I am turning my passion into action. I recently retired from 34 years of service in public education. Now, I want to empower others to be confident, capable and collaborative about areas of education that can be confusing, overwhelming and intimidating. Whether my clients are Teachers, Parents, Paraprofessionals, Campus Administrators, District Administrators, Advocate groups, Parent groups, School Boards or any other role that serves students in public school – I am dedicated to supporting you from struggles, through learning and to progress. If you are interested in learning, applying the learning to support the needs of students, working hard with focus on the “big picture” of service instead of ego, and enjoy smiling & laughing then I’d be thrilled for you to join me in making education special for all. Join me in making “special” be felt, heard and valued by all members.