Educator and author
After 25 years in education as a teacher, program facilitator, and principal, I co-wrote the book Angels and Superheroes: Compassionate Educators in an Era of School Accountability, with Krista Taylor. It was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018.
The title for the book came from a speech Krista gave after being named the Cincinnati Public Schools Hawkins Educator of the Year. She indicated that every teacher deserved recognition for their hard work and dedication, and that none of us are Angels or Superheroes. “That’s it!” I said. “That’s the title of our book!”
You can check out my author profile at Amazon.
I was proud that the students, staff, and parents at our small high-poverty urban school created a safe and family-like atmosphere. Over time we earned the highest rating on the state report card (“Excellent”) and became only the second public school to ever earn Montessori accreditation.
I was periodically asked to speak at fundraisers and in informational sessions, like this discussion about a tax levy to fund the Preschool Promise in Cincinnati Public Schools:
As we worked with a student body that was nearly 100% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and with nearly 40% of our students with identified learning disabilities, we knew our success was spectacular.
But we also knew that our practices could be learned and replicated, and we wrote the book and created our website AngelsAndSuperheroes.com to share those ideas.
It started with the simple concept that every child can learn, once they first feel safety and a sense of belonging in community.
Copywriter, editor, proofreader …
After more than 25 years in public education, I started a new adventure, my business The Best Words LLC.
I hoped to turn my skills and experience as an educator and author into a more docile profession: writing. Specifically, I wanted to help others build their own websites, write their own books, and articulate their own expertise as I had done. All while being home on weekends and evenings.
Along the way I have published articles on Medium about a variety of personal and professional topics.
You can find me on Twitter, LinkedIn, Medium and, less often, Goodreads. Or buy our book at Amazon. You can even find my widely-ignored album on Spotify!
Community member
I know the importance of being involved in the community. So I have used this time to invest in several worthwhile activities.
I attend Christ Church Cathedral in Cincinnati. There I serve as an elected member of the vestry (leadership team), I am the co-chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Working Group, and I am the interim chair of the Plumbline rental assistance program. On Tuesday nights I am part of our “5000 Club,” serving people in need of dinner.
I am the President of the Board of Ohio Students for Gun Legislation. We advocate for common sense laws and regulations to reduce gun violence in the United States. We have our own publication on Medium where we address key issues and developments in the battle to save lives. We also have a periodic videocast on Youtube where we talk with activists and politicians about best practices to reduce gun violence.
I am also the co-chair of Neighborhoods United. We have worked with residents of Cincinnati for over two years to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce violence which we presented to the media on August 21st, 2020.
The same scene, different perspective:
In my role as a researcher and activist, I am occasionally approached to provide information to the media about reducing gun violence, as I was in this article, “Cincinnati Leaders Call for Resources to Address Gun Violence.” Sadly, I have also been called on to offer a remembrance of one of my former students, taken by gun violence in November, 2020.
Also, I was elected as the Precinct Executive for my precinct in March of this year. It’s a great feeling seeing your name on a ballot, even if you’re running uncontested!
I have worked with many fascinating people in my first 51 years. I look forward to what the next few decades bring. I hope I get the chance to work with you!