Sally Lee S.

I came to education through a winding path that started with my passion for the arts and child development. As a full-time mom raising my son, I discovered I had a real gift for working with kids. I created a theater project using my performing arts background at O'Hanlon Arts, then became an assistant at a Montessori-inspired independent school where I quickly became indispensable, moving from part-time to full-time. That experience inspired me to pursue formal training as an instruction specialist for children with mild-moderate disabilities through an accelerated program at the University of San Francisco. I worked across three California school districts over 20 years - West Contra Costa, Mill Valley, and Petaluma - alternating between public school work and private practice because special education in public schools is incredibly demanding, like the Marines. My expertise lies in connecting to individual children and providing systematic, explicit reading instruction, particularly for students with dyslexia. I've had tremendous success getting kids who couldn't decode to start reading and helping students write their first sentences when other teachers had no luck. I made significant impacts in all three districts by updating special education programs and providing comprehensive literacy assessments. The work was thrilling, especially in West Contra Costa where students faced real hardship and poverty. Now retired at 65, I spend my mornings writing novels and pursuing my other passions of sailing and singing, though I remain open to consulting work with principals or mentoring new special education teachers.