The Story of “Jack:” The WHY Behind Higdon Learning Solutions

I walked into my very first teaching job, quite frankly, not having a clue what to do.

I had just graduated from a small, very conservative liberal arts college, having majored in TV/Radio Communications and Catholic Theology. The last time I had been in a second grade classroom was when I was a second grade student. I had precisely zero education credits to my name, I did not know the art of classroom management, and I most certainly did not know the nuances of reading and writing instruction. But there I was, in a Catholic school in a DC suburb, miles from my small Ohio hometown standing before 24 (yes, 24) 7-year-olds who I was to shepherd through the 2008-2009 school year. 

Enter Jack. Jack (not his real name) had been diagnosed with dyslexia the year before and sat in the front row, clearly nervous about his first day of school. His first grade teacher had told me a few things about him before the start of school and it went right over my head. Again, I knew nothing about dyslexia, learning disabilities in general, or the art of teaching reading and writing. I knew very little about the expectations of reading for a second grade student and how the lack of confidence in learning can deeply affect a student for years to come. I just knew that Jack was there and Jack seemed like a sweet kid. 

As the months rolled on, I started to realize that Jack’s brain certainly worked in a unique way and I definitely did not have the tools to help him.

He worked with a “reading specialist” who was trained in a since-debunked reading method with a huge lobbying budget and a cult-like following (check out the Sold a Story podcast because I’m too chicken to say its name here) that, spoiler-alert, did absolutely nothing to help him. 

Fast forward to the end of the school year and the sad reality hit–Jack was not being served at our Catholic school. We simply did not have the training or resources to serve a student like Jack. Nevermind that his parents wanted him in a faith-filled environment. We couldn’t do it and that was the end of the story. He wound up at a very secular school that specializes in students with learning disabilities and, as far as I know, turned out just fine. But his story bothers me to this day. What if just a little bit of training for our faculty could have been the change needed to keep Jack in our school? 

Jack’s story always stayed with me and is my “why” behind Higdon Learning Solutions. While my story is about a Catholic school, the same can be said about so many faith-based classical schools. So many in classical school administration believe that their faculty do not have the tools to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities when, in fact, it is not always as complicated as one might think. Parents want their children in your classical school for a reason. Many did not realize how truly awful public schools were until they went online during Covid. Not only is the education watered down, but the public school teachers often undermine the traditions, ethics, and values parents instill. Sure, public schools might have more “resources” but at what cost? With the outside one-on-one tutoring, teacher coaching, and professional development we at Higdon Learning provide, we have seen classical schools welcome students like Jack not only with open arms, but with the confidence to teach them in the ways that they learn best. 

I don’t want another “Jack,” whose parents want him in a faith-based classical school,  to wind up at secular school again. That is most certainly our mission here at Higdon Learning Solutions.