Welcoming Dr. Kara A. Loftin to Schenck

We recently asked The Schenck School’s new Head of School, Dr. Kara Loftin, about experiences influencing her leadership, her thoughts on the future of The Schenck School, and what compels her to champion students with dyslexia. Here are her reflections. 

Whether as a school administrator or teaching in a classroom setting, I spent the first almost two decades of my educational career knee-deep in the study of neuro-typical students. I was open-minded, pedagogically progressive, and willing to do the hard work needed to reach every student in my care. One student, however, set me on a journey that forever changed the trajectory of my career and ultimately led me to where I am today, as the Head of School at a school for students with dyslexia, a school solely for neuro-diverse students. 

From the beginning of my career, I witnessed bright students who struggled and bright students who experienced the rare setback. As an educational leader, my goal was not only to bring meaning to academic content, but it was to do so in tandem with developing skills for planning, sustaining attention, prioritizing work, and learning how one learns best. So much of what I was seeing in my students who struggled was a fundamental lack of skill. Whether linked to executive functioning skills, like planning and organization, or academic skills, I felt well equipped to work with many of these skills-based difficulties. However, I had no experience working with students with diagnosed learning differences. When it came to teaching reading, I was out of my league. 

In 2012, a student enrolled at my school who had been diagnosed with dyslexia in second grade but had no school experiences with a robust, evidence-based structured literacy intervention, Nick. Now, as a 9th-grade student embarking on a new experience, he still had not had the services needed to become a proficient reader and writer; he was struggling, and I wasn’t sure how to help him. I was both his teacher and a school administrator tasked with implementing the academic support and services needed for each student in the school to succeed. To unlock his potential, he needed fundamental skill development in the areas of phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, and comprehension. At that point in my career, I did not have the training to teach him in ways that would increase his literacy skills and elicit the best academic outcome he needed. Additionally, we also had no other faculty or staff at the school with this specialized skill set. This is where my life’s journey in education profoundly changed. First, I sought knowledge and training through more informal means, such as workshops and books. This homegrown learning served its purpose in the beginning, yet it was apparent within a few years that I needed to do more. I was able to work with my student to improve his study habits, executive functioning, and self-advocacy; this served him well. Unfortunately, I continued to lack the necessary training to provide what is known as the gold standard for students with dyslexia, the Orton-Gillingham approach. After four years, he graduated and, whether true or not, I felt I had failed him. At that time, I committed to go back to school for a more formalized education. What started with a Master’s of Education degree in Special Education, specifically focused on dyslexia, ended with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Special Education where my culminating doctoral research included improved training protocols for teachers and others administering strengths-based assessments for students with exceptionalities.

Commonly, we hear students singing accolades of teachers who have changed their lives. For me, this is the reverse. I am forever grateful and humbled by the fresh-faced, young, 15-year-old boy who arrived in my classroom with an eagerness to learn despite a teacher and a school ill-equipped to provide what he needed.  After years of pursuing academic programs specific to students with exceptionalities, I am a teacher of teachers, a school administrator, and a thought leader in the field of exceptionalities, promoting practices that embrace neurodiversity and celebrate the competencies and strengths of all learners. This one student fundamentally changed who I am as a school leader. I teach differently, I think about education differently, and now, I am leading a school differently, so that every student has access to the academic program most suited to their individual needs. 

Not only did this one student have such a profound impact on my career, but now, years later, as I reflect on the journey that led me to The Schenck School, I see how this experience began the process of acknowledging and coming to terms with my own learning difficulties as a child, an experience I long buried and didn’t talk about. When I was young, I had a speech disorder. Similar to the experiences of many with learning differences, I felt shame and carried a perception of not measuring up to my peers. There was a piece of Nick’s experience that I understood on such a visceral level. I didn’t understand that fully then, but I do now. I was able to connect and empathize with him authentically; I was able to see beyond his difference to his brilliance. And yes, in time, I was able to take that same compassion and apply it to myself. I can now see more fully who I am and what I am capable of. This is what I want for all of my students–a sense of pride in who they are, confidence in their capabilities, and a deep understanding that their differences are what make them truly special. 

Here I am embarking on a new journey as both Head of School at The Schenck School and Executive Director of ReadSource. Shepherding the School’s nurturing community, and continuing the spirit of brilliance, warmth, and joy that David Schenck clearly embodied are among my top priorities. To preserve and perpetuate his legacy is no small feat and this is not lost on me. I am eager to maintain and enhance the standard of excellence the school has already set in a dynamic, fast-changing educational landscape. When thinking of ReadSource, its future is also exciting. Today, the science of reading is embraced more broadly and there is a better understanding of the state of literacy in America with a call to action being heard among all corners of the country. Our ability to reach struggling readers is greater than ever before, whether it be through tutoring here in this great city of Atlanta, having a seat at the table for policy discussions at the State level, or being a premier provider for teacher training, ReadSource’s future is bright indeed. 

One of the characteristics I felt immediately upon my first visit to The Schenck School and ReadSource last year was the unwavering belief in the full potential of each child. As I reflect upon my first six months, this feeling remains the same. I have witnessed firsthand the warm environment the faculty and staff provide so generously to all within their care. Their dedication to the values and mission of The Schenck School and ReadSource is much more than a cultural element; it is a calling. This synergy between culture and calling makes Schenck a distinctly unique place. This all started with David Schenck, a giant among giants, whose shoulders I humbly stand upon.