Building Success

Building Success

A Model and Work in Progress by Silver City Lodge Number 8, AF&AM

To Establish a Learning Center for Dyslexia and Academic Improvement

Background

In March 2010 the State of New Mexico Legislature passed and Governor Bill Richardson signed into law an act relating to special education; requiring interventions for students displaying characteristics of Dyslexia.  This was a good thing.  Unfortunately, this is an unfunded mandate.  School Districts throughout the State do not have the resources (human and financial) to implement this worthwhile mandate.

The Scottish Rite Valley of Las Cruces has in place a nationally recognized Learning Center for Dyslexic Children that not only assists dyslexic children but also provides teacher training that incorporates academic instruction, clinical training, and supervised teaching.

In June 2010, Silver City Lodge Number 8 began a journey to bring the benefits of this program to the children of Silver City.  Worshipful Master Bill Nagel and Junior Warden Pro Tem George Lundy paid a visit to Judy Carter at the Scottish Rite Learning Center in Las Cruces for an information and orientation session.  After phone calls and personal visits to the Silver City Head of Special Education and the Associate Superintendent of Learning Services with explanations of the benefits of the Scottish Rite Learning Center Program, we were met with what could only be charitably described as disinterest or benign neglect. The adage of “not invented here” seemed to be in full play.

Not to be discouraged, we began a search for a teacher who had the skills and passion to help us on our journey to help the children of Silver City.  We found that person in Tamara Ogilvie; a certified and licensed teacher who grew tired of the school system bureaucracy and started her own tutoring business: “Building Success, LLC.”

Building Success, LLC, started in July 2008 and located at 1303 North Pope Street in Silver City, provides professional tutoring services to students between the ages of 5 and 18 who attend local schools in the Silver Consolidated District of New Mexico.  Specialty areas of tutoring include reading (grades K-Adult) and science (grades 7-12).  Multisensory reading instruction methods are used that are research based and recommended for those with language learning disabilities. Services include individual tutoring at $15/hour, small group tutoring at $7.50-$10/hour, and assessments for dyslexia.

Model Overview

There are three stages to our model for establishing a Learning Center for Dyslexia and Academic Improvement in Silver City: Pioneer, Growth, and Maintenance.  The Pioneer Phase began in June 2010 with our visit to the Scottish Rite Learning Center and may last approximately 2-3 years.  Silver City Lodge Number 8 has obligated $5200 in 2011 to dyslexia-related giving.  Our intent is twofold:  1) pay for the Take Flight training of Tamara Ogilvie at the Scottish Rite Learning Center in July 2011 and help offset the costs of her attending regional and national conferences sponsored by The International Dyslexia Association; and 2) provide scholarships to students who are tutored by Tamara Ogilvie to help offset the costs of their supplies and her tutoring.  A Student Eligibility Screening Process has been developed to determine which students would qualify for scholarships.

We should point out that it is not our intent to completely pay for the tutoring services being offered.  Both we and Mrs. Ogilvie agree that parents who bear some of the financial responsibility for their children’s tutoring are more inclined to get engaged in the education process and monitor the student’s progress and accomplishments.

Other activities during this pioneer phase will include outreach to find students in need and a marketing plan to make Mrs. Ogilvie’s services known to the community.  She will be looking at changing her business from a LLC to a 501-c-3.  If this occurs, the Lodge will look at the practicality of moving her base of operations into dedicated space at the Lodge.  We will also begin the Grant Writing process to see if we can acquire additional funding and support in the future.  Attachment B displays the milestones for this pioneering phase.

The Growth Phase of our model (years 3-5 approximately) is to continue to provide support to assure success.  Having completed both the Introductory and Advanced Courses of Training at the Scottish Rite Learning Center, Mrs. Ogilvie will be staged to take the national Academic Language Therapy Association exam, expand her base of operations, and begin the Train the Trainers program.  Once we have been able to demonstrate success, the Lodge will begin dialogue with other Lodges in our District to determine their interest in the possibility of expanding the base of operations and gaining additional financial support.

The Maintenance Phase of our model (years 5 and beyond) will emphasize continued excellence in tutoring and education through quality facilities and continuing education of tutors and teachers.  Grant writing will continue. 

We are committed to making this work and demonstrating success.  Early successes are critical.  We understand that this model is different than the current model for the Scottish Rite Masons.  However, our model may work for other Lodges that are considering getting involved in Dyslexic Learning Centers.