“Tell me something good." That is how fourth grade teacher Alison Katz greets her students during each daily morning meeting at Swift School. In Mrs. Katz's classroom, positivity is essential.

“We start our morning meeting by talking about the good things in our lives. It’s a time to build community. Positivity is essential. If we don’t have community and trust, we won’t get as far as we want academically. The students trust us and themselves. They know it’s okay to make mistakes and also celebrate success with their classmates.”

A veteran among Swift School's teaching faculty, Mrs. Katz is in her 13th year at Swift. She has taught fourth grade every year, with the exception of her two years in the Frameworks program when she instructed third through fifth grade pupils. 

The cornerstones of her classroom are community and trust. She felt called to make a difference in the lives of students with dyslexia and related language-based learning differences because her mom and sister have dyslexia.

“My undergraduate degree is in special education and elementary education from Indiana University,” she said. “My mom and sister both have dyslexia, so I was looking for a way to serve bright students who need a little extra support. I found Swift through a friend, and it has been my home ever since.”

One of the reasons Mrs. Katz continues to invest in Swift School and its students is because she feels valued, something she says set Swift apart from other institutions. 

“I feel valued at Swift. Our administration invests in us, and that sets us apart from other schools. I feel like I make a difference every day. Some people aren’t lucky enough to wake up and make a difference. Every day, I wake up knowing I am going to make a difference for my class.”

A new parent, who cites telling her students she was pregnant as a favorite memory, Mrs. Katz is empathetic towards families who are experiencing a range of emotions surrounding their child's dyslexia diagnosis. 

Her message to parents is ernest, and of course, features references to a baby. “I tell parents, ‘You hold a baby, but you don’t say I hope they’re at Swift School one day’, but you’re glad you have us when you need us.”

For more than 120 families that Mrs. Katz has directly interacted with in her classroom, that quote rings true. They are glad to have Swift providing remediation, and Mrs. Katz is happy to see them achieve success and return to visit years later. 

“There is a steady flow of students who come back, but it is nice to see faces you haven’t seen in a long time. We've had several of those,“ Mrs. Katz said. “Those relationships don’t go away. We are always invested in their success.”

Mrs. Katz's message to families with children who have dyslexia or a related language-based learning difference is simple: There is hope. 

“There is hope at the end of the tunnel. I’ve seen it with my sister and with students who come back to visit. Students begin to trust themselves and learn which strategies work for them. They own those strategies and can take off running.”

Since 1998, Swift School has helped students with dyslexia achieve success in life. If your child has a primary diagnosis of dyslexia  and you want them to experience the hope Mrs. Katz references, contact us via email at admissionassociate@theswiftschool.org.