Today we’d like to introduce you to Gail Williamsen.
Hi Gail, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was growing up, and throughout my young adulthood, marriage, and early child-rearing days, I would never have dreamed that my life’s work and passion would be what it is today. Education? Intellectual Disability? Those were the work, life, and passions of other people. But not me.
My father was a genius, a pull-yourself-up-from-your-own-bootstraps type of a guy, who didn’t much value formal education, especially as a means of changing the world for the better in dramatic ways as he did through medical inventions and other innovations.
My mother was a musical artist, a strong but gentle dreamer, who taught her children to love and engage in the arts and appreciate the finer things in life. Together, my mom and dad opened my eyes to possibilities, believing in myself and “finding the better way” (the title of a book my dad wrote) for society.
But I was oblivious to the hardships of disability and how debilitating it is for families who deal with it. That is… until my 7th child was born. With Down syndrome. She opened my eyes, mind, and heart and paved the way for a higher aspiration— finding a better way for humanity. Through education.
My older children had their educational quirks, but nothing that couldn’t be overcome with a little love and extra attention, tutoring, maybe some therapy or an outstanding teacher, or a change of school along the road. All of them eventually graduated from college and have found fulfilling careers.
But what was I supposed to do with this last child? Where was THE school for her? I was stunned to discover there was none. I vowed to make one. Thus, Elizabeth Academy was born.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Our first year was charmed. After trying in 2008 to bring our chosen methodology and philosophy (Montessori) into a traditional public preschool, we decided that we needed to grow the school independently, as a private non-profit school.
In 2009 we trained Montessori teachers, combined them with special educators and a speech therapist, found a facility, built it out beautifully in just 6 weeks, found 55 students in just 2 weeks, and began in the fall with 3 early childhood classrooms. The whole year was magical. As I said, we were charmed. Then… came 2010.
There is nothing better than Montessori for early childhood, especially when including children with intellectual disabilities. In 2010 we had children moving up from kindergarten (the last year of early childhood) into first grade. Montessori classrooms are multi-age grouped in 3-year cycles with lessons scientifically aligned to the developmental planes of childhood.
So… that meant we had to train elementary teachers in the Montessori method and we wouldn’t have a multi-age grouped classroom unless we grafted older students in who were familiar with or aligned to the method. These things we did, but putting it all together was a real leap of faith for everyone when the bar for academic expectations was raised to this new level and we were just learning the Montessori method plus inclusion ourselves!
The elementary program and delivery of integrated special education and therapies have been a trial-and-error process ever since— major bumps! Hard knocks! Very challenging. And… overwhelmingly gratifying. There is nothing better than seeing ALL children succeed. Especially the ones who don’t take it for granted, blissfully grabbing the brass rings with ease.
If elementary had its challenges, the secondary program (middle/high school) was a wild adventure. For the same reason that elementary was a more difficult program to develop than early childhood (higher academic levels, wider gaps in student ability, greater expectations— accreditation, class credits needed for diplomas), the secondary program magnified those same challenges in a greater leap and took us into the territory of adolescence.
Teenagers are tough and tender at the same time. Add inclusion and Covid to that mix? If we all hadn’t had the heart and a belief in transcendence, we would not be here to tell this story. But we rose out of the ashes of 2020 stronger than ever— a diverse, loving community, banding together.
Our inclusive group continues to support each other in completing the high school journey, launching into adulthood, and truly preparing for life as leaders and contributors beyond the safe structure and shelter of school.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Elizabeth Academy/Garfield School is an independent, non-profit private school accredited by Cognia (formerly Advanced). We are a full Member School of the American Montessori Society (AMS), and a Member of the School of the Utah Montessori Council (UMC). We are certified as an approved intern site for teacher training by Montessori Educational Programs International (MEPI).
Elizabeth Academy/Garfield School has two separate campuses aligned in mission and purpose — a model school for Inclusive Montessori education. The Elizabeth Academy (www.elizabethacademy.com) campus is located at 2870 S. Connor Street in Millcreek. This campus serves children from birth through 6th grade. Our Garfield School (www.garfieldschool.com) campus is located at 1838 S 1500 E in Sugarhouse. This campus serves students in 7th through 12th grade.
Our mission is to love and nurture children, all children so that they are prepared to connect and contribute to society in a meaningful way. In fact, the first few lines of our mission statement read: “We believe that on the child rests the future of humanity. So we must love the children and every child…”. Our vision is to create a model school of inclusion that can be a beacon on a hill for replication.
By law, providing an equal educational opportunity to all is what public schools are supposed to do! But of course, this is a daunting task and there will never be perfect. Still, we must strive for it, and that is our continual mission and vision— to constantly innovate best practices in serving all children to help them become their best selves and serve each other in bettering their own lives and their community.
We respect and embrace all kinds of diversity at Elizabeth Academy/Garfield School. However, our inclusive focus is on disability, specifically intellectual disability. We are fierce advocates for these people who have traditionally been marginalized by society, most often without a voice of their own. We are committed to what we call quality and representative inclusion, which means that alongside typical and gifted children who comprise the bulk of our enrollment, we include a manageable percentage of children with a documented disability.
We strive for a ratio of these students that is reflective of disability in the population at large, which is roughly 15 to 20%. We embrace educational best practices to guide, inspire and challenge our students. Whether a student is gifted, typical, or in need of extra support, at Elizabeth Academy/Garfield School every student’s needs are met.
Our unique brand or approach is— seasoned professionals (Montessori and academic content specialists/instructors, collaborating with special educators and therapists— speech, music, art, dance, physical and occupational therapists, reading therapists) all playing a part inside the classroom, integrating curriculum in a naturally leveled and individualized way.
Some children receive additional private 1:1 therapy and all children work in small selected groups as well, but every child is included in each academic whole group lesson (of their grade or cohort) regardless of their current grade level standing, thus creating a sense of belonging for each child and an opportunity to be exposed to grade level and higher-level concepts, planting seeds of belief in themselves and germination for further learning in a spiral education.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I wouldn’t call it luck. But I am grateful for it beyond measure. As I said before, I never intended to go into education, let alone build a school. I didn’t grow up with a yearning desire to help people with disabilities. My daughter found me. So I founded a school. But first… I sought the easy way out. I found a Montessori school that gave her a three-week trial to see if she could stay. How convenient for me!
I had a five-year-old and a three-year-old (my daughter with Down syndrome) and I could just drop them both off in the same classroom at the same time! This was perfect for a mom like me. But after the three-week trial, I was approached by the teacher and told that they would keep my typical five-year-old, but my child with Down syndrome was not a good fit and had to be dismissed. I was bitterly disappointed, but somehow also understood.
A strange calm came over me and I felt warm confidence, almost like an unseen tap on my shoulder, as a quiet voice in my head said: “You”. I looked into the apologetic eyes of the teacher who had dismissed my child, sensing her desire to help but lack of expertise to do so and I replied: “I want to thank you for allowing my child these three weeks in your class and also for dismissing her. The door that is closing on her today is going to open the door for countless children to come.”
This isn’t my mission. I am only an instrument in the hands of a higher power. When I have listened to that voice along the journey in developing this school, we have met with success and grown. When I have ignored it or allowed myself to lose confidence, succumb to anger or become engulfed with fear, we have stumbled. But we keep picking ourselves up because this mission is too important. And it will go on with or without me.
I just want to be part of it so I am obedient to that voice. And it has never failed me. I recall vividly one night wondering if I had been crazy, searching at the time for just one seasoned elementary teacher and a head of school, because oh, we needed them so desperately. I got on my knees and prayed, and said that I’d know if we were supposed to end the program at the early childhood level if I didn’t find someone.
We were at a Montessori conference and the very next day I met the woman who would become an answer to prayer for both of those positions! This was not the last time someone or something just fell from the sky when it seemed we had reached a dead end. Every time we have reached the end of our rope, a new day dawns with hope and possibility. It has been a grand and glorious journey. And I have been so grateful just to be along for the ride.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elizabethacademy.com www.garfieldschool.com
- Instagram: @elizabethacademyslc @garfieldschoolslc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethacademyslc/ https://www.facebook.com/garfieldschoolslc/
Image Credits
Busath
