Tide School executive director Christie Brady and director of education Dr. Maribeth Andereck stand in front at the future site of the Tide School at 120 South 25th Avenue.(Photo: Eli Baylis/Hattiesburg American)
Pearl River Community College psychology professor Christie Brady will soon be taking on a new title: executive director of the Tide School. The new school in Hattiesburg is for students in grades 7-9 who have dyslexia or other specific learning disorders. Grade 10 will be added in August 2016.
Brady's 14-year-old son will be attending the school. She's been homeschooling the eighth-grader to help with his dyslexia, ADHD and anxiety disorder.
"I've had the idea (of a school) since he was much smaller," she said. "He had issues in school that nobody could figure out. I worked at the DuBard School for Language Disorders (at the University of Southern Mississippi). He was evaluated by DuBard, and his dyslexia was confirmed."
Dyslexia services in the Pine Belt are primarily aimed at younger children, Brady said.
"I wanted there to be a place for him," she said. "Homeschooling doesn't meet his needs socially. I know there are countless children just like him who need these services."
The school is set to open in August. Brady and her partner, former Sacred Heart principal Maribeth Andereck, are currently taking applications from students and teachers.
Brady will be working part time as the school counselor while she keeps her job at PRCC's Forrest County Center.
Andereck will use her 22 years of principal's experience to serve full time as educational director.
"The high school where I worked in Baton Rouge — they had a dyslexia lab," she said. "Not that I'm an authority on dyslexia, but I have a sensitivity. I believe strongly in differentiated instruction.
"I want all children to be involved in school. Giving them a safe place to accomplish their high school credits and move on to college is really important."
Andereck said the school plans to accept 24 students its first year. It will have three classrooms of eight students each. The classrooms are located in a small building on South 25th Avenue, which Brady and Andereck are renting from a local church.
Both are looking for three full-time teachers, as well as some part-time. All teachers must be certified academic language therapists.
"The entire educational approach needs to be multi-sensory," Brady said. "Because of the small numbers, the teachers are going to be able to figure out how the child best learns."
Brady said the students will be challenged by the teachers in the areas where they excel, but will be given extra help in the areas where they need remediation.
The school is currently being funded through donations. It is a private, non-profit school, which will charge a tuition of $775 per month per student. A bill by Rep. Larry Byrd, R-Petal, which provides tuition for dyslexia students, does not cover students in the higher grades.
Brady and Andereck also plan to go through the accreditation process, but must wait one year before that can begin.
Maureen Martin, director of the DuBard School, said dealing with dyslexia in the middle school and high school years as Brady and Andereck plan can be helpful.
"Fortunately, it's never too late," she said. "Intervention can make a difference. We like to deal with this at a younger age, but it's never too late."
The DuBard School for Language Disorders was established in 1962. It is designed to serve children with severe language-speech disorders, as well as those with the written language disorder of dyslexia.
Martin said a parent should look at several things when choosing a school for a child with dyslexia.
"A good starting place is always the credentials of the instructors — have they had the specialized training?" she said. "Is it an environment that promotes the concept that all students can learn and that promotes the self-esteem of the children?"
Finally, Martin said, a parent should look at how the entire school is focused.
"(Look at) consistency in the program," she said. "Is the whole school on the same page about the mission — the programming and the goals?"
Brady said the goal of Tide School is to provide a learning environment for students who have previously struggled.
"I hope to have a safe, fun, nurturing, learning place so children can relax all their worries that they've had and can begin to realize their potential," she said. "I want those students to see the result of their hard work."
Brady said her son is very much looking forward to coming to Tide School.
"As a student he wants this place for students like him," she said. "He knows what it's like to work hard and not see it pay off."
At a glance
Maribeth Andereck
•Position at Tide School: Full-time educational director
•Education: Louisiana State University, B.S., Elementary Education; Indiana University, M.A., International and Comparative Education; Texas A&M, Ph.D., Curriculum Instruction
•Professional: 22 years as a school principal, eight of those at Sacred Hearth Catholic School; four years as a visiting assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of Southern Mississippi
•Family: Husband, Skeeter Dixon; three grown children
Christie Brady
•Position at Tide School: Part-time executive director
•Education: B.S., Psychology and Social and Rehabilitative Services, M.S., Counseling, Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi
•Professional: Nine years as psychology professor at PRCC Forrest County Center
•Family: Son, 14 years old
Tide School
•Opens: August
•Grades : 7-9
•Number of students: 24
•Type of students served: Dyslexic, specific learning disorder(s)
•Number of teachers: Three full-time, some part-time
•Qualifications of teachers: Certified academic language therapists
•Status: Non-profit
•Tuition: $775 per month
•Address: 120 S. 25th Ave., Hattiesburg
•Phone: 517-8433
•Website: tideschool.org
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