After seeing the achievement gap firsthand, she decided to join Teach For America
to teach third grade in rural Louisiana. During that time, she
significantly increased the academic achievement of her students, raised
thousands of dollars in grants, and started an art therapy program at
the local domestic violence organization.
She wanted to continue effecting change by joining KIPP,
the Knowledge Is Power Program. KIPP is a national network of
high-performing charter schools for economically-disadvantaged children,
and it is at the forefront of educational reform in the United States.
She taught 6th grade reading and writing and started her own educational
consulting business.
After
teaching for five years, Sara decided to take a break to reflect,
rejuvenate, and recommit to education. She saved her money and went on a
self-subsidized sabbatical. Her journey took her to India, a folk art school in the mountains of North Carolina, an intentional community in Virginia, and up and down the East Coast.
When
Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and many of the evacuees fled to
Houston, Sara returned to help her former colleagues create a tutoring
program at the Astrodome. Not only did she meet amazingly courageous
children and families from New Orleans, she also met her future partner
and fellow tutor, Matt.
Eventually, she and Matt moved to Denver to attain their Montessori teaching certificates
and teach in public Montessori schools. They got married in the
mountains of Colorado (after planning a meaningful and memorable
celebration without losing their savings or sanity) and returned to
Houston.
When Sara--always the obsessive planner--began preparing herself for conception, she threw herself into the task wholeheartedly for almost a year by reading books, attending birth fairs, watching documentaries, meeting with a midwife, and blogging about the process. She wrote an online course to share everything she learned in a more consolidated and user-friendly way and to create a community of kindred spirits with whom to share the experience. After a year and a half of parenting, she decided to create this online course to continue the conversation.
She gave birth to her second son, Tate, in 2013 and started Austin's first public Montessori school in 2014. Her goal is to create a national network of high-performing, authentic Montessori charter schools in diverse communities nationwide called Montessori For All. She continues to advocate for eco-friendly, budget-minded, and hand-crafted weddings over at 2000 Dollar Wedding.
She currently lives in Austin with her partner, bloodhound (a certified therapy dog), non-furry sons Henry and Tate, and Danger the Pig.
She currently lives in Austin with her partner, bloodhound (a certified therapy dog), non-furry sons Henry and Tate, and Danger the Pig.
