I am a Texas Certified Math (8-12) and Technology Applications (EC-12) Teacher and have been…read moreteaching Math in the North Dallas Area since 2001. I have taught in Private Schools to Public Charter Schools. I have taught small classes to up to 30+-40 students. I have taught at 6 different schools and all grade levels from 4th Grade to 12th Grade (Precalculus, Statistics, Math Reasoning, Math Models with Applications). I was also a former Adjunct Part Time College Professor at Collin College teaching a computer class for four years. I started teaching at Bridge Builder Academy (BBA) in Richardson, Texas in January 2022. BBA is uniquely different in that students are taught one on one with their teachers. They get 100% of their teacher's time, and focus during each one-hour lesson. Students are constantly working because there is no time to be distracted by other students, goofing off on their phones, tablets, laptops, etc. They can't just "hide" in a large classroom and get lost in the material, or be afraid to ask for help, etc. Most schools would have forced me to use a set of curricula but each BBA individual's curriculum is designed according to what is best for the student to become successful based on their unique individual learning needs, styles, etc. I was approached by parents of students I taught at BBA's Graduation in May 2022 and they were thanking me for putting in the time to know their students, working with them, and helping them to do better in math. One student hated math, but the parents told me that in my 5 short months that they learned to appreciate it and like it. Another parent thanked me for her getting her son more than well-prepared for the upcoming school year. BBA offers parents and students a chance to have teachers work directly with their students in an individual one on one relationship. I have the freedom to be able to adjust individual learning. Yes, our tuition might be higher than other Private Schools. Make sure when you compare schools you look at how big the classes are. How can your child get the individualized attention and learning in a 45 minute or 1 hour class with 10, 20 or 30 other students? Are your teachers certified by TEA in the State of Texas? Are your teachers certified in Special Education or have worked with Special Education Students in the past? Will your student get one-on-one support? Will the curriculum be developed for your child's unique skills or learning styles to be successful in life? How will it change from the other students in the class? Are your child's Principals (or in the case of Private Schools and Charter Schools or Directors) have recent certification in the classroom as a Teacher and/or Administrator? Are all of the School's Classes taught by a certified teacher or just a long term substitute who may or may not having any teaching credentials? Is your student going to get the attention they need in your school or are they just a number in the classroom? In my 22+ years of teaching at multiple schools, I have had Principals with no certification and no teaching experience. BBA was recently (2023) awarded a 1st Place GOLD MEDAL in the Dallas Morning News' People's Choice Awards for the BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL in the DFW Area! This is the SECOND YEAR IN A ROW (We also won for 2022). Some schools talk about STEM, but have your students ever participated in a NASA Sponsored Contest? During the 2021-2022 school year, students from Bridge Builder Academy participated in the NASA Hunch program. Led by Mr. Michael Hays (BBA Teacher of the Year 21-22) students designed a prototype moon shoe "Lunar Loafers". They presented their original design during an event in November 2021 where NASA scientists evaluated their ideas and presentation. At this event, it was suggested that they pursue a patent for their product. Our students were selected to participate in the "Innovation Day" event in April 2022 at the Johnson Space Center. At this final event for the school year, they were awarded 3rd place in addition to winning a National Award for Design and Prototype. BBA has recently been selected by the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) to be a 2022-2023 School of Excellence! BBA was the ONLY school in Richardson and Plano, 1 of 4 in the DFW area, 1 of 7 in the State of Texas, and just 1 of 123 in the entire United States! We are honored to receive this recognition! In 2019, Teresa A. Bronsky, Head of the School, was named a Member of the Continuing Advisory Committee for Special Education. With this appointment, she was able to help formulate the direction that Special Education would take in the state of Texas for the foreseeable future. In July, 2023, Two Teachers from BBA were selected and worked on Proclamation 2024 in Austin, TX to review and provide input for proposed new State Approved TEA Curriculum for Schools for Technology Applications and Personal Finance.

My child attended BBA and we had a most positive experience! They truly meet children where they…read moreare and get them where they need to be. The director, Mike, and his wife, Teresa, were excellent to work with and easy to connect with when needed. The teachers exceeded our expectations and the one time we didn't have a great connection with an instructor, a change was easily made!