About the Author
When writing this book, Dr. Anderson was the first African American assistant superintendent in the fourth largest school district in Missouri. As assistant superintendent, her role included overseeing the desegregation program in Rockwood and leading initiatives aimed at eliminating the achievement gap. In March 2005, she became the first African American and the first female superintendent of the Montgomery County Public Schools in Virginia, home of Virginia Tech. Her career started as a teacher in urban and suburban school districts, and at the age of 25 she became the youngest principal in Missouri to lead Clark Academy, an inner city school in St. Louis. Dr. Anderson has demonstrated that successful outcomes for high poverty students can occur in any setting. When writing this book, Dr. Anderson lived in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband and two children. The book was written based on her classroom experiences. Dr. Anderson now resides in Virginia. Under her tenure as superintendent in Virginia, achievement gaps in racial and low socioeconomic subgroups have been eliminated. Dr. Anderson also owns The Parent Teacher Supply Store which can be visited in the New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg Virginia or online at http://www.parentteachersupplystore.com/.