Richard recently wrote this post about us on the Running For Ayrie website:

How it all started…

Richard here. My career in education has taken me from mid-Missouri to the nation’s capital, with a number of stops in between. Much as I’ve enjoyed the work, I’ve really enjoyed the people I’ve met along the way, from my students in Philadelphia to the folks at the U.S. Department of Education. My first education job in Chicago was great, but I’m much more grateful that I met Nora through our work with a group of charter schools in Chicago.

I moved to Chicago about 3 years ago after a stint teaching middle school in Philadelphia. I wanted to stay involved in education and the world of charter schools intrigued me. Nora was the director of data for a network of charter schools and she was kind enough to give me a part-time job doing some basic assessment and analysis work. To this day, Nora is the best manager I ever had, a great mix of setting high expectations, but being very open to feedback and criticism, a rarity among most managers.

Anyway, I’ll always be thankful to Nora for hiring me and inviting me into her family and social circle. She and the boys are fun, hilarious, and inspiring, not to mention her uber-crafty sister and braniac brother-in-law!