To explain what Danielle means to me, I need to go back a bit.
I grew up on the East Coast during the 1980s in a well-resourced public school system. I also grew up with an older brother who has a learning difference, which meant I learned early on how uneven and unjust our educational system can be. I remember my brother being frequently upset and carrying a constant sense of being made to feel less than. While a few teachers went out of their way to make him feel like he belonged and mattered, it seemed that this was the exception.
One summer, when I was ten and my brother was fourteen, he attended a camp at Landmark School. I knew it was designed to support kids with learning differences, but I didn’t fully understand what that meant at the time. What I do remember—clearly, even decades later—is the day we picked him up. He was happy and at ease in a way I had never seen. Without fully grasping what he had experienced, that moment showed me what an equitable education for students with learning differences could look like.
I am now an educator myself, and I feel fortunate not only to understand learning differences, but to understand how deeply they shape a student’s sense of self. That awareness has profoundly influenced how I teach and how I engage with students.
When we learned several years ago that our daughter was dyslexic—and as we began to encounter barriers to getting her the support she needed—I didn’t hesitate. I immediately started looking for a school like Landmark. At the time, we were living in Oakland, and I had no idea what options might exist nearby. I just knew I needed to find a place where my daughter would be treated fairly, seen for who she was, and feel a sense of belonging. I began building spreadsheets, researching schools, and trying to imagine how we could make it work. That’s when I came across Chartwell and added it to my list—uncertain, but hopeful.
In September or October of 2021, we joined a Zoom meeting with Danielle. What struck me right away was how warm and grounded she was. She wasn’t trying to sell us something, as so many other schools had. Instead, she listened carefully, answered our questions, and helped us truly understand what Chartwell was about.
Within a month, we were in Seaside visiting Chartwell with our then six-year-old daughter. As we walked around campus, I found myself struggling to keep my emotions in check. Danielle noticed and gently reassured me. Not long after that visit, our daughter underwent surgery on both of her eyes, and we received an email from Chartwell addressed directly to her, simply wishing her well. That small act of care meant more than I can say.
From the very beginning, the warmth and attentiveness Danielle and the Chartwell community showed made a deep impression on our daughter. After her shadow day, she immediately asked when she could start.
It is now more than four years since our initial Zoom meeting, and it is my daughter’s fourth year at Chartwell. We have never looked back. Danielle has continued to convey that same tone of kindness, care, and belonging that we experienced from our very first contact. Because of her—and the rest of the Chartwell community—our family, and especially our child, has felt welcomed, understood, and truly at home at Chartwell.