Far across town from the Institute of Technology and Academics, lives a 15-year-old girl who has been in desperate straits. Her parents struggle with drug addiction, she cannot read and she has resorted to cutting herself to cope with her unhappy life. Things are changing for her, though, and it is all because of one confident, big-hearted eighth-grader at ITA who can relate to her friend’s life, but can see a better one on the horizon. This eighth-grader is Amya, and she has become the confidant, counselor and friend of this desperate teen who has looked to her younger neighbor…

There was a time when Bernetta Dokes was in denial. She didn’t want to believe that any of her children had special needs that would impede their academic success. But in the middle of his elementary years, her son Adam was not reading at the rate that would be expected for his age. He was tested, and later diagnosed with a reading disability. “He was almost embarrassed about it,” she said of her son when his difficulties were identified. “He went into a shell and became withdrawn.” But this year, Adam has taken strides that Bernetta didn’t think were possible.…

MADISON –On Monday evenings, a handful of parents gather at Lighthouse Christian School to better understand the vital role they play in the successful education of their children. One of them, Marcia Vinveza, joins her colleagues after a day working in a nearby factory. The single mother of a third-grader says she chooses Lighthouse Christian School because the school has earned her trust. It’s a safe place where her daughter, Kiara, will not be overlooked. But Lighthouse leaders aren’t only focusing on the students, says Principal Tia Sierra. If children truly are to grow in their learning, parents need to understand their…