Who We Are

I have been involved in early childhood development and education for many years. From raising teenage foster girls to traveling the country to train early childcare professionals, education is my passion. When I moved to Richmond with my husband and our two daughters, I quickly enrolled my youngest, Melissa, in the Shady Oak Pre-K program. At the time, 2nd – 5th grade was not offered, so my oldest daughter attended a neighborhood elementary school. Melissa was finishing up first grade and was so disappointed that she couldn’t stay at Shady Oak. At that moment, I promised her I would fix this and I did…just a few years after Melissa graduated from college.

While Melissa was enrolled, I began teaching at Shady Oak. The welcoming staff and flexible structure allowed me to implement a variety of programs that are still used there today, including compliment circles, voting stones, and much more. Several aspects of Shady Oak inspired me. Learning through play made a significant impact on the students. The children have so much fun playing and don’t even realize they are learning. They are excited and look forward to coming to school each and every day, making our jobs as teachers and administrators so rewarding. The focus Shady Oak has on the whole child also made an impact on me. Life skills are taught at a young age, which truly helps set Shady Oak students up for success. They learn to work together, how to communicate, and learn how to hold themselves responsible for their actions and be accountable to others. The children are also given choices in their learning so that they are engaged in their education. Unit study subjects are chosen by the students, helping to foster excitement and a love of learning.

It is for these reasons and many more that I came back to Shady Oak as the Primary School Director. I am so excited to be able to offer this high quality education to families in Fort Bend County. We are producing leaders in the community who have a clear understanding of self and are strong team players.

Debbie Elder is the nation’s leader in motivating students to be peak performers! Her varied background has equipped her to deal with any child under any circumstance. While working at the Calgary Young Offender Center, in Alberta Canada, she ran the disciplinary unit that housed males between the ages of 12 – 18 whom had committed very serious crimes. As a therapeutic foster parent she raised teenage girls whom came to her with severe behavioral issues. Debbie was named the Therapeutic Foster Parent of the year in 1993. After moving to Houston, Texas, Debbie worked as a substitute teacher at the local elementary school and spent two years teaching Pre-K.

In 2003 Debbie joined the Appelbaum Training Institute, ATI and traveled the country training behavior management techniques for the classroom. Debbie enjoyed speaking to audiences each week that welcomed 800 – 1200 teachers. She also ran a very unique after school program for students in grades 3 – 12. This particular after school program empowers kids of all ages to take ownership of their school work, develop success strategies and increase their level of self-awareness. At the request of her clients Debbie opened a private school that serviced students in grade 6 – 12. This school taught to the ‘whole child’ using accelerated learning methods coupled with success strategies used by the top producers in Corporate America. The concept proved to be so well received that Debbie opened 14 additional schools across the country over the next 6 years.

In a continued effort to meet the needs of her students, Debbie served as a college planner. The unique process helped parents afford college and ensured the student was ready to be admitted and had the skills to complete college in a timely fashion. In 2013, a former parent of one of Debbie’s students requested that she return to her after school program. He went on to explain to her the profound effect the program had on his family. He shared with Debbie that prior to her program he felt like the ‘Homework Police’ and spent way too much of his time badgering his son to finish his daily assignments. But when Alex had the opportunity to attend Set Them Up For Success – The Homework Hangout all that changed, he came home feeling successful and satisfied with the progress he had made and knowing that all of his homework was complete. Alex and his father enjoyed evenings together without any stress or bickering; family harmony was restored.

Debbie is the owner of the Set Them Up For Success franchise and is looking for passionate people who are ready to make a difference in the lives of the students in their area. Contact Debbie Elder at [email protected] if you are interested in learning more about this opportunity.

Debbie is a passionate international speaker who edutains her audiences. She loves to share her incredible knowledge in simple steps that can be implemented immediately. Her easy going style is loved and accepted by audiences of all ages. She has experience speaking to students, teachers, corporate America, entrepreneurs and people who want to be successful at life!

It’s a true privilege and honor to be able to work at a school like Shady Oak Primary. It is a real blessing to work with such an amazing group of women who are kind and who all share the same desire of “why” we do what we do – which is to inspire students to be the best version of themselves. I love the goal and philosophy at Shady Oak is to develop the whole child – mentally and emotionally. We believe that each student is important and unique as an individual. At Shady Oak we provide a positive, nurturing, safe school environment where students can truly learn, grow, and develop into the best young individuals they can be, both academically and personally.

My name is Brandy Rawls and I am so excited and blessed to be starting another wonderful year at Shady Oak Primary School. In 2010, I graduated from University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and then trained through Region 4 in Early Childhood through 6th Grade and ESL. After graduating, I began working in the private school sector as a Teacher’s Assistant and later as an Art Teacher, P.E. Teacher, 3rd-5th grade ELA, Handwriting, and Yearbook Director. I am currently going into my 6th year as our Assistant Head of School. I prefer working in smaller, private schools as there I can give more one-on-one attention to each child.

I was born and raised in the surrounding Houston area. Currently I live in Richmond with my husband and daughter, Audrey. I look forward to my 8th year as part of the Shady Oak Primary family!

I am incredibly blessed and excited to be teaching with Shady Oak Primary’s team of master administrators and teachers for several years now. Before coming to Shady Oak, I taught a bilingual first grade class (Spanish and English) in Bryan, Texas.

I absolutely love Shady Oak’s relentless commitment to children’s success in all aspects of learning. This school is outstandingly true to its philosophy, and I really see students benefit because of it. They learn through discovery, they build confidence, they gain important values, they learn collaboration skills, and they learn to see themselves and others as valuable, kind people who have the power to make a difference.

I feel that my primary purpose as a teacher is to plant seeds in students’ lives that will help them to grow into capable, contributing, and kind adults.

A few years ago, when I decided to pursue a career in education, I had the opportunity to observe at Shady Oak Primary. Something that has always inspired me is the unique approach the school takes on teaching and learning. One of the most important things I’ve learned as an education major is that no two students learn the same way, so one of the things that I really like about Shady Oak is that teachers are encouraged to meet students at their level and help them direct and decide where they would like their learning to take them. In addition, I love that Shady Oak not only focuses on building a student’s skills mentally, but emotionally as well. Shady Oak Primary promotes a positive school environment where students can truly feel safe and work on becoming their very best self.

My name is Anayvette Haddock. I am so excited and fortunate to be joining the Shady Oak team for a fourth year. I graduated from the University of Houston and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Teaching and Learning, as well as my EC-6 certification. I was born and raised here in Houston and am the youngest in my family. I love to spend time with my husband, family, friends, and dogs Lobo and Sasha.

I am thrilled to join the Shady Oak family this year! As an ELA substitute the past school year, I saw a genuine, committed, and loving partnership among the teachers, students, and parents. The students were excelling academically, socially, and emotionally. I knew I wanted to be part of it!

As an English Language Arts teacher and Reading Specialist, I’ve taught  K-12, gifted students, and court appointed students throughout 15 years. I have been blessed to teach at private, hybrid and co-op schools as I homeschooled our 2 boys. I’ve always taught the whole child with a focus on developing a life long love of learning  By providing experiences, observation, discussion, and exploration, children learn to own their choices, think critically, help others, and challenge themselves. I look forward to being part of your child’s journey.

“Oh!” is perhaps my favorite expression. When a child (or teen, or adult) says, “Oh!” it means that they have discovered something, that they have figured something out. When I discovered the TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) method of art instruction in 2016, I had an, “Oh!” moment myself. I knew I had to bring that teaching method to the students of Shady Oak.  As a facilitator of creativity, my WHY is to hear my art students say, “Oh!” or, “Huh?” or even, “Dude!”  I want to help them know that they have ideas that work and creative, artistic voices that can and should be heard.

If someone had told me back in 1996 that I would grow up to be an Art Teacher, I would have laughed. I was studying to be a engineer, a decidedly non-artsy career. I was into math; I just wasn’t the “creative type.” Fast forward to today, and even though I graduated with that BS in Biomedical Engineering, my career path has taken me in a decidedly different direction. I have been an instructor of children and adults in many different settings over the past 20 years: high school English, Bible Study for teenagers; after-school Science classes; and now finally a classroom art teacher for kids grades 1 – 12. I stepped into the classroom 5 years ago because I wanted my daughter to learn about making art under the TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) philosophy, and I haven’t looked back since! I love it, and I use my background in Engineering to inform my teaching and my own artmaking.

In a TAB Studio, the child is the artist; the role of an instructor is to facilitate the students’ creativity, not to dictate what projects and what style or art they choose to do. Students choose what art projects they work on and what materials they use. They are encouraged to play, to try, and to discover what works and what doesn’t on their own. Students are also prompted to spend more than one class period creating artwork, allowing them a chance to dive deep into the planning and execution of projects in their particular area of interest. TAB programs also include periods of reflection and critique, building confidence and community in the classroom.

I believe that the greatest power of artmaking lies in the process more than the product. As such, I am an active arts advocate in the local and national level. I serve on the board of ARTreach, an arts-based non-profit that brings the arts to underserved communities in Fort Bend County and surround areas. Through this organization, I have been able to facilitate art activities for kids at Attack Poverty/Friends of North Richmond and seniors at the Mamie George Community Center’s “Creative Aging” room. I am also a member of Fort Bend Recovers, the long term disaster recovery collaborative. As a part of the Behavioral Health workgroup, I have helped create “The Harvey Experience,” a memorial arts event held in August 2018, on the the one-year anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Harvey. I have spoken about the arts and creativity at Art, Education, and Disaster Recovery conferences in Texas in California. I am also a staff writer for Circle Painting, a California-based arts organization and have been published in School Arts Magazine.

Pablo Picasso is quoted as saying, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” The TAB classroom prepares students to be problem creators AND problems solvers, communicators and collaborators, creative and critical thinkers. Not every child will pursue a career in art, but they will leave my classroom knowing that they are creative beings with huge imaginations, that they are full of grit and gristle and that they can apply the habits and practices they’re learned in art to every other part of their lives.

After touring Shady Oak Primary, I decided that it would be perfect for me. My name is Deborah DeWitty. I am very excited to have been given the opportunity to work with your children in the Extended Day Program again. I am a grandmother of three and most recently my two youngest grandchildren lived with me for two years while their mother was working out of state.

Our home always seemed to be the gathering place for the neighborhood kids. My youngest grandchildren were seven and fourteen at the time. Although my grandchildren have been gone for two years, I still seem to attract the younger neighborhood kids whenever I am outside.

I love engaging children and I look forward to working with yours!

Shady Oak Primary provides students the time and freedom to develop social, emotional, and academic habits in age-appropriate ways. I am passionate about each child’s success and feel that by adults in their lives discovering their interests, what helps them feel comfortable, and learning how they best express themselves, children can achieve their goals. The unique learning opportunities this school provides bring out each child’s strengths; a glorious sight to behold!

I am delighted to return for my sixth year at Shady Oak Primary! I am currently a teacher assistant, music teacher, and choir director. The 2023-2024 school year is my 17th year in primary education. I started in public school as a classroom aide for Special Education students. I received my certification as a Special Education teacher four years prior to coming to Shady Oak Primary as the first and second-grade teacher of Math, Science, and social skills, along with being choir director for several years. I have the luxury of enjoying evenings, weekends, and holidays with my family. My interests include dogs,  music, theater, and travel. I look forward to another fun-filled year supporting each child with becoming their best selves!

I am excited to join the incredible team at Shady Oak Primary this year as a Math and Science facilitator. I have taught 32 year in 1st-6th grade both self-contained and blocked. I spent the last 12 years as a Science Specialist working to build master teachers. I retired and enjoyed two years of traveling and becoming a first time grandmother.

I learned about Shady Oak and their unique approach to education and knew I had to be part of such a positive environment. Their philosophy of nurturing the whole child perfectly aligns with my own philosophy. I love the way the children are given ownership of their learning and the self-confidence that evolves from this approach. Learning should be fun and it can be at Shady Oak Primary.

I am very excited to join the wonderful staff of Shady Oak Primary School as the Community Outreach and Digital Marketing Coordinator. I have a degree and work experience in Public Relations, Marketing as well as Print and Web Design. I worked at a small Marketing and Design Agency in Houston after graduating from college in 2008 until my oldest daughter was born in 2013.

I have a deep passion for Shady Oak— its core values, the administration, teachers and students. I have first hand experience of its unmatched qualities. My own children have attended Shady Oak schools since 2018 when my oldest began Kindergarten. I will sing this program’s praises to anyone who will listen. Mix my passion for this school and my experience in marketing and you have the perfect job for me! I have also served Shady Oak in several different capacities from room mom to PTA board member and I am looking forward to this new role.

I am originally from Lubbock, Texas and Texas Tech University is where I met my husband, Aaron, of 15 years. We have 3 kids Peyton, Avery and Caleb. They are 3 very different, beautiful, confident, capable and equipped Shady Oak-raised kids! We recently added a Mini Goldendoodle named Archie to the Fry Crew! When I am not at church, the school or shuffling my kids to swim team or soccer practice, you can find me on date nights, shopping in any of the fabulous downtown local Richmond shops, meeting friends for coffee, running, reading or journaling!