ABOUT
Let's get to the root, together.
Building relationships with families and students to create an educational experience in which all students thrive.
AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO YOU KNOW.
Every family, student, and school experience is unique and so are your needs. That's why I value listening and building relationships.
We begin with a free initial session to learn about you, your goals and aspirations, and share how we can design a plan customized for you.
UNDERSTAND THE ACADEMIC ECOSYSTEM.
I understand the inner workings of the school system. I have been a teacher, counselor, coach, school leader and education professor who has worked in public, private, charter, small, medium, rural and urban schools.
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My background gives me the lens of knowing the difference between mediocre and excellence.
GIVE YOUR
STUDENTS A VOICE.
I have worked with students from every age and demographic.
It's a wide range of students who have struggled for years or some that are ready to fly but are forced to keep pace with the middle. There are also students who go unnoticed while others are expected to be perfect and make no mistakes.
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My belief is that at the root every student wants to feel successful, find their path, and be proud of themselves.
Dr. Heather Pressley
Founder and creator of The Root Collaborative, Dr. Pressely has poured over 25+ years of educational experience into a company dedicated to helping families and students thrive in the academic space.
She brings a broad range of skills having dedicated her time as a middle and high school teacher, co-founder of an experiential school, charter school leader, adjunct professor at Harvard and Columbia, equity coach, and senior leader in a national non-profit.
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Needless to say, Dr. Pressley has seen and dealt with just about any issue relating to student care in the school system.
Education & Experience
1994 - 1995
Obtained EmD in Teaching & Learning from Harvard University
1995 - 2000
Classroom Teacher
2001 - 2006
Founding team member for experiential learning school in Colorado.
Lead teacher- middle school humanities, history
Designed scope and sequence for experiential learning curriculum & led multiple trips outside classroom.
2006 - 2008
Full-time public school Educator at Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools in Charlotte, NC.​
2008 - 2011
Obtained PhD from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
While a full-time doctoral student, she developed an year-long program, “Literacy through Photography” at CMS alternative school in which students shared experiences through photography and writing.
This research informed her doctoral dissertation on student motivation and attachment to school including recommendations for structural improvements.
2011 - 2014
School leader in a Charter School in Charlotte, NC.
2014 - 2018
Senior VP of Girls on the Run, International Non-Profit, located in Charlotte, NC.
​Focused on girls experience of the program and creating a more responsive and equitable curriculum.
2018 - Present
Launched The Root Collaborative in 2018, and The Root 2.0 in 2020 with a focus on post-pandemic related school issues.
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100% focus on family and student post-pandemic school experience and working from the “outside in” to address root causes .