Ruth Charney, Northeast Foundation for Children co-founder, retired in August from a career spent developing the Responsive Classroom approach and inspiring many teachers through her writing, teaching, and coaching. “Ruth’s contributions have made school a better place for hundreds of thousands of children,” says NEFC executive director Roxann Kriete, “and I’m grateful that she’ll continue those contributions through her writing and some consulting for NEFC.” 

Those Ruth has guided have valued her compassion, humor, deep intelligence, and acute observational skills. Many teachers turn to Ruth’s book Teaching Children to Care for inspiration as well as practical advice. Like all of her writings, this book bespeaks Ruth’s fervent belief in the goodness of children and the efficacy of teachers.

While tending gardens and grandchildren, Ruth affirms that she’ll continue caring deeply about the Responsive Classroom approach. “It has been a proud and cherished life’s work,” she says. “I believe in the capacity of the approach to transform teachers and schools; I have faith in its contributions to educational reform.”

In Ruth’s honor, NEFC has established the Ruth Charney Scholarship Fund. Proceeds will enable attendance at Responsive Classroom institutes for teachers who could not otherwise participate. NEFC also invites teachers to send written remembrances of how the Responsive Classroom approach has touched their lives or the lives of the children they teach—anecdotes, a sample of a child’s hope or dream, or a set of classroom rules. These will be compiled for presentation to Ruth.

Send scholarship contributions to: Ruth Charney Scholarship Fund, Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc., 85 Avenue A, P.O. Box 718, Turners Falls, MA, 01376-0718. Send written remembrances to Helen Merena at the same address until December 15, 2006.

Staff Changes at NEFC

Staff member Paula Denton (on left in photo) recently became manager of program development. Paula’s focus will be the ongoing development and assessment of Responsive Classroom workshops and follow-ups. Paula will design and develop programs herself and also oversee other program development to ensure consistency among our offerings. During her twenty years as an NEFC staff member, Paula has authored Learning Through Academic Choice and co-authored The First Six Weeks of School. She is finishing a book on teacher language, to be published in 2007.

Tina Valentine (on right in photo), a Responsive Classroom consulting teacher since 1996, has joined NEFC as an on-staff senior consulting teacher. “I’m honored and excited,” Tina says. “This is a great opportunity to share the approach with schools around the country.”

Tina worked for nearly twenty-five years in Springfield, Massachusetts, public schools as an administrator, teacher, test coordinator, and Responsive Classroom trainer. Most recently, she was Responsive Classroom coordinator at Kensington Avenue Elementary School.  “We look forward to sharing with schools Tina’s wide breadth of experience and expertise,” says Gretchen Bukowick, manager of Responsive Classroom services.

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