Latasha Dorsey was ten years old when she saw firsthand how an elementary school system unwittingly failed a special needs student.
Her brother, Clements, who is one year older, had a learning disability and was held back a grade.
“It broke my heart when he was held back, and I caught up to him in third grade,” Dorsey said. “He stayed back another year, and then I went to middle school and left him behind in elementary school.” By then, she was two grades ahead of her brother.
Clements struggled to read and was later diagnosed with dyslexia. Dorsey, who grew up in a single-parent home in Abbeville, Louisiana, became her older brother’s tutor.
She spent time with Clements, doing phonics, breaking down the letters of the alphabet and their sounds to help him learn to read. Dorsey used marbles to teach her brother the basics of math.
Tutoring her brother, who ultimately caught up with his peers in middle school, showed Dorsey that she could find creative ways to help kids learn and succeed.
From a small town in Louisiana to playing point guard and earning All-American honors at top-ranked Louisiana State University, to playing in the WNBA for the Detroit Shock, to successfully coaching a high school basketball team in Louisiana to three District championships (and being named Coach of the Year), and then coaching at Western Kentucky University, Latasha Dorsey has come full circle to where her true passion lies — nurturing, challenging and inspiring children as Greenbelt Elementary School’s new principal.
Dorsey says she plans to apply what she learned while tutoring her older brother, who now runs a successful trucking company, and what she gained as a women’s basketball coach to help Greenbelt students build a foundation for excellence that will help them succeed in life.
“I learned very early on that you have to empower people to recognize their own talents and gifts,” Dorsey said. As a coach, “I would look for the positives in everyone’s skill set. Magic Johnson did that when he played. It didn’t matter who he played with, he always made them feel like they were the best.”
As an educator, she said, “I still lead that way. Focus on each student’s strength, and then enhance their areas of growth.”
Dorsey’s enthusiasm is contagious. She acknowledges her good fortune in working at a school with strong parent and community involvement. Several initiatives to improve students’ academic performance and self-esteem are already underway.
A colorful, brightly lit vending machine is the first thing visitors notice as they enter the Greenbelt Elementary School lobby. But instead of junk food and sugary soft drinks, the Readers are Leaders vending machine dispenses books.
Students will receive a token on their birthday, which they can use to buy a book. Later, Dorsey explained, teachers will award tokens when students meet reading-related academic goals. Good behavior will also earn a token.
The vending machine aligns with the school’s commitment “to inspire students to love reading,” Dorsey told the News Review. “We tell them that in books, you can use your imagination, dream big and maybe one day write your own book.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the book vending machine was held in early September. “When the kids pass by the vending machine, they ask, ‘When am I going to get MY books?’ The kids are really excited,” Dorsey said.
The Parent Teacher Association at Greenbelt Elementary, Dorsey said, takes the initiative to bridge school district funding gaps by organizing a book-sale fundraiser each year during Greenbelt’s Labor Day Festival. “They broke fundraising records that will support our needs at Greenbelt Elementary, including recess equipment,” Dorsey said.
When it comes to addressing the challenges teachers face in supporting students’ unmet social and emotional needs, Dorsey said she decided to take action when she began her new role as principal by listening to what the Greenbelt Elementary educators were saying.
“I asked the staff for input on systems and structures. Before making any changes or moves, I committed to listening first. Learn, then lead. I met with the class leaders and our chairpersons over the summer to ensure they felt seen and heard. They were grateful. It’s about working collaboratively to move forward.”
To improve teamwork, enhance student success and advance the educators’ goals, the Greenbelt Elementary School Instructional Leadership Team now holds weekly meetings with students, parents and teachers.
“We call it a Three by Three by Three,” said Dorsey. “We interview three students, three staff members and three parents. We’re learning by hearing what they need. We’re asking, ‘How can we support you in being successful and having the best possible experience at Greenbelt Elementary?’ Then it’s my job to take that data and create resources and opportunities to make that a reality.”
Dorsey said she appreciates the Greenbelt community’s help. Meanwhile, extra help is always welcome.
“Get involved. Join our PTA. Volunteer. We have opened the door for ‘Room Parents’ at our school, who support the teacher by making copies or recruiting more volunteers for field trips. We want to see them in the building. We want them to be active participants in our students’ experiences.”
