Herzberg Educational Services, Inc., a rapidly growing Scottsdale business headed by founder and CEO Dana Stempil Herzberg, M.Ed., today announces the dedication of its private day school, The Jones-Gordon School, in honor of Clare B. Jones, Ph.D., former chairperson of the Arizona Special Education Advisory Board, past president of the Arizona Council for Exceptional Children and the Arizona School Health Association, former director of education for the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, two-term member of the CHADD Professional Advisory Board and CHADD Hall of Famer; and Leonard Gordon, Ph.D., former Arizona State University dean, professor, and chairman, and nationally known sociologist and author.

Throughout twenty years of teaching, tutoring and special education consulting experience in the Phoenix Metropolitan area, Herzberg was time and again frustrated by the lack of appropriate educational opportunities for high-potential students with specific learning differences (e.g. Dyslexia), developmental learning differences (e.g. ADHD, Autism), and those who are considered “twice-exceptional” (intellectually gifted students who also have learning differences). In 2010 she began a private day school in Scottsdale, then called On-Track Academy, in order to fill the need for an educational environment dedicated to these diverse learners. This school, now called The Jones-Gordon School, fosters social, emotional and academic growth and helps students with learning disabilities in first through 12th grades shape their strengths, gifts and talents into advantages uniquely suited for problem solving and critical thinking in the 21st Century.

Diagnosed with learning disabilities in math and reading comprehension while in the fourth grade, Herzberg knows firsthand the academic, social and emotional struggles that come with learning differently. “I believe the kids at our school are heroic; I wanted to recognize my heroes – Dr. Clare Jones and Dr. Len Gordon – by renaming the school in their honor,” explains Herzberg, head of school.

“My advisor, mentor and friend, Clare Jones gave me the confidence to be who I am today and I live my life by her most important principle: make sure that children know themselves for their strengths and not for their challenges,” continues Herzberg. “The Jones-Gordon School embodies that most important aspect of what I learned from Clare—cultivating strengths!”

“My mother dedicated her entire career to educating, empowering and advocating for students with learning and attention issues,” says Lindsay E. Jones, Esq., vice president and chief policy and advocacy officer for the National Center for Learning Disabilities. “She would be proud of Dana for the learning environment she has created at The Jones-Gordon School and thrilled that kids who learn differently have a school choice in Arizona where they are given the opportunity to learn, grow and build on their strengths to succeed academically and in life.”

The Jones-Gordon School’s “whole child” approach to education results in a successful program that provides small class sizes (8 max.) and a 1:3 faculty-to-student ratio; FLEX Hour for acceleration or support; Strategic Connections executive function programming; STEM, 2e, Field Studies, and Community Service programs; and daily Mindfulness practice. Each student’s schedule is customized and therefore uniquely suited to meet his or her needs and guide them on the path to academic and life success.

According to Arizona State University President Michael M. Crow, “Having had the pleasure of knowing and working with Len Gordon, I can’t imagine a more fitting tribute to Len’s extraordinary legacy as an educator.”

“His work at ASU was dedicated to being a change-agent for education and for those involved in education. We all admired his innovative style with respect to tradition and his passion for teaching and writing were evident in all he did,” continues Crow. “Len was a very special man who committed more than 45 years to teaching and service and through his work he touched the lives of so many. It is nice to see his legacy live on through those he impacted.”

“Beyond his numerous awards and extensive accolades as a professor, dean and member of the ASU Senate, Len was a phenomenal person. He was described by everyone who knew him as a ‘beacon of light,’ always seeing the positive and taking every challenge in stride,” recalls Herzberg. “He was a lifetime educator, someone I loved and respected immensely, and a personal hero. Honoring Len was an easy choice,” adds Herzberg. “He loved life, loved academia, loved students, and loved my students. Len inspires me to be a better person each and every day.”

For more information on The Jones-Gordon School: http://www.jonesgordon.org
For more information on On-Track Tutoring: http://www.ottaz.com

About Herzberg Educational Services, Inc.:

Herzberg Educational Services, Inc. (HES) is a rapidly growing Scottsdale, AZ business that includes On-Track Tutoring and The Jones-Gordon School. On-Track Tutoring (OTT), established in 1999, provides home- and site-based tutoring and coaching services to individuals and families. OTT programs are individualized to meet each client’s needs and empower students to discover their strengths and achieve results. Founded in 2010, The Jones-Gordon School (then called On-Track Academy) is a private day school for diverse learners in first through 12th grades. Both organizations employ Dana Herzberg’s proprietary programs: Foundations™, a study skills and organization program that provides students with tools and strategies required for long-term, independent academic and life success; and Strategic Connections, a comprehensive executive function skills program.