Our Services

A Message from Our Executive Director, Stephen Crook

I grew up in rural upstate New York, graduating high school with approximately 60 other students.  In those early years, I wasn’t entirely sure which direction I wanted to go with my career, but soon after I began my coursework at Cornell University, everything began to click.  I found myself fascinated with human development and psychology, and found summer opportunities to align with this intrinsic interest.  I completed my Bachelor’s in Human Development and Family Studies and then continued on to complete my Master of Arts in Developmental Psychology.  One of my first opportunities to begin working with families and youth was through the William George Agency for Children’s Services in upstate New York as a Residence Director, where I began to better understand the value of community and teamwork.

Due to life circumstances, I made a move to North Carolina where I was fortunate to find a position as a Therapeutic Teacher at the Lucy Daniel’s Center, a non-profit school for children with significant social and emotional needs.  In hindsight, this is where I truly began to find my calling, and learned a tremendous amount about the power of community, kindness, and human compassion.

When I was planning a move to California, I found AchieveKids in my job search.  The mission and values of AchieveKids jumped out to me, and I recall the excitement of applying for the position of School Director for the San Jose Campus.  I vividly remember interviewing with Dr. Ryan Eisenberg, Jean Spurr, and many of the AchieveKids team members; their passion for special education and pride in their work was powerful.  During my 4 years in this role, my commitment to AchieveKids deepened, and I attribute that to the power of a community working towards a common goal.

Community can mean a lot of things, but at its foundation, community, to me, means a place of belonging and acceptance where an individual can feel safe, secure, and open to sharing, listening, and learning.   We all play a role in cultivating the community and culture we strive to see, and the mission and core values of AchieveKids drives our approach.  We meet students where they are, work to understand everyone’s unique strengths and needs, and focus on developing skills to support greater independence and self-understanding.

Our AchieveKids team members, families, and district partners all work incredibly hard, and everyone deserves a community of support, positivity, and understanding.  I have learned the power of a leader who values community and inclusion, and this has been core in shaping the person I strive to be today.  AchieveKids is a wonderful organization, and I am humbled and proud to have the opportunity to step into the role of Executive Director, and to build on the decades of success in supporting our larger community.

Thank you,

Stephen Crook, M.A.