Meet Founder & Consultant Chris McCourtney
Christian McCourtney knows not all children flourish in the lane they are in. As a twenty year veteran of public schools and father of four boys (yes four!), Chris has had a front row seat both professionally and personally to how school systems work for some — but not for all.
As a permanent student of learning in both his professional career and in parenthood, Mr. McCourtney has developed the academic tools to instruct, guide and grow the full spectrum of learners.
“We can’t help educate a child if we don’t see them, listen to them, and learn about them first.”
That’s why Mr. McCourtney has now founded Onward Upward — to provide a personal, hands-on approach that empowers & supports children and their parents to forge their own, unique educational path that suits them.
As a former district leader, Mr. McCourtney has experience and expertise navigating educational organizations, their systems, services, successes and faults. He understands the strengths and the limitations of schools. And Chris is positioned and equipped to put your child on their unique pathway to fulfillment.
“I have seen first-hand what a change in environment, culture, philosophy & purpose can have on a child’s psyche and their trajectory through life.”
Mr. McCourtney wants you and every parent out there to know you are not alone. He’s been you. He is you. And his extensive educational background means he knows how to help you. Just like he found an amazing, more appropriate pathway out there for his own child, Chris is ready to do the same for you & yours. As Chris would say, “This is personal — just as it should be.”
Hear His Own Personal Story
Throughout kindergarten, it became apparent our son was struggling to read. It began with conversations with his team. The aggregated and disaggregated data, percentile rankings and raw scores all seemed so impersonal. I didn’t see Blake in there, and while I was busy looking for him, searching for him, he was continuing to struggle in school and beginning to lose himself. He had lost his sense of pride, the confidence to approach others, the willingness to get on the bus — and worst of all that twinkle in his eye.
The solutions on the table did not appear to address the priorities. And I knew right then we needed do things differently. A unique educational pathway created just for him had to be pursued.
After an arduous process of researching programs and schools, interviewing teachers and administration, testing and evaluations, we settled on a new pathway for Blake. He began 1st grade in a new school. Almost immediately we realized Blake experienced a fundamental change to his life. Seen, heard, and understood, he is now thriving.
Embarrassingly, I honestly didn’t realize how bright and capable he was until he found his voice. His unique educational pathway gave him a new and pure sense of confidence, one that he has ridden to grow a deeper sense of self as evidenced by a recent comment. “I’m different, and I like that about me.”
And in this whole process, Blake taught me an invaluable lesson and one that will continue to guide my practice and my parenting — A child is not a problem to be solved or an entity to be defined by labels. They are not objects to be bent and conform to abstract or inappropriate expectations. They are individuals to discover and celebrate.