Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorna Randle
Lorna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
One day my mother told me to get my butt up and return to school. I felt that I was too old at the time. I was 26, haha. My mother told me to get my butt back in school or else. After giving her many excuses, I enrolled in Houston Community College. I was a paraprofessional at Houston ISD at the time. So, I completed some of my hours there and transferred to the University of Houston Downtown. My degree was in Business Administration with a concentration in Computer Information Systems. After a few years in Corporate America, I realized that returning to education was better for my life. My mother suffered a stroke, and my son was only two years old. She and my father babysat my son. However, I wanted to be there for my mother since she was always there for me. I soon realized I needed to be more flexible and do what I always loved: teaching. During my education journey, I obtained my Master’s and Doctorate from Walden University to better my skills. I retired from Sheldon ISD as a Math Interventionist. I worked with some fantastic administrators and teachers. Yet, I knew it was time to move on and do more to support education. My doctorate focused on teachers’ perceptions of using culturally relevant education to teach middle school mathematics to African American students. My research was so concentrated that I knew I wanted to be able to support teachers and students, especially African American students, in mathematics and reading. I enjoyed 30 years of education and knew my passion was to help all children, especially Black children. I wanted to advocate for Black Children, so I joined the village Black Child Development Institute of Greater Houston under Dr. Deborah Green’s and Dr. T’wala Lochner leadership.
NBCDI and BCDI Greater Houston focus on ensuring Black children’s quality of life improves, they are strong, and they are ready to be productive citizens today. We focus on resources such as books that they can see themselves in, parents’ support in the schools, healthy eating, and being safe on and off of social media.
While working with BCDI Greater Houston, I also began writing, teaching, and presenting a Christian curriculum under the leadership of my Pastor, Rory Thomspon Sr., and my church, Greater First Baptist Church, during our local and state denominational meetings.
My desire to write a book in my heart became stronger and stronger every day. Yet, I didn’t know what I wanted to write about. I didn’t want to write about culturally relevant education because that topic is already saturated. I wanted to write to support children, especially Black Children, in academics. Our children of color, especially our Black Children, are not reading or learning mathematics on grade level as they should. I wanted to write a book allowing parents to read to their children, and eventually, the children could read back to their parents. I wanted to deepen the parent and child relationship. Writing Ganey Teaches was a dream come true. This one was a path that I didn’t think was there, but it was still there. Ganey is my mother. She loved being a grandmother and great-grandmother but wanted to sound cute, so Ganey was her grandmother’s nickname. Cultural relevance is addressed in the book, allowing me to use my doctoral paper, but the love of God is still woven into the book. My first book, Ganey Teaches Counting, focuses on the foundation of understanding the counting concept. I pray everyone will enjoy it. My upcoming book is Ganey Teaches Creation. Look for that coming soon.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life is not smooth, and mine was no exception. When my mother suffered her stroke, that took us all out. My mother was our backbone. I was in my last year at UHD when she suffered the stroke. My mother, Myrtle Randle, was not just my babysitter but also my compass. She would tell me whether I was right or wrong regardless of whether I wanted to hear it. Although my dad was there for my mother, we all still felt the need to be there, especially me. I stayed with my parents forever, haha. I was that daughter who wouldn’t leave even though I was in my 30s. Being a single mother and a caregiver was hard. My son’s father was there, but it is different when both parents are not in the same household. When I finally moved, my mother came to stay with me while my dad worked full-time in Pasadena, Texas. That is when I needed to return to education. I felt God moving me in that direction anyway, but it was faster than I thought. Being a caregiver and raising a child is a struggle that can be scary and rewarding. As my son got older, he supported me to take care of my mother. I realized that I needed to be more available for my mother, which was one of my reasons for retiring. I thank God for my movement. God stayed in my heart, my mind, and my soul. I knew He would direct me more than ever.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Since retiring, I have become an advocate for Black Children. I learned about this organization when I attended Walden University. My doctoral chairperson at the time was Dr. Ruby Burgess, one of the elders of the Institute. She explained the great things the organization is doing to support Black Children. Although I became a member about five years ago, I wanted to be more present in the organization. BCDI Greater Houston is a village of the National Black Child Development Institute. BCDI Greater Houston is an advocacy organization that wants to ensure that children, especially those at the foundational age, receive a strong quality of life. The National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) is located nationwide. It provides information and resources to support families and children that will help children in classrooms, at home, online, and so on. In this organization, I thank God for allowing me to work with people who have the same belief in supporting our Black Children. BCDI Greater Houston has organized parent meetings to inform all parents regarding topics such as the vouchers and 504 information, and we are working on a Literacy Fair this summer to support children in reading. Many meetings are on Zoom, and we upload them to Facebook. What sets me apart from others is my determination. I will not give up or give in. Our children deserve our dedication and loyalty. Dr. Deborah Green and Dr. Lochner are exceptional leaders who allow me to follow my heart in service.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The most essential characteristic is my faith. I trust and believe God will do what He promises He will do. He guides me in all I do, even when I stray. He continues to take care of me and my family. He always places me back on the right path. Life is hard, and it can make you lose your mind. My faith keeps me believing and trusting that it will be okay no matter what happens, especially when life starts lifeing as the younger people say. Situations will not always be perfect. Sometimes, things can get stressful, like not having enough money to pay bills or to promote your book LOL. God always opens doors that will sustain you. To me, faith in God is a characteristic.
Pricing:
- Store.bookbaby.com/book/ganey-teaches-counting
- $16.99
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ganeyteaches?igsh=MWhqYXQ4ZzBnYTQ1NQ==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573204143793
Image Credits
Nicole Lee – She Shoots Photography Family Photos and Graduation Picture
