TJS Founder Dr. Jerome Rosner

Founders of The Joy School at the School's groundbreaking ceremony (Left to Right):
Head of School Shara Bumgarner, Dr. Jerome Rosner, Patti Melcher

The late Dr. Jerome Rosner was instrumental in bringing the fledgling idea of The Joy School to fruition, in great part because of his innate ability to make even the most daunting task seem possible.

Throughout more than forty years researching learning difficulties in children, he helped parents and teachers see that proper intervention could help children overcome delayed developmental skill-sets that can make school so difficult.

Head of School Shara Bumgarner recalls Dr. Rosner’s simple, yet profound, advice regarding struggling students: “Just teach them.” He didn’t point to a proven program or specialized technique. He simply stated the obvious and made it clear that it is the teacher’s job to figure out what would be most helpful for each student.

While many friends of The Joy School had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Rosner on a personal level, some did not. We hope you will take just a minute to recognize a life well-lived, one that has a left a legacy of a school for hundreds of children he viewed as possibilities rather than problems. Truly, his strong belief in the power of a great teacher and the limitless potential of children, given the right environment and support, is one we hope to carry on in his honor through the work of The Joy School.