Anita Speck
4-Day West & JK-West Lead Teacher (she/her)
When I came to Park West as a student teacher, in 1983, it was inspiring to have deep, lengthy discussions about how kids learn, and to realize how seriously staff at Park West took their commitment to supporting children’s learning. I was thrilled to be hired and taught part-time while my daughter and three sons were young, and full-time once my youngest started kindergarten. I feel very fortunate to have collaborated and learned with such serious-minded professionals over the years, with the support of parents who so generously contribute to our program with their active participation. We’ve always had diverse ages and genders on staff, providing various perspectives and points of view, and I’m proud now that my own daughter Amanda has become my colleague. Young children are all so unique that despite teaching for over three decades, every day feels new. I never know just what kids will say, or what they might be thinking, and I’m honored to be privy to their fresh and unaffected ideas. They always make me think, and smile, and sometimes even laugh out loud.
Credentials 1: DePaul University: Early Childhood Education
Credentials 2: Certificates: Early Childhood Education, NAEYC Icon Member
Favorite book: The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant