Welcome

A Message from Douglas W. Hamilton, Head of School

Welcome to Lawrence School! It is a pleasure to introduce you to our dynamic, inclusive, and joyful learning community. Lawrence is a special place where every student is known (and known well), where on-campus connections feel like family, where dreaming big is highly encouraged, and where we care deeply about every learner who enters our halls. 

At Lawrence, we ignite our student’s potential—we help them improve in areas of weakness and shine in areas of strength. This has been true since the school's founding more than 50 years ago. 

Like many schools for students with learning differences, our story began with a teacher—a passionate educator who saw a better way to teach and was joined by parents who held the same vision. Dr. Kenneth Oldman, a professor at Case Western Reserve University, first developed an after-school literacy program for struggling readers. Over the years, this program changed shape, location, and name until finally, in 1993, it became Lawrence School. Five decades later, Lawrence has:

• Grown into a dual-campus institution with locations in Broadview Heights and Sagamore Hills
• Become a nationally-regarded voice in the education of students who learn differently
• Developed CodeBreakers, a highly effective, Orton-Gillingham based reading curriculum
• Hired and continually trained expert faculty
• Served the broader community through our assessment and tutoring outreach center, and
• Secured an endowment valued at over $1M

And, most importantly, we’ve helped thousands of students from communities all over Northeast Ohio overcome academic obstacles. I get goosebumps when I imagine where Lawrence School might be in another fifty years! Although much has changed since 1969, our fundamental approach to teaching students remains as relevant now as ever. Lawrence students find their voice, close their achievement gaps, and succeed in the classroom and beyond.

As an educator with big dreams myself, I could not be more proud to lead this School. I look forward to meeting you and your family!