August 4, 2009

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am pleased to announce that after 25 years of directing Educational Services Associates (ESA), I have decided to restructure the organization so that I can spend more of my time and energy consulting with parents, schools, and professionals, and less managing the business. Specifically, starting on September 1st, 2009, learning specialists will provide their services as independent practitioners sharing our office suite rather than as employees.

So what will change? As private practitioners, the specialists will do their own scheduling and handle their own billing, so your checks will be made payable to them instead of to ESA. Going forward, you will hear directly from your particular specialist concerning his or her offering of services. In the meantime, the specialists have asked me to let you know that their basic fee will be $90 an hour for once weekly services and $80 an hour if your child is seen more frequently.

What will remain the same? Most everything else! The specialists will still see students in ESA’s office suite and share educational resources. ESA’s phone and fax numbers will stay the same and I will immediately forward correspondence to the appropriate person. The suite’s emergency line, 510-873-0801 x2, will function the same as it does currently; that is, as a means for you to report last-minute changes or other emergencies. Please remember that this line has no voice mail, and that calling it does interrupt someone’s session. Also note that the after-hours front door buzzer rings this same number.

As is the case now, I will split my time between Educational Services Associates and my psychotherapy practice, with offices in San Rafael and Oakland, where I see adults, couples, and families. At ESA, I will still consult with families struggling to identify, understand, and address their children’s needs. I will schedule my own appointments, and invoices for my services will still come from and be payable to ESA. And yes, Alyson Spencer-Reed, who has been with us for 6 years, will continue in her capacity as Director of Operations for Gordon & Heller, Inc., and as such will be your contact for ESA billing questions.

On a personal note, I couldn’t be more excited! This feels like the right move to make at the right time. I am proud of the quality of service being provided by my soon-to-be office-mates, and I look forward to working with them in this new format. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by phone, at 510-873-0801, or by email, at agordon@edservices.org.

With warmth and enthusiasm,

Ann Gordon, Ph.D.