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By Kellee Jordan
Telegram Reporter 

Logan's Learning Lab, Desiree found a need and filled it

 

Desiree Bailey and her son Logan. He was one of her first students

Logan's Learning Lab is a private tutoring company birthed from COVID. "I'm really into mental health, education," says Desiree Bailey, baby sister of three, two-degree holder, mother of one and one world leader in the making in mental health and education. "I always had a passion, always loved learning, always loved reading," says Bailey, APA Therapist and Behavior Interventionalist.

Bailey is furthering her education at Wayne State University. As she claims connecting with others is "God's gift to me," and based on the series of events in Bailey's life her direction continuously leads her down a path of education and mental health. After graduating from Michigan School of Psychology with her master's degree, a coordinator that she interned with offered her a position to work in education as a resource teacher in 2019. Bailey was first hesitant and resistant of the position. "Being a resource teacher is different from a general teacher, this more so catering to their individual educational plan (IEP)." Resource teachers are responsible for pulling students from the general setting or pushing into the classroom to work with the student. "From that I saw the students' needs weren't being met. There was a lot of cognitively impaired students in the general education setting," says Bailey, who made a curriculum that would better service the students. "I'm noticing that the reason this child may be behaving this way because they are having such a hard time in the classroom. "She had to teach the curriculum herself because no other teacher was available.

Bailey received great praise for what she did, and it helped the students. "It built their confidence and their willingness to learn because it was like, 'oh I can understand something," says Bailey. Schools have certain national standards in which teachers must teach a certain method and students must learn it that way. "All of that is fine and dandy but if a student doesn't learn this way you're doing them a disservice, "Bailey creates a way students can understand what is going on than introduce the way national standards want it taught and learned for standardized testing.

"Seeing the need in our Black and Brown babies," is what influences her to keep going. In summer 2020, Bailey began tutoring her son Logan, her nephew, nieces, friends' kids, and kids in the community. Once the school year began again Bailey kept tutoring.

"We know that cognitively African Americans are wired differently. Black people are wired differently, our brains, there is a whole chemical makeup. Just the way we speak, our vernacular. Our decline of success has a lot to do with what we are experiencing traumatically in our community. If you don't understand what this kid is going through, this is what this kid is dealing with then you don't understand what's going on with them in the classroom. Have some empathy. There is a lack of empathic understanding in our classrooms and so that's why I got into education."

Bailey who was first against this position have found love in her position and decided to make a business from this passion for education, thus came Logan's Learning Lab, rising from the ashes of the Covid effect on schooling."Covid set us back so bad, virtual learning set us back so bad, we sent kids that got their meals, some of these kids' main meals came from being at school. Their social interactions, emotional learning came from interactions with the school. Some people are hands on and need up close and personal, that one on one dealing and they were at home with others to be distractions." Bailey continuously tutored all 2020 and 2021 while simultaneously praying, "I need another stream of income," as she modestly would tell people she tutored. Soon she realized the other stream of income was there the whole time and she began making her business Logan's Learning Lab flourish. The business officially launched January 17, 2021 as a tribute to Bailey's late cousin. Since then, Bailey has not stopped building her company.

In 2021 she held 200 sessions. "And its literally just me, I'm the tutor," she says. Bailey does it all she is the tutor, manager and handles the paperwork. She has got so good with running this business she has started a non-profit, Project S.E.A.M.S, Supporting Education and Mental Health. This will ensure funding and flow of business in terms of educational support and mental support. "We get the grant, we get the funding, when they say our insurance won't cover."

Bailey herself has had some challenges and is super busy, "I literally would make it work. Because I feel it. I get chills." She is still in school, a mother, has lost grandparents, experience break ups, keeps her son involved in activities, co-parenting, she socializes, had a breast health scare but says, "I'm still head fast; I got my foot to the pavement. That's the only way I know I'm still going and the reason I'm like hey I'm not sick of this is because this is what I want to do, what I got to do."

Bailey wants everyone to know "I didn't know the first thing about business, I've never taken a business class, I don't know nothing. I literally did all researching, networking, research, asking, network, paid for classes." She paid $200 or so for a class helping use different platforms for flyers, logos, business cards and such interest.

"If this is in any way inspires someone to come on board, literally I feel like this is what we need," says Bailey whose results, and student progress speaks for itself.

"If they heard about, if they understand whats going on and want to be a part of a change that's going to be so great, please hit me up. I need it, I need help, I need us foot to ground, I need us hitting the pavement making this difference. It's going to flourish, God said more anyway," says Bailey.

Logan's Learning Lab is all year round. This summer you can sign your child up for tutoring Monday through Friday. Visit loganslearninglab.com for more information.

 

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