Michael Gramling, MS Human Development Consultant
michael.gramling@wku.edu

Michael Gramling, Human Development Consultant, and lifelong social justice advocate, found his professional home in 1979 when he discovered Head Start and embraced its values and its goals - particularly those of enhancing the dignity of families living in poverty and of supporting parents as the primary educator of their children. The body of work he has produced since then reflects his values, his academic training (M.A. in Human Development, Pacific Oaks College) and his real life experiences as Head Start parent, teacher, and manager.

In his current position as a Human Development Consultant at T/TAS, Michael criss-crosses the country working with professionals in the field to develop approaches more responsive to the individual needs of children (particularly those of children who fail to thrive in typical early childhood environments) and more targeted in their support ofparents and their decisive role in the success of their children. Michael is the primary author of the national 2003 Head Start Family Literacy Project training as well as the TTAS publications Positive Approaches to Supervision, and Positive Guidance: Making A Place for Everyone. Most recently, he was honored to be a contributing author to the 2006 Zero to Three publication Learning to Read the World. With his wife and colleague, Teresa Christmas, he home schooled his two youngest children Magnolia and Amelia, and welcomes their company on his travels and their assistance at his training sessions.