.
DEBORAH YALANGO

Deborah McNally Yalango is an English Language Arts (ELA) teacher and attendance coordinator at Port Richmond High School.

"When I began working, my goal and purpose, I thought, was planning the best possible academic lessons for my students, and that is what I did. As time went on, though, I realized that there are many issues in today's struggling world that make educating, and being educated, an immense challenge," she said.

This realization prompted Ms. Yalango to become involved in programs to engage lower performing students, including The Literacy Program and The Ramp-Up Program, and eventually becoming a conflict resolution specialist

As the attendance coordinator at Port Richmond, she developed the At-Promise (A-P) program for students who for various reasons are struggling with attendance.

"These are kids who want to be in school; they don't want to be lazy; they want to feel good about themselves; they don't want to wake up in the morning and confront the emotional conflict that keeps them from being able to focus long enough to learn," she explained.

Claire Gray, an A-P student, said she is grateful to Ms. Yalango for taking an interest in her education. "Before I was transferred to the A-P program, I was a failing student, dangerously close to dropping out. I've been in Mrs. Yalango's class only since October and already my grades are soaring," Ms. Gray said.