The head of Assets School knows challenges firsthand

As a child, Paul Singer experienced developmental delays that undermined both his academic progress and his sense of self-worth.

It was no mean triumph, then, that Singer went on to earn a college degree.

That Singer, now 65, is the head of one of the most unusual and progressive schools in the state would be even more remarkable were it not for how utterly fitting it is.

“When I first visited the school, I saw 340 kids who reminded me of myself,” says Singer, who is in his eighth year as head of school for Assets School.

Singer grew up in Pittsburgh, the youngest of three children. He didn’t speak his first word until age 3 and struggled with dyslexia, a speech impediment and other undiagnosed learning challenges throughout his grade-school years.

“When you have that kind of experience by age 10, you convince yourself that you’re not as good as everyone else and that you are inherently inferior,” he said.

Fortunately, Singer found himself constantly in the presence of those who recognized his untapped potential — from his parents to his high school dean, to his professors at California State University-Northridge and the University of Southern California.

Singer’s success story seemed complete when he returned to CSUN as a lecturer and later assumed the helm at the Country School in Valley Village, Calif., where he is credited with promoting diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion over a transformative 30-year tenure.

In 2008, Singer left the Country School to take over at Assets, a move dictated as much by the heart as the head.

At Assets, Singer has found endless opportunity to nurture, develop and in many cases repair the lives of bright, young people who have had difficulty succeeding in other environments due to dyslexia and other language-based learning differences.

“A lot of the kids who come here late come in damaged,” Singer said. “They’ve experienced anger, apathy and despair. Try waking up with that every day and trying to be a learner.”

Through integrated learning programs, professional outreach and a philosophy of unconditional acceptance, the school ultimately produces confident students who are empowered to seek whatever accommodations they might need to continue their learning at the college level.

Just this year, Singer and Kamehameha Schools counterpart Jack Wong collaborated on a new pilot scholarship program through which qualified Kamehameha students are able to receive the specialized assessment, instruction and enrichment available at Assets.

“Our kids are brilliant,” Singer says. “And because they don’t think like everybody else, they will be the ones who will help lead us in new directions.”

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.