Starr Stixrud, M.Ed. (she/her/hers)
Client Care Manager
I have worked as an early childhood teacher, the practice manager and then executive director of The Stixrud Group, a partner in Stixrud Educational Consulting, and, since the spring of 2018, a Client Care Manager at The Stixrud Group. I love what I do and I find it infinitely interesting. I believe that I have a career which matches my skills in a manner that is helpful and important to parents, children and teachers. As Bill Stixrud’s partner in founding and running The Stixrud Group, I can look back at those 28 years and feel that we managed a company which was respectful of the professionals who worked with us and met the highest business and professional standards. Many of the persons I hired continue to work at The Stixrud Group, continuing on with its unparalleled professional and ethical standards. My “tag line”, which sums up my philosophy as a leader of the Stixrud Group, would be: “Every child or client who comes to our group should be treated exactly as if they were your own child or the child of your best friend”.
Starr was an early child teacher for the first 15 years of her career. She worked closely with Dr. Stixrud since he founded this practice in 1985. In the fall of 1990, She became the executive director of The Stixrud Group, a position she held until the spring of 2018, when she and Dr. Stixrud sold the practice to Drs. Namazi and Hammond. Since then, Starr has been a client care manager at The Stixrud Group. In that role, she conducts an initial interview with a prospective client who has been referred to our office, asking them to tell her a bit about what they are looking for and discussing whether The Stixrud Group can meet their needs. If it will, she describes our process, as well as fees and scheduling.
In addition to her roles at The Stixrud Group, Starr is a partner in Stixrud Educational Consulting, with a particular interest in early childhood education. She talks with families about school options for their children, and at times she conducts school observations. She also is involved with referrals to therapists, tutors, speech/language pathologists, and legal assistance.
Finally, Starr is the communications coordinator of Sense of Control, which provides all levels of logistical support for Dr. Stixrud and his co-author, Ned Johnson, who wrote the books The Self Driven Child and What Do You Say? She responds to requests for lectures and speaking engagements, and handles the related logistics, including scheduling and fees.
Starr and Bill Stixrud have been in school and/or working together since November 6, 1975, and we married in the spring of 1977. They have two wonderful children, two fantastic in-laws, and five lovely grandchildren. They are long time and regular practitioners of meditation and yoga, and the majority of their volunteer time is focused on this.
Education & Training
- M.Ed., University of Washington
- B.A., Southern Illinois University
- Specialist Certificate in Early Childhood, University of Minnesota
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