Fran Bowman was a beloved figure who touched so many lives. Her tireless pursuit of knowledge was exceeded only by the  passion with which she sought to provide crucial academic support to children in need, which continued right up to the final weeks  of her life. Fran’s 40 plus year career was devoted to promoting the science of teaching reading. Fran’s reach was vast, deep,  profound and life changing. She developed a language arts curriculum based on, but extending Orton-Gillingham, an evidence  based multi-sensory method to teach Dyslexic students to read (Bowman’s Orton Gillingham “Plus”), and trained thousands of  teachers and tutors to ensure all students had access to the magic of reading. Fran and her partner, Stephanie Nislow, then turned  this curriculum into an app (OgStar Reading) that is now being used in school districts in the US and in many countries around the world. Having this program available on an app is especially important for those in remote areas who don’t have access to  appropriate educational programs. Among Fran’s many other accomplishments was the creation of a writing program, Modelosophy.  Her tutoring interventions incorporated valuable training in executive functions, ensuring that not only did students have the  necessary foundation skills to progress, but could develop the ancillary skills to become successful, independent students. Fran’s patience, wisdom, energy and compassion are legendary and each one of us who was privileged to know her can tell many stories  about how she changed the trajectory of a child’s life.  

Fran worked closely with Legacy School since their founding in 2011, training all of their teachers in her Bowman’s Orton Gillingham  “Plus” curriculum and providing consultant services. The Legacy School uses Fran's curriculum in order to teach children how to read. The school's mission and Fran's mission are the same: all children can learn with the right methods. Please give generously, in her memory, to this fund that will be earmarked for financial aid that will assist students in need to attend Legacy.