Norma “Ruth” Pierce Kelly is a first-grade teacher at Candlewood Elementary school in San Antonio Texas who has been changing the world “one child at a time” for the last 24 years. With a passion for reading, she has dedicated her life to developing students and their early school age experiences around a solid foundation in reading and language arts. This love of reading was ingrained early as a child and she remains a voracious reader.

Ruth is from Memphis, TN and holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees from the University of Memphis where her concentration of post graduate studies was in Leadership/Administration and Curriculum development. A dissertation shy of her PhD, she is certified to be a Principal in 8 states including Texas and Tennessee. It is in the classroom, however, where she excels and feels that she has the most to offer her students. She has held positions outside the classroom including curriculum facilitator and Title 1 coordinator. Thrice published in various publications. She has also taught at the University level while studying for her Doctorate.

A true difference maker, Ruth is a former winner of the prestigious Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching for her work in the NEISD.

Ruth is married with 2 children and in her spare time enjoys gardening, crafts, time by the pool, and of course reading. Classically trained in Ballet for 15 years, she also loves dancing, yoga, and exercise.