Sallie Langseth

Sallie is the creator and ongoing coordinator of the Advanced Placement Mathematics Program in Deer Park, Texas and sponsor for the initial Academic Decathlon Program in Deer Park. Langseth has designed a national mathematics curriculum for socially, educationally, and economically disadvantaged youths. She labels her attitude toward equal access to educational opportunities as a pragmatic optimist — pragmatic in that every child cannot take advantage of every educational opportunity, optimistic in that she believes all children should be allowed to achieve as much as possible. Sallie Langseth brings her own educational experiences to her teaching. If adequate diagnostic methods had been available in the 1950s, she would have been diagnosed as mildly hyperactive, dyslexic, gifted and talented, and economically disadvantaged. She could not and cannot spell. Because of her background, she feels comfortable dealing with students from various backgrounds and skill levels.