Meet Dr. Rita Williams of F1NE-TUNE in DeKalb County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Rita Williams.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 2005, I became an instructional coach in DeKalb County Schools. In this role, I learned how to develop teachers and help them improve their craft. I realized I had a knack and passion for on-the-spot training as well as planned professional development. The EDMAT Company agreed that I had a gift for growing teachers and contracted me to train a group of instructional coaches in Columbus, GA. The response to my session was overwhelming, so I knew I needed to start a company that allowed me to provide such services on a regular basis.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has actually been a smooth road. I am still amazed that districts and schools would pay for my services. Additionally, most of the feedback is extremely positive. A huge benefit of my business is that it requires no overhead. There is virtually no way I can lose money.

F1NE-TUNE – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
F1NE-TUNE does not operate from the mindset that all educators are in need of major professional development. Rather, we believe all of our practices can be F1NE-TUNED to better meet the needs of our heterogeneous classrooms. Through interactive face-to-face and online professional development, we collaborate with K–12 educators to raise student achievement in all core areas while specializing in mathematics. We are committed to helping teachers tweak their practices to reach optimal performance. Additionally, we offer THE BOOST, which is our SAT and PSAT mathematics preparation program for high school students.

*Please note the number 1 is in the place of the I in F1NE-TUNE. That’s extremely important since my background and experience are primarily in mathematics.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment was when DeKalb County Schools contracted F1NE-TUNE to offer mathematics boot camp sessions for elementary, middle and high school teachers. At the time, my company was less than a year old, but we were still trusted to provide training on eight Saturdays. It was wonderful sub-contracting, two former colleagues, to teach the middle and high school sessions.

That left me to teach the elementary sessions. I have to admit I was nervous while preparing training for 3rd – 5th-grade teachers since I’ve never taught those grades. However, the teachers recognized I knew what I was talking about, and they enjoyed the learning activities in which they were engaged. F1NE-TUNE takes great pride in the fact we do not provide “sit and get” training. Our training is interactive from start to finish, and educators love it!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.f1ne-tune.com
• Phone:404-490-0465
• Email:rita@f1ne-tune.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theboost_sat/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/f1netune/

Image Credit:
C. Alan Photography

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