Tisha King embraces leadership in Coshocton

Tisha King was born and raised in Noble County, attending the Noble Local School District. A 2002 graduate of Shenandoah High School, she attended Mid-East Career Center for two years in the early childhood education program.

While at Mid-East she was a member of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America Program, taking projects to the state level on “The Project Approach.” Encouraged by her parents to study and work hard for good grades, King graduated top in her class from Mid-East, which earned her a two-year scholarship to Zane State College for early childhood education. She received her Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education in 2019 from Ashford University.

While at Zane State, she met a woman from Coshocton who King said she struck up an instant friendship with and later became her best friend. Stephanie Fender, who now is the administrator and a lead teacher at Coshocton Montessori School, introduced King to Coshocton and encouraged her to consider employment in the community.

King moved to Coshocton to work at the former Rainbow School as an early learning initiative aide. She then became a lead teacher in her own ELI classroom, followed by a teacher for Head Start.

At the time the Rainbow School was a private pay daycare and school with a few Head Start classes included, but in 2010 ELI was scrapped and Rainbow School was absorbed by the existing Head Start program. King then taught at Early Head Start for a few years. Following this position, she worked as a home visitor, then a supervisor of home visitors and finally a coach for Early Head Start.

In 2016 King accepted a position with the Coshocton County Board of Developmental Disabilities as a home visitor. In 2020 she became the supervisor of home visiting. Home visitors — family support specialists — provide support to families who meet certain criteria to give children the best start in life. Eligible families include those on WIC or who receive the medical card, also military families or pregnant women under 21.

Families can be referred by a primary care physician, Coshocton County Department of Job & Family Services or any of their many partner agencies such as the Family and Children First Council, the Pregnancy Center of Coshocton, Salvation Army or First Step Family Violence Initiative. Families or anyone interested in referring a family can do so by web referral at www.helpmegrow.org/Refer.

Family support specialists work with families as soon as possible following a positive pregnancy test and remain with a family for up to three years. During this time the FSS spends time in the home with the family to create a plan for success and determine what resources may be needed. As the supervisor, King’s role is to help the FSS help clients. She meets weekly with each family support specialist and reads and reviews progress notes to ensure the needs of the family and plan for success are being met.

King may provide alternate resources or courses of action for the FSS to suggest to the family. She also provides reports to the state for billing of the visits and reporting to Healthy Families America, a program of Prevent Child Abuse America, which provides accreditation to the CCBDD for the Home Visiting Program.

King is a committee member of the Ohio Kinship and Adoption Network Region 8, providing help to other families as someone with lived experience. She also is a busy mother of twins currently in her care as a kinship nonrelative caregiver.

Steve Oster, superintendent of the county board, encouraged King to participate in Leadership Coshocton. She said she wants to gain a better understanding of how things work in Coshocton, how to start something in Coshocton and who can help.

King has dreams of starting something for youth. She said she wants to learn more about Coshocton.

“I love Coshocton — the jobs, opportunities, culture, different types of people. I could never go back to Noble County at this stage in life,” she said.

When asked her view of the community, King said, “I love Coshocton. There are better opportunities here than what I would have had in Noble County. There are more family-oriented things to do. It’s friendly and welcoming here. I love the mix of agriculture, technology and industry here. The school system welcomes my kids. Coshocton is just a better fit for our family.”

To make the county stronger, King said, “Coshocton is trying to do big things, but there are some trying to shoot it down. Be supportive and welcoming of change; it’s not always bad. Find a way to use your voice positively to make changes, not negatively.”

King said she would recommend LCC for others. “I already have,” she said. “It allows you to branch out from people you already know and make connections. You get to know other people and what they do. I’m amazed at the people I’ve met. There’s a spirit about our class that is heartfelt. They care about Coshocton and the work they do in Coshocton. I’ve formed bonds and friendships with others in the class. Leadership Coshocton gives you a greater appreciation for where you are and what you can do.”

King wanted to thank Steve Oster for putting her in leadership and encouraging her year after year to apply. “I really am enjoying it and appreciate the opportunity,” she said.