Alumni news
Melissa Sweet Brennan ’99 named Orange County (Calif.) Teacher of the Year
Melissa Sweet Brennan, a graduate of the UW’s Special Education Teacher Education Program, was named the 2019 Orange County California Teacher of the Year. In 2003, she joined the Magnolia School District, helping students transition out special education services. The Orange County Department of Educations recognized Brennan’s outstanding work in the classroom where she teaches students between transitional kindergarten and first grade.
Yukari Amos ‘01 appointed to Paraeducator Board
Yukari Amos, a graduate of the UW’s doctoral program in multicultural education, was appointed as a higher education representative on the Paraeducator Board by the Washington Student Achievement Council. The professor at Central Washington University, also a former social studies and ESL teacher, will use her knowledge on paraeducator career pathways and education policy to improve the career development of paraeducators across Washington state.
Alumni introduce young learners to sustainability at Seattle's Perkins School
A handful of UW College of Education alumni are helping children at the Perkins School, located in Seattle’s Maple Leaf neighborhood, see the impact they can have on their local community and environment. Read more about the alumni — Zoë Dash (MEd ‘11), Ali Parizer (MEd ‘12), Grant Hayslip (MIT ‘19) and Barry Wright (MIT '92) — at the school.
Around the College
Zeichner paper on teacher agency in policymaking published
Professor Ken Zeichner recently published his paper “The Importance of Teacher Agency and Expertise in Education Reform and Policymaking” in the Portuguese Journal of Education. His paper argues for government officials to support the development of teacher agency and to give teachers a greater voice in the development of education policies.
Center for Educational Leadership shares new vision for student experiences
In this latest installment of The Throughline, Max Silverman uses his final blog post of the school year to share the UW Center for Educational Leadership's new vision and mission. “Too often, school is a place where students lose their power. The school systems in our vision embrace a very different paradigm of student experience and learning,” Silverman said.
CEL’s vision: Transformed schools empowering all students, regardless of background, to create limitless futures for themselves, their families, their communities, and the world.
CEL’s mission: We partner with courageous leaders in classrooms, schools, and the systems that support them to eliminate educational inequities by creating cultures of rigorous teaching, learning and leading.
Williamson-Lott’s book named Foreword INDIES Finalist
Professor Joy Williamson-Lott’s book “Jim Crow Campus” was named 2018 INDIES Book of the Year Finalist in Education by Foreword Reviews. Her research volume, focused on the history of higher education in the South, illustrates the central role institutions of higher education have in changing society and the importance of independent institutions during times of national crisis.
CEL presents at the NASSP 2019 National Principals Conference
The UW Center for Educational Leadership’s associate director, Anneke Markholt, and director of teacher leadership and learning, Joanna Michelson, will lead a breakout session at the NASSP 2019 National Principals Conference, “Who Does Your Professional Learning Culture Serve?” Participants of this session will apply CEL’s frameworks and tools for creating cultures of teacher collective efficacy in service of improving student learning experience. More information is available on the CEL website.