Tag Archives: Special Education Teachers

WI Special Education teacher Lisa Van Hefty earns state honors

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Special Education teacher Lisa Van Hefty of Mishicot, Wisconsin, is one of five educators who have been named a 2026 State Teacher the Year. Photo credit: O. H. Elementary School

Lisa Van Hefty, an elementary Special Education teacher from Michicot, Wisconsin, is one of five educators throughout her state who have been named a 2026 Wisconsin State Teacher of the Year!

Lisa teaches at O. H. Elementary School in the School District of Mishicot. She has worked at the school for the entire length of her 27-year career. Throughout those years, Lisa has been a Chalkboard Champion for inclusive education and student advocacy, building strong, meaningful connections with her students, families, and colleagues. Among her co-workers, Lisa has earned a reputation for creating nurturing, student-centered learning environments that foster growth, independence, and confidence.

Lisa declares that her mission has always been simple: make every student feel valued. “Just include them. They are people just like us,” she asserts. “They want to be seen, they want to be heard, they want to be treated like everyone else. It’s our responsibility as citizens and community members to do that for them,” she continues.

Her colleagues say that Lisa goes to great lengths to provide a stable, encouraging learning environment for her students, ensuring they all receive appropriate and equitable lessons. She creates a sense of trust with the kids in her care and with their families to achieve educational goals that help them learn and thrive outside of the classroom. In addition, she mentors new teachers and helps them develop the necessary skills needed to become successful in their classrooms.

The Wisconsin Teacher of the Year awards are presented annually to five elementary, middle school, high school, and special services teachers who go above and beyond in their profession. The recognition comes with a $3,000 award.

Actress Kate Capshaw was once a Special Education teacher

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Famed actress Kate Capshaw of Indiana Jones fame is a former Special Education teacher from Texas. Photo Credit: Encyclopedia Britannica

Famed actress Kate Capshaw of Indiana Jones fame is a former Special Education teacher from Texas. Photo Credit: elcinema.com

Many talented educators have made their mark in fields other than education. This is certainly true of former teacher Kate Capshaw, a Hollywood actress who is best known for her portrayal of Willie Scott in the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. She is famous as an actress in her own right, but she is also well-known for being married to famed director Steven Spielberg.

Kate was born on November 3, 1953, in Fort Worth, Texas, of humble origins. Her mother was a travel agent and beautician, and her father was an airline employee. When Kate was only five years old, her family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where in 1972 she graduated from Hazelwood Central High School.

After her high school graduation, Kate earned a Bachelor’s degree in History Education and a Master’s degree in Special Education, both from the University of Missouri. She accepted her first teaching position as a special education teacher at Southern Boone County High School in Ashland, Missouri. Later she transferred to Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Missouri. During her years as an educator, she married and divorced Robert Capshaw, a school principal. The union produced one daughter.

After some years in the classroom, Kate moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting, landing her first role on the soap opera The Edge of Night. She also starred in Dreamscape in 1984, SpaceCamp in 1996, and How to Make an American Quilt in 1995. During the filming of Indiana Jones, Kate began a relationship with Spielberg, which eventually resulted in her conversion to Judaism and her marriage to the director in 1991. The couple have five children in addition to Kate’s daughter from her first marriage.

MA Special Ed teacher Louisa Sparrow named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year

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Massachusetts Special Eduction educator Luisa Sparrow has been named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Boston Public Schools

I always enjoy sharing the story of an exceptional educator who has earned accolades for their work in public schools. One of these was Luisa Sparrow, an elementary special education teacher from Massachusetts. She has been named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.

Luisa teaches fifth and sixth graders with intellectual disabilities in a multi-grade, self-contained classroom at Oliver Hazard Perry School in Boston. Her curriculum covers what is known as “life skills,” which includes such topics as personal hygiene, shopping for groceries, community navigation, and for some students, toileting. But the curriculum includes content area as well. Luisa says she is passionate about developing her students’ literacy skills and fostering a classroom community where all students can learn, grow, and be accepted. “My students, just like all others with significant disabilities, deserve the opportunity to learn alongside their neurotypical peers, not because they are able do many of the same tasks, but simply because everyone deserves a chance to belong,” declares Luisa. In addition to her work in her classroom, she serves on her school’s inclusion planning team. She also designed her school’s inclusive Cooking Club, an accessible environment.

As if all this were not enough, Luisa mentors Boston teachers who are pursuing their National Board Certification, and she serves as a Teach Plus Senior Policy Fellow. She is also an inaugural member of the Education Week Teacher Advisory Panel. Outside of school, she spends her time supporting young people who are experiencing state custody through the foster care system and working with senior citizens to document their life stories. 

Luisa earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development from Cornell University in 2005. He earned her Master’s degree in Education with a focus in language and literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2014. She completed the requirements for her National Board Certification as an Exceptional Needs Specialist.

Luisa launched her teaching career as an educator in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas when she became a 2005 Teach for America Corps member. Later she worked as an educator in Costa Rica, Delaware, and Philadelphia before relocating to Massachusetts. 

 

Jazzmyne Townsend named DC’s 2025 Teacher of the Year

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Elementary Special Education teacher Jazzmyne Townsend has been recognized as Washington DC’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, and one of four finalists for the title of 2025 National Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Jazzmyne Townsend

There are many outstanding educators working today in America’s public schools. Some of them have been singled out for special recognition. One of these is Jazzmyne Townsend, an elementary teacher from Washington DC. She has been named the District’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. She has also been named one of four national finalists for the title of 2025 National Teacher of the Year.

Jazzmyne teaches second and third grade Special Education at Stanton Elementary School. Prior to teaching at Stanton, she taught pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade at Randle Highlands Elementary School from 2013—2023 and preschool and pre-K at Friendship Public Charter School’s Chamberlain Campus from 2010—2013. So far, Jazzmyne’s career as an educator spans 16 years. 

In her classroom, Jazzmyne employs research-based and developmentally appropriate strategies to meet the diverse needs of her learners. Her proficiency in integrating culturally responsive pedagogy has increased academic achievement and fostered a sense of belonging among her students. And because she recognizes the unique challenges faced by youngsters in urban settings, Jazzmyne has been a steadfast advocate for resources that support the children from this environment.

Jazzmyne’s influence extends far beyond the classroom. For example, when she noticed many girls who were struggling with challenges both inside and outside the classroom, she started “My Sister’s Keeper,” a group to serve as a safe place for the girls to form friendships, ask questions, be vulnerable, and develop as young women.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Jazzmyne is also a published author. She has written a book for children entitled Hattie Leads the Way. The volume, published in 2023, can be found on amazon.

Jazzmyne earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Howard University in 2009. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the American College of Education (ACS) in 2013. Currently, she is working on her PhD.

MA Sen. Elizabeth Warren was once a Special Ed teacher

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was once an elementary school Special Education teacher. Photo credit: Harvard Law School

Many people have heard of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who represents Massachusetts in the US Senate and who was a presidential candidate in 2020. But did you know that this remarkable woman was once a Special Education teacher?

Elizabeth was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on June 22, 1949. She was in the second grade, she says, when she decided she wanted to become a teacher. “That was my dream,” she reveals. Unfortunately, when she was only 12 years old, her father was debilitated by a heart attack. Her mother had to take a minimum-wage job to support the family. Her mother was able to save the home they lived in from repossession, but there was no money left over for college tuition.

Fortunately, when she was a high school student, Elizabeth won a scholarship to George Washington University, which she attended for one year. Then she enrolled at a Texas university. “After I graduated from the University of Houston—a public university that cost $50 a semester—I taught special needs kids at a public school in New Jersey. The children I worked with were four to six years old and had some pretty significant challenges,” she remembers. “But because we had help from the federal government, they could get the kind of one-on-one care they needed—and a better opportunity to build a real, independent future,” she concludes.
In 2012, Elizabeth was elected on the Democratic ticket to represent Massachusetts in the US Senate. She has served in this capacity since 2013. In the Senate, she is a member of the Special Committee on Aging; the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee; and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.