Tag Archives: Special Education Teachers

Teacher of the deaf Caitlin Buckley honored by Kentucky Dept of Education

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Caitlin Buckley, a teacher at the Kentucky School for the Deaf in Danville, Kentucky, has been honored with a 2023 Teacher Achievement Award, and she is one of 24 finalists for her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year award. Photo Credit: Kentucky Department of Education

There are many talented educators working with our nation’s special education students. One of these is Caitlin Buckley, who teaches at the Kentucky School for the Deaf in Danville. She has recently been honored by the Kentucky State Department of Education as a 2023 Teacher Achievement Award winner. She is also one 24 finalists for her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year award.

Caitlin attended Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), where she earned a dual certification in middle grade English and Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Education. She later earned her Master’s degree in Literacy, also from EKU. She learned ASL in 2015, but picked up more when she did her practicum and student teaching.

The honored educator says she never expected to go into deaf education. Instead, she says, the decision was a happy accident. Caitlin attended Eastern Kentucky University, which is the only college in Kentucky with a DHH teacher program. After changing her major five times, she settled on a career in deaf education because she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others.

Caitlin’s career as an educator has spanned four years. She teaches courses in literature and composition with English/Language Arts (ELA) and reading development to students in grades 6-8. In her classroom, she conducts instruction using American Sign Language (ASL). In addition to teaching her courses, Caitlin serves her school as a class sponsor, helps develop and deliver professional development, and works alongside colleagues to combat language deprivation.

To learn more about Caitlin Buckley, click on this link to a story about her published by the Advocate-Messenger.

Former Special Ed teacher Margaret Carpenter served in NC House of Reps

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Former Special Education teacher Margaret Carpenter once served in the North Carolina State House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Public Domain

Many fine educators have also served their communities in political office. One of these is Margaret Carpenter, a Special Education teacher in North Carolina who has served in her state’s House of Representatives.

Margaret was born on Aug. 3, 1950, in Detroit, Michigan. Since childhood, she has preferred to be called “Marge.” As a youngster, she attended Lamphere high School in Madison Heights, Michigan, where she graduated in 1968. After her high school graduation, Margaret earned her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from the University of Alabama in 1975. She earned her Master’s degree in Education at the University of Southern Alabama (USA) in 1989. She also completed graduate courses at USA.

After she completed her education, Margaret accepted a position as a Special Education teacher. For her work in the classroom, she was recognized in the publication Who’s Who in Education in 1996-1997.

In 2000, Margaret was elected on the Republican ticket to the North Carolina State House of Representatives. There she represented the 52nd District for one term, from 2001 to 2003. Her District included the counties of Graham, Haywood, part of Jackson, Madison, and Swain. During her years of service, Margaret was a member of the Committees on Education; Mental Health; the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education; and the Education Subcommittee on Community Colleges.

Today, Margaret, now age 72, lives in Waynesville, North Carolina. To read more about her, see this entry published in the North Carolina Manual.

 

AZ Special Ed teacher Kareem Neal inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Congratulations to Special Education teacher Kareem Neal of Phoenix Arizona, who has been inducted into the 2022 National Teachers Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: AZEDNews

It is always a pleasure to share the story of an exceptional teacher who has been honored for his work in the classroom. One of these is Kareem Neal, a special education teacher in Phoenix, Arizona. He has been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF). In fact, he is the first educator from Arizona to be so honored.

Kareem teaches grade ninth through twelfth students with severe cognitive delays at Maryvale High School in Phoenix. In a career that has spanned 23 years, 15 of them has been spent at Maryvale. Prior to accepting his job at maryvale, he worked for six years at The Children’s Center for Neurodevelopmental Studies in Glendale, Arizona. Before moving to Arizona, he worked at The Developmental Learning Center of New Providence, New Jersey, a school that provided services for students with autism. He has also created and developed all of the curricula across all content areas used in self-contained Special Education classes within his district.

Kareem takes his work with young people very seriously. “When students leave my class, I want them not to have to rely on other people to do everything for them. That is number one,” declares Kareem. And his efforts are paying off. “Our work in my class is validated by the number of students who are currently working in the community near school or are doing sheltered employment rather than living in a group home, staying at home, or attending day programs,” he reveals. “My classroom community and structure allow for the students to thrive in roles that they wouldn’t traditionally thrive in,” he concludes.

In addition to being named in the NTHF, Kareem was named the Arizona state Teacher of the Year in 2019. In 2018, he garnered an Arizona Education Association Diversity Award, in 2017, he was named the Phoenix Union High School District Teacher of the Year. He has also earned The Educator Excellence Award by the Maryvale Revitalization Committee.

Kareem earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Seton Hall University in 1996 and his Master’s degree in Special Education from Jersey City University in 1999.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 in Emporia, Kansas. Nominees must be certified public or non-public schoolteachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades preK-12. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 140 educators from 40 states and the District of Columbia have been inducted. Kareem is one of five inductees to be honored in 2022.

To learn more about Kareem Neal, click on this link to the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Famed actress Kate Capshaw is a former Special Ed 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

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.

Jessica Saum named 2022 Arkansas State Teacher of the Year

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Special Education teacher Jessica Saum of Arkansas has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Cabot Public Schools

It is always wonderful when a deserving educator is honored for their work in the classroom. Today, I’ll share the story of one such educator: Jessica Saum of Little Rock, Arkansas. She has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Jessica teaches special education to kindergarteners through fourth graders in a self-contained classroom at Stagecoach Elementary School in Cabot, Arkansas. Before her employment at Cabot Public Schools, Jessica taught for one year at Jacksonville North Pulaski School District.

The honored educator confesses that serving as a special needs teacher is her passion. “Every child deserves what’s best,” she declares. “Every child deserves an opportunity to succeed, and every child deserves for us to expect them to do great things,” she continues. In her classroom, Jessica delivers a curriculum that emphasizes experiential learning, inclusion, and community involvement.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Jessica leads professional development workshops that promote exposure to grade-level curriculum and meaningful relationships with experienced educators.

Also, Jessica is nationally published, and her work extends to supporting military families, detailing how educators can support these families during deployments and difficult transitions.

As if all that were not enough, Jessica serves as the advisor for the Kiwanis Kids Club, an organization that organizes student participation in service projects. She volunteers as a Key Spouse at the Little Rock Air Force Base and is the 2020 314th Airlift Wing Key Spouse of the Year. She is a Fellow of both the Arkansas State Teacher Association Senior Advocacy and the Association of American Educators Advocacy. As if all that were not enough,, Jessica is a member of the United through Reading Literacy Advisory Council and a Special Advisor to the Arkansas Council for Military Children.

Jessica earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Special Education in 2011 and her Master’s degree in Grades 4-12 Special Education in 2016, both from Arkansas State University. In December 2020, she completed the requirements for her Special Education Director certificate.