Anna is in her 20th year of education. She currently serves as a program support teacher and new teacher induction coordinator for the School District of Cudahy, just south of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She sees herself as a cheerleader for the teachers and students she supports in her school district. She graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Elementary of Education from the University of Minnesota-Morris in 2002, and a Masters of Science in Special Education from Mankato State University in December of 2005.  Anna's core values of collaboration, equity, and kindness carry into how she spends her free time. Anna enjoys spending her spare time giving back by volunteering in her community, state, and with the Council for Exceptional Children.  During the summer months, Anna enjoys camping with her husband and four children.  Read more >

Katrina Copeland

My name is Katrina Copeland and I am an English 1 co-teacher and Academic Seminar (Resource) teacher, along with Special Education Department Head at Byrnes Freshman Academy in...

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The SPEDucator Project is made up of Hawaii DOE special education teachers, who were selected by educational leaders for their passion, ingenuity, and excellence in the field of special education. These "SPEDucators" advocate for equity to better serve special education students, parents, and our communities. The focus is to change the narrative and improve educational outcomes and livelihoods for individuals with disabilities.  Read more >

After retiring in 2015 from Pinellas County Schools (FL) as a teacher of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities for more than a quarter of a century, I found myself totally bored and driving my husband crazy. I returned to education focusing on pre-school, working as a behavioral and curriculum consultant for area preschools (2-VPK) for 7 years, occasionally offering trainings for Early Learning Coalition and Project Challenge. I serve on the Early Childhood Education Advisory Committee for St. Petersburg College. For 3 years I have enjoyed coaching Pinellas County adults with disabilities, assisting them as they pursue more independent lifestyles. In my nine years as educational advisor on the Board of Suncoast Voices for Children (and six also as Secretary), I am proud to be a part of this organization which makes a difference in the lives of abused, abandoned, and neglected children in our area. I am Coordinator of Children’s Ministry at my church, and my husband and I have remained active in Prison Ministry for more than 20 years. Read more >

I am semi-retired, live with my husband in North Caroina, and love being a 'Gigi' to my 5 grandchildren.  I supervise a few interns for East Carolina University and sometimes teach courses for Loyola Marymount. Occassionally, I help with staff development. I've been a teacher/instructor for over 40 years and I still enjoy doing this. I also like to research and write about UDL and I've been pursuring my avocation of drawing and painting.  I was active in DISES and IASE before the pandemic and also organized study abroad trips for ECU students to Northern Ireland.  Hopefully, these will resume in person soon. Read more >