C.V.
Education Work
Milestone Democratic School: Advisor, Director of Learning & Teaching, School Leadership Liaison; 7/20 to present
Accomplishments: Led a small-group, multi-age advisory in Personalized Learning. Contributed to a #TeacherPowered school through start-up, during a global pandemic. Took on numerous roles including curriculum development and teacher support, overseeing all standardized testing as well as internal Mastery Transcript assessment, and Social Studies Content-Area Expert. Supported students through independent inquiry studies, student-directed project-based learning, and youth-adult collaborative course design.
Lessons Learned: Empowerment is the key to academic engagement; without engagement, deep learning is impossible.
Artifacts: Planning Learning at Milestone; Procedure for Awarding Credit at Exhibitions
Recommendations: Mary Ann Kahl, Board President
Community | Learning | Design, School Developer, 7/18 to 7/20
Accomplishments: Developed a curriculum for the Participatory Design of a new independent secondary school, rooted in Restorative Practices, Design Thinking, and Formal Consensus. Recruited marginalized youth for after-school Design Team program, and retained engagement for two years' service. Arranged grant- and donor-funded travel for youth participants to conferences and school visits in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Facilitated the youth-led, participatory design of a new independent charter school for Madison, Wisconsin.
Lessons Learned: Educationally-disadvantaged young people make brilliant and insightful school designers. Dreaming together builds authentic community. Deep change is possible.
Artifacts: Curriculum for Participatory School Design; Milestone Democratic School Plan Iterations #1.0 - 1.2; Blog documenting the process of youth-led design
Recommendations: Michael McCabe, Director of School Design
Edgerton Middle School, Technology Education Teacher, 8/14 to 8/19
Accomplishments: Re-designed the Tech Ed program into a rigorous 3-year progression of single-trimester courses. Developed and implemented a project-based sequential curriculum, and an electronic portfolio-based assessment protocol, both rooted in the International Society for Technology in Education Standards. Continued to grow my relationship-building skills with students, and pursued professional development in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. Developed and piloted an Exploratory Agriculture course for 7th and 8th graders as part of a district-wide "Farm to School" project. Partnered with teachers K-12 on a collaborative STEAM initiative to re-frame proficiencies for students. Organized a "Restorative Justice Reading Group" on the staff.
Lessons Learned: Relationships are unquestionably at the center of real learning. Committed educators working in authentic collaboration can make student-centered schooling happen anywhere.
Artifacts: Assessment Protocol
Recommendations: Susan Running, Guidance Counselor; Rachel Montry, Social Studies Teacher
River Valley Technical Center, Integrated Pre Technical Studies Instructor, 8/11 to 5/14
Accomplishments: Initiated, implemented, and sustained a three-year STEM re-design of the exploratory Pre Tech program, resulting in an individualized, project-based curriculum with proficiency-based assessment.
Lessons Learned: Professional collaboration driven by "What is best for our students?" results in vital, authentic, and engaging classroom experiences for all students.
Artifacts: Aquaponics Project; Independent Project Plan
Recommendations: Scott Farr, Assistant Director; Erin Hunter, Carpentry Instructor; Dave Culver, Co-op Coordinator; Kelly Broker-Campbell, Assistant Director
Chicago International Charter Schools - Larry Hawkins Campus, Title I Tutor, 1/11 to 6/11
Accomplishments: Developed strong relationships with special needs and at-risk students in a variety of settings, culminating in a two-week assignment as a substitute for a Music teacher, for which I developed and delivered a Unit of study.
Lessons Learned: Any student, from any background, is capable of deep and rigorous learning, given a meaningful and authentic challenge and classroom culture.
Artifacts: 9th Grade Chorus Unit
Recommendations: Lori Weiner, Supervising SpEd Teacher; Lori Nudo, Supervising SpEd Teacher
Colegio Americano de Puebla, Student Teacher, 8/10 to 12/10
Accomplishments: Created and delivered curriculum and assessments that met International Baccalaureate standards in English-Spanish bilingual classrooms; supervised Poetry Slam co-curricular student group.
Lessons Learned: Rigorous content requires relevance for students to find and make meaning and learn deeply.
Artifacts: 12th Grade English Lesson
Recommendations: Sean Neilly, Site Supervisor; Patricia Younce, Faculty Advisory
School District of Philadelphia, Substitute Teacher, 1/05 to 5/05
Accomplishments: Arrived at each assignment, across a wide variety of Middle and High Schools in Southwest Philadelphia, with lesson plans and activities to ensure a productive class whether sub plans were available or not.
Lessons Learned: I have a talent for interacting positively with students and earning respect quickly; education is my calling.
River Haven Transitional Living Community, Residence Counselor, 5/03 to 9/03
Accomplishments: Supported homeless and runaway teens with academic and personal concerns.
Lessons Learned: Young people with difficult stories are quick to open up if they receive trust.
Education
MA Education and Certification: Goddard College, Plainfield VT, January 2011
Accomplishments: Developed and completed my own Individual Study Plans for each semester's independent study, meeting College Degree Criteria and VT State Licensure criteria. Proposed and co-ordinated my own student teaching placement in and International Baccalaureate high school in Mexico. My thesis, "Framing a Praxis: Postmodernism-Postcolonialism in the American Classroom", was accepted with enthusiastic commentary from my Advisor and Second Reader.
Lessons Learned: The art and science of teaching is both individually-driven and socio-historically-bound.
Transcript: Download PDF
BA American Culture: Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY, May 2003
Accomplishments: Pursued an interdisciplinary major, with focus in Anthropology and Music, allowing extensive study in a broad range of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Lessons Learned: A generalist, liberal arts education should be afforded to all people, as the basis for global citizenship and excellence in any career.
Transcript: Download PDF
Industry Work
Get It Right Educators' Cooperative, Worker-Owner & Manager, 7/19 to present
Accomplishments: Co-founded and created organizational documents for a non-profit worker co-op. Provided management services including DFI compliance, payroll, and human resources management for unique co-employment contracts with an independent charter school.
Lessons Learned: Inclusive, democratic work-places require strong organizational structures and documents to thrive.
Artifacts: Bylaws; Collaborative Self-Evaluation Protocol
Bogue Organs, Assistant Shop Manager, 7/08 to 1/11
Accomplishments: Oversaw restoration and new fabrication of historic musical instruments for clients in and around Chicago. Developed training program for new employees on woodshop safety, operation, and maintenance.
Lessons Learned: Outstanding results on projects of any scale require efficient and effective management.
Artifacts: Photos of pipe organ work
Recommendation: Aaron Bogue, Manager
Self-employed and contracted, Commercial & Residential Carpentry and Renovation, 1/06 to 7/08
Accomplishments: Completed projects ranging from commercial storefront reconstruction to residential rehabs, as a lead carpenter and as part of varying work teams.
Lessons Learned: Planning and effective communication are equally as important as hard work in the Construction Trades.
Artifacts: Photos of construction work
Licensure, Certifications, and Professional Development
Wisconsin Educator Licenses
Endorsement: 1701 - Broad Field Social Studies (EA-A); 8013 - Technical & Vocational Education (PK-12)
License: Download PDF
Test Scores: Download Praxis II Scores Report (Social Studies and Technology Education)
Certifications
Healing Centered Engagement - Flourish Agenda
Completed a 25-hour reflective training in this program, created by Dr. Shawn Ginwright, that develops competence in a "non-clinical, strengths-based approach that advances a holistic view of healing and re-centers culture and identity as a central feature in personal well-being." Certificate.
Trauma Informed Care - Wisconsin Hawthorn Project
Completed a 9-month immersive cohort-based training in Trauma Informed Care, including extensive research, mentor-based reflective dialogue, and the development of resources for delivery of future training to colleagues and partners. Certificate.
Other Professional Development
Insight Personal Training in Compassionate Anti-Racism with Dr. Damita Brown (ongoing)
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy - Skills Training for Emotional Problem-Solving with Adolescents training
Online Teaching 101 with Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative
Google Classroom training
Proficiency-Based Graduation Requirements with Big Picture South Burlington
Practicum Observation: the Met, Providence, RI; Eagle Rock School, Estes Park, CO
Make it, Break it, Hack it: STEM & DIY with Union Institute
Presently pursuing Certified Associate in Project Management credential through Project Management Institute
Publications: Journals, Conference Proceedings, and Self-Publications
Journals
Anderson, S.M.Z., and M.S. McCabe. (2018). Participatory School Design To Enact And Create Democracy. Re-Imagining a 21st Century Democracy, Volume 1 (1), 12-18. PDF available here.
Selected Conference Presentations and Proceedings
"Democratic School Design: Youth Voice to Create Just Schools." Free Minds Free People, Twin Cities, MN, July 2019.
"Equity and Diversity at Milestone Democratic School." Beyond Desegregation: Promising Practices for Creating Diverse and Equitable Schools. Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA. April 2019.
"Participatory School Design for Participatory Democracy." Participatory Design Conference, Hasselt & Genk, Belgium, August 2018. PDF available here.
"Participatory School Design for Participatory Democracy." Free Minds Free People, Baltimore, MD, July 2017.
"Scholar Symposium: Postmodernism-Postcolonialism in the American Classroom." National Association of Multicultural Education, Chicago, IL, November 2011.
Self-Publications
Participatory School Design for Participatory Democracy - a Curriculum by C|L|D. Community | Learning | Design, Edgerton, WI, 2017. PDF available here.
Milestone Democratic School - School Plan, Iteration 1.2. Community | Learning | Design, Edgerton, WI, 2020. PDF available here.