Meet Ms. Skokna

By Brooke Allen, Executive Director

We all know that a teacher’s first year in the classroom can be especially challenging, but can you imagine completing your first year of teaching last spring, when COVID-19 shut schools down? That’s exactly what happened to Jacquie Skokna, a special education teacher at a small local charter school. Because of our donors’ financial support, we’ve been able to be a resource to teachers like Jacquie when they’ve needed it the most.

Last year was Jacquie’s first year of teaching, and she was the only special education teacher at her school. Being the only special ed teacher meant that she sometimes had to go beyond her school walls to seek solutions to her immediate challenges. Jacquie and her team leader, the Special Education Coordinator, would often reach out to the DLC as a trusted resource that would offer quick answers they could count on to be right. They were always trying to do more to make their school more inclusive for students with disabilities.

When schools moved to virtual learning in the spring, Jacquie took advantage of many of the free resources and events the DLC provided to teachers. She frequently attended DLC Coffee Chat webinars to learn a new strategy she could use with her students. She also used a resource the DLC created to hold effective virtual meetings with students and families around her students’ goals. Even though the last months of school were disrupted, she wanted to ensure that her students had solid plans in place so they were successful during their transition to middle school this fall.

There are many teachers like Jacquie that are doing all they can for students. Your support of the Diverse Learners Cooperative equips them to become even more effective educators, and connects them to a network of support so they can retain their passion for their profession. Thanks to our generous donors, we’ve been able to continue our mission even during this challenging year.

Thanks to all of our supporters for your partnership in the work!

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