Nice to meet you.
Who am I? I’m an educator with 20+ years of experience in curriculum, policy, and teacher preparation (details). At the University of Michigan (and formerly, Eastern Michigan University), I teach graduate- and undergraduate courses on educational policy, social justice, multicultural education, and sustainability/ ecological economics education.
In 2002 I founded Creative Change, a non-profit consulting firm focused on curriculum redesign. With clients ranging from K12 districts to universities to the United Nations, our programs continue to reach global audiences. My book, Reframing the Curriculum, compiles the approaches, carrying on the spirit of Creative Change.
In addition to teaching, I’m a versatile writer with a range that includes scholarly works and children’s fiction / nonfiction. Regardless of the audience, my body of work aims to inspire learning and joy so that we can change the narrative about what our world can be.
I received an undergraduate degree in music education from Western Illinois University, picked up endorsements in social studies and Teaching English as a Second Language, and earned a Master’s degree in International and Intercultural Management from the SIT Graduate Institute (the best school you’ve never heard of). You can find details in my CV.
Born in Philly and raised in the Chicago area, I’ve lived in Seattle, Germany, and Vermont. I’ve now made southeast Michigan my home and have been a resident of Ypsilanti (Ann Arbor’s quirky neighbor) for over 20 years. In my free time I enjoy painting, all things silly, and anything active (flag football, a bike ride . . . you game?). A self-identified language nerd, I’m always brushing up on my Spanish and German. (I got pretty good at Hindi for a trip to India many years ago.) A small mammal aficionado, I’m a proud mom of two pampered rescue rabbits.
You can learn more in this interview (a blog for the Michigan Chapter of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators).