Special Needs

Cate Hart Hyatt has spent more than 30 years as an educator, teaching preschool through graduate school students. She is a research associate for the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community at Indiana University.

Heather Friziellie is currently superintendent of schools for Fox Lake Grade School District 114, located in the suburbs northwest of Chicago. She previously served as both an elementary principal and a middle school principal.

Jeanne Spiller is assistant superintendent for teaching and learning for Kildeer Countryside District 96 in Illinois. Her work focuses on implementation of the Common Core State Standards.

Julie A. Schmidt recently retired as superintendent of schools for Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96 in Illinois. The district began its professional learning community (PLC) journey 22 years ago, and all seven schools have been recognized as Model PLC at Work® schools. Woodlawn Middle School in District 96 was the 2018 DuFour Award winner.

Paula Maeker is an educator, consultant, and advocate for learner-centered education. She has more than twenty-three years’ experience as an elementary teacher, literacy specialist, instructional coach, Title 1 program coordinator, campus administrator, director of elementary literacy, and director of instructional design.

Barbara Boroson, LMSW, has been an autism educator for more than 25 years. As a clinical social worker, she specialized in working with students on the autism spectrum and went on to become a school administrator.

Belinda Dunnick Karge, PhD, is a professor in the doctoral studies program at Concordia University Irvine and a professor emeritus at California State University, Fullerton. She has also served as a K–12 teacher and administrator.