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Friday, March 29, 2024

020714i-names-Grace-MonahanFrom Cambridge Public Schools, Jan. 17: Two Cambridge Public Schools teachers, Karyn Grace and Dan Monahan, were selected as two of 150 educators from six states to participate in the national Teacher Leadership Initiative, a program to develop a new generation of leaders within the teaching profession.

Karyn Grace is an educator with 18 years of experience. She has been a special educator for 17 years and is an Inclusive Instructional Specialist for three elementary schools and a middle school program for Cambridge Public Schools. Karyn is adjunct faculty at Lesley University, Endicott College and Fitchburg State University. She has developed coursework for the CPS licensure program and mentor program and is responsible for district professional development on inclusive schooling. She is enrolled in a doctoral program in Educational Leadership.

Dan Monahan is also an educator with 18 years of experience, formerly an electronics engineer and farmer. He taught for eight years as a seventh- and eighth-grade math and science teacher at the Cambridgeport School, where he helped design and implement its middle school program that included graduation by portfolio. While there, he achieved National Board Certification in early adolescent mathematics. For the past eight years he has been a science instructional coach at the district level, supporting teachers in science instruction. He has been active at the state and national levels through MCAS Assessment and Development Committees and Massachusetts Performance Assessment of Knowledge and Skills committees, as well as contributing to the writing of the National Board for Professional Teachers Standards in early adolescent science. He has been active in the Cambridge Education Association as secretary, vice president and as a member of the contract negotiating committee. He has been active in the Teachers Union Reform Network on the national and regional levels and has participated in the NEA Foundation Union/District collaboration work.

The Teacher Leadership Initiative is a joint endeavor of the National Education Association, Center for Teaching Quality and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The initiative is the product of the organizations’ shared vision of teacher-leadership advancing the profession. One hundred and fifty educators representing Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan and Mississippi were chosen for its 2014 pilot year.