The People Behind STEP=UP
Standing: Thalia Kirchner, Dr. Michelle Parker-Katz, Dr. Marie Hughes
Sitting (L to R):Didi, Theresa Chapello, Anita Balasubramanian,
STEP=UP Staff
Dr. Marie Tejero Hughes and Dr. Michelle Parker-Katz have long recognized the need to help bridge the gap between pre-service teachers’ university experience and their first year in the classroom. They envisioned the STEP=UP program as a way to bridge that gap while also helping to address the critical shortage of qualified special education teachers in urban schools. In 2007, they expanded the program to also recruit doctoral students to fill much-needed faculty positions in teacher-preparation programs across the country.
They would not be able to complete this work, however, without the assistance of a dedicated team of graduate assistants and student workers.
Anita Balasubramanian and Theresa Chapelloare graduate assistants
with the program. They serve as a support team to STEP=UP students,
facilitate field advisories and other project events and assist with
the teams' research into special education teacher preparation.
Aphrodite Spanos and Thalia Kirchner are undergraduate students who
also provide support to the project.
Yang Weng is a doctoral student in Electrical Computer and Engineering. He is the project’s webmaster and technology coordinator.
Please feel free to contact any members of the award program team.
Connections to the Community
The project is also guided by input from the expert voices of our Advisory Board, which includes practicing teachers, family members of students with disabilities, state- and district-level school administrators and special education faculty members from across the greater Chicagoland area.
