Seventh-grade special education teacher Carolyn S. Baider maximized the learning potential of all students at Walter R. Sundling Junior High School in Palatine. She created a collaborative special education model for the school, helped implement instructional practices informed by brain research, and participated in the SIR (Student Intervention and Referral) program to ensure that students requiring intervention were referred immediately to the appropriate staff member. Under Mrs. Baider's leadership, the school obtained funding to institute a breakfast program so that all students start the day with a nourishing meal. As a result of these programs, the school's special education students often surpassed district scores on standardized tests. Mrs. Baider chaired the building's Brain Research Study Group and was co-chair of the school's Social-Emotional Learning Committee.
As a special education inclusion teacher, I have been present in or cotaught more than 10,000 classes with other teachers, a cutting-edge educational opportunity made richer by the chance to observe all those students. My district’s involvement with the Lincoln Awards for Excellence, and this year with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, aligned with my background in sociology and interest in education reforms. Areas of particular interest are social-emotional learning and the impact of recent brain research on educational practices.
1979 University of Illinois - Chicago, B.A.
