Debra Gardner currently teaches first grade at Hilliard Horizon Elementary School in Columbus, where she is a member of her school's Building Improvement Team, a team of teachers dedicated to improved instruction and student success, and the ASSET team, made up of teachers focused on identifying and implementing positive instructional methods. Gardner recently united over 60 staff members and over 600 students in a year-long community service project, funded by the Milken Festival for Youth, aimed at building relationships with six community service organizations. She also piloted a half-day literacy intervention program for at-risk kindergarten students, which will be implemented by the entire school district during the 2007-08 school year. A National Board Certified Teacher, Gardner is a former member of Governor Taft's Teacher Advisory Board and his Commission for Teacher Success.
Ashland University, M.A.
