New Dissertation Highlights Inclusion in Team Teaching

ann r. flynnPhD in Leadership and Change alumna Dr. Ann R. Flynn has published her dissertation entitled, Positionality of Paraeducators: A Phenomenological Study in a Public School District in the Pacific NorthwestParaeducators play an important role in the classroom supporting students and certificated teachers. However, literature on the actual roles of paraeducators has revealed that paraeducators are rarely included in the teaching team. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a deeper understanding of the positionality and lived experiences of K-5 paraeducators from an urban school district in the Pacific Northwest. The research focused on exploring the positionality, agentic, and systemic influences on paraeducators. Dr. Flynn has been an advocate for the underserved populations of students, staff, and teaching professionals in the United States Public School system, including immigrants, refugees, homeless, and other special need students and their families for over two decades.