St. Cloud State alumnae have swept the Minnesota Administrators for Special Education (MASE) New Special Education Leader Awards since the award was established in 2011.
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MASE announced that Heidi Hahn ’07 ’13 earned the organization’s 2015 Special Education New Leader Award. Hahn is an alumna of both St. Cloud State’s Educational Administration and Leadership (EDAD) and Doctor of Education programs. She is the director of special education for the Paul Bunyan Education Cooperative and an adjunct professor at St. Cloud State.
The award recognizes new leaders in the field of special education. The award is given annually to a new leader who exhibits the excellence required to be effective in challenging times — a willingness to take risks, ability to collaborate and skills in listening and communicating.
Hahn was preceded by Special Education New Leader Award recipients and St. Cloud State alumnae Diane McCarron ’79 ’08, Mary Clarkson ’96 ’05 ’13, Tammy Stahl ’11 and Reggie Engebritson, ’79 ’01 ’03.
All five alumnae were exceptional students and exceptional leaders, said Associate Professor Janine Dahms-Walker.
“I just know the people who are coming through this program are some of the best in the state,” she said.
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Leadership is a core value of St. Cloud State’s Educational Administration and Leadership Program. Students are taught to mentor others once they head into the field along with advocacy for students with special needs, Dahms-Walker said.
The program is administered by faculty who have considerable experience in the field and received honors while practicing as administrators.
Dahms-Walker was a Minnesota Special Education Director of the Year. Nick Miller was Minnesota Secondary Principal of the Year. Kay Worner was Minnesota Superintendent of the Year. Roger Worner was named one of the Top 100 Superintendents in the nation by the American Association of School Administrators. Frances Kayona has considerable experience working with curriculum and development.
St. Cloud State is unusual because the Educational Administration and Leadership Department hires faculty members who were practitioners before coming into higher education, where other programs use either adjunct faculty or fixed-term faculty, Dahms-Walker said.
The university is one of nine institutions in Minnesota that offers director of special education license.
