Currently enrolled in the special education doctoral program at the University of Northern Iowa with a focus on inclusive educational leadership, Sue Pettit was a language arts and reading specialist at Central Middle School in Waterloo at the time of her Award. Her innovative techniques at Central included a unit in which students presented first-person reports on countries in the Western Hemisphere, as if they were citizens of the country they researched. Mrs. Pettit enlisted the aid of university students for a peer tutoring program and to act as literary letter pals for her seventh grade students. A National Board Certified teacher, she mentored other teachers seeking national certification and developed and modeled "best reading practices" materials and support for the district's middle school teachers. Mrs. Pettit met monthly with other writing teachers who gave each other writing assignments so that they themselves could remain avid writers. Her current interest as a doctoral candidate lies in critical literacy issues and the political and social impact that poverty has on children and their school experience.
1974 University of North Dakota, B.A.
