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vita

Wendy E. Handrich, M.S., Ed.
Independent Educational Consultant
The Learning Curve of Wisconsin, Inc.

1463 St. Andrews Drive
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin 53066
(262) 567-9044
learningcurvewi@charter.net

education

  • Certification for Director of Special Education/Pupil Services, 2002,University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
  • Specialist in Administrative Leadership, 1994, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
  • Certification for Elementary/Middle Level Principal, 1990, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
  • Master of Science in Education, 1982, Major: Early Childhood, Special Education, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
  • Bachelor of Science, 1975: Majors: Elementary and Special Education, Minor: Preschool Education, Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin.

academic and professional positions

Public school administrative experience

Elementary School Principal, McKinley Elementary School, Wauwatosa School District, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin: October 1999 to 2002.

Major responsibilities:

  • Recruiting, hiring, supervising and evaluating certified faculty and non-certified staff
  • Managing site-based budget for instructional, equipment, technology, in-service and facility needs
  • Facilitating conversations between faculty and parents as a means of developing and implementing an integrated comprehensive environment in four-year-old and five-year-old kindergarteners
  • Providing in-service training to parents and teachers in support of educating diverse populations of students; Coordinating a Principal's Advisory Council that included parent, faculty and staff membership
  • Developing school vertical teams to address annual school goals that would serve the needs of all learners
  • Piloting the "Daily Oral Geography" program at the site level for eventual district-wide adoption
  • Creating proposals for facility improvements for district level budgetary consideration
  • Developing and annually revising the school safety plan
    Overseeing weekly Student Assistance Team meetings to address programming needs of students
  • Organizing weekly "Lunches With The Principal" and quarterly "Coffees With The Principal" to facilitate communication with students and parents
  • Participating in Parent Teacher Association meetings and activities
  • Providing administrative input on the District's Gifted and Talented Committee, focusing on the importance of early identification of twice exceptional and minority students
  • Participating in Kindergarten Curriculum Committees that looked at issues regarding developmentally appropriate practices, self-regulation and the connection of play to language and literacy development
  • Coordinating staff-development opportunities for regular and special education faculty and instructional aides
  • Publishing a monthly school newsletter that included curriculum and school event news.

Elementary School Principal, Hillcrest Elementary School,
Waukesha School District, Waukesha, Wisconsin:
July 1997-1999

Major responsibilities:

  • Recruiting, hiring, supervising and evaluating certified and non-certified staff
  • Managing site-based budget for instructional, equipment, technology, in-service and facility needs
  • Providing in-service training to parents and teachers in support of educating diverse populations of students
  • Coordinating a Site Council that included parent, faculty and staff membership
  • Developing school vertical teams to address annual school goals that would serve the needs of all learners
  • Facilitating efforts to develop and write a five-year plan to improve student achievement
  • Organizing a monthly "Principal Read-Aloud" and quarterly "Coffee With the Principal" to facilitate communication with students and parents
  • Participating in Parent Teacher Association meetings and activities
  • Providing administrative input on the District's Gifted and Talented, School Board Policy, Administrative Staff Development and Early Intervention Framework Committees
  • Training non-certified substitute teachers at the district level
    Coordinating staff-development opportunities for regular and special education teachers and instructional aides
  • Publishing a monthly school newsletter that included curriculum and school event news
  • Overseeing weekly Building Collaboration Team meetings to address programming needs of students
  • Creating proposals for facility improvements for district level budgetary consideration
  • Piloting the "Daily Oral Geography" program at the site level for eventual district-wide adoption.

District Administrator, Rubicon Joint #6 School District,
Saylesville School, Rubicon, Wisconsin:
July 1991-1997

Major responsibilities:

  • Recruiting, hiring, supervising and evaluating certified and non-certified staff
  • Developing and overseeing a $1,000,000.00 budget for instructional, equipment, technology, in-service and facility needs
  • Working with the School Board, parents, faculty and staff to prepare for a Department of Public Instruction Twenty Standards Audit
  • Negotiating the purchase of additional property for future building needs
  • Revising and developing district policies to comply with State Statutes
  • Developing a Student Handbook
  • Negotiating contract agreements with professional and support staff and the School Board
  • Preparing all documentation for annual independent fiscal audit
  • Coordinating "Author of the Month", Social Science Themes and "Adopted Countries" for grades K-4 and a K-8 Study Skills program
  • Implementing a Student Accommodation Process, providing for parent, teacher, student and support staff input
  • Instituting a portfolio assessment system for grades K-4
    Researching and implementing a foreign language program for grades 7-8
  • Developing a financially self-supporting inclusive four-year-old community early childhood program
  • Creating a mentorship program, available to all seventh and eighth graders
  • Publishing a monthly district newsletter that included curriculum information from each grade level, student publications and informational articles for parents
  • Overseeing a financially self-supporting hot lunch program
    Organizing a "Partners By Design" Education for Employment program for grades 7-8
  • Creating an annual Grandparents Day Program as well as grandparent, parent and peer tutoring volunteer programs
  • Instituting the district's first computer lab
    Coordinating staff development activities for faculty and support staff
  • Participating in monthly School Board meetings, Board committee meetings and Parent Teacher Association meetings

Public school teaching experience

Classroom Teacher, Lincoln Elementary School,
Hartford Joint #1 School District, Hartford, Wisconsin.
August, 1977-July, 1991.

Major responsibilities:

  • Developing and implementing the District's first Early Childhood, Special Education program for three to six year old students with special needs
  • Supervising classroom instructional aides, student teachers and interns
  • Creating a parent in-service program, including weekly teacher home visits, quarterly parent classroom observations and weekly parent newsletters
  • Working with birth to three agencies and staff to provide smooth transitions between programs for students and their parents
  • Providing in-service to faculty and administration to develop an understanding of the value of early intervention programs
  • Establishing a senior citizen, parent and high school student-tutor volunteer program
  • Developing an extended day kindergarten program for children with special needs
  • Participating in Early Childhood, Special Education committee work at the Department of Public Instruction.

Special Education Classroom Teacher, County Line Elementary School, Germantown School District, Germantown, Wisconsin.
August 1975-June 1977.

Major responsibilities:

  • Developing and implementing the District's first Early Childhood, Special Education program for three to six year old students with special needs
  • Supervising classroom instructional aides, student teachers and interns
  • Creating a parent in-service program, including weekly teacher home visits, quarterly parent observations and weekly parent newsletters
  • Working with birth to three agencies and staff to provide smooth transitions between programs for students and their parents
  • Providing inservice to faculty and administration to develop an understanding of the value of early intervention programs.

University teaching experience

Lecturer, Department of Curriculum and Instruction Area: Early Childhood Education
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
2003-present

Major responsibilities:

  • Teaching the Following Early Childhood Classes:

    Programs and Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers
    Administration of Preschool Programs
    Children's Literature
    Community/School/Family Relationships
    Integrated Curriculum for Children Ages 6-8
  • Supervising Student Teachers

consulting services

On-site training

Next Generation Now Child Development & Family Support Center
Racine, Wisconsin. (July 2003-present)

  • Weekly on-site training and support to child care providers
  • Development and implementation of pre- and post-teacher reflection survey and anecdotal record form
  • Participation in Center's conferences
  • Participation on the Racine School Readiness Conference Planning Committee.

For more detail on consulting services, please see the Services page of this web site.

professional licenses

Director of Special Education/Pupil Service Administrator's License: Department of Educational Administration, University of Wisconsin -Milwaukee: 2002-Present

District Administrator's License: Department of Educational Administration, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: 1994-present.

Elementary and Middle Level Principal's License: Department of Educational Administration, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: 1990-present.

Teaching Certification Wisconsin: Elementary Education (Grades PreK-Six), Students with Cognitive Disabilities (Grades Kindergarten through 12th grade), 1975-present and Early Childhood, Special Education (Birth-Six Years), 1981-present.

professional memberships

The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Wisconsin Association of Talented and Gifted (WATG)

Illinois Association of Gifted Council (IAGC)

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

Autism Society of Wisconsin Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Wisconsin Early Childhood Association

Midwest Association for the Education of Young Children

professional recognition

Recipient of the Hartford Rotarian Teacher of the Year Award, 1990
Hartford AAUW Women in Education Award, 1990