Dorothy Garrity, MA, BCEA-F
Dorothy serves on the Advisory Board of NSEAI.
Dorothy is a dynamic and innovative teacher with over thirty years educating students in multiple school settings. Expertise in developing meaningful connections with learners of all ages, collaborating with parents and local resources, and supporting fellow teachers. Personable, organized, effective communicator, master Humanities teacher, respected adviser, exceptional problem-solver, and champion advocate for all.
She states that it is her honor to be considered for the position of Advisory Board Member at NSEAI. She has been an educator for the past thirty years, as well as an educational advocate for the past four years. She believes that her extensive education and experience to date has prepared her well for the role that she would undertake in filling this position.
Her early years as an educator were spent teaching inner city youth in the city of Boston. She served a population of students who were racially, ethically, and linguistically diverse. This experience established an appreciation for serving socially diverse communities, as well as an awareness of the needs for culturally mixed communities. She says that her years of teaching in Boston were abundantly rewarding and memorable. Thanks to the advent of social media, several former students have been able to reach out and extend their appreciation for the difference she made in their lives.
As an educator, she has had the benefit of teaching all age groups, from elementary school through college level. Throughout these years, she has honed her skills in public speaking, long range planning, computer literacy, and community networking. In addition, she have developed a unique ability to come alongside community members and problem solve ways in which all children can meet with academic success. She does not believe in an adversarial approach to solving conflict, but rather a collaborative approach that builds teamwork and strives for positive outcomes.
For the past four years, she has devoted her energies towards serving the needs of community members whose lives have been challenged by trauma, illness or disabilities. Currently, she assists residents of homeless shelters find employment, volunteer at Recovery Without Walls (a program that helps women overcome substance abuse and trauma), offer educational training at the Federation for Children with Special Needs, and acts as an educational advocate for children in the foster care system. To prepare for each of these roles, she completed hundreds of hours in coursework, which has enabled her to become a board certified advocate. She states that, "The training I received in these classes has provided me with a strong background of federal and state laws that support basic human rights for all. I am eager to bring my background and experience to your phenomenal organization, with the hope of becoming a valuable and respected member of the NSEAI team
Education /Certifications
- English, Grades 8-12/MA Professional License
- Elementary School, Grades 1-6/ MA Professional License
- BCEA-Fellow levels, Board Certified Educational Advocate
Education, NSEAI - University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH Master's Degree, Education
- University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH Bachelor of Arts, Education/Psychology
Experience
Community and Educational Advocate
SER-Jobs for Progress and Educational Advocate/ Consultant at A2Z IEP, 2017-present
• Aid homeless people in finding meaningful employment and training
• Assist families navigating the special education process
• Act as a special education surrogate parent to children in foster care
• Parent trainer at the Federation for Children with Special Needs
Middle School Teacher 2010-2017
• Taught English, Pre-Algebra and World Cultures
• Developed ongoing class editing project with award-winning local author
• Mentored an advisory group using the Developmental Design approach
• Presented at MassCUE technology conference on creating literary websites
Reading Instructor/Tutor (schools and private)
• Wilson Reading instruction to elementary school children
• Collaborated with mainstream teachers and/or parents
• Facilitated implementation of IEP goals and objectives with fidelity.
