Cohort 8
Alexander Lane
EDUCATION • M.S. in TESOL; M.A. in Special Education Edgewood College • M.S. in Social Studies Education Syracuse University • B.A. in Social Science Ashford University ENROLLED • Cohort 8 LOCATION
• Syracuse, N.Y.
Becoming an educator has been a calling for Alexander Lane ever since he was eight years old helping his younger siblings with their homework. Alexander is a certified special education, social studies and ESL teacher. He worked for the Madison Metropolitan School District from 2017-2024, mostly as a special education teacher who co-taught in social studies classes and did one year as just a social studies teacher. During his time at East High School, he helped pilot a new accelerated credit attainment program for students with disabilities and before moving created a blueprint for West High School to develop a free snack program for students. Alexander also coached for the East High School football team; which gave him a new perspective on his role as an educator and helped him understand two important things; first having a diverse staff to coach a diverse group of students is beneficial for all and secondly the connection of the team with the community was so intertwined it made him realize the need to strengthen school and community connections. Alexander joined the U.S. Army in 2007 and was stationed in Fort Drum, N.Y., for five years and stationed in Hohenfels, Germany for three years. After eight years of active-duty service where he did one tour in Iraq in 2009-2010, he then continued his time in service with the U.S. Army Reserves and plans to go until eligible for retirement. Alexander picked the Educational Sustainability Ed.D. at UW-Stevens Point because it aligns with his professional and personal goals of improving education currently and into the future. His graduate work at Syracuse University for Social Studies Education Preparation and at Edgewood College for Special Education and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) has helped him harbor the necessary skills to teach a diverse group of students from many different backgrounds, varying disability related needs, and English Language Learners of all skill levels. He and his family moved to Syracuse, N.Y., during the summer 2024. He was hired at Henninger High School as a special education teacher. Through this program, he will build on his skill set to make the education system he works in more equitable and sustainable for future generations through his teacher recruitment and retention goal. His goal is to develop an early recruitment program targeting high school students to become future educators with an empathic approach towards recruitment of marginalized students, especially Black male students because as of November 2023, only 1.3% of all teachers in America are Black males.
UW-Stevens Point
76
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog