Education Leaders Program / Dr. Katherine McNeil
Dr. Katherine McNeil
Lakeside, California
School affiliations
"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.'"
— Helen Keller
Dr. Katherine Nell McNeil teaches high school students with severe emotional and behavioral disorders at an alternative high school in the Lakeside Union School District in Lakeside, California.
She joined the Lakeside District after teaching both junior high and high school students with severe emotional and behavioral disorders in the Kent School District in Kent, Washington, for seven years. She was named 2010 Educator of the year by the national division of CHADD, Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, for her "outstanding contributions and commitment to children and families with ADHD."
Dr. McNeil is particularly interested in effective uses of technology within special education. She teaches Digital Media Design for students with severe behavior disorders, who gain confidence and self-esteem as they acquire technical expertise. She also researches multicultural curriculum within special education and is writing two books.
Dr. McNeil earned a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership with a cognate in Special Education from Seattle University in 2005 and a Master’s degree in Multicultural Education from the University of Washington in 2000.
Publications
McNeil, K. N. (2005). "The Guardian of the Dream: A Journey through Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder to the Other Side of Me." In R. A. Pena, K. Guest, and L. Matsuda (Eds.) "Community and Difference: Stories about Teaching and Social Justice." New York, N.Y.: Lang.