Freeman honored as September Employee of the Month

It is with pleasure that we honor Erin Freeman, Content Specialist I in Curriculum & Instruction – English Language Arts and History, as the September 2021 Employee of the Month.

Quiet and soft-spoken, Erin is nonetheless a passionate and knowledgeable advocate for students and teachers. She works diligently to develop new tools for teachers and her team to use in serving all students, but especially English Learners. Her knowledge of the English Language Development standards and her practical approach to coaching and modeling in the classroom have enabled her to build deep and effective relationships in some of our districts with the largest populations of EL students.

Erin is also incredibly collaborative, reaching out to other departments, such as the FCSS Instructional Technology, Science Technology Engineering and Math and Leadership teams to design professional learning, coordinate services with districts and develop tools for classroom teachers that help them support all students. She recently worked with Dr. Jeran Ott of the ITS department to create a digital tool for teachers to keep track of their progress with individual students in addressing ELD standards, which will enhance the way they serve these learners.

Erin is a Universal Design for Learning expert, which puts her on the front line of helping schools with how a classroom can be designed from the start to embrace the learning differences of students. She is the first cheerleader for FCSS support for districts and her endlessly positive outlook extends far beyond her ELA/ELD/HSS team in its impact.

“I don’t think any of us could do what we do at the level we do it without the support and expertise of each other,” said Erin. “So many people are blessed to be supported by the various teams and individuals in FCSS, I’m one of them, and I’m thankful to be a part of an organization that prioritizes kindness and service to others. This is a great honor and a blessed way to be humbled.”