Jane Sullivan – MIHS Special Education Teacher/Case Manager

Location: Mercer Island High School

Job description: Jane teaches students in grades 9 through 12 who have been identified as needing specially designed instruction in one or more areas. She manages their caseloads and liaisons with their general education teachers, families, outside consultants, and specialists, such as speech and language pathologists.

Typical day: “It’s long!” Jane replies, laughing, when asked to describe one. Jane teaches three resource classes, where her students work on individual learning goals. As an example, “One might be learning to edit an essay,” Jane offers. “The goal would be to read an unedited paragraph and identify and correct grammar, punctuation and word usage with 75% accuracy. The I.E.P's (Individual Education Plans) are very specific.” After Resource Room, Jane teaches two Foundations classes, which is a special education class in U.S. history and math.

Best part of the job: “When one of my kids feels successful according to his or her own terms,” says Jane, “and not by how society defines success. We all, every one of us, have things we’re not so good at. Learning is hard. If I were to study ballet or the Russian language, I'd make lots of mistakes and be frustrated. When my students walk through the classroom door, I want them to feel welcome and that this is a good place to be. If they can't do something one way, we will find another way. These kids are amazing. I learn from them every day.”

Something people may not know: Jane hated high school, and was not a good student, but went on to graduate from college and earn two masters degrees. Jane had another career for 25 years prior to becoming a teacher. She was in the apparel manufacturing business, with Levi Strauss in San Francisco, and moved to Seattle to become a vice president of merchandizing and design for Britania and Union Bay, finally ending up at Eddie Bauer as a director of women’s product development. After starting her own line of women’s apparel called Favour she decided to change careers - says Jane, “all that travel got old, and the job was definitely not rewarding.” In the MIHS special education classrooms, everything matters. Says Jane, “I used to sit around and agonize over how many boot cut and straight leg and stone washed jeans needed to be in the product line. It doesn't matter!” So Jane went back to school 25 years after earning a Masters in Business, and earned an endorsement in history at the UW. “In college, I figured out how I learned and I loved it. I could go to school for the rest of my life!” She went on to get her Masters in teaching at Seattle University and is now a fully endorsed special education teacher.

Years in district: This is Jane’s eighth year with MISD.

Outside interests: Jane is mother to five children in a blended family; two of her children went through the special education system at MIHS. "I am very proud of all my kids,” she says. “They are each successful and unique.” Jane enjoys sports and keeps fit with bicycling, skiing, and yoga. She also likes to read, and travel. Jane moved to Seattle three years ago after 20 years of living on Mercer Island.