Walla Walla University assistant professor of education and psychology Amanda Ramoutar was recently selected as one of only eight Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International 2024 Emerging Leader Fellows. She attended this year’s Educators Rising National Conference in Washington D.C. to benefit from training sessions and mentorship from other leading educators.
Ramoutar’s candidacy was due, in part, to her work in teacher education, specifically in special and inclusive education. PDK International member associate Noor Lodhi says Ramoutar’s recognition “is a testament to her unique and invaluable contributions to the field of education.” One of Ramoutar’s contributions was the establishment of “Teacher Teacher,” an on-campus intervention clinic offering pro bono special education training services.
During the 2024 Educators Rising National Conference, Ramoutar was matched with a mentee who she will continue to support throughout the year. Ramoutar appreciates the incredible platform PDK International has created to bring leaders and aspiring educators together. She says, “I’m impressed by the program’s emphasis on helping to ensure that we have a pipeline of skilled and passionate professionals ready to address the evolving challenges in education.”
PDK International is an international professional organization for educators that supports teachers and school leaders by strengthening their interest in the profession through the entire arc of their career. According to Ramoutar, the conference encouraged meaningful discussions between fellows that produced real plans for collaboration on teacher preparation and advocacy in the field. Ramoutar has also made plans to be involved in creating a discussion podcast to share educators’ stories and research, and writing an article to be published in Kappan magazine. Ramoutar appreciates the larger network that this opportunity has provided, and says, “What I enjoyed most about the conference was the opportunity to connect with the other leading educators.”
To learn more about WWU’s School of Education and Psychology and its faculty, go to wallawalla.edu/ed-psych.
Posted Aug. 8, 2024
