Patricia Eagle, MA.  Patricia started teaching in 1974 upon graduation from the University of Texas in Austin, after striking an unusual agreement (at that time) with her principal to return to the university and complete over 55 credit hours necessary for a teaching credential. Still deeply grateful to that first principal who remains one of her most influential mentors, she has since been licensed in four states and presently holds a Professional Colorado Teacher License. Patricia has taught pre-school to university levels, with the bulk of her experience in urban secondary schools, both public and charter, experiential and traditional. She is endorsed in English, French Language and Literature, and Health and Physical Education. Patricia received her Master’s degree in Multicultural Studies in Education from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1999 after researching methods of reflection that could assist teachers with implementing practices to enrich and sustain healthy learning environments, both for students and teachers. Patricia remains dedicated to strengthening her listening and observation skills with teacher candidates and students, while helping create an evolutionary understanding of what can make our educational experiences most meaningful.

Sirat Al Salim. Sirat has a B. A. in Mathematics and has completed his course work towards a Ph.D. in Curriculum Development and Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has over eleven years of experience as a secondary mathematics teacher in both traditional and alternative classroom settings and five years experience teaching mathematics at the collegiate level. Sirat has over nine years of experience in program administration, including his work as Program Director for a satellite, alternative high school program and his current service as Director of the Math Literacy Project, a nonprofit organization working to improve student achievement in mathematics. 

Jenna Ream, MA. Jenna is graduate faculty at University of Colorado and Health Sciences Center School of Education, Literacy, Language and Culturally Responsive Teaching.  With a background in literacy and language development, Jenna has taught at the elementary, secondary and graduate level for twelve years.  Her experience spans teaching and coaching in English as a second language, early and adolescent literacy, assessment, multicultural education and the foundations and history of education.  She brings with her a passion for working with teachers to help them best understand and meet the needs of diverse learners in every classroom.

Peter R. Matthews, D.Ed. is Professor Emeritus at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and President of Clinton Consulting & Counseling, Monument, Colorado. He is currently specializing in the alternative preparation of teachers with focus on special education and the support needs of persons with disabilities. Dr. Matthews received his B.S. in Special Education/Elementary Education and M.S. in Special Education/Psychology from the State University of New York at Geneseo. His doctorate in the Education of Exceptional Children/Therapeutic Recreation is from The Pennsylvania State University. Most of his career has involved teaching special education at the college level. He has taught and developed over four dozen courses at the undergraduate and graduate level at five institutions. He has also been a public school teacher, a higher education administrator, worked in the private sector, and continues to consult in the United States and abroad. Publications and presentations have mostly evolved around leisure and recreation for persons with disabilities, higher education students with disabilities, barriers to service delivery, accommodations, study abroad, and work-experience.

Sabrina Hodges, MSW, has been teaching at Denver's PS1 Charter School for seven years. Sabrina has held a variety of roles while at PS1, including Humanities instructor, Special Education case manager, student advisor, and school social worker. For 3 years, she managed and taught in the Bridge Program- an all-day immersion program serving as a “bridge” from middle school to high school for students with chronic truancy, behavioral challenges, and emotional disabilities. She currently serves as a freshman English teacher, case manager, advisor, and Language Arts department head. Sabrina earned a B.A in Ethnic Studies and Sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2001 and a Master’s in Clinical Social Work from the University of Denver in 2006.

Joy Shannon, MA. Joy began her teaching career in 1968 after graduating from the University of Houston. She was one of the first teachers hired to teach learning disabled students in Denver.   She later obtained her Master’s Degree from the University of Northern Colorado, and studied literacy development at University of Colorado at Denver. Joy has co-authored three literacy activity books and an article published in a professional journal with Dr. Lynn Rhodes of UCD She ‘retired’ from DPS in 2000, but continues to work at P.S.1 Charter School in the special education department.  Joy has four decades of experience in working with struggling learners and has expertise in various reading programs and methods.  Joy strongly feels that there is not one method of instruction which will work with all students; that teachers need to be flexible in their thinking about how children learn to read and open to using various strategies; and that the most difficult part of teaching struggling readers is motivation and creating positive attitudes toward written language.

Shirley Stubbs has degrees in Special Education (BA & MA), and holds Licenses in Administration and as Director of Special Education.  She taught several years both in Middle School and High School in Special Education before becoming an administrator in 1981.  Some of her administrative experiences include President of a Teachers Association, Uniserv Director for NEA in Utah, Research Consultant for the Education Commission of the States where she did research and published papers and a book on Students At Risk, and Education Reform, Assistant Director of Spectial Education in Aurora Schools then in Jefferson County Schools.  During the years in Jefferson County, Shirley worked at the Out of District Coordinator for students placed in Eligible Facilities and DYC, assisting with IEP development and program planning.  She also worked with Charter schools as their Special Education Assistant Director for several years.

Currently Shirley works as an Education Consultant and Trainer for CDE doing Special Education training for teachers, administrators, and clinicians in Eligible Facilities and DYC.  Periodically she does training for Social Services, GALs, Surrogate Parent Training and private training for School Districts upon request.  She joined the TILA staff in Spring, 2008.