Deborah Focarile

With a doctorate in curriculum and instruction/reading, I have a strong background in education with several content specializations. I am certified by the State of Texas as a reading specialist and a master reading teacher. I have also successfully taught math and science in the public school. While serving in these capacities, I was part of the Educational Service Center Region XII Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching, a Teaching American History Fellow at Baylor University, as well as serving on several math curriculum committees. In addition to content area specialization, I have gained endorsements from the state of Texas in ESL and Gifted and Talented Education. I have a strong teaching background with over 20 years of classroom experience in the middle grades. I have taught specialized subjects (math and science), self-contained classrooms, pullout programs that include services for students gifted and talented, ESL, and at-risk students. My commitment to outstanding teaching is evident by earning National Board certification as a generalist in middle childhood (grades 4-8). Currently, I am a fulltime associate professor of education at McLennan College. In addition to teaching, my responsibilities include placing and monitoring students in field placements. I am a Senior Contributing Faculty member at Walden University. I teach doctoral seminars in curriculum, instruction, and assessment in an online format as well as chair and serve on doctoral study committees. In the past, I served as an adjunct instructor for Northcentral University, University of Texas at Arlington, and Tarleton State University through the University Center at MCC where I taught undergraduate courses that addressed Children's literature, reading in the content areas, math/science methods, ESL in the classroom, and assessment.