Shannon Decker

Dr. Decker has a PhD. in Interdisciplinary Studies, Curriculum Studies, dual MBA degrees--in Finance and in Marketing, as well as an M.Ed. in Secondary Education and a M.Ed. in Administration and Leadership. She is also nationally certified in GATE (Gifted & Talented Education) and has substantive education, specialization and a personal passion for special education. A life long learner, she is currently pursuing her PsyD.

Dr. Decker has more than 28 years in education. Dr. Decker has taught at the graduate level since 2002 and has been supervising doctoral students, both PhD and EdD since 2012. Dr. Decker had her career beginnings as a dual certified English and history high school teacher. in 1995 As a high school teacher, she held many administrative posts mentoring teachers and leading curriculum development. In 2013, she was chosen as the New Schools for Phoenix Aspiring Leader fellow where she traveled the country bringing best practices to new charter schools in the Phoenix metro area, including an arts-based high school. She recently worked with a school district in southern California on differentiated SIOP strategies for upper elementary LEP students. An author of two books and several peer-reviewed articles, she is a prolific national public speaker on healthcare and education.

Her interests include the study of human behavior and how theories on motivation and learning may be brought to bear on systems and the people within them, particularly in times of change, and where there is a need to improve efficiencies. Her research interests include Curriculum and Instruction, Cultural Studies, Class & Gender Studies, Critical Theory, Liberatory / Critical Pedagogy, Gifted Education, Special Education, Bilingual Education, Andragogy/Adult Leaning & Higher Education, Philosophy Of Education as well as using nontraditional theories of research and forms of data display.

In addition to her work in secondary and post secondary education, Dr. Decker is principal at VBC One, a consulting firm assisting physician groups, health plans and vendors improve their clinical performance. Dr. Decker has more than 20 years experience in health care where she uses adult learning theory to improve clinical practice and most recently led teams in risk, quality, data and analytics, telehealth, COVID response and delegation compliance. Of her more than 20 years of experience in healthcare--15 include working with risk adjustment, quality and Medicare.

She calls Southern California home--after a cross-continental migration (New York to Arizona to California)--with her 4 children and can be found in her free time, riding rollercoasters, working out or dallying as an amateur photographer.

Education

PhD, Arizona State University

MBA, Arizona State University

MEd, Arizona State University

MEd, Arizona State University

BA, Arizona State University

Post-master's Certificate, Arizona State University

Post-master's Certificate, Arizona State University

Awards / Honors

New Schools for Phoenix Aspiring Leader Fellow, , 2013

Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society, Arizona State University, 1997

Graduate Academic Scholar, Arizona State University, 1996

Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society, Arizona State University, 1996

Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society, Arizona State University, 1997

Pi Lambda Theta Honor Society, Arizona State University, 1996

National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Arizona State University, 1997

North American Scholar Consortium Honor Society, Arizona State University, 1996

Education First Magna Cum Laude Educator, Education First, 1997

Regents Scholar, New York Department of Education, 1989