Angela Klein
Director of Special Education & Pupil Services
Hometown: Born and raised in Marshall, Wisconsin; currently lives in Belmont, Wisconsin
High school graduated from: Marshall High School
College: Angela earned her Bachelor of Science in Education from Winona State University in 2001, her Master of Education in Special Education-Early Childhood from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2005, and her Master of Education-Professional Development (Director of Special Education) from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2016.
Previous employment: From 2001-15, she worked as a Special Education Teacher in the Belmont Community School District. Prior to coming to Mineral Point, she served as the Director of Special Education and Pupil Services for the School District of Shullsburg since 2015.
Children: Alie (20, student at UW-Green Bay), Jacob (15, Freshman), and Eli (9, Grade 4)
Hobbies/Free time interests: I enjoy many outdoor family activities including gardening, camping, hiking, and fishing in the summer and snowshoeing and hiking in the winter. When I am indoors I am an avid reader. I am currently the agency manager for the Belmont Special Olympics program where I coach bowling, basketball skills, and athletics (track & field). Most of my free time is spent supporting my children with their extracurricular activities.
What attracted you to apply at MP Schools? The Mineral Point Unified School District was attractive to me because of the high standards that they have set forth for all students and the collaborative approach they have taken in helping students reach those high expectations. Mineral Point has a staff that is clearly committed and focused on the importance of our work as educators; that every student learns.
Quotable: As a parent the way that I conduct myself is viewed by my children; therefore I try to set an example with my words and actions. My educational philosophy is very similar. I let my professional words and actions demonstrate to students, families, and staff that education is a lifelong process. I see myself as a continual learner who sets an example about what is effective and right, reflects upon what worked (or didn’t work), and recognizes that one can always improve. Self-reflection was an important tool for me as a special education teacher, especially when completing the educator effectiveness system, but it continues to be an important component of my work as an administrator as I mentor more and more staff.
As an administrator I see it as my job to lead the staff, but also to train them so they can become future leaders. It is my job to make sure that the staff is equipped, prepared, and continually learning how to best support our students. As an administrator in Shullsburg I have had the opportunity to participate in the State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) where we have focused on developing professional learning communities (PLC). Professional learning communities have four guiding questions that lead the staff to know how to respond and support students. These questions (what do we expect students to learn, how will we know they are learning, how will we respond when they don’t learn, and how will we respond if they already know it) lead staff to identify appropriate standards, assessment, intervention, and multi-tiered levels of support for all students.
Finally, I believe that collaboration, communication, and the interpersonal relationships of the staff are integral to the success of a school. Developing a shared vision of respect and engaging all stakeholders including students, families, teachers, support staff, and administrators will help improve school climate and the educational outcomes for students.