Dodge named Minnesota Educational Support Professional of the Year
Shelly Dodge, a sign language interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing in the Lakeville schools, has been chosen as Education Minnesota’s 2009 Educational Support Professional of the Year.
Dodge, who is employed by Intermediate District 917, is a nationally certified sign language interpreter and president of the Dakota County Federation of Interpreters-917. She will be Minnesota’s candidate for the 2010 National Education Association ESP of the Year.
Dodge was recognized both for her professional leadership and for her accomplishments as a union leader. The ESP of the Year program, now in its second year, recognizes the work ESPs do every day to support students and other educators.
As ESP of the Year, Dodge represents Education Minnesota’s more than 7,700 ESP members, the fastest-growing category of the union’s membership.
Her supervisor, Kitri Larson Kyllo, said Dodge is “greatly respected and highly spoken of by all the many teachers, principals and school personnel with whom she works.” Kyllo praised Dodge for “serving as a solidly wise, experienced, sensible, realistic and articulate guiding ‘rock’ to the staff.”
In 2006, Dodge was named Employee of the Year for Intermediate School District 917. In 2005, she received the Lakeville Area Public School’s Outstanding Inclusive Educator Award.
In her union life, she serves as chair of the Education Minnesota ESP Council of Local Presidents, of which she is a charter member. She has been her local’s lead negotiator for 12 years and served the local as vice president, a member rights advocate and a health care advocate.
Dodge has also been a delegate to the Education Minnesota Representative Convention and to the National Education Association Representative Assembly.
November 06, 2009