Our Authors

With over 24 years of teaching experience, I’m thrilled to be a faculty member at Northwest Educational Development. As a field supervisor, I love guiding teacher candidates through their certification journey and supporting their professional growth. In my role as Director of Curriculum, I get to share my passion for curriculum development and instructional writing, making sure our programs meet all the important standards such as Common Core, inTASC, STI, CCDEI, and SEL.

I’ve taught in many types of settings, from urban public high schools to project-based STEM schools, and even community college classes in a women’s prison. This diverse experience has honed my skills in differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all students in full-inclusion classrooms. My career has always been about empathy, cultural responsiveness, and community engagement. I believe in the power of high-quality lesson plans, meaningful feedback, and authentic data analysis to boost student outcomes.

I’ve built strong, cooperative relationships with students, parents, staff, and supervisors, and I’m known for my positive, collaborative spirit and approachable leadership style. My love of research and technology along with my desire to stay up to date in education keeps me connected to the latest trends and challenges in education.

On a personal note, I enjoy road trips with my husband, sunny days on our boat, a stack of books waiting to be read, a dog sleeping next to me, and laughing with my grandchildren. Curiosity about the world and a deep love of learning something new has always been my motivation and I am lucky that my children and grandchildren share that same passion.

Dana Swenson is from the Pacific Northwest, but a college exchange program took her to Spain where she eventually stayed for 18 years. There, she started a family and gained professional experience teaching English and working as an Art Director for an English magazine. Now back in the US, she has continued her teaching career in public schools with a focus on language. She is professionally and personally enthusiastic about language acquisition, whether it be maintaining home languages, or learning new ones.

​

Dana wrote PD 810, Dual Language Education.

PD 800, The Science of Reading, was created by Rachel Scheer, a National Board-Certified teacher with 13 years of experience in elementary education. She currently serves as a primary classroom teacher and teacher-leader at Seattle Public Schools.
Rachel is passionate about reading instruction, project-based learning, and publishing student writing in the early grades.

Kathlyn Mickel founded Northwest Educational Development in 2016 with her colleague Briana Van Horn after spending 15 years in higher education. Her passion for education began as a middle level English and social teacher, but evolved quickly into advocacy for all teachers at the university, district, and classroom level. At her core, she believes in educators, their passion, knowledge, and skills. She believes that teachers need support and affirmation of their work, and collectively the educational landscape can be changed through shared experiences and knowledge. 

I started my career in 2004 in Florida. I worked at a charter school my first three years as a 6th/7th grade Math and English teacher. I then moved to a public middle school and taught drop-out prevention for a year. I moved to another public school where I taught 7th grade Math, Intervention Math, and 7th grade Algebra Honors. I was the department head while I was there. I served on serval committees- AVID, RtI, and Building Leadership. I worked with the district on writing the online courses for 7th and 8th grade Math. I worked several times with the state on writing student and perspective teacher assessments. In 2012, I moved to Washington state. I worked for eight years at a public middle school as a 7th grade Math and Science teacher and served as department head for a few years before moving to a public high school to teach Special Education Resource. I now work with students with Autism, as well as many other disabilities and teach them social skills. I have worked with the state on writing student assessments and evaluate open educational resources. I am currently working on my doctorate in Administration and Supervision, and aspire to become an executive director at some point.

​

Alissa wrote PD 815, Working with Paraprofessionals. 

Kiersten Barr is an esteemed educator with over 26 years of experience in the field. She holds both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Western Washington University. Throughout her career, Kiersten has taught a wide range of students from preschool through grade 8. Additionally, she has contributed to the education of preservice teachers at the post-secondary level, offering instruction to student teaching interns earning their reading and ELL endorsements. 
For several years, Kiersten served as a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA), providing professional development and training for literacy intervention teachers in the Bellingham School District. Her expertise extends to working as an independent literacy consultant for neighboring school districts. Currently, she serves as a Literacy Intervention Specialist at the middle school level, where she supports students through the LAP program. 
Her professional passions include advocating for neurodiverse students and fostering a sense of belonging and acceptance for all learners. Kiersten is dedicated to using trauma-informed practices to create an emotionally safe environment for her students. She believes the recipe for accelerating student growth is forming strong relationships with students, meeting students where they are, and implementing a diverse menu of research-based interventions. 
Outside of her teaching duties, she enjoys hiking, taking naps with her rescue pit-bull Gracie, and spending time with her emotional support dog (ESA), a Frenchton named Arnie, who accompanies her to school daily, providing comfort to students. Kiersten also loves traveling and staying at quirky places. She takes delight in thrifting adventures with her three teenagers at the Goodwill "bins."

​

Kiersten wrote PD 820, Supporting Striving Readers, Differentiated Literacy Instruction.