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Debbie Willingham
EDUCATION
| 2003-2006 | Doctorate in Educational Leadership; South Carolina State University |
| 1986.1995 | Specialist degree (Master's + 30 hours) in Social Studies |
| 1978.1981 | Masters degree in Special Education with emphasis in Learning Disabilities; Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina |
| 1973.1977 | Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in Secondary Education with majors in English and History; Mercer University, Macon, Georgia |
| 1961-1973 | Graduate of Davidson County Public Schools, Nashville, Tennessee |
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Recipient of Hitachi America, Ltd. national award to visit schools in Japan
- Recipient of Goethe Foundation award to visit schools in Germany
- Recipient of grants from U.S. Department of Education, South Carolina Council for the Humanities, National Social Science Education Consortium, Alliance for Quality Education, S.C. Department of Education
- Teacher of the Year, Greenville County Schools
ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS
- Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
- National Middle School Association
- Phi Delta Kappa
- National Council for the Social Studies
- National Social Studies Supervisors Association
- South Carolina Middle School Association (president 1994-95)
- South Carolina Council for the Social Studies (historian 1998-2003)
WORK EXPERIENCE
| 2007-Present | National Instructional Specialist, Learning-Focused, Inc. |
| 1998-2007 | Teaching and Learning Consultant, School District of Greenville County, overseeing the advanced placement program, middle school initiatives, social studies curriculum and instruction, Learning-Focused Schools initiative, instructional coaches, federal SLC grant, middle to high school transition programs, summer academy for teachers |
| 2003-Present | Adjunct professor in graduate education program, Furman University |
| 1977-1998 | Teacher of middle and high school Social Studies, Language Arts, and Reading courses |
ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Trainer for Learning-Focused Solutions, Inc. in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, and New York
- Trainer, College Board Building Success Program
- Trainer, statewide SC Maps program
- Presenter at NMSA conferences (Toronto, Louisville, Cincinnati, Atlanta), International Reading Association conferences, SCMSA state and regional conferences, SCCSS state and regional conferences, and school district workshops in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee
- Presenter at meetings of state School Board on middle level certification, Social Studies standards, and textbook adoptions
- Writer of district Social Studies curriculum guides, criterion-based district Social Studies test, middle school Gifted and Talented curriculum guide, elementary-middle and middle-high school transition guides, Citizenship Education guide
- Supervisory teacher for thirteen student teachers; advisory teacher for Furman University undergraduate education majors field program