Deedie was born and raised in Billings, Montana. She graduated from the University of Montana with majors in sociology, anthropology and elementary education. She later earned a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Graduate Endorsement in Special Education from Eastern Montana College.

 

She taught in Nebraska and Montana before moving to Juneau in 1981. Deedie taught at Glacier Valley, Gastineau and Mendenhall River for her first 28 years with JSD. During those years, she was actively involved as a parent and teacher on Site Councils and a staff representative on many JSD Committees. Throughout her teaching career she was an active member of the Juneau Education Association. After retiring in 2010 she continued working as a long-term substitute in both regular and special education until 2018. During this time, she was able to spend time in many elementary schools and appreciate the programs and activities that made each school unique.

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Deedie brings her years of experience to advocate for the best possible education experiences and outcomes for all of Juneau’s students. She believes that all students and staff need to feel safe and be safe in our schools and classrooms. Deedie is working to ensure that all student assessments used by the district are evaluated for bias and replaced when necessary. She recognizes that the district’s standardized reading scores indicate that many of our students are not competent readers. This impacts students at every grade level and every subject area. After forty years teaching children to read, she knows there is no one instructional method that works for all children. She actively encourages the district to develop and the board to adopt a JSD reading curriculum, provide training to utilize a range of instructional strategies and provide materials that both create and strengthen measurable reading competencies across all levels.

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• Length of Residency in Juneau: 

  • 43 years
     

• Education:    

  • BA University of Montana-Sociology and Anthropology  

  • BA University of Montana School of Education – Elementary Education

  • MS Eastern Montana College-Education – Early Childhood Education 
     

• ​Professional Experience:

  • Teacher, Juneau School DIstrict, 1973 - 2010
     

• Other:

  • Former Steward for JEA