Superintendent: Dr.

Rod Thompson
Assistant Superintendent: Dr. John Bezek

Professional Development Consultant on Cultural Responsiveness to visit Shakopee

Schools

As part of our upcoming staff development day, Dr. Sharroky Hollie, a culturally responsive teaching and
learning expert, will visit Shakopee Public Schools.

Several departments including Excellence with Equity, Teaching and Learning and Special Services worked
together to find a speaker whose message would best resonate with our staff, said Ray Betton, Excellence
with Equity Supervisor. We visited nearby districts to find out what speakers were able to successfully
captivate and reach their audiences. Dr. Sharroky Hollie is a name that kept coming up.

Dr. Hollie has nearly 25 years of experience as an educator including nine years as a language arts teacher
at the secondary level and five years as a program coordinator handling professional development for
teachers working specifically in the area of language development for African American students. He also
spent ten years at Cal State University Dominguez Hills as a teacher education professor. Dr. Hollie
specialized in secondary literacy, methodology, classroom management, and field supervision.

Dr. Hollie co-founded the Culture and Language Academy of Success [CLAS] in 2003; a K-8 independent
charter school that adopted culturally responsive pedagogy as its primary approach. He now serves as the
Executive Director of the Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning
in Los Angeles, California; a non-profit organization. Im really looking forward to
Dr. Hollies visit and for him to begin working with our staff as we continue on our
journey towards becoming more culturally responsive, said Julie Menden,
Director of Special Services.

Hollie is about culture, not race, added Betton. He works with teachers to help
them become more culturally aware. As we all work together to help bridge the
achievement gap, his knowledge and expertise will be invaluable to help us in that
process.

For the past 15 years, the Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning has been educating in the
realm of cultural responsiveness by offering professional development including workshops, seminars,
events for educators, community organizations, and corporations. He utilizes verbal and mental strategies
such as protocols for responding and attention signals to transition and end instruction which helps improve
cultural responsiveness, communication and, at the same time, builds relationships, said Betton.

Dr. Sharroky Hollie will visit Shakopee High School on January 23. He will present two different sessions for
all certified staff in the commons. The sessions run from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and noon to 3:30 p.m. If
you have any further questions, please contact Julie Menden, Director of Special Services or Ray Betton,
Excellence with Equity Supervisor.

Ashley McCray, Communications and Public Relations Director

Shakopee Public Schools | OFFICE 952-496-5991 | MOBILE 952-500-0891 | amccray@shakopee.k12.mn.us
1200 Town Square | Shakopee, Minnesota 55379 | 952-496-5000 | shakopee.k12.mn.us