TEP alumna Shannon Garrison teaches 4th grade at Solano Avenue Elementary School and chairs NAGB’s assessment development committee.
“It’s quite an honor and an amazing learning experience,” she says. “As a teacher, I initially didn’t think too much about assessment beyond my classroom, so it’s really opened my eyes to policy and how to set policy, beyond my classroom, my school, and my district.”
Garrison, who represents 4th grade teachers nationwide, is joined by two other teachers on NAGB, who respectively represent 8th and 12th grade teachers. She says that at the end of the day, their concerns and goals are more similar than they are disparate, regardless of the issues they face in their own states and regions.
“I take special care to represent the fact that I work with English language learners, the fact that I work with students who maybe don’t have the resources that other students may have,” says Garrison. “We look a lot at bias and cultural relevance. I feel that it’s a big responsibility on my shoulders to make sure I represent teachers but more importantly, that I represent my students and parents in what I say and bring to the table.”