The Knowles Fellowship was, and continues to be, a constant reminder that educators are valuable and that we must continue to support excellence in teachers and schools. STEM education is a lifelong passion of mine, and the Knowles Fellowship fuels this forever-flame.”
Carlee’s Story
Carlee is a Senior Fellow (2011 Cohort) who was hired in January 2021 as a Program Fellow. She is now a full-time Knowles employee working to support Teaching and Senior Fellows.
Carlee taught high school math for six years at High Tech High North County in San Marcos, California, where she focused her curriculum around Project-Based Learning and Complex Instruction. As a Senior Fellow, she led a team of High Tech High math teachers as part of Knowles’ Project ASCENT, using improvement science to make changes to their math instruction to support student agency and improve college access. Carlee and three other Senior Fellows have been developing a Knowles Academy course on Project-Based Learning, which ran as a mini-course in summer 2019. She supports other teachers’ writing as a peer advisor for the Knowles journal, Kaleidoscope: Educator Voices and Perspectives, and has written about her teaching in Kaleidoscope: Educator Voices and Perspectives and Ed Week.
Carlee earned her bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate from Grand Valley State University and most recently her master’s degree from Western Michigan University. While earning her master’s degree in math education, Carlee worked as a research assistant for the MOST project, which explores ways that teachers can elicit and productively build on students’ mathematical thinking. In her most recent role as a math support specialist for a virtual school, she coached teachers, led school-wide professional development, and developed instructional resources. Carlee has had diverse experiences in deeply exploring her own teaching, collaborating with other teachers, and supporting teachers in virtual teaching.
Although she misses the San Diego sun, Carlee moved back to northern Michigan, where she lives with her husband, their dog, and their future child. When not seeking outlets to maintain her passion for education, Carlee loves hiking, traveling to National Parks, and attending baseball games.
Knowles Academy Courses Taught
PBL: Project-Based Learning for Rigorous Math & Science Instruction