Kathy Shewey, the supervisor of staff development for Alachua County Public Schools, has been awarded the prestigious Distinguished Educator Award by the National Middle School Association (NMSA). The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to middle school education.

Shewey has been an educator for more than 37 years. She began her career as a teacher at Santa Fe High School and spent a total of thirty years in the classroom. Twenty-nine of those years were spent teaching middle school students at the former Spring Hill Middle School in Alachua and at Lincoln and Kanapaha middle schools.

“I think that age group is a lot of fun,” said Shewey.  “They’re going through so many changes at that point in their lives, which is very exciting for a teacher. Middle school was a perfect match for me.”

As the supervisor of staff development for the district, it is now her job to provide staff members, primarily  teachers, with opportunities to enhance their skills.

“My whole focus is to provide development programs that are meaningful, relevant and useful,” she said. “I want teachers to walk out of our training sessions with strategies they can use in the classroom to help their students succeed.”

Shewey, who is a University of Florida graduate, has shared her expertise and experience with many other educators over the years. She’s made presentations at both the state and national level, served as an adjunct professor at the UF College of Education, and has co-authored two books published by the NMSA. She’s also served in leadership roles with the Florida League of Middle Schools, include a tenure as chair of the organization’s executive board.  Just last year Shewey was honored by that the Florida League of Middle Schools for her work in the field of middle school education.

“We’re so proud of Kathy,” said Sandy Hollinger, the district’s deputy superintendent for instruction and student services. “Helping teachers become better at what they do is what staff development is all about, and Kathy does that very well.”