The 2015 Colorado Professional of the Year Award
and
Floyd G. Hudson Outstanding Service Awards Recipient
Margarita Bianco
The Council for Learning Disabilities awarded the distinguished 2015 Floyd G. Hudson Outstanding Service Award Professional of the Year to Dr. Margarita Bianco. Dr. Bianco is also the recipient of the Colorado Professional of the Year Award.
Dr. Margarita Bianco
Dr. Margarita Bianco received her doctorate in 2003 from Florida Atlantic University. She is currently an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Special Education Program, School of Education and Human Development, University of Colorado Denver. She received multiple awards and recognitions including the Rosa Parks Diversity Award and the university wide Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2004, she was the recipient of Outstanding Researcher of the Year presented by the Council for Learning Disabilities. Dr. Bianco’s research is published in Gifted Child Today, Intervention in School and Clinic, The Journal of Negro Education, Psychology in the Schools, Theory into Practice, Teacher Education and Special Education, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, and Learning Disability Quarterly.
Pathways2Teaching, a pre-collegiate program designed to encourage students of color to enter the teacher workforce, was created by Dr. Bianco and is identified as a model program in the legislative declaration of a current House Bill before the Colorado legislature. The bill encourages other institutions of higher education to replicate her program design that addresses some of the most critical issues currently faced by the public schools.
“With her leadership, we are (The School of Education and Human Development in Special Education) designing programs that explicitly integrate a cultural perspective with a social justice commitment to push back against deficit-oriented thinking and practices that leave many children behind. Dr. Bianco is a true champion of students and teachers.” – Rebecca Kantor, Professor and Dean, University of Colorado Denver
“Dr. Bianco is a talented scholar, teacher, and leader. Her work has had an important impact in the fields of urban education, special education, and teacher education. Dr. Bianco works at the intersection of oppression and opportunity; recognizing that structural inequality and racism/classism shape the life experiences and opportunities afforded many students. These inequalities contribute to the likelihood that they will be identified with a disability and lead to inadequate and even inferior educational experiences. In working along these lines, Dr. Bianco has recognized the need to influence both the structural conditions that shape students’ lives as well as work directly with students.” -Barbara Seidl, University of Colorado Denver
From some Pathways2Teaching students:
“P2T has taught me many skills I will find of use in college, but the best part of P2T is the difference I have made to my school Adams City, our partner elementary school—Hanson Elementary, and for my own field experience students.”-Mario Noriega
“Pathways to teaching has put my dreams in action with the hands-on-training with the children in our community; this program is not only shaping our futures, but also those of the kids we are reaching out to.” –Paty Hernandez
“Pathways to teaching has been my gateway to not only walking across the stage and earning my diploma, but to be the one handing a diploma to my future students; this program has given me the confidence, the inspiration and the will to change another student’s life through the art of education.” – Aleena Delgado
“Dr. Bianco is a fearless warrior in the battle for equity and high expectations for students marginalized in our education system.” – Madhavi Tandon Doctoral Candidate, University of Colorado Denver
The Council for Learning Disabilities is honored to recognize Dr. Bianco as the 2015 recipient of the Floyd G. Hudson Outstanding Service Award.