Western New York Network of English Teachers

The Western New York Network of English Teachers is a professional social network linking classroom ELA teachers, teacher educators, and school administrators with the goal of encouraging and supporting meaningful teaching of the English Language Arts in the Buffalo Niagara region.

Full Circle, Reflections on a Textual Revolution (Example Event)

by Julie and David Gorlewski, Editors of "English Journal"

October 15, 4:30–6:00 p.m.
11 Ketchum Hall, Buffalo State

Reception to follow

* presented by The Western New York Network of English Teachers

Officers

Shannon Burke-Krukowski

Shannon Burke-Krukowski, President

Shannon Burke-Krukowski is President of the Western New York Network of English Teachers. She has a B.A. in English and a M.Ed. in English Education, both from the University at Buffalo. Shannon has taught both middle and high school at a variety of local public, charter, and private schools. She currently teaches sixth, seventh, and eighth grade English Language Arts at Elmwood Village Charter School and is an adjunct instructor at the University at Buffalo.

Deborah Bertlesman, Vice-President

Deborah Bertlesman is Vice-President of the Western New York Network of English Teachers. She has a B.A. in English from SUNY Geneseo and a M.Ed. from the University at Buffalo. Deborah has taught at a diverse array of local public and private schools. She is currently a high school ELA teacher at Maritime Charter School. Deborah has served as co-chair of the Women in Literacy Assembly for the National Council of Teachers of English. She is interested in inquiry-based models of ELA instruction and creating English classrooms that allow students the opportunity to develop identities as readers, writers, and thinkers. Her work focuses on integration of critical literacy, close reading strategies, and authentic purposeful writing.

Scott Reimann

Scott Reimann, Business Manager

Scott Reimann is Business Manager of the Western New York Network of English Teachers. He has a B.A. in English from John Carroll University, a M.A. in English from Stony Brook University, and a certification in English Education from the University at Buffalo. Scott has taught both middle and high school at local public and charter schools. Currently, he teaches reading and writing in the Alden school district, college writing at Lancaster High School, and English and communications courses at Bryant and Stratton College.

Timothy Monahan

Timothy Monahan, Executive Secretary and Webmaster

Timothy Monahan is Executive Secretary and Webmaster of the Western New York Network of English Teachers. He holds a B.A. in English and an M.Ed. in English Education, both from the University at Buffalo. Timothy currently teaches high school ELA at Western New York Maritime Charter School. Timothy is the author of the novel, Of Darkness and Deathless.

Amanda Wawro

Amanda Wawro, Public Relations

Amanda Wawro is Secretary of the Western New York Network of English Teachers. She earned a B.A. in English with a concentration in Comparative Literature, and an M.Ed., all from the University at Buffalo. Wawro has a wide range of ELA and literacy teaching experience in public, private, and charter schools. Wawro is the ELA AIS teacher at Western New York Maritime Charter School.

Lisa Feyes

Lisa Feyes, Secretary

Lisa Feyes is Secretary of the Western New York Network of English Teachers. Lisa is a veteran high school English teacher at Sweet Home High School in Amherst, NY. Lisa has experience working with diverse student populations, reading and writing workshop appraoches to ELA instruction and engaging students in authentic discussions around literature.

James Cercone

Dr. James Cercone, Director

James Cercone is director of the Western New York Network of English teachers. Dr. Cercone is an Assitant Professor of English Education at Buffalo State. Prior to joining Buffalo State, James was a Clinical Professor of English Education at the University at Buffalo and a former high school English teacher. Dr. Cercone's research focuses on English teacher identity development from early preservice and career stages of teachers' careers and beyond. 

Meetings

Past Meetings

April
WNYnet, Buffalo State's English Education Student Association (EESA), and Buffalo State hosted a continuing speaker series for 2013, featuring Sweet Home High School English teachers Lisa Feyes and Heather Paolucci, who shared the work they implemented regarding Readers and Writers Workshop in their classrooms.

March
EESA sponsored a job workshop in which a panel of WNYnet officers helped future, as well as current, educators refine their resumes, portfolios, and interviewing skills.

Geoff Schutte, cofounder of Educators for a Better Buffalo, invited us to hold our public meeting at Tapestry Charter School. Geoff and some of his colleagues showcased their innovative teaching practices and recalled how they have found success in reforming traditional approaches to English education.

January
Thank you to Shannon Burke Krukowski for hosting our January public meeting at Elmwood Village Charter School. Shannon's students shared their "I Am" poems. Lisa Feyes and Heather Paolucci from Sweet Home led a discussion about implementing Reading and Writing Workshop into curriculum.

November Speaker Series
A special thanks to Joel Malley from Cheektowaga for participating in our speaker series at Buffalo State.