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Kalli Nowitzke poses with student Paul Katz at the 2024 MCEC Annual Conference. Photo courtesy of Kalli Nowitzke.
Dexter High School Special Education Teacher Kalli Nowitzke is the 2024 recipient of the Dr. William C. Morse Teacher of the Year Award. The honor is awarded annually by the Michigan Council for Exceptional Children (MCEC) to someone who provides direct services to students with exceptionalities and who embodies excellence in special education.
Ms. Nowitzke is a High Needs Resource Room teacher at the High School who also teaches the school’s Peer to Peer elective course and serves as the advisor for the school’s SNAP program (Students Needing Accepting Peers). She is also the high school’s Unified Liaison and coaches several Unified sports teams.
MCEC’s Executive Director Joe DeMarsh read about Nowtizke and the programs she leads following the publication of an STN article about DHS’s new Silent Disco that accompanied the high school’s traditional homecoming dance last fall. He invited her and students from her SNAP program to speak at MCEC’s annual conference and suggested she apply for their Teacher of the Year Award.
Nowitzke said she and nine of her SNAP students traveled to the MCEC Annual Conference in Grand Rapids last week to present at the request of DeMarsh. Ms. Nowitzke also accepted her award during the conference, using her speech to thank a lengthy list of supporters.
“When I learned about this recognition, my mind immediately went to the people who have shaped my journey. Many of the people here today have been part of my journey. My children motivate me to continue to model compassion and growth in my community, my husband is continuously supportive and shares the same passion for teaching, my students each challenge me to try something new, my friends at Muscular Dystrophy camp inspired me to go into this field, Anne Nakon has been a continuous support throughout my carrier, Celeste Gentile continues to expand my knowledge through her leadership, my parents have taught me to have a strong work ethic and values, Jamie Bronson taught an empowering leadership class when I was a student at Dexter, Jamie Dudash, Al Snider, my brother and sister in law are all passionate educators and coaches. One person who stands out is Coach Brian Westfield. His dedication and love for his athletes left a lasting impression, “ said Nowitzke.
When asked what inspired her to work in special education Ms. Nowitzke told STN, “I have always loved working with children and taught swim lessons and babysat often when I was a teenager. One of my brother's friends has Muscular Dystrophy. His family encouraged me to volunteer at the Muscular Dystrophy Association camp when I was in high school and I continued into my college years. I looked forward to volunteering at camp every year and some of my good friends are friends who I made at camp over the years. I didn't realize that I wanted to teach special education until my sophomore year of college. I transferred from the University of Michigan to Eastern Michigan University to become a special education teacher.”
Regarding her plans for the future, Ms. Nowitzke said, “I would like to continue to develop our Unified, SNAP and Peer to Peer program in Dexter. The programs are truly creating a sense of belonging for our students. Peer students are developing empathy, patience and kindness. The students with higher needs are showing a lot of pride, leadership and confidence. Genuine friendships have been created. Many of the DCS staff members have been commenting about how excited they are to see specific interactions amongst students. Many parents are commenting about how special the program is for everyone involved. The students are commenting about how rewarding it is to be a part of something bigger. Other students are commenting about how they never had a real friendship before this program began. The programs are creating opportunities. It has been so rewarding to watch everything come together. I am very proud of our community. There is so much love.”
She continued, “I hope for all of my students to continue to break down barriers.”
As MCEC Teacher of the Year, Ms. Nowtizke receives an all-expenses paid trip to the Special Education Legislative Summit held in Washington, D.C. in July and will be considered for the National CEC Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year award.
