Instructional Designer and Research Associate
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As a Research Associate, Jenna Wasson brings expertise in education policy and her experience as a special education teacher to her work in Universal Design for Learning.
Before joining CAST in 2007, Ms. Wasson was a middle school inclusion specialist in Malden, MA. She co-taught with the English and Social Studies general education teachers in order to plan lessons that addressed students’ unique learning needs and to facilitate all students’ access to the general curriculum.
She was a member of the district’s Assistive Technology Team and focused on how technology could be used to differentiate instruction. Ms. Wasson began teaching in Malden the same year that the district began the implementation of a full inclusion program; she worked in collaboration with colleagues to implement, assess, and improve the new model.
Prior to teaching, Ms. Wasson worked as a staff assistant for the Federation for Children with Special Needs in Boston, MA, an advocacy group for parents’ of children with disabilities. Her time working at the Federation with parents and her time working as an inclusion specialist with students and teachers give her a unique and balanced perspective of special education.
Ms. Wasson is certified in special education from PreK-12. She holds a BA in Government and Spanish from Colby College and a master's in Education Policy and Management from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
