Heather Gauck is a 2021-2022 Michigan Collaborative Teacher Leader. A special education teacher leader, she has taught for Grand Rapids Public Schools for more than two decades. Heather is National Board Certified as an Exceptional Needs Specialist. She is the organizer and leader for a team of eight educators statewide that created Innovation Classroom, funded by Mark Zuckerberg’s StartUp Foundation on integrating technology into the classroom. She was chosen as one of PBS’ Digital All-Stars. Most recently, she was picked as a Klawe Fellow to work with education policy. She has also been a finalist for the United States Department of Education Classroom Teacher Ambassador Fellowship. She is passionate about giving a voice to the usually voiceless students who struggle daily with school. She earned her BS in Specific Learning Disabilities from Franciscan University and an MEd in Learning Disabilities from Grand Valley State University.
