Shirley German (2005-2010)

Former teacher with an interest in Special Education and the English Language Learner.  Shirley received her BA in Psychology from the U. of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, and her Diploma in Child Studies, Elementary Teaching Credential, and specialist certificates in Primary and Early Childhood Education from the U. of Toronto.  Originally from a small town in Northern Ontario, Canada, where one-third of the population was French Canadian, she taught in Canada and NY State for three years before taking on an administrative position in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell.  After moving to Davis in 1987, she earned a California Teaching Credential in Special Education with an emphasis in Learning Disabilities.  In Davis, she was a Resource Specialist and a Title One Coordinator for Spanish Immersion and a teacher for English Language Learners.  She also has a long history of volunteer work with the Early Childhood Education Committee, as well as various elementary school and district PTAs.  Starting with her husband’s sabbatical leave in 1997, her family spent a four-year period in Lausanne, Switzerland.  While there she taught at the International School of Lausanne and worked to further develop, rewrite and extend the Educational Support Policy for the school's reaccreditation with the New England Assn. of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the European Council of International Schools.  With her family she has traveled extensively in Europe, as well as in New Zealand and the Ivory Coast of Africa.

Her husband Bruce is a professor in Food Science at UC Davis.  They met during Shirley's freshman year at UWO and moved to New York State after their marriage five years later.  After she had taught for two years, the state of New York reversed a decision allowing non-American citizens to teach in the public schools, prompting her to take the position at Cornell.  Both of their daughters were born in Ithaca.  Kendell (26) is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara and attends the UCDavis medical school. She will graduate in June 2011.  Kate (24) is a 2009 graduate of the East 15 Acting School associated with the University of Essex in London, UK. She presently resides in New York City. Shirley joined the Board in February 2005.