Newton High School special education teacher, Ann Schrick, graduated this month (December 2025) with her Doctorate in Education from Kansas State University. We asked Dr. Schrick 5 Questions about her journey continuing her education. 

1. You chose to pursue a doctorate while continuing to teach high school special education—what motivated you to take that step, and how did your classroom experiences shape your research?

   • The decision to pursue a doctorate while teaching was driven by a "persistent curiosity." In special education, you often encounter "plateaus"—moments where standard interventions don't seem to reach a specific student. I wanted to move beyond the what of teaching and master the why.

   • My doctoral research in secondary literacy was born directly from the classroom, fueled by a critical need I observed in my own students and a lack of practical resources for fellow educators. I wanted to move beyond theory to create something truly actionable, which led me to develop an interactive, online textbook centered around a diagnostic guidance flowchart. This tool empowers secondary educators to identify specific literacy gaps and implement evidence-based interventions in real-time. The efficacy of this work has already gained significant recognition; it has been adopted by Kansas State University for use in their coursework, bridging the gap between advanced academic research and the daily realities of the secondary classroom.

2. How has earning your Ed.D. changed the way you approach your work with students, particularly those with diverse learning needs?

   • Earning the Ed.D. shifted my perspective from being a "service provider" to a "diagnostic designer." I now look at student challenges through a much wider lens.  Instead of seeing a student's struggle as an isolated deficit, I look at the environmental and pedagogical barriers that might be hindering them.  I am more critical of "educational trends." I can now dissect peer-reviewed research to find specific strategies tailored to neurodiversity, applying them with a higher level of precision.

3. What was the most challenging part of balancing doctoral studies with teaching, and what did that experience teach you about yourself?

   • The most challenging part was the cognitive switching. Going from the high-energy, immediate demands of a high school classroom to the solitary, slow-burn intensity of a dissertation requires immense mental flexibility.

   • This experience taught me that I am more resilient and disciplined than I realized. It also taught me the importance of intellectual humility. Being a student again reminded me of how frustrating and exhausting learning can be, which made me a more empathetic teacher. I now better understand the "cognitive load" my students face every day.

4. How do you see your doctorate influencing the broader special education landscape—whether in your school, your district, or the profession as a whole?

   • I see my role as a bridge-builder. Too often, there is a divide between researchers in universities and practitioners in schools.

   • I can serve as a mentor and a resource, helping colleagues translate complex research into practical classroom strategies.

   • I hope to contribute to the field by publishing or speaking from the unique perspective of a "Doctor in the Classroom."  I also would like to continue mentoring preservice teachers in the field of Special Education and especially literacy instruction.

5. What do you hope students, colleagues, or future educators take away from your decision to pursue a doctorate while staying in the classroom?

   • I hope my journey demonstrates that higher education is not an exit strategy from the classroom.  I want students to see that learning is a lifelong pursuit and that their teacher is a fellow "learner."  For my colleagues, I hope to prove that we can elevate the status of the teaching profession by becoming experts in our craft without leaving the students we love.  And for future educators, I want them to know that you don't have to choose between "doing" and "leading." You can do both simultaneously.

Congratulations, Dr. Schrick! #RailerPride