Michelle Stankevicius has taught in Chicago Public Schools for over eleven years. She taught self-contained first, second, third and fourth grades at Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy. She also instructed students in grades pre-K through 8th in the Computer Lab, and as a Reading Resource teacher for students in the School Based Problem Solving program. Michelle served as the LRE facilitator, School Based Problem Solving facilitator, mentor to new teachers, Chairperson of the PPLC, Chairperson of the Social Committee and on the School Improvement Plan Committee.

Michelle was selected as a participant in Chicago Foundation for Education's Teacher Advisory Board to the Commission on Improving Curriculum-Based Assessment. She also participated in the City of Chicago's Goals 2000 program in which she planned and implemented a school wide thematic unit.

In 1998, Michelle became introduced to Participation Associates, which later became Strategic Learning Initiatives. Michelle was a participant in the Learning and Sharing Connection workshops, and was trained as a Peer Coach, Teacher Facilitator, and in Differentiated Instruction.

Michelle began working part-time for SLI in 2003, providing workshops, leadership and support to Richard J. Daley Academy while leading teachers through workshops devoted to curriculum mapping.

She wrote and was awarded the ASPIRE (Alliance for School-based Problem-solving and Intervention Resources in Education) grant for Saucedo Academy in 2006.

In 2006, Michelle became a professional development facilitator for Strategic Learning Initiatives.  She currently provides support to Chicago Public School teachers individually and collectively to successfully implement the school improvement module called the Focused Instruction Process. She also co-designs and facilitates research-based professional workshops to schools in several networks.

Michelle received her B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Illinois and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Saint Xavier University.