As we near Aspen University’s 2024 Commencement ceremony, we are proud to share the stories of some of our amazing graduates this year! Dr. Amy Gerhartz completed her Doctor of Education program in January 2024 and we are honored to have her walk the stage next month. The passion that Dr. Gerhartz has for teaching and learning burns bright at every point along her turbulent journey.
I have known I wanted to work with children since I was 10 years old. Growing up in a low socioeconomic home, my aspirations were limited to day care. My youngest brother was born when I was 11. I quickly learned that I absolutely LOVED the feeling when I taught him something like the color blue or how to subtract, and I decided I was meant to be a teacher. High school was not easy. Unlike my brothers, I had to work extremely hard to achieve the 80’s I earned. I was also extremely quiet. So quiet, in fact, that my classmates voted me the “quietest” my senior year.
I earned my Bachelor of Arts in both Elementary and Special Education, then earned my first master’s degree in Special Education. I couldn’t wait to get into the classroom and completed the master’s program within a year while also planning a wedding. However, life was not kind, and I ended up working two jobs while searching for a teaching position. I interviewed at several school districts over four years while substituting during the day and working at McDonald’s at night. My situation reached the point where education had changed enough that I was unable to adequately answer interview questions. With the support of my now husband, I attended my first online college to work towards my second master’s degree in Elementary Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.
Within a month of starting that program, I finally got my first teaching job. I am not one to quit once I start something, however, and I earned my second master’s degree. I taught in multiple school districts over 10 years. I gained a plethora of experience and discovered that I have an ultimate love of learning in conjunction with teaching, and discovered that I love challenges and am an excellent problem solver and systems thinker.
The previous school district I taught at was extremely small with an enrollment of 61 students. I was the entire Services Department with the following titles and responsibilities: K-12 special education teacher, K-12 intervention provider, CSE/CPSE Chairperson, RTI Coordinator, and Arts in Education Coordinator. At this particular district, I began to recognize my knack for leadership. My superintendent at the time planted the seed, “You should go into administration. You would be great at it.” I completely nixed the idea, saying that I loved teaching and working with children too much.
Not long after, I unexpectedly interviewed for a Special Education Literacy Coach in a much larger school district and was offered the job. I took this as a sign that it was time to leave the classroom and go into administration. Within six months, I went back to college for my third master’s degree in Building Leadership and District Leadership. As an instructional coach, I was able to effectively implement Response to Intervention (RTI) and eventually Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) across six elementary buildings, something I never thought I would be capable of doing.
Once I finished my administrative degree, I had an extreme thirst to become a school district leader, particularly after seeing the systematic change I had implemented. As before, it was extremely difficult to get hired and it took me two years to obtain my first official leadership position as a Special Education Director. During my first year as an administrator, I also had to navigate the closings and mandates due to COVID, and discovered my strength in building positive relationships that continue to move schools forward.
I loved learning as a path to continued improvement in my career and decided to begin my doctoral journey at Aspen University. Despite my accomplishments so far, I questioned whether it was possible for me to earn a doctorate. With the encouragement and support of my husband and the professors at Aspen University, I gained the determination I needed to be successful beyond belief. My faculty mentor and the committee members for my dissertation defense were amazing and gave me the confidence to truly believe in myself. I completed my doctoral degree at Aspen while earning a GPA of 4.0 for the first time! Since then, I have presented at Aspen University’s bi-annual colloquium and was published in the Aspen Journal of Scholarly Works.
During my experience at Aspen, I endured a very stressful period of my administrative career. After three years, I accepted a grant-funded position as a district-level MTSS Data Coordinator and successfully implemented MTSS across K-12. I had learned what challenges to expect and was able to guide accordingly. The structured framework put in place within a year and a half was phenomenal!
Currently, in addition to being hired as a district level Assistant Coordinator of Data, Accountability, and Assessment, which also includes implementing MTSS and other innovative programs, I am consulting with a school district to help get their MTSS framework up and running. One day, I would love to write books and consult for school districts across the nation. I truly believe in MTSS/RTI and am eager to spread the word wherever I can. The research I conducted for my dissertation has improved my approach when implementing MTSS/RTI in school districts and I am able to make it more concrete and understandable for educators, particularly since I understand a teacher’s perspective. I believe I am in the right spot to make an impact on the world around me, and I look forward to assisting many more school districts implement this complex framework in future years to come.
For someone who was raised in less-than-ideal conditions and who has continued to move forward despite less-than-ideal events in my career, I feel proud of my accomplishments and success. For those who are looking to make a difference and make this world a better place, I advise that you never give up, no matter what. This is easier said than done and it certainly helps that I have an extremely supportive husband who continues to encourage me to strive for things that feel beyond reach. It also greatly helps that I had a mentor at Aspen University who provided the support and feedback I needed to be the best I can be, and I am forever grateful to her.
Sparked by the love of teaching a younger sibling, Dr. Gerhartz’s passion was empowered by continuous learning, which positioned her to make major improvements across school districts. From her humble beginnings and initial lack of confidence, Dr. Gerharts remarks that she didn’t believe she could earn a doctoral degree. However, with her passion and a strong support system backing her up, it’s no surprise how far she has come. Congratulations, Dr. Amy Gerhartz!
Dr. Gerhartz’s doctoral dissertation can be read on ProQuest: