Mary Ellen Becker

From dKosopedia

Category: Iowa people

Since 1997, Mary Ellen Becker (D) has served as director of special education of the Southern Prairie Area Education Agency in Ottumwa, Iowa. She is responsible for a staff of 170 serving 4,000 special education students from 24 school districts in 10 counties in southeastern Iowa. Her administrative responsibilities also include planning and oversight of an $8 million budget.

Dr. Becker has 30 years of involvement in education in Iowa, including work as a speech pathologist in the Cedar Rapids Community School District, the University of Iowa Hospital School, and the Grant Wood Area Education Agency in Cedar Rapids. She has worked with Iowa Braille School and the Iowa School for the Deaf.

Her volunteer activities include serving as chair of Iowa AEA Directors of Special Education Association for the 2001-2002 school year, membership on several committees of the Iowa Department of Education, and involvement in local community improvement groups.

Dr. Becker holds professional licenses for speech pathology, elementary education teacher, and administrator (superintendent, supervisor of special education, and director of special education). She received her B.A. degree in elementary education and speech pathology from Marygrove College and her master's degree in speech pathology and Ph.D. in educational administration from the University of Iowa.

Dr. Becker has received a National Merit Scholarship and a Fellowship from the Iowa State Services for Crippled Children.

(This entry was copied verbatim from the Iowa Board of Regents website.)

She was a member of the Iowa Board of Regents from 2001-2007.