Brad Powless ’94 M.Ed. Special Education
“I was fortunate JoAnne Powless
Culture and Math Teacher to have the opportunity to Onondaga Nation School Brad teaches special education at attend Penn Onondaga Nation School, a K–8 school that rests on the territory of State and the Onondaga Nation near Syracuse, participate in N.Y. He is an Eel Clan member of Onondaga Nation, which is its American part of a unified league called the Indian Haudenosaunee. Brad’s real name, Dehowähda•dih, roughly translates Leadership to “He goes running.” Program. I met Onondaga Nation School is the some terrific same school Brad attended as a child. It was founded in 1849, but professors, for some 120 years it didn’t reflect including the Onondaga culture. The native language was forbidden on the Dr. Charles school grounds and none of the Hughes and teachers were native Onondaga. But Dr. Anna Gajar. when Brad was a young student, the school began to change. Onondaga These and language and culture became part many others taught me how to be the best educator of the curricula. Two of the school’s graduates went on to college and later for my students. With my Penn State degree in hand, returned to the school to teach. Brad I was able to return to the Onondaga Nation School was inspired, so he likewise became a teacher. as a dually certified regular and special education teacher. Being able to make a difference—not only for the kids in my classroom, but also helping educate the nonnative teachers in our building about our culture—has been fulfilling. Today we have more native classroom teachers and integration of Onondaga themes into math, science, social studies, and reading classes. I am delighted to be a part of this change and I am grateful to Penn State for helping me get there.”
Penn State Education
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