Biography
Dr. Wheat has been with the North Allegheny School District since 2002 when she joined the District's Administrative team as the Supervisor of Special Education. In 2007, she was promoted to the Assistant Superintendent of Special Education and Pupil Services and currently serves the District in that capacity. Prior to coming to the North Allegheny School District, Dr. Wheat was the Associate Director of Special Education for the Armstrong School District for five years. In addition, Dr. Wheat worked for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit for twenty years in various roles and positions, which included Supervisor of Special Education, Inclusion/Autism Specialist, Master Teacher, and Special Education Teacher. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Indiana Univeristy of Pennsylvania in 1978, a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985, and a Doctorate Degree from Duquesne University in 2003. She is also certified as a Supervisor of Special Education, a K-12 Building Principal, and holds a Letter of Eligibility as an Assistant Superintendent. Dr. Wheat was recently Re-Commissioned from the Pennsylvania Department of Education as an Assistant Superintendent through June 30, 2013.
Dr. Wheat has presented at local, state, and national conferences. Most notably, she presented her dissertation research study at the PASA Women's Caucus in Hershey, Pennsylvania and at the University Council for Educational Administrators in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Wheat has also presented at conferences on topics such as autism and functional curricula for students with moderate to severe disabilities. Some of these have included media presentations and appearances on FYI Pittsburgh and WDUQ.
Dr. Wheat has held positions on the professional advisory board for the Autism Society of Greater Pittsburgh and was the Director of the Summer Program for the Education of Autistic Kids (S.P.E.A.K.) for twenty years. Dr. Wheat also has served on the Pennsylvania State Autism Task Force Committee and participates as a professional member of the Autism Think Tank. Dr. Wheat is a proud recipient of two Distinguished Achievement Awards from the North Allegheny School District's School Board of Directors. Professional affiliations include the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and Phi Delta Kappa. |
