Barbara Friedlander ’85, M.A. ’90, has always been one to step up to the plate.
When she was a high school student interning in a special education elementary school, her mentor teacher left mid-year. Although the school hired a long-term substitute, Friedlander took on the majority of the teaching duties because she knew the students so well.
As a first-year special education teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools, she introduced her school to the practice of coteaching, where general and special education teachers collaborate to teach classes including students with and without disabilities. She has continued to lead the implementation of inclusive practices like coteaching during her 35-year career in special education as a National Board-certified teacher, district- and state-level coordinator, and educational consultant.
This same sense of initiative and commitment to problem-solving drew her to her role on the оʦҷ黨Ƶ College of Education Alumni Network Board. As a district-level coordinator in Montgomery County in 2018, she observed the impact of the teacher shortage on students, and decided to connect with the College of Education.
“I picked up the phone and said, ‘I see a problem. Instead of complaining about it, I figured I’d be part of the solution. Do you have something I can do to support aspiring teachers or alumni?’” she recalled.
That phone call led to seven years of volunteer service on the board, including four years as president. In September, the Alumni Network recognized her extraordinary service to the college with the 2025 Linda Pieplow Alumni Volunteer of the Year Award.
“Volunteering was a way to give back to the institution that gave me so much,” said Friedlander. “The College of Education has always felt like home, and I wanted to help build that sense of belonging for others.” She credits the college with giving her the confidence and knowledge to help create inclusive environments where differences are celebrated and students with and without disabilities receive the support they need to succeed. The college also introduced her to lifelong collaborators, as she coauthored the book “Powerful Writing for All Students” with her former оʦҷ黨Ƶ professors, Karen R. Harris and Steve Graham.
During her time as board president, Friedlander led the Alumni Network to its highest-ever levels of alumni engagement and contributed to the network receiving two оʦҷ黨Ƶ Alumni Association awards: 2024 Network of the Year, for growing membership and creating impactful programming, and the 2023 Do Good Service Award for the Letters of Encouragement project, in which alumni sent notes or care packages to early career teachers and mentor teachers.
Friedlander also came up with the idea for an Aspiring Teacher Conference where future educators could learn from and form supportive relationships with experienced teachers. In November 2024, she worked with Associate Clinical Professor Dawn Jacobs Martin to lead the inaugural conference. It was sponsored by the college’s Teacher Education Association for Maryland Students and the Maryland chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children, where Friedlander is a board member.
In her final year of service to the board, she continues to help the College of Education support future educators—from coleading the second Aspiring Teacher Conference to teaching her first course as an adjunct faculty member.
For aspiring teachers, she has this advice: “Lead with empathy. Ask questions. Collaborate often. Most importantly, believe in every student’s potential—especially when others don’t. Find mentors, lean into learning and never underestimate the power you have to change a life—sometimes with just one inclusive classroom.”
