Pam McQueary

Position: SEA/Behavior SpecialistSchool: Liberty Elementary SchoolSchool District: Greater Albany Public SchoolsCity, State: Albany, Oregon
About the Nominee: Pam McQueary was nominated by her principal, Rich Sipe.Pam McQueary is the Behavior Specialist at Liberty Elementary School, which is a school of 350 students. She makes a positive impact on students and builds a supportive culture every single day. Ms. McQueary interacts with students who have a variety of needs ranging from emotionally charged issues to social services. Regardless of the issues or circumstances, she treats all students with respect and dignity, teaching them essential life skills to help them navigate through their problems. Patient, persistent, and resourceful, Ms. McQueary has a gift for reaching all kinds of students. She can successfully de-escalate even the most volatile situation and get students back on track. Ms. McQueary reinforces the school's Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program and is instrumental in helping staff implement the program throughout the school, ensuring students are held to a consistent behavior expectation across the board. The result is a school where students are kind to each other, model appropriate behavior in all areas of school life, and develop critical problem solving skills. The school mantra of "Safe, Responsible, and Respectful" is well understood throughout the community due to Ms. McQueary's efforts. She has been so successful at Liberty in her ten years of service that her district, Greater Albany Public Schools, is in the process of promoting her to a district-level position. Ms. McQueary is highly regarded by her peers, both within Liberty Elementary and across the district. She has assisted with trainings involving other Behavior Specialists within the District and is universally held in high regard. The result of her positive attitude and work ethic is a committed and dedicated staff member who brightens students' lives on a daily basis. Ms. McQueary's character is beyond reproach, and she models character traits that are an example and inspiration to our students and staff. Liberty Elementary has been blessed to have her outstanding services for the past ten years![nominee_videos nominee_email="pam.mcqueary@albany.k12.or.us"]