Supporting children and youth: An interview with author Michael McKnight.
Michael worked for the New Jersey Department of Education in the Cape May County office of education for 17 years. In those years he served as a resource for school districts in the county as well as throughout southern New Jersey. Beyond the work of the department of education he provided training to educators, parents, community members and school leaders.
Prior to joining the department of education Michael had 24 years’ experience working in schools. He was a special education teacher for 14 years working and learning with emotionally and behaviorally troubled adolescents. Michael also was an administrator at Atlantic County Special Services School District for 10 years and was responsible for the programming for troubled students, ages 5 thru 21 years, removed from the local school district.
Michael has a passion for creating and supporting Reclaiming Environments for “at-risk” children and youth as well as the adults who serve them. He currently provides professional development to practicing educators. He also is an adjunct instructor at Stockton University where he gets to teach and learn with future educators.
His current focus is joining with schools to create school level “Resiliency Teams” with a focus on school districts working with children and youth who carry into school toxic levels of stress and trauma.
Michael along with his colleague and friend, Dr. Lori Desautels, is the coauthor of 2 books: Unwritten- The Story of A Living System about school transformation and their most recent work, Eyes Are Never Quiet- Listening Beneath the Behaviors of Our Most Troubled Students.
He views himself, not as an expert, but as a learner and a teacher who has always enjoyed building strength-based cultures with others.