Faculty
Dr. Dennis Pauli
Dr. Pauli has served the field of education for thirty-five years as an elementary school teacher, elementary school principal, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, and in his current role as superintendent of the Edgerton School District. Under his leadership he has successfully introduced academic programs, systems, and processes that have dramatically improved student outcomes.
During his tenure as superintendent of the Edgerton School District, Dr. Pauli has effectively led initiatives focused on building teacher and leadership capacity, improving district communication, and increasing opportunities for students. He is passionate about student and staff social emotional well-being which has resulted in higher engagement and satisfaction.
Dr. Pauli serves as the UW-Whitewater Program Coordinator for the Education Leadership Cooperative Program for administrative certification. He has twenty-five years experience teaching graduate and doctoral students along with his work in leadership development. He is a certified trainer for the 5 Voices, 100X Leader, and the 7-Habits of Highly Effective People. Dr. Pauli is a successful consultant and speaker presenting at local, state, and national conferences.
Dr. Pauli was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a doctoral degree at Roosevelt University in Chicago.
Julie Mead
Julie Mead is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Dr. Mead researches and writes about topics related to the legal aspects of education. Her research centers on legal issues related to special education and legal issues raised by various forms of school choice, including charter schools and vouchers. She is co-author with Preston Green of Charter Schools and the Law: Establishing New Legal Relationships, published by Christopher-Gordon Publishers and co-author with Julie Underwood of Legal Aspects of Special Education and Pupil Services published by Allyn & Bacon. She is also a co-editor of The Principal’s Legal Handbook, published by the Education Law Association. In addition to these books, she has published numerous articles in both education and law journals. She is a member and regularly presents at the annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association, the Education Law Association, and the University Council on Educational Administration. Dr. Mead is a former special education teacher and administrator.
Dr. Colleen Capper
Dr. Colleen Capper is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and co-founder and co-director of the National Leadership for Social Justice Institute and Academy. With expertise in equity and social justice, her research and teaching focus on systems change in educator preparation and in schools and districts that advance the learning of all students and eliminate opportunity and achievement gaps. She has published extensively on leadership for social justice and equity, including three books: Leading for Social Justice: Transforming Schools for All Learners; Meeting the Needs of Students of All Abilities: Leading Beyond Inclusion (2nd edition) (both with Elise Frattura), and Educational Administration in a Pluralistic Society. Professor Capper is editor of the Routledge series: Leadership for Equity and Diversity. After completing her undergraduate work in special education at Indiana University, Bloomington, Dr. Capper spent five years as a United Methodist missionary in the Appalachian Mountain region of southeastern, Kentucky where she served as a special education teacher, administrator of special programs, and founding director of a nonprofit agency for preschool children and adults with disabilities. She then completed her masters and doctorate at Vanderbilt University. In 2007, she received the University Council for Educational Administration Master Professor of the Year. She works with universities, schools, and districts across the country on redesigning service delivery and maximizing achievement for all students in integrated ways.
Dr. M. Bruce King
Dr. M. Bruce King is a Faculty Associate with the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His work in ELPA concentrates on teaching courses on instructional leadership and teacher capacity, coordinating the Wisconsin Idea PhD cohort program in K-12 leadership, and building effective partnership between the department and schools and districts.
Bruce has been a researcher with the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research where he contributed to two studies focused on Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW), the Research Institute on Secondary Education Reform for Youth with Disabilities (RISER), and the Center for Organization and Restructuring of Schools (CORS). He received his PhD in Curriculum & Instruction from UW-Madison and taught upper elementary, middle, and high school for eleven years in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Quito, Ecuador.
Bruce was recently a Research Fellow at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, and has consulted on two research projects in Australian schools that extended the body of research on AIW. He has published in national and international research and practitioner journals. With colleagues Fred Newmann and Dana Carmichael, Bruce co-founded the Center for Authentic Intellectual Work and co-authored their up-coming book, Authentic Intellectual Work: Teaching for Rigorous Learning (Corwin, 2015).
Dr. Peter Goff
Dr. Peter Goff, a former acrobat and chemistry teacher, is currently an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, where he teaches classes on quantitative analysis, human capital management, and k-12 finance policy. Dr. Goff’s research examines the policies and practices surrounding the strategic management of human capital (SMHC).