Election 2020

I have been a French teacher at Chartiers Valley High School in Pittsburgh for 22 years, and for the last nine years as World Language Department Chair. I teach all levels of French, including a College in the High School course affiliated with a local university. Also, I facilitate our Global Scholars program. More than ever, our students have witnessed in the last few months how interconnected our world truly is, and what it means to be a member of a global community. My vision has always been to promote the study and teaching of world languages and to include a global education in our K-12 schools via interdisciplinary study. Through the  PSMLA Global Scholars program, our students have been afforded an opportunity which has enriched their education, and for many, their experiences in an international community. I firmly believe in promoting language study which empowers students to acquire the values, attitudes and skills to enhance cross-cultural understanding and communication. I would like to continue to advocate for the study of world languages in our schools by fostering partnerships with the community and by providing opportunities for students so that they become informed and tolerant global citizens.

Debra Faszer-McMahon, Spanish

Hi! My name is Katherine Geare and I am entering my tenth year as a teacher in the Colonial School District. I have taught novice and intermediate Spanish at the middle and high school levels and had the pleasure of taking students abroad. I’m fascinated by engaging natural processes in the brain to support language acquisition and co-creating with our students an inclusive world language classroom where we can learn with the language as our vehicle. Creating this community is central not only to the development of, but also the purpose behind, the language learning itself. Our histories, our stories, our values and beliefs- these are all vital to our vision of and for the world. As world language teachers we have the opportunity to bring communities together and nurture intercultural understanding. I believe in the value of our collective perspectives and experiences at PSMLA, and in sharing successes alongside our lessons within supportive, curious, and diverse environments. I’m excited to collaborate creatively with our incredible PSMLA community, promoting our efforts toward this goal and continuing to provide our community with enriching opportunities for connection and growth.

I have taught French—French 2-5 — at Jenkintown Middle/High School for the last 19 years, and it is my 9th year teaching AP French. In addition to my teaching duty, I act as the Department Leader for the Jenkintown World Languages Department, Faculty Advisor for the World Language Honor Society, Coordinator of the exchange program with France. Native of Quebec, I worked as a human resources professional in the corporate world for 12 years.
After having served the AATF Executive Council as Co-President for 4 years and Vice-President for 3 years, and as a MLAPV Board member for 4 years, I am ready for a new challenge and would like to work at the state level. My hope would be to help promote the importance of world language learning in a well-rounded education. I am also interested in contributing, promoting, and exploring pedagogical approaches suited to our changing world. For instance, the pandemic and post-pandemic realities are forcing us to go beyond what we know and we have learned to stay connected to students in a meaningful way. Furthermore, as ambassadors of diversity and cultural differences, we need to help our students bridge their realities to other ones.