McClain is joining SparkNC after recently completing her 10th year of classroom teaching. She is driven by the belief that all students deserve to feel seen in the classroom, and teachers should feel empowered to address students’ diverse needs and identities. Throughout her career, she has worked diligently to support students’ literacy skills as they work to graduate with the skills and mindsets necessary to confidently make choices about their educational and career paths.

McClain holds a Bachelors of Arts in American Studies and Spanish from Smith College in Northampton, MA and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Marian University in Indianapolis, IN. McClain was inspired by her own time as a student in rural North Carolina schools to become a classroom teacher. Prior to joining SparkNC, she taught in public and public-charter schools in Indianapolis, IN, New Orleans, LA, and Chapel Hill, NC. Throughout her career, she has supported diverse student populations, with a particular focus on students with IEPs and ELL students, as a literacy specialist. Additionally, she taught English and best practices in teaching to future English-language teachers at the university level in Colombia as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant.

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McClain is particularly proud to have piloted a full-year, Honors-level District C Teamship course where students solved real problems for real businesses across two schools in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools with a team of 3 other passionate educators.