Laura Ouk, MAT

Experience

• 

  Columbus City Schools

  Jan 2014 - Jan 2016

  Head Start Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

  • Prepared students for kindergarten with a variety of lessons and activities that focus on each child’s developmental growth• Used Teaching Strategies to submit lesson plans and developmental assessments

• 

  Noble Schools

  Aug 2016 - Feb 2024

  • Manage the Ambitious Postsecondary Program to provide resources and counseling for over 500 young professionals in job training and trade pathways.• Support 23,000+ alumni in their career development, exposure, and advancement. • Facilitate professional development workshops to review resumes and cover letters.• Provide guidance on salary negotiation and promotion strategy.•Connect alumni to a network of employers and professionals in the greater Chicago area. • Directly counseled 44 students through the college application process: essay writing, college list development, FAFSA/financial aid processes, and make a final decision• Taught a seminar style class to 140 high school seniors to demonstrate how to navigate processes related to the college application process• Engaged in conversations with students and families about necessary factors to consider when transitioning into college: finances, location, social and emotional health, etc. • Analyzed data in order to create and implement behavior management programs• Delivered curriculum that ensures growth of diverse learners in both general education and self- contained classroom settings with rigor that prepares them for post-secondary success

  • Senior Associate of Alumni Careers

    Aug 2022 - Feb 2024

  • Collegiate Seminar Instructor & College Counselor

    Aug 2018 - Jul 2022

  • Special Education Teacher

    Aug 2016 - Aug 2018
• 

  Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago

  Aug 2021 - Nov 2024

  • Led a group of 9 other educators in creating an ISBE Guidance document for 9-12 grade levels explaining how current social sciences standards can be met through TEAACH along with including additional resources (both original and compiled) to support curriculum development and lesson planning for educators• Developed curricular resources in addition to the PBS curriculum to ensure that teachers, administrators and districts are equipped with thorough and critical resources for teaching Asian American history Show less

  • Trainer- TEAACH Implementation Project

    Mar 2022 - Nov 2024

  • Brain Trust- TEAACH Implementation Project

    Jan 2022 - Mar 2022

  • Curricular Resource Development Working Group Member

    Aug 2021 - Mar 2022
• 

  Illinois State Board of Education

  Sept 2021 - Dec 2021

  TEAACH Implementation Working Group Member

  • Selected as one of 22 educators to work on the implementation of the new Asian American history requirement for IL public schools• Provided guidance on implementation, including compiling and reviewing curricular resources, ensuring accessibility for students, and discussing equity considerations (especially around capturing the diversity of the Asian American community).

• 

  Orange County Department of Education

  Jul 2022 - Jul 2024

  Curriculum Writer

  • Collaborated with 20 other educators on the development of a Cambodian Genocide Model Curriculum with topics, lesson plans, primary source documents, planning resources, teaching strategies, and professional development activities to be rolled out in the 2024-2025 school year.• The curriculum includes the incorporation of writings or other media that represent all perspectives of the Cambodian genocide, including oral testimony by survivors, to ensure quality standards and materials for this area of study. Show less

• 

  The Asian American Education Project

  Aug 2022 - Feb 2024

  Consulting Instructor, Midwest and East Coast Coordinator
• 

  Cambodian Association of Illinois

  May 2023 - now

  Board Member
• 

  NATIONAL CAMBODIAN MUSEUM & KILLING FIELDS MEMORIAL

  Jan 2024 - now

  Board President
• 

  Illinois State Board of Education

  Feb 2024 - now

  Visiting Inclusive Education Director

  Responsible for promoting inclusive educational instructional and standards efforts across the state of Illinois in a shared position between Illinois State Board of Education and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.