At 30 years old, Jane M. Riddle recalls her sister working with severely disabled students and talking with her about their learning disabilities. Her sister mentioned it to her because she knew she loved working with kids, and Ms. Riddle also had another sister and aunt who were teachers. Since then, the highlight of her career was the changes she helped to make in the special education department as the middle school process coordinator at Camdenton R-III Schools in Missouri, beginning this role in 1989. She was one of the first teachers to do a pilot program called “CLASS” within a class.
Prior to the start of her professional career, Ms. Riddle pursued night school at the School of Education at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, where she earned a Bachelor of Education in 1988 and Master of Education in 1995. A member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the School of Education programs offer excellence through small classes, collaborative learning, innovative teaching, and active experiences in schools and other educational settings. Since graduating with these academic honors, Ms. Riddle has maintained involvement with a number of organizations related to her field including the Council for Exceptional Children, the Learning Disabilities Association and the Teacher Association of Camdenton.
In honor of her accomplishments, Ms. Riddle was named Educator of the Year by the Camdenton R-III School District in 2015. Additionally, she was selected for inclusion in the fourth edition of Who’s Who in American Education. Today, Ms. Riddle resides in Missouri with her loving husband of 28 years, Ronald, with whom she has raised one wonderful son, Christopher. She has been known to enjoy collecting stamps in her spare time.