This week, I find myself reflecting on a powerful presence in education—one of those rare individuals whose work changes lives in deep, lasting ways. Her name is Anna Bader. For 22 years, Anna has stood at the heart of special education, guiding students through some of their most difficult moments with extraordinary patience, skill, and heart. But today’s reflection is not just about her past impact. It’s also about her bold step forward into the next chapter. One that carries all of her strength, empathy, and leadership into new spaces beyond special education.
To know Anna is to witness what true dedication looks like. She has been more than a teacher. She has been an anchor for students and families, a coach for colleagues, and a calming presence in the storm of behavior challenges and complex educational needs. She has served not only as a highly effective classroom educator but also as a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) coordinator and a trainer in Crisis Prevention and Intervention (CPI) for both teachers and administrators. She is someone people turn to in moments of chaos and someone they trust in moments of vulnerability.
Anna doesn’t just teach. She uplifts. She leads. She builds systems that work for kids who are often forgotten. And she does it all with a quiet confidence that doesn’t seek the spotlight, even though she more than deserves it.
But like many remarkable educators, Anna has started to feel the pull of a new direction. After two decades of pouring her energy into special education, she’s ready to carry her gifts into another space. One where her skills can create broader impact, spark innovation, and support systems-level change.
This kind of transition is not an ending. It’s an evolution. The truth is, great educators like Anna don’t stop being who they are when they step out of the classroom. They simply shift the arena in which they serve.
When I think about the strengths Anna brings with her into the next chapter, I see a deeply skilled leader who knows how to de-escalate tense situations with professionalism and compassion. I see someone who understands how to build sustainable frameworks that support both people and systems. I see a woman who has coached adults through moments of frustration and fear, who has facilitated tough conversations with grace, and who has lifted up struggling teams and helped them rediscover their purpose.
Her CPI training speaks to her expertise in crisis management, conflict resolution, and trauma-informed care. Her PBIS coordination experience demonstrates her ability to design and implement proactive systems that promote safety, equity, and belonging. Her years in the classroom prove that she can adapt, differentiate, and deliver under pressure, while staying rooted in what matters most: the human beings in front of her.
These are not just educational skills. They are life skills. Workplace skills. Leadership skills. Anna’s talents belong in spaces where collaboration matters, where empathy is needed, and where structure meets flexibility. Whether she steps into a nonprofit leadership role, a corporate training environment, a behavioral health organization, or a government position focused on community services, she will bring her same steady brilliance to the work.
Transitions like these can feel both exhilarating and daunting. For someone who has made such a lasting mark in one field, it’s easy to wonder if that impact can truly translate. But here’s what I know about Anna: her influence was never about job titles or school walls. It was about the way she made people feel seen. The way she made systems bend toward compassion. The way she held a mirror to the best parts of every person around her.
Those are the kinds of legacies that travel with you. They are not bound by a district or a job description. They are part of who you are.
As Anna begins this new journey, I hope she knows how many of us stand behind her in admiration and support. I hope she remembers that her skills are not only relevant, they are desperately needed in every corner of our world. And I hope she sees this move not as stepping away from the work, but stepping further into her purpose.
The world outside of education doesn’t always know how to recognize the power of a teacher’s toolkit. But if they meet Anna, they’ll know. They’ll see it in her leadership, her logic, and her limitless heart.
To Anna: thank you for everything you’ve given to your students, your colleagues, and your community. You have made more of a difference than you’ll ever fully know. And now, as you walk toward the next opportunity, may you do so with full confidence that your voice still matters, your gifts still belong, and your future is just as bright as the path behind you.
Your road of impact is only expanding, and we can’t wait to see where it leads.
Paula Johnson Tech 
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