Brittany Fike is an Early and Elementary Learning Specialist working for the June Harless Center out of Marshall University, the West Virginia Department of Education’s Early and Elementary Learning Technical Assistance Center. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Special Education and Autism from Marshall University. She also completed her Early Childhood Education certification and is currently working on her doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
After joining the June Harless Center and working as a graduate intern in a preschool classroom while earning her Master of Arts degree, Brittany went on to teach third grade and kindergarten for Cabell County Schools. She also taught summer school, the after-school tutoring program, and hosted an extra-curricular book club for primary students. She has served as a mentor teacher for teacher candidates at several universities and has provided professional development at the school, county, state, and national levels.
In her role as an Early and Elementary Learning Specialist, Brittany works with her team to help strengthen the learning opportunities for all children in the state of West Virginia by connecting stakeholders with research and resources. The aim of their work is to provide district, school, and classroom-level support statewide through providing resources and professional development to assist with the social, emotional, and academic for gaps for all pre-k through fifth grade students. Brittany serves as a coordinator for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Program in West Virginia where she assists families throughout the registration process, develops book activity sheets and monthly newsletters to accompany the books children receive each month, works with local partners to build and sustain family engagement, and supports counties with increasing community support. She is passionate about creating a strong foundation in early childhood to assist students in becoming effective learners who will contribute to a better world.