Cheryl Spurgeon McDonald

Cheryl Spurgeon McDonald (she/her) is a twenty-six year Lecturer in the Special Education Program in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development at California State University, Fresno. Mrs. McDonald served as the Coordinator of the Education Specialist and Dual Credential Programs for the past seven years. Mrs. McDonald is a first-generation graduate and faculty, committed to advancing knowledge of asset-based learning for persons with disabilities, social justice, and transformational education changes. 

Mrs. McDonald was a K-12 public school educator for thirty-two years and brings real-time knowledge, practice, and strategies to the content addressed in her courses. She taught in elementary, secondary and special education inclusive and co-taught settings. She was a district-wide specialist in multiple roles: as an Inclusion Specialist for K-12 schools, a center-based school and adult transition program; on a special assignment team changing students’ difficult behavior; as a developer and presenter of over fifty professional learning modules for pre-service and in-service teachers; and administrator of the district's electronic IEP system and compliance teams.
Mrs. McDonald has won several awards for excellence in teaching and service in both of her careers including: the 2020 Kremen School of Education and Human Development Extraordinary Faculty Award; the 2013-2014 Carolyn Dobbs Special Education Teacher and Leader of the Year; three Golden Key Awards, three Teacher Honor Wall bricks for teaching, and three certificates for the university's Outstanding Advisor Award.