The College of Education’s Amy Palmer has spent virtually her entire working career as an advocate for children with special needs.
Currently, Palmer is the grants office manager in the Department of Special Education and Child Development, but she assumed the job after teaching special education for nearly 20 years.
“I’ve taught elementary-aged intellectually disabled children in New York, Florida and North Carolina, and I love working with this population,” said Palmer. “I’m a proponent of encouraging special needs students to be in a traditional classroom; it benefits them as well as developing students.”
Before UNC Charlotte, Palmer worked for LIFESPAN, a local organization that empowers children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. At one time, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools contracted with LIFESPAN to provide services to its students.
Palmer’s knowledge and experience have benefited College of Education faculty and graduate student researchers. In fact, colleagues nominated her as one of the 2014 Employees of the Year. As one faculty member wrote, “Because of her extensive understanding of individuals with disabilities, she can go far beyond what would typically be offered by an office manager.”
To be put forth for the award was awesome, said Palmer. “I work with some incredible people, and I think they are grateful that I understand their needs. There are some outstanding individuals on staff here at UNC Charlotte, so I was honored to be among the nominees.”
Two major grants on which Palmer works are “Project Solutions” and “Circles.” Project Solutions is a three-year project to develop a high-quality mathematics curriculum focused on teaching generalized mathematical problem solving to students with severe disabilities. Circles is a new service delivery model to help youth with disabilities make a successful shift from school to adult life; College of Education researchers will collect data to determine the effectiveness of program outcomes.
A native of New York, Palmer completed a bachelor’s degree in retail marketing and a master’s degree in special education (K-12) from Russell Sage College. As the daughter of two teachers, she said it was inevitable that she’d enter the field. She moved to Charlotte in 1994 and started with the University in fall 2010.
“I love UNC Charlotte. My daughter Madison Agardi is a sophomore here,” Palmer noted. “I work with a diverse group, and sometimes, it’s a challenge to accommodate everyone and meet their priorities. Another challenge is navigating the campus to get information I need; it can take multiple transfers before I get to the right office.”
When she’s on her own time, Palmer likes to participate in jazzercise, and she tries to volunteer with the Human Society as often as she can.
“Plus, I remarried about seven years ago, and my husband Bob and I are both empty nesters, so we enjoy traveling and going out to dinner and riding his motorcycle,” stated Palmer.