Dr. Dawn Schwarzkopf

Professor Schwarzkopf joined Olivet’s full-time faculty in 2015. She teaches courses in early childhood education, and early childhood and elementary reading.

Her professional career began in 1989 with the Freeport (Illinois) School District and continued with the Kankakee (Illinois) School District. She taught first grade for 18 years and devoted eight years to her work as a literacy coach/instructional coach. She also served as a cooperating teacher for student teachers in 1994, 1996, 2004 and 2006.

While she was a literacy coach at Mark Twain Primary School in Kankakee, the school was named as a Spotlight School for the Reading First Federal Grant in 2008. While she was teaching at Taylor Park School in Freeport, the school was named a National Blue Ribbon School for 2001-2002.

As an educator, Professor Schwarzkopf also enjoys educating her peers. She presented on the hot topics of “Bullying” and “Analyzing Student Work” for the I-KAN Regional Office of Education in 2014. In 2010, she led DIBELS training for Pembroke School District staff after presenting at the DIBELS Summit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2009 on the use of DIBELS with a RtI plan. In 2008 and 2009, she did a presentation on the Kankakee School District’s RtI plan at the Illinois Reading Conference.

She was a member of the team that created the “1st Grade Reading Kit” for the Illinois State Board of Education in 1999-2000 and appeared in the video series “Meeting the Challenge: Teaching Reading PreK-2.”

Professor Schwarzkopf is a member of Kappa Delta Pi, International Reading Association, Illinois Reading Association and Two Rivers Reading Council.

She and her husband, Todd, are the parents of three children. Mitchell is a 2018 ONU graduate in Elementary Education. He is teaching first grade in Darien, Illinois, and coaching basketball at Hinsdale South. Mitchell married Brittany Scheidt who is a 2017 ONU graduate in Elementary Education. Chelsea, is a 2020 ONU graduate in Criminal Justice. She is a Child Protective Investigator for the Department of Children and Families in Fort Meyers, Florida. Trey is a senior at Herscher High School. Todd is a Special Education teacher and the Athletic Director at Herscher High School and Limestone Middle School. In addition to attending her children’s sports events, she enjoys reading and taking her dog, Mocha, for a walk.