This week, we are thrilled to shine the spotlight on Travis Friedrich, who will be reaching an incredible milestone of 7 years with Macon-Piatt Special Education on July 1st! 🎉🎉

His journey with us is a testament to dedication and passion. When finding a general education teaching position proved challenging, Travis worked as a Teaching Assistant. While working at a temp agency the summer after his first year as a TA, he received a call from the cooperative offering an SED teaching position under provisional special education certification — and the rest is history!

We caught up with Travis to learn a bit more about his journey, his insights, and what keeps him inspired:

🧩 Overcoming Challenges

• The Big Hurdle: Finding the perfect placements for students with intensive and unique needs.
• The Solution: Travis relies heavily on building strong connections and collaborating with his wonderful colleagues to make magic happen for his students.

👁️ Behind the Scenes
“I wish people knew more about the behind-the-scenes responsibilities, like acting as the on-scene coordinator in the event of transportation emergencies.”

🏆 Proudest Moments
Travis always looks forward to Social Work Week (the first week in March). He loves the full day of Professional Development on that Friday, and he always strives to find meaningful, relaxing ways to focus on staff appreciation.

⚡ Go-To Productivity Trick
When he needs a fresh perspective or a boost, Travis visits other classrooms. Seeing the hard work his peers are doing gives him a renewed sense of purpose. For him, getting to know the kids on a personal level is what truly matters most.

💥 Favorite Team Memory
The Behavior Team 2026 outing to 217 Break Room! There’s nothing quite like smashing things and working out frustrations in physical form to bring a team closer together. 🥽🔨

⚾ Fun Fact
Travis cried at the Baseball Hall of Fame… He’s that kind of fan.

Thank you, Travis, for your 7 years of unwavering commitment, your leadership during emergencies, and the deep care you show for our students every single day. We are so lucky to have you on the MPSED team! 💙

👉 Be sure to drop some love for Travis in the comments of the Facebook post! #TeamworkTuesday #TeamAwesome #staffappreciation #mpsed #mpsedspotlight #mpsedfamily #employeeappreciation #SpecialEducation #thankyou