Science Education Specialist: Curriculum Developer & Professional Learning Facilitator
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Nicole McRee (Ed.D. candidate, McKendree University) is a nationally recognized science educator, consultant, and curriculum leader with over 20 years of experience advancing equitable, phenomenon-driven science instruction across K–12 systems. As Founder of McRee Educational Consulting, she partners with districts, state agencies, and educational organizations to strengthen instructional coherence through NGSS-aligned curriculum design, professional learning, and instructional coaching.
Nicole’s work spans local, state, and national impact. She collaborates with leading organizations such as School Specialty/FOSS Science, Toolkit Tutors, and Killer Snails, developing high-quality instructional materials and facilitating transformative professional learning that supports educators in implementing three-dimensional, inquiry-based teaching. Her consulting and keynote sessions focus on building educator capacity, aligning assessments to standards, and embedding equity and language supports into science teaching.
Previously, Nicole served as Science, STEM, and Wellness Curriculum Specialist for Kildeer Countryside District 96, where she led district-wide curriculum alignment, professional learning, and instructional coaching initiatives, earning “Excellent” ratings on 100% of evaluations across her 20-year career. Her early work as a middle school science teacher and instructional coach grounded her expertise in evidence-based teaching, student-centered assessment, and collaborative PLC structures.
Nicole has presented extensively at national and regional conferences, including NSTA, NISE, and the Illinois Council for Instructional Coaching, and serves on multiple state and national review teams, including NSTA’s Sensemaking Tool panel, NSTA's EQuIP Rubric panel, and ISBE’s Science Assessment Design teams. A recipient of numerous awards including the Illinois Science Olympiad Distinguished Service Award, Tom Meskel Commitment to Education Award, and Abbott Outstanding Science Teacher of the Year, Nicole is widely More...