Communications Director (letter and resume)

DOMINIC INOUYE

2472 N. 66th St. Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 53213 414-339-9489 [email protected]

P R A C T I C I N G WHAT I P R E A C H

January 18, 2016
Dear Dr. Coffman,
I want to help tell The Prairie School’s story. For over twenty years, I’ve been teaching students how
to read stories: fiction, non-fiction, history, art, argument, and film. I’ve also been teaching them
how to tell stories: their personal stories and the stories of others, their rhetorical and poetic stories,
stories written, spoken, and filmed. It has been a challenge and a joy.
However, for as much as I have taught how to do these things, I have always felt a little bit guilty that
I wasn’t practicing what I preached: Where was my reading of incredible books (other than the ones
I’d chosen for classes)? Where were the informed arguments and poetry, the short films, the serious
research of personal interests? Of course I’d always read each book again with fresh eyes, often
write alongside the students, always model for them what discourse could look like in different
forms. But I’ve always wondered why I couldn’t truly call myself a writer or speaker, a poet or
filmmaker, an investigative journalist. All these pursuits were so closely tied to the classroom that I
could only call myself, in my mind, a “writer for the classroom,” a “poet when I’m teaching poetry,”
and so on. I was a “writing teacher” but not a “writer.”
What then, I have been wondering, could I bring to The Prairie School as its Communications
Director?

VISIBILITY

The line in the job description that attracted me the most was “Maintain high visibility within the
Prairie community and work closely with Division Heads, department chairs and teachers to
promote stories of interest.” Even though I am an English teacher, I am known to pop into a biology
lab or robotics demonstration, listen to a history lesson or a play rehearsal, learn some French or sit
with the Primary School students in the dining room. I either have too much time on my hands or
I’m interested in the stories being told in the hallways and classrooms at our school. Each teacher,
administrator, student, and staff member has a story to tell, something to teach our community.
And if, as someone I know has said time and time again, “we are all educators,” then I say, “Let’s tell
their stories.” Their stories are the story of our school.

CONNECTION

I thrive on connections. Gregarious by nature and nurture, I have no office within the school. Seven
years ago, I eschewed a beautiful corner officein the Upper School for chairs in the Commons or the
SRC, even the Middle School hallway or the back of someone else’s room while they were teaching.
I need to be amongst people, which is why I’m so nomadic. As Communications Director, I know
that I would be “on the move” in so many ways, not only with meetings with the Admissions and
Development Teams and other managers, but with as many people internal and external as possible:
students, teachers, heads, parents, community connections. I would certainly welcome this move
(no pun intended).

INNOVATION

Above all, I would work closely with the Assistant Head of School for Community Relations—and all
others involved in the story telling about our school—to sustain what works and innovate when
necessary. My modus operandi in the classroom is to reinvent the wheel (sometimes to the chagrin
of colleagues), wipe the slate clean, adapt and evolve, especially in response to students’ needs;
however, I also know when I have a good thing going that just needs a little tweaking (e.g.,
Slaughterhouse-Five last year vs. Slaughterhouse this year). I’ve also discovered that one of my strengths
is helping students get “unstuck” from their problems (e.g., with their Capstone investigations) and
guiding them toward creative (and oftentimes unexpected) solutions. So, as The Prairie School
moves into its next chapter, I think I can help tell its story in fresh new ways.

My interest in this position marks, for me, a calling to celebrate everything that has been so
wonderful about my teaching career—all the stories of colleagues, students, and alumnae—by
practicing what I’ve preached for so long. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to
metting with you and the Communications Team.

Sincerely yours,

Dominic Inouye

DOMINIC INOUYE

2472 N. 66th St. Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 53213 414-339-9489 [email protected]

EDUCATION “Undoubtedly, people are surprised

Marquette University when I tell them that I used to be a
M.A. English biology major; perhaps they unfairly
Dec. 1996 associate biologists with stuffy lab coats
and English teachers like me with
Seattle University loosey-goosey Dead Poets. In fact, my
B.A. English, Minor Biology Jesuit education stressed well-
roundedness and critical thinking: I
May 1994 became equally comfortable studying
science and theater, art and philosophy,
Mount Mary University literature and history. I came to see how
Wisconsin State Secondary English Education, No. 300 they complemented each other. Since
I’ve been at Prairie, it’s not like I’ve been
May 2003 bringing biology into the English
classroom, but I’ve explored ways to
integrate reader’s theater, filmmaking,
art projects, and philosophy, as well as
allow students to explore, through their
research, disciplines which fascinate
them.”

“When I began my teaching journey, with TEACHING

a tweed jacket, briefcase, and lots of trial and The Prairie School
error, I was granted relative autonomy and English Teacher, Grades 9-12
complete trust. One of my most successful
Marquette experiments: a semester-long, August 2009 - present
multi-genre exploration of the problem of
faith-based prison rehabilitation, followed up Pius XI High School
with students’ proposal letters to Wisconsin English Teacher, Grades 9-12
politicians. One of my most memorable Pius
experiments: semester-long problem-solving Oct. 1999 - June 2009
colloquia exploring major issues chosen by
student-led inquiry groups. And, in my TYME OUT Center Creative Writing Camp
almost seven years at Prairie, the two Teacher
highlights of my experimentation have been
creating the online summer reading forum July 2001 & July 2003
for Upper School students and introducing
the Senior Capstone’s ‘I-Search’ process.” Marquette University
Lecturer in Expository Writing

Sept. 1994 - May 1999

LEADERSHIP “I remember getting the first entries

The Prairie School to the high school student film festival
Co-Chair, English Department that James Carlson, founder of The
School Factory, and I created. Opening
Aug. 2010 - present the padded envelopes with VHS and CD
Founder, C.L.A.S.S. movies from students around
Milwaukee, we knew we were on to
Aug. 2010 - present something, that there was untapped
potential in Milwaukee’s youth that we
Pius XI High School could celebrate. The declining state of
Co-Chair, English Department the public schools was, as usual, top
news, as was, in 2005, the high homicide
Sept. 2003 - June 2006 rate. As educators, with these facts on
Co-Chair, Operations Design Committee the brain, opening up envelopes of
creativity was a blessing.”
June 2007 - June 2009
Moderator, Gay-Straight Alliance “My first encounter with Prairie’s

Sept. 2002 - June 2003 faculty was at the DeKoven Center
Editor, Exploding Pens before the 2009 school year began, for a
series of workshops on sustainability, a
Jan. 2005 - June 2009 concept I hadn’t, I admit, thought much
Moderator, Pius Film Society about prior. Sipping wine on the lawn
with Christine and Greg and Sarah and
Sept. 2000 - June 2005 Jean and others made me feel both at
home and amongst change-makers with
Milwaukee Spotlight Student Film Festival whom I couldn’t wait to work. Within a
Executive Director few months, Christine, Greg, Sarah, and
May 2005 - May 2008 I had created C.L.A.S.S., now in its sixth,
and perhaps most important for Prairie,
Milwaukee International Film Festival iteration.”
Reel Flix Educational Program Committee

July 2004 - July 2005

“Sometimes I miss the ‘office hour’ days CONSULTATION

when every half-hour seemed to be scheduled Marquette University
with a new student, either one in my class or,
for instance, a philosophy major exploring Laboratory Supervisor, Physical Therapy Dept.
existential conundrums in 17th century pre- Sept. 1996 - May 1999
Renaissance pseudo-Romanticism before there
was ‘Romanticism.’ Or the many theology Writing Consultant, Ott Memorial Writing Center
dissertations. Oh, yes. What I loved, in the Sept. 1994 - Dec. 1995
end, was that I was able to establish personal
and intellectual relationships with people who Proofreader, School of Dentistry
had interests in every field out there. I was a Mar. 1995 - May 1995
fresh pair of eyes and ears, an outsider with a
critical, editorial, and inquisitive perspective.” Proofreader, Hispanic Center of Excellence
May 1995

PRESENTATIONS “I’ve felt the need in the past to share

“C.L.A.S.S.: A 12x16 Approach my teaching experiences and pedagogy
to Redefining the Classroom” with a wider audience—namely national
Workshop Presenter, National Association of conferences. I’ve shared how my
struggling readers at Pius used video to
Independent Schools (NAIS) enhance their literacy (my favorite was
Feb. 2011 our trailer for The Lovely Bones, which
was, for most, the longest book they’d
“Getting Pink: A Whole New Mind ever read), and how a colleague and I got
for the Classroom” permission from Dan Pink to adapt his
business concepts to the educational
Workshop Presenter, Milwaukee Public Schools sphere, and how Christine and I bridged
Jan. 2008 the gap between Prairie and Afghan
students. However, I’ve found that the
“Watching Movies in the Classroom…Good. best way to share what I do is to model it
Making Movies in the Classroom…Better.” in my classroom, talk about it with
colleagues, and give others ‘permission’
Panel Presenter, NCTE Conference to experiment and revise and reform.”
Nov. 2007
PUBLICATIONS
“Websites have become so easy to create.
Websites
Over the past few years, I’ve created Summer Reading Ning (US reading forum)
numerous sites that capture and proliferate
stories: my own memoir, classroom stories, C.L.A.S.S. (official program website)
project stories, book stories, marginalized Voice Box (C.L.A.S.S. stories)
stories, poetry and photography. I’d rather Mindscape (literary magazine)
create a website for a class now rather than a The Raft (English 8 blog)
boring Google folder. And if it deserves
celebrating, there I am . . . creating another In Antigone’s Shoes (English 10 project)
website, sometimes just for fun.” Senior Capstone (English 12 research)
A Clockwork Orange (English 12 resource)
“I remember the night I got a call from Joe Roaming the Greenwood (personal blog)

Berman. It was 9 pm and he called to ask me Edstructure (education blog)
if I’d like to co-write a research writing
manual for Marquette’s Physical Therapy Writing About Research:
Department. I can’t remember how he found A Manual For Physical Therapy Students
out about me, but, nonetheless, flattered and
looking for a challenge, I agreed to meet with Co-author, Marquette University
him. Our writing and revising and teaching Physical Therapy Department
together was challenging and refreshing. I’m Fall 1999
not sure how long our manual was used by
the PT Department, but I certainly have never
forgotten S.O.A.P. notes or TMJ or how to
pronounce ‘corticosteroid.’ Most important,
to me, was our collaboration—and the
excitement of creating something of value for
emerging professionals.”

PRAIRIE SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS “When I was looking into Prairie

English Department seven years ago, I was struck especially
As co-chair of the English Department, I have by the Upper School’s diverse literature
‣ overseen the 7th through 12th grade teachers, selections, which offered students a
observing their classes informally and formally, multiplicity of stories instead of a ‘single
evaluating their instruction and goals annually; story’: not just classics, not just
‣ collaborated closely with department members in contemporary, not just ‘dead white male’
an ongoing mission to refine the scope & sequence authors, not just non-canonical works. I
of our curriculum; hope I have added even more diversity to
‣ improved the elective offerings in the Upper School; our curriculum and will continue to
‣ interviewed, hired, and guided new teachers in their advocate for it. In the English
transition to Prairie; classroom, stagnancy is death.”
‣ improved the summer reading program by making
it a discussion forum rather than a solitary “Despite what so many people tell me
experience, and by expanding students’ choices;
‣ revived the literary and arts magazine, Mindscape, not to do—try to reinvent the wheel—I
and still do it. It’s harder creating and
‣ created the annual National Poetry Month recreating curriculum for the same class
celebration Words Words Words; —especially when the class has been
teaching the same thing for so long, or
C.L.A.S.S. when a text or activity isn’t received well
As co-founder of C.L.A.S.S., I have helped by students or when I haven’t delivered
‣ foster relationships between Prairie students instruction effectively enough—but it
(4th-12th grade) and local, national, and must be done. I want to interrogate
international organizations; each thing I do—and have students and
‣ improve the Prairie Giving Garden by proposing my colleagues interrogate why I do them
and then building nine new planting beds with —so that I can keep improving. And so
students; and my students can keep improving.”
‣ oversee the student-led publication of the Giving
Garden Cookbook and the student-led promotion “One of the most important parts of
of a Run/Walk for Our School at Blair Grocery.
our student-written C.L.A.S.S. mission is
that we will identify injustices in our
world and learn about affected communities.
It was important to us and the students
that C.L.A.S.S. be not just a service club
but that it be a service learning
experience. As such, each year of the
program has had us learning the stories
of people in our community: Afghan
college students, first graders, homeless
men and women, directors of food banks
and local farmers markets. Dignity, after
all, is about honoring the face and the

story of each individual.”