SPS Early Childhood Educator Shawna Erps Receives Salem State Educator Alumni Award
Ms. Erps honored for advocacy, literary development
SALEM (May 23, 2025) – Shawna Erps, Early Childhood Coordinator and Lead Literacy Coach for Pre-K-5 at Salem Public Schools, received the Salem State University Educator Alumni Award Thursday, May 15 at the State Universities of Massachusetts Educator Alumni Award Ceremony at the State House.
A 1999 alumna of Salem State University, Ms. Erps was honored for her advocacy of free, full-day preschool in Salem as well as her leadership in coaching early childhood educators across nine preschools in the city.
“It is always exciting to have your work recognized,” Ms. Erps said. “It feels important that I was recognized as an educator who has spent most of her career in early childhood education at a time where Massachusetts is focusing on early childhood grades in order to create high quality learning experiences for our youngest students. I have spent the second half of my career working with students in need of intervention and then finally as a coach.”
Through the state’s Department of Early Education and Care’s Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative Grant, Ms. Erps serves as the literacy coach to four preschools in SPS – Bates Elementary School, Bentley Innovation Academy, Salem Early Childhood Center and the Horace Mann Laboratory School – as well as five partner schools in Angela’s Daycare, the Salem YMCA, Salem Community Childcare, Pathways for Children and Ashley’s Pre-K and Daycare.
“Shawna approaches all she does with joy, optimism and with a high level of expertise and knowledge,” said Kate Carbone, Deputy Superintendent at SPS, who attended the ceremony alongside SPS Superintendent Dr. Stephen Zrike and Senator Joan Lovely (D, 2nd Essex District). “She is a staunch advocate for our youngest learners and has played a lead role in building partnerships that are bolstering early education across the city of Salem. I am proud to have her on my team and privileged to work alongside her.”
Ms. Erps is also a visiting professor at Salem State’s McKeown School of Education, teaching courses such as Literacy Intervention/Assessment, Introduction to Literacy Development, and Literacy Development and Processes.
She earned her undergraduate degree in early childhood education from Salem State and returned to earn master’s degrees in both special education (2002) and reading (2011).
After earning her undergraduate degree, Ms. Erps served several roles at the Carlton Innovation School over 20 years – a pre-K and first grade teacher, reading interventionist and a literacy coach – before transitioning into her current role in 2021.
“In my role as a coach and an adjunct professor at Salem State, I am able to have a greater impact on classroom instruction by supporting the teachers in those classrooms,” she noted. “This is also creating more equitable experiences for kids. It’s an honor to have my work noticed and celebrated.”
The Massachusetts State University System encompasses nine universities, each of which were represented at the Ceremony.
Ms. Erps lives in Beverly with her husband Eric, and her sons Noah (18) and Ethan (16).
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are all passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens we view all of our work through. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff serve all of our students, regardless of ability or language. Salem Public Schools enrolls approximately 4,000 students across its eleven schools.
