I am thrilled to be joining the Pinebrook EL team and having the opportunity to help our amazing students strengthen their language skills and thrive in a supporting school environment.

I received a BA degree in journalism from Virginia Tech and worked for 10 years in the communications/public relations field. While taking a career break to be at home with my children, I began to teach classes and eventually co-direct an adult program for English learners, a passion I have followed for over 13 years.

After teaching preschool and then substituting in LCPS for several years, I recently completed a Career Switcher program with endorsements in ESL and language arts. I’m excited to land at Pinebrook after working many years here as a substitute.

I live nearby and my husband and I have a son who is a sophomore at Virginia Tech and another who is a sophomore at Freedom High School. Our family loves to travel and we enjoy skiing, hiking and other adventures together. I also enjoy reading and working on arts and crafts.

I’m looking forward to working with our English learners at Pinebrook. I can be reached at Shawn.Mckinley@lcps.org.