District 21 staff member Natalie Szafranski is a dedicated speech-language pathologist whose passion for her work shines through every day. She is committed to helping students at Field Elementary School find their voices – literally and figuratively – by evaluating and treating a wide range of communication disorders. With a warm, encouraging approach and a deep belief in each child’s potential, she partners with students, families, and educators to ensure every student has the tools and confidence they need to communicate effectively.
After graduating in 2009 with a bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Illinois State University, Szafranski earned her master’s degree from Saint Xavier University in Chicago. She started her career working at a therapeutic day school in Hoffman Estates in an Autism program before transitioning to District 21 in 2015, and has not looked back. “I was thrilled to know that District 21 has more of a ‘push-in’ setting,” she states.
In her role, she evaluates, treats and supports students with communication disabilities – whether they are physical or cognitive, working one-on-one or in groups of students to help them communicate clearly while aiming to meet performance goals. She has had many success stories, including a 5-year-old whose speech was mostly unintelligible in kindergarten. With dedication, creativity and structure, she transformed this child to graduating from speech services by second grade. Lately, she’s found a passion for learning about executive functioning. It’s completely changed her evaluation procedures, intervention style and how she sees students’ needs and supports them.
When the classroom lights go off, she simply trades articulation drills for toddler giggles, leashes up her dog, and heads out to explore Wisconsin’s trails with her husband – where nature provides just as many teachable moments as the classroom. Whether she’s chasing a curious two-year-old, enjoying a peaceful walk under tall trees, or carefully decorating a batch of sugar cookies, her patience, creativity, and joy never clock out. It’s no wonder her students thrive – after all, anyone who can nurture language, life skills, and perfectly frosted cookies clearly has a gift for bringing out the best in everyone.
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