March is Social Workers month and Claremore Public Schools is excited to introduce our community to our new School-Based Social Services Specialists.

March is Social Workers month and Claremore Public Schools is excited to introduce our community to our new School-Based Social Services Specialist, Courtney McCann (Burnshire).

Mrs. Courtney McCann Burnshire is the School-Based Social Worker (SBSW) specializing at our elementary sites. Roosa is where her office is, but she serves Catalayah, Claremont, and Westside.   Mrs. McCann came to us in 2020.

McCann comes to CPS with nine years of experience, seven years of those in Child Welfare, and two years in Child Support. She loves social work because she loves helping families. "I chose school-based because I also love being in a school setting and with this job, I can help teachers in addition to helping the families of "their babies."

Since social workers possess a wide range of skills, they can do more than monitor IEPs. They support the community school strategy, train educators on identifying and responding to trauma,  make home visits to build positive relationships with families or complete well checks, and help identify gaps in-school programming for which additional resources may be sought.

"Being a school-based social worker is my dream job, so every day I get to come to work is a blessing! Claremore has been a perfect fit for me, and I AM SO HAPPY TO BE HERE! I feel like the stars aligned perfectly for me to have this exact job in this district."  

Although she will finish out the year as Mrs. McCann, she was married on 2/22/22 to Josh Burnshire, who she met in college over 15 years ago but did not start dating in 2020. She has a fur baby named Temba, a one-year-old Shih-Tzu and an Emotional Support Animal (EMA). 

With a degree in psychology from Northeastern State University, and her standard teaching certificate, McCann began the Masters in Social Work program at the University of Oklahoma. She had completed half of her requirements when she accepted the full-time position at CPS. Although the pursuit of her masters degree is currently on hold, she believes accepting the position at CPS is the best decision she has ever made.

"I chose Claremore the moment I met Julie Geiger, Dawn Nipps, and Chrissy Willard; I knew this was my place. I felt an instant connection to all three of them and I knew I would be very happy at CPS. As the school year has progressed and I've gotten to know the staff, the children, and the families - I know I made the right decision. "I AM SO PROUD TO BE A ZEBRA," she excitedly told us! "CPS has blown me away with their academics, attention to mental health, many activities, athletic accomplishments, and the feeling of "family" that I get to be a part of in each building."

FAVORITES

⏲ HOBBIES - She loves to travel. She also loves going to concerts; her favorite band has been Hanson since she was a little girl. (Yes, they are still making music and doing shows!) MMMBop!

🎬  MOVIE - all scary movies

🥤 DRINK  - sweet tea

🎨 COLOR - teal, pink, and gray

🗺 VACATION - Hawaii!

🚩 TEAM  - Claremore Zebras, of course,

“    QUOTE - “Did you ever think that maybe if you're not happy, it's because of you?" - Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers

⁉    INTERESTING FACT  - Her dad is a country music singer. He is also an avid hiker/backpacker/survivalist and tried out for the show "Alone" last year and almost made it through.  

OTHER

• Member of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority, Beta Gamma chapter (NSU - Tahlequah)
• She was a high school cheerleader and is still passionate about it as a sport.