Bio
Prior to teaching at UWSP, Sydney Bueno was a special education teacher in the Glendora Unified School District and Los Angeles Unified School District. She was also an adjunct professor for California Polytechnic University-Pomona.
Experience and Interests
Teaching
- Assistant Professor, Special Education, UW-Stevens Point (2016-present)
- Director of Graduate Programs, UW-Stevens Point (2019-2024)
- Lecturer, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (2016-2016)
- Education Specialist, Goddard Middle School, Glendora Unified School District (2014-2016)
- Education Specialist, High School, California Virtual Academies (2012-2014)
- Education Specialist, Hamasaki Elementary, Los Angeles Unified School District (2005-2012)
Research Interests
- Graduate programs and curriculum delivery
- Meditation, Mindfulness, and Yoga in schools
- Transition for Students with Disabilities to a Four-year University
- Teacher Preparation and Teacher Education
- Social-Emotional Learning
- Early Childhood Special Education
- Global Perspectives in Special Education
Awards
- Outstanding Teacher Educator Award, Aspiring Educators (2019)
Presentations and Publications
Presentations
- 2025 Bueno, S. A., & Pfundheller, M. Engaging Learners through Community Partnerships. Lily Conference – International Teaching Learning Cooperative, Austin, TX.
- 2025 Logan, N., Bueno, S. A., & Sawyer, S. Program Completers’ Perceptions of Accelerated Special Education Licensure Program Effectiveness. Lily Conference – International Teaching Learning Cooperative, Austin, TX.
- 2024 Bueno, S. A. Preparing Special Education Pre-Service Teachers to Teach Social-Emotional Learning. DISES international Conference, Panama City, Panama.
- 2024 Bueno, S., Beaulieu, S., & Pfundheller, M. Preventing educator burn-out: How to create a self-care plan. Hawaii International Conference on Education, Waikoloa, HI
- 2023 Logan, N., Beaulieu, S., Bueno, S., & Li, Y. University/District Partnerships to Prepare Future Rural Special Education. Teachers National Forum To Advance Rural Education (virtual).
- 2023 Bueno, S. A., & Logan, N. Graduates Perceived Preparation Upon Completion of an Accelerated Licensure Program. Council for Exceptional Children National conference, Louisville, KY.
Publications
- Taylor, H. E., Van Boxtel, J., M., Foster, E., A., & Bueno, S. A. (2025). Integrating High-Leverage Practices into Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs: Promoting Access and Equity for All Learners. International Journal of Inclusive Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2025.2490986
- Bueno, S. A. (2024). First-Generation College Students with Disabilities: The Impact of Relationships with Institutional Agents on Their Journey. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 24(11).
- Bueno, S., Ogurlu, U., Bardon, L., & Logan, N. (2024). When Parents of Children with Severe Autism Become Their Teachers: Unique Cases from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 103, 116.
- Taylor, H. E., Van Boxtel, J., M., Foster, E., A., & Bueno, S. A. (2023). Interdisciplinary Special Education and APE Teacher Preparation Using Evidence-Based, High-Leverage Practices. In D. Slanda & L . Pike (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Interdisciplinary Preparation for Equitable Special Education. IGI Global.
- Bueno, S.A. (2022). First Generation College Students with Disabilities Attending a Four-year College: How Did They Get There? 8th International Conference on Higher Education Advances, Valencia, Spain https://dx.doi.org/10.4995/HEAD22.2022.15652
- Logan, N., Bueno, S. A., & Wright, T. (Fall, 2021). Enriching undergraduate level courses to meet the needs of graduate students. College Student Journal, 55(3) 305-317.
Involvement
Campus
- Harju Endowment committee (2019-present)
- Student Council for Exceptional Children, Co-Adviser (2016-2020; 2024-present)
- Sabbatical Committee (2023-present)
- DISES Membership Committee (2023-present)
- Professional Standards Council for Teachers (University of Wisconsin System representative)
- (2022-present)
- Project SEARCH Liaison (2022-present)
- Reviewer, International Journal of Special Education (2016-present)
Community
- Destination Imagination, co-leader, Jefferson Elementary (2017-2018)
Professional Memberships
- Council for Exceptional Children
- Teacher Education Division
- Early Childhood Division
- International Special Education Division
- Wisconsin State Division
Fun Facts
Last book you read?
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem
Best advice you ever received?
Success doesn’t always come to those who are the “best” at something, but it does come to those who persist.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A professional dancer, a veterinarian, a heart surgeon, a professional dancer, and then a teacher.
Favorite Quote?
Little by little a little becomes a lot. – Tanzanian proverb
One thing about your school that you are most proud of?
Everyone in the School of Education is focused on the student. We LOVE our students. I am also very proud that I work alongside not only compassionate but intelligent and kind individuals.
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
The students, the students, the students. I love to be around people, I love learning, I love reading, and I love that I have students who are dedicated to the same profession that I am dedicated to. The students.
A piece of advice for students in your school?
Do not take for granted the time you have here in school. Engage even when you don’t feel like it. Push yourself, make mistakes, get up, and try again. Know that your time, dedication, and challenges now will only help you to become a better teacher for your future students.