Lynn S. Fuchs, 1950-2025
A giant among giants passed away
Lynn S. Fuchs, one of the most admired special educators of the 20th and 21st centuries who was known for thorough and impeccable research on assessment and instruction, passed away 7 May 2025. She was at her son’s home with her family, Douglas H. Fuchs and Matthew S. Fuchs.
Even though she did not pursue the spotlight for herself, preferring the focus fall on the work, Lynn was recognized with many of the most prestigious awards for research in special education and education. Across her career she received the American Educational Research Association’s Palmer O. Johnson Award; the Alumni Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award (Peabody College, Vanderbilt University); the Council for Exceptional Children’s Special Education Research Award; Distinguished Researcher Award of AERA’s Special Education Special Interest Group; Earl Sutherland Award for Distinction in Research of Vanderbilt University; the Division for Learning Disabilities’ (CEC) Jeannette E. Fleischner Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Learning Disabilities; the Division for Research’s (CEC) Kauffman-Hallahan Distinguished Researcher Award; AERA’s Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award; the International Literacy Association’s Albert J. Harris Research Award; Vanderbilt’s Alexander Heard Distinguished Service award; and the Harold W. McGraw, Jr., Prize in Education.1 In addition she was the holder of endowed chairs, gave distinguished lectures, and served on prestigious boards.
Much of the reason for Lynn’s many decorations was her work on assessment and instruction. She and Doug tirelessly pursued ways to improve academic outcomes for students with disabilities. If one wanted to print just the title pages of each of her publications, one would need a ream of paper. She was among the leading proponents of using curriculum-based measurement procedures to evaluate students’ learning and guide instructional decisions. In addition, Lynn studied arithmetic-mathematics and literacy instructional procedures, often centered around use of peer-tutoring practices. She and Doug collaborated extensively and regularly, and they worked with dozens of advanced graduate students who have gone on to be esteemed contributors in their own right.
Lynn S. Fuchs was born Lynn Shteir in January 1950 in Monmouth, NJ, to Beatrice and Leon Shteir. She had one older brother (Mark) and one younger sister (Laurie). In addition to her siblings, husband (Doug), and son (Matt; spouse is Marcy), she is survived by a grandson, Miles.
Lynn received a B.A. (1972) in liberal arts from Johns Hopkins University, a M.S. (1973) in elementary education from University of Pennsylvania, and an Ed.S. (1977) and Ph.D. (1981) in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota . She held faculty appointments at Wheelock College, Worcester, MA, and Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. She continued her career at the American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC.
Despite her extraordinary achievement, Lynn was unfailingly considerate, collegial, and caring. Although those accomplishments will surely secure her a place in special education history, I am pretty sure that those who knew her well will contend that Lynn’s human characteristics will make her live on in their hearts.
Editor’s note: As of 11 May 2025 Echovita had a brief obituary.—JohnL
Footnote
This catalog of awards represents perhaps one quarter or third of the full number of times Lynn was recognized. I wasn’t able to locate Web pages for each award to included Lynn’s name.
She contributed so much (Let’s start with IRIS…)
Her catalogue of work and those she taught - what an amazing legacy.
I love this video interview with Lynn and Doug when they won the 2021 McGraw prize in education. It's on facebook, but you can access it without a membership.
https://www.facebook.com/penngse/videos/douglas-h-lynn-s-fuchs-2021-mcgraw-prize-winners-in-prek-12-education/1060216534754348/