Educator, Evaluator, Administrator, Collaborator, Master IEP Coach® & Special Education Champion
I AM AN EDUCATOR!
Throughout my undergraduate and graduate years, I provided care and education to children as an assistant in the daycare and private therapeutic school setting for students challenged with learning, social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. I also served as a substitute teacher in a charter school especially designed for students who struggled with the traditional high school setting. Supporting students with special needs became a pattern and a passion for me. I later earned my certification as an Early Childhood-12th grade Special Education teacher (2007). I served as a teacher for academic as well as social/emotional learning developing, implementing, and progress monitoring Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for 5th through 9th graders for six years.
Credentials
- Certification of completion of the Master IEP Coach® Mentorship with Catherine Whitcher, M. Ed
- Member of the Master IEP Coach® Network
- Master of Education with a Special Education concentration from the University of North Texas
- Bachelor and Master of Social Work with an Administrative Practice concentration from the University of Texas at Arlington
- State Board of Education certification in the areas of Special Education, Educational Diagnostician, and Principal
I AM AN EVALUATOR!
As a teacher, my desire to know more about how the different cognitive strengths an weaknesses impacted academic and functional performance grew. My desire was to understand it well enough to explain it simply to students, parents, and staff in an effort to develop more individualized and effective education plans. I earned my graduate degree in Education (Fall 2012) and certification as an Educational Diagnostician (Spring 2013) from the University of North Texas. I love interpreting and discussing assessment data.
I AM AN ADMINISTRATOR!
As my education and experience in Special Education grew, I became vested in creating procedures and supports to strengthen the department and ultimately the services it provides to students and families. I earned my Early Childhood through 12th grade Principal certification during the summer of 2016. Since then, I have worked to consistently set the bar high for Special Education professionals and help them over it as a district level administrator for Special Education. My special focus as an administrator has been supporting district evaluation teams that determine eligibility criteria (Educational Diagnosticians, Speech Language Pathologists, and Licensed Specialist in Special Education).
I AM A COLLABORATOR!
Prior to my education and experience in the education field, I earned my undergraduate and first graduate degree in the field of Social Work. Connecting others with resources and helping them all work together for a greater good has been a continuous theme on my journey.
I AM A CHAMPION!
I am dedicated to growing the great within the Special Education field and doing the most good for children with special needs. I believe they deserve a team of champions dedicated to working together to create reasonably calculated and appropriately ambitious plans to help them reach their full potential.