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I am entering my twenty-eighth year as a public educator and administrator. I also have an additional five years of experience as an administrator at Boston University and six years of experience at Cardinal Cushing School & Training Center for students with special needs. I am an educator, and I am very thankful for the opportunities to positively impact students and families. Below is a selection of my experiences:
Roosevelt Middle School, New Bedford Public Schools When I matriculated into a doctoral program, I decided to return to the classroom. I was a Reading Teacher and served students who were enrolled in general education, Special Education, English Language Learning. I successfully provided Tier II Reading intervention for up to 75 students across seven periods daily. As of February 2022, 80% of students met their annual comprehension growth goals on the December benchmark; and 51% of the 80% exceeded annual growth expectations by achieving at least 2 years of reading level growth on the April benchmark. Ivy Street School, Approved 766 Middle & High School As the Principal and Special Education Director for the Ivy Street School, I navigated two important roles to provide positive impacts on students and families. Communication with education staff, clinicians, students, families, and school districts is essential for student success! We worked to refine the curriculum and to create a program so that students could develop the skills to facilitate their own IEP meetings.
Boston Public Schools, Edward Everett School I was the principal of the Edward Everett School and the Paul Dever School, and both were located in Dorchester, MA. The Edward Everett is a small school with 297 enrolled from K0 - Grade 5. We created a Student Leadership team, Instructional Leadership Team, and a Schedule Team. We secured NAEYC accreditation with the support of the district coach, and we introduced Expeditionary Learning for grades 3-5 and Fundations in grades K2-Grade 2. We were consistently in compliance with the Department of Justice for our English Language Learner program, and we partnered with organizations such as New York Metropolitan Opera Guild, Boston Ballet, e-Inc., and Home for Little Wanderers. We hosted concerts for parents and community members, movie nights, and had classroom writing and learning presentations for every classroom and every student.
Belief Statement I endorse high expectations in all educational communities. Student learning is the center of the work and my decisions are grounded in the best interests of students. Classroom, school, and district systems and structures are necessary to support students’ readiness to learn and to ensure appropriate staff are available that supports students' educational, social, emotional, physical, and health needs.
I believe in educating students in the least restrictive environments by creating inclusive education when possible. Personalized learning environments engage student in collaborative, inquiry-based, problem solving that supports the gradual release of responsibility to support the Zone of Proximal Development to motivate students as learners and citizens.
I use formative and summative, as well as qualitative and quantitative data to plan lessons that target students’ strengths and areas of need. For example, educators may use exit tickets, district-wide common assessments, and observational data to collect information on student learning. The data can be synthesized to determine student needs, and then individually or in collaboration, educators can use the information gleaned by planning lessons according to the curriculum and student needs that introduces, teaches, or re-teaches a standard(s). I leverage teaching strategies and methods to support learners to access key concepts based on their academic level and learning style. When students learn at their instructional and independent levels, students can achieve.
Facilitating learning is important so that students make explicit connections between tasks and the importance and usefulness of work. I believe that students need to feel connected to the learning and need to understand why the learning is important. Respectful and safe environments are necessary so that all students have the psychological safety to learn according to their own style and to express themselves accordingly. Implementing school-wide positive behavior strategies in addition to creating classroom positive behavior goals that support school and classroom missions, can help students engage in respectful environments.
I apply questioning strategies to support student learning and provide students with exemplar work linked with standards and the corresponding rubric to support student learning. Data boards also help students understand their progress toward their goals. I view myself as role models and work to develop supporting, positive relationships with their students. Moreover, I engage in professional growth opportunities to continue to expand content knowledge and to engage in research-based and promising instructional practices.
Sensitivity to students’ family constellation is important. I partner with students’ family constellation members and/or outside service providers, when approved. I work to create welcoming environments that support families and educator collaboration.
Students needs are varied and diverse. I am better able to support the whole child to create motivational and personalized learning environments where students can be successful. Curriculum, instruction, and data decisions are foundations of learning communities. Collaboration with the student and their team are essential to provide student-centered education.