Stories

A native New Orleanian and Naperville resident, “Dr. D.” has a track record of educational leadership in both Louisiana and Illinois. With over 25 years of educational experience and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification, she has worked as a classroom teacher and Instructional Coach in Title I schools as she’s led hosts of Black and Brown students to academic excellence.  

As a Distinguished Educator for the Louisiana Department of Education, she successfully transformed failing schools slated for school closure to helping the schools earn starred-rating status with the Louisiana Department of Education. With her educational reform experiences and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, she served as a Master Teacher/Assistant Principal at her Little Village Chicago-based school. There, she made major contributions to transform the failing school from a Level 3 to a Level 1 in one academic year.  

A Hurricane Katrina survivor, she is resilient to weather the storms of life while finding joy in the journey, including being the parent of fraternal twin daughters and a non-verbal son---All three diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She has the ability to turn trials into triumphs that can be proven with the academic successes of her young children. Her personal challenges have created a deeper passion and urgency for the advocacy for children with special needs.  

As a Leadership Team Member of District 204’s Parent Diversity Advisory Council (PDAC), she values her work in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in schools. She is a Master IEP Coach-in-Training and plans to formally help parents understand the IEP process and ways to successfully advocate for their exceptional children. In addition, she will soon launch her blog, www.theoutoftheboxparent.com, in an effort to encourage and support parents of children with special needs so they can see and utilize the abilities of their children, not just see only their disabilities."