Who Am I and My Advocacy Why
I introduce myself in my podcast on youtube.com/@equityinspeducation, but I also wanted to post this blog to introduce myself here. I live and work in the Chicagoland area, and Special Education has been a part of my life from the very first day I arrived here in Chicago more than 23 years ago.
In the spring of 2003, I moved to Chicago to continue my teaching career after comparing my paycheck from a school district in another state to that of a relative who was already a teacher here. On a previous visit, I realized that even though I had a Master’s degree in Secondary Education and about four years more teaching experience than she did, her biweekly paycheck from Chicago Public Schools was twice as much as my monthly paycheck in the other district. Moving was a no-brainer given my need for a better quality of life. At the time, I held a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Master’s degree in Secondary Education, was certified in another state, and gained my teaching certification here in Illinois.
My first teaching assignment that spring was in a second-chance program on the West Side of Chicago for high school students who had previously been expelled or dropped out. These students were allowed back into school on a unique schedule, arriving around 12:00 PM and staying until the end of the school day. Many of these students could have qualified for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for various conditions, but they were never evaluated—a gap that contributed to many of the challenges they faced throughout their schooling.
I remember one student who became one of my first and proudest moments. He had recently been released from the Cook County Jail and was ordered by a judge to return to school and graduate. When his mother brought him to me with the challenge of recovering his lost credits, I remember asking, "And then what is he going to do?" I enrolled him in my Second-Chance program, and he committed to spending an extra four hours Monday through Thursday in evening school to make up failed classes. Not only did he graduate, but I took it a step further and helped him enroll for the fall at my alma mater, Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee.
That fall, I left the West Side school to move to a high school on the South Side of Chicago to teach History—my favorite subject.
Special Education "By Crook"
We’ve all heard the phrase "by hook or by crook." Well, I got into Special Education "by crook" when I took that teaching assignment on the South Side. On my very first day of school, the principal called me into her office. She told me that due to a consent decree, CPS had a quota system limiting the percentage of core academic teachers who could be African American. Because of this, she could not officially staff me in the African American History position I had applied for and been hired to teach.
However, she mentioned she could still hire me to teach history if I joined the Special Education department—with the caveat that I would simultaneously need to take three university classes to get an emergency Special Education endorsement. I was perplexed because I knew almost nothing about special education at the time, operating under the old assumption that it only applied to students with severe cognitive disabilities placed in segregated classrooms or specialized schools. But I needed a job, and given the timing, I couldn't decline.
Later that month, I enrolled in my very first special education class at Chicago State University. There, I began learning about different disabilities and instructional strategies. Back at the high school, I settled into teaching students diagnosed with LD1, LD2, LD3, EMH1, and EBD—all categories that were brand new to me. At any given time, I had up to 13 students in a pull-out (now called instructional) classroom, teaching them not only history, but also science, literature, and algebra.
That experience showed me that my true calling in education wasn't just history—it was special education. I thrived at Chicago State University and enrolled in their graduate program in Special Education to earn a full degree. Two years later, in 2005, I graduated with honors with my second Master’s degree, and the following spring, I was invited back to teach as an adjunct professor.
That role led to becoming a full-time professor a few years later. However, after three years with Chicago Public Schools, I left out of frustration with systemic issues that left so many African American students without the foundational support needed to learn to read and write. My biggest struggle was seeing 9th graders enter high school reading at a 4th-grade level or below, with math skills even further behind.
I left CPS in 2006 and worked across two suburban school districts over the next 10 years as a Behavioral Specialist and teacher while pursuing my Ph.D. in School Psychology. In 2015, I became a Counselor, Special Education Case Manager, and MTSS Coordinator for a charter school, and subsequently advanced to a district-level administrator for Special Education—a position I held for about seven years.
In that administrative role, I was charged with ensuring schools complied with identifying and evaluating students with, or suspected of having, disabilities. I worked collaboratively with parents, schools, and administrators to build consensus in the best interest of students with disabilities. It was a challenging role that frequently required navigating conflicts between parents and schools to find the best educational path forward, including determining when a student required out-of-district placement while maintaining their right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
After completing that chapter, I moved into school-based administration, where I serve today. However, my passion and dedication for advocating for students with disabilities remains as strong as ever.
I hope you find value in the resources on my website, and I invite you to check out my YouTube channel (youtube.com/@equityinspeducation) for podcasts and upcoming livestreams!