Philosophy of Education

My career started as an intern in the Nacogdoches Independent School district as a school social
worker, and that is where I experienced the school system as an adult for the first time. I didn't spend
much time in the classroom setting because a school social workers role is to advocate rather than teach.
What I did find was that providing children with the tools and skills at an early age encouraged them to be
more productive adults. Kids are eager and willing to try new things, their love is always genuine, and
they are indeed very honest. During my experience, I worked closely with the school diagnostician and
the special education population, which is where my passion for special needs students began to grow.
After graduating, I started working with the nonprofit organization, Communities in Schools.
Although I worked in the school setting, I was not satisfied with the level of involvement with students. I
wanted to be more involved with them academically, so I decided to become alternatively certified in
special education.
Deciding to become a teacher is probably the most important decision of my life apart from
getting married and having my two children. I am now in my 11th year with Alvin ISD and the special
education population, as the proud behavior coach of the Positive Approach to Student Success program
(PASS). In the PASS program students with disabilities are provided with the tools to be successful in the
general education setting.
Prior to the PASS program, I served as behavior specialist in the district behavior classroom for
five years. The DBC classroom is a self-contained setting for students with moderatesevere behavioral
difficulties. Currently, I serve as a campus design team member working alongside other members to
bring about effective change to campus and district. As the PBIS team chair, Ive worked to bring about
effective change to the campus by positively reinforcing all students good behavior. My duties also
includes being a part of the Problem Solving Team (PST) where we meet to discuss and improve both
academic and behavioral needs of students.
My passion lies in the education system. I believe as educators, we are called to be the change
agents; to make sure that every child has the best chance to receive a free and appropriate education.