Nicole L.

Ellis
Phone: (515) 242-7349 Email Address: nomadicnikki11@gmail.com

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Des Moines Public Schools Des Moines, IA

Equity Coach, Roosevelt High School June 2018-Present
• Create, plan, and implement pilot Equity Change Project
• Design and implement building-wide professional development on development of equity principles/cultural
proficiency, curriculum design, and implicit bias in the classroom using continual improvement tools
• Coach teachers to facilitate professional development and PLCs using NYCLA facilitator competencies
• Vision, create and apply Culturally Inclusive Practices tool together with teachers and administrators
• Create and implement student-voice protocol for all decision-making processes building-wide
• Implement operational systems to increase student attendance rates including cogens during MTSS time and
equity core questions during PLCs
• Facilitate visioning and construction of building-wide goal to reduce chronic absenteeism by 20% and increase
proficiency in core content by 40% for Black males by May 31, 2019 – update and apply coaching best-
practices around adaptive change during team meetings and on action board
• Observe and coach teachers on voluntary equity instructional cycles
• Co-Facilitate weekly Tier 1/2 behavior meetings

School Leadership Team Member, Roosevelt High School/Lincoln High School August 2016-Present
• Facilitate visioning process around school’s definition and vision for equity
• Facilitate data-analysis and problem-analysis processes
• Implement implicit bias and courageous conversations training to SLT members
• Model facilitator competencies for teacher leaders

Equity Core Team Leader, Roosevelt High School June 2018-Present

• Identify and build trust with 15 believer teachers who wanted to push and support build equity plan
• Meet weekly with teachers to facilitate the tuning and problem-analysis processes around problems of
classroom/PLC/building systems
• Coach teacher leaders using courageous conversations tools around scenarios from their PLCs/staff meetings to push the
thinking around racial equity and deficit-thinking

ELL Teacher, Lincoln High School August 2015-May 2018

• Created district-wide Common Formative Assessments using ELPA21 standards and DMPS SRG (Standard
Reference Grading) curriculum scales
• Designed and implemented lesson plans around ELA Core standards and ELPA21 Language standards for
beginner, intermediate, and advanced ELs (English Learners)
• Collected quantitative research, developed curriculum scales and piloted long-term EL “Transitions” course for
DMPS
• Collaboratively planned with core content teachers to implement accommodations for ELs
• Managed 3 building interpreters for our Karen, Nepali, and Spanish-speaking communities
• Facilitated and led department and PLC meetings
• Participated as a Learning Sciences International Schools for Rigor Early Implementer teacher in coaching
cycles with Marzano-trained LSI facilitators
• Analyzed Tableau data for attendance, behavior, and achievement in courses/MAP/IA Assessments and created
a problem-analysis cycle to implement opportunities for Latino males to participate in school activities with
their input through focus groups, school-day excursions, and weekend soccer tournaments
Equity Team Member, Lincoln High School August 2016-May 2018
• Collaborated with equity team to design and implement cultural proficiency professional development using district
vision/mission for equity

English Teacher, Lincoln High School June 2016- June 2017

• Created and delivered individualized lessons for ELA Grade 09 and ELA Grade 10 courses for at-risk students in credit
recovery program

ProWorld Service Corps Cusco, Peru

Program Advisor and Assistant Participant Coordinator November 2012- July 2012
• Co-coordinated program between the local university and incoming semester abroad students through
orientation, course registration, and semester program planning
• Coordinated with existing community NGO partners including translation and interpretation for on-site projects
• Conducted approximately 75% of work in Spanish

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

Drake University Des Moines, IA

Master of Science in Educational Leadership, with Principal Certification May 2019
GPA: 4.0
Iowa State University Ames, IA
Bachelor of Arts in English Education with Spanish minor and ELL endorsement May 2015
• Extra-curricular activities: Writing and Communications tutor for undergraduate students, Events Director and Disc-jockey for indie
radio station, KURE Ames Alternative, Summer 2012 Study Abroad: In the Footsteps of the Incas in Cusco, Peru
GPA: 3.6
State of Iowa Educator Certifications
• ELL, k-12
• English, 5-12
• Evaluator’s License and Principal License, k-12 (June 2019)

RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND SKILLS

• Native level fluency in Spanish in areas of reading, writing, listening, and speaking
• RIAS (Refugee and Immigrant Subcommittee) for Des Moines City Council member (2017-2019)
• Community Policing “Bridging the Gap” committee member/presenter with Des Moines Civil Rights Commission
(2018)
• Courageous Conversations Summit/Training (2018), Philadelphia, PA
• LSI Schools for Rigor Conference (2017) Orlando, FL
• Teacher of the Year Nominee, Des Moines City Council (2017)
• Presenter, ICLC (Iowa Culture and Language Conference) (2016) Iowa City, IA

REFERENCES

+Gregory Tewksbury – Coach, NYCLA +Gilmara Mitchell – Equity Coordinator, DMPS

gtewksbury@nycleadershipacademy.org gmitchell@heartlandaea.org
+Pablo Ortega – Director of ELL, DMPS +Mindy Euken – Associate Principal, DMPS
pablo.ortega@dmschools.org mindy.euken@dmschools.org
+Dr. Doug Stilwell – Professor, Drake University
doug.stilwell@drake.edu