Shasta De La Garza
Educational Leader
San Tan Valley,Az
Summary
Principal leading K–12 school operations, special education compliance, and instructional improvement in autism-focused and special education settings, overseeing 4 systems across attendance, transportation, behavior, and safety while supporting 21+ IEP and multidisciplinary meetings per month. Supervises, hires, coaches, and evaluates 16–30 staff while strengthening classroom practice, behavior systems, attendance, transportation, and campus safety. Partners with families, districts, and community agencies to support student outcomes and keep programs aligned with IDEA and state requirements.
Overview
13
13
Certifications
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Principal
Victory Autism Academy
Queen Creek , AZ
04.2026 - 07.2026
- Directed daily instructional and operational leadership to enhance educational outcomes.
- Supervised, hired, coached, evaluated, and developed faculty and staff.
- Directed daily instructional and operational leadership.
- Oversaw student services, behavior management, transportation, attendance, and campus safety to foster a secure and supportive learning environment.
- Managed special education compliance and implementation of IDEA requirements to support diverse learner needs.
- Participated in staffing, budgeting, scheduling, and strategic planning.
- Built strong partnerships with families, districts, and community agencies.
Director of Special Education
Canyon State Academy
Queen Creek, AZ
05.2023 - 04.2026
- Led compliance with IDEA, Section 504, and state regulations.
- Directed special education programming across multiple campuses.
- Facilitated IEPs and multidisciplinary meetings to ensure tailored educational plans for students.
- Supervised multidisciplinary teams.
- Conducted compliance audits and program reviews to align practices with regulatory standards.
- Planned professional development.
- Collaborated with districts throughout Arizona, California, Illinois, and Texas.
- Supported budget planning and program development to enhance resource allocation for special education services.
- Developed and implemented individualized education programs for diverse learners.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to enhance student support services.
- Monitored compliance with federal and state special education laws and policies.
- Evaluated program effectiveness through data analysis and feedback mechanisms.
- Designed professional development workshops focusing on inclusive teaching strategies.
- Contributed to district-level committees to support needs of students on IEPs.
- Coordinated staff evaluations for special education personnel.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to conduct comprehensive evaluations of students suspected of having disabilities, guiding subsequent eligibility determination and IEP development processes.
- Conducted regular reviews of individual student progress towards IEP goals, adjusting instructional approaches as needed based on data analysis results.
Assistant Principal
Victory Autism Academy
Tolleson, Arizona
10.2022 - 05.2023
- Supervised instructional staff to enhance teaching quality and student engagement.
- Managed campus operations.
- Managed campus operations to ensure a safe and conducive learning environment.
- Led student discipline and safety initiatives to promote positive behavior and school safety.
- Supported professional learning communities.
- Partnered with families.
- Assisted with hiring and onboarding.
- Monitored student progress and adjusted interventions based on data analysis and behavioral observations.
- Led initiatives to foster inclusive school culture, promoting acceptance and understanding of neurodiversity.
- Oversaw implementation of curriculum modifications aligned with state standards for special education programs.
- Mentored new educators in classroom management and differentiated instruction tailored for students with autism spectrum disorders.
- Partnered with principal to administer school program in alignment with vision and goals, providing positive, high-expectation academic environment.
- Performed classroom evaluations to assess teacher strategies and effectiveness.
- Established intervention programs for struggling students, improving overall academic achievement levels at the school.
- Monitored student behavior and enforced discipline policies.
- Improved school performance by developing and implementing data-driven instructional strategies.
Special Education Teacher | Lead Teacher | Testing Coordinator
The Austin Centers for Exceptional Students (ACES)
Gilbert, Arizona
05.2018 - 10.2022
- Developed and implemented Individualized Education Programs to meet diverse student needs and promote academic success.
- Coordinated state testing logistics and ensured compliance with educational standards.
- Mentored teachers to enhance instructional strategies and improve student engagement.
- Supported instructional improvement.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams.
- Coordinated state testing.
- Developed individualized education plans to address diverse learning needs of students.
- Trained and mentored new staff on best practices in special education techniques.
- Led initiatives to integrate technology in the classroom, improving engagement and accessibility for students.
- Advocated for student needs within school administration, ensuring compliance with educational regulations.
- Created and managed IEPs to define student learning objectives and educational strategies, in addition to applying instructional knowledge and methods to support goals.
- Developed IEPs tailored to individual student needs, ensuring their academic success and personal growth.
- Fostered strong relationships with parents and guardians, maintaining open lines of communication to ensure student progress.
- Taught students across multiple classifications and degrees of special needs.
- Cultivated connections and strong student rapport to foster classroom engagement, in addition to recording student progress to inform parents and school administration.
Behavioral Intervention Specialist / Instructional Assistant / Student Support Services
Arizona Educational Organizations
, Arizona
01.2014 - 01.2018
- Developed and implemented individualized education plans for diverse student needs.
- Led professional development workshops to enhance staff instructional strategies and classroom management.
- Collaborated with families and community partners to foster support networks for students with autism.
- Supervised daily operations, ensuring compliance with educational standards and regulations.
- Analyzed student progress data to inform curriculum adjustments and improve learning outcomes.
- Mentored teaching staff, promoting best practices in autism education and intervention techniques.
- Performed classroom evaluations to assess teacher strategies and effectiveness.
- Fostered a positive learning environment by promoting open communication among staff, students, and parents.
- Monitored student behavior and enforced discipline policies.
- Trained teachers on effective teaching techniques, classroom management strategies, and behavior modification.
- Led school improvement efforts by setting clear expectations for staff performance and providing regular feedback on progress towards goals.
- Administered personnel policies and procedures and approved professional staff additions.
Education
Master of Education - Educational Administration
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ03.2022
Master of Education - Special Education
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ02.2018
Bachelor of Science - Education Studies
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ02.2016
Skills
- Strategic Planning
- Instructional Coaching
- School Operations
- Compliance Management
- Data Analysis
- Special education leadership
- Curriculum development
- Staff supervision
- Family engagement
- Crisis management
- School improvement planning
- Curriculum alignment
- Teacher evaluation systems
Accomplishments
- Advanced through progressive leadership roles from classroom educator to Principal.
- Directed special education programming across multiple campuses.
- Led hundreds of Individualized Education Program and multidisciplinary meetings throughout my career.
- Recruited, interviewed, hired, mentored, and evaluated instructional and support staff.
- Strengthened compliance systems and instructional accountability.
- Built collaborative relationships with families, districts, and community partners.
- Led instructional coaching initiatives focused on improving teacher effectiveness and student outcomes.
Certification
Arizona Standard Professional Principal Certificate (PreK–12)
Leadership Philosophy
I believe leadership begins with serving others. My responsibility is to create an environment where educators feel supported, students are challenged to reach their potential, and families know they are valued partners. Through collaboration, integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement, I strive to build school communities where every individual has the opportunity to succeed.
Timeline
Principal
Victory Autism Academy
04.2026 - 07.2026
Director of Special Education
Canyon State Academy
05.2023 - 04.2026
Assistant Principal
Victory Autism Academy
10.2022 - 05.2023
Special Education Teacher | Lead Teacher | Testing Coordinator
The Austin Centers for Exceptional Students (ACES)
05.2018 - 10.2022
Behavioral Intervention Specialist / Instructional Assistant / Student Support Services
Arizona Educational Organizations
01.2014 - 01.2018
Master of Education - Educational Administration
Grand Canyon University
Master of Education - Special Education
Grand Canyon University
Bachelor of Science - Education Studies
Grand Canyon University