TaKeshia L. Thomas
Dublin,USA
Summary
Demonstrate expertise and leadership by fostering collaborative relationships with district administrators, parents, teachers, students, and stakeholders to support and enhance Pre-K programs within the DeKalb County School District.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of GA Pre-K, Special Education, & Student Support Services
Dublin City School District
Dublin, Georgia
01.2017 - Current
- Pre-K Director: Oversee daily operations, staff management, curriculum implementation, and facility safety while ensuring full compliance with state licensing and educational standards. Manages program budgets, enrollment, registration, and tuition accounts to maintain financial efficiency and program sustainability. Fosters strong relationships with parents through consistent communication regarding student progress and program updates. Collaborates closely with building administrators and key stakeholders to support school-wide goals and initiatives. Works closely and maintains a positive relationship with the Pre-K State Liaison. Supervises and supports teachers and assistant teachers, including hiring, training, mentoring, and performance evaluations. Develops, implements, and monitors developmentally appropriate curricula aligned with early childhood education standards. Ensures accurate record keeping, including maintaining up-to-date rosters, required documentation, GRC notebooks and overall compliance. Coordinates staff professional development, including assigning DECAL training to meet state requirements. Directs Pre-K summer transition programs to support student readiness and continuity of learning. Enforces policies and maintained compliance with all health, safety, and regulatory guidelines. Oversee facility operations to ensure a clean, safe, and well-maintained learning environment.
- Director of Special Education and Student Support Services: Supervises special education teachers, 504 coordinators, school psychologist, Speech/Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, paraprofessionals; prepares documents and submits data to the State Department of Education in order to show compliance withinFederal and State regulations; consults with district level Directors and Superintendent, various District Directors/Coordinators, Principals and all other district stakeholders; recruits, hires district-level special education staff; member of the School Improvement & District Strategic and various other district level committees; assumes responsibility for compliance with federal, state, and local special education requirements, regulations, and laws affecting students with disabilities and students with 504 plans; maintains SPED budgets; supervises the maintenance of case records on special education,504 and the completion of all required supports; oversee the completion, accuracy, and timeliness of Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and eligibility reports, 504 plans, HHB documentation, Medicaid documentation, and Bright from the Start documentation; collaborates with schools to ensure timely and accurate reporting of FTE; collaborate with transportation director, Babies Can’t Wait, mental health providers (APEX), Vocational Rehabilitation, and Easter Seals Representatives; provides professional development for school district; attend IEP, 504 meetings; build and maintain positive rapport with parents, teachers, students and all other stakeholders.
High School Special Education Coordinator
DeKalb County School District
Stone Mountain, Georgia
06.2016 - 01.2017
- Supervised district-level special education staff to ensure local, state and federal compliance including 21 LeadTeachers for Special Education, 24 Special Education Nurses, 4 Community Based Vocational Training Liaisons, 7 CBVT Paraprofessionals in order to facilitate continuity of services for students with disabilities; implemented and maintained academic programs for students with disabilities at 26 high schools/centers; maintained medical services for all students with disabilities in the school district; developed proposals, new programs and budgets for the purpose of meeting district goals; served as a program monitor for the DeKalb County School District; prepared documents and reported data to the State Department of Education in order toshow compliance with Federal and State regulations; consulted with district level Assistant Directors and Executive Director of Special Education, various District Directors/Assistant Directors, Principals and all otherdistrict stakeholders; recruited, hired district-level special education staff; member of the School Improvement Plan and various other district level committees.
Lead Teacher for Special Education
DeKalb County School District
Stone Mountain, Georgia
08.2014 - 05.2016
- Provided instructional support exceptional education teachers, developed and monitored Individualized Education Plan (IEPs) for students with disabilities that moved into the district; developed and monitored behavior intervention plans (BIP); implemented individualized Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA); assisted in evaluating special education programs, teachers, students, and paraprofessionals; administered special education assessments and prepared eligibility reports; served as a member of the Student Support Team(SST); completed state and local required reports; monitored and completed FTE reports; chaired difficult IEP meetings; monitored the ESY process; planned and conducted professional learning activities; demonstrated model teaching; conducted special education teachers’ yearly evaluations; provided strategies to teachers regarding classroom management, collaborative teaching, and differentiated instruction using co-teaching modules; effectively collaborated with school and private professionals, and parents; provided one on one support to marginal teachers; facilitated TIENET training; demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills; referred students to vocational rehabilitation and transition services; served on the administrative team; assisted with building the master schedule for the special education department; and worked on several school improvement committees.
Learning Consultant
Linn Benton Lincoln Education Service District (LBL-ESD)
Albany, Oregon
08.2013 - 06.2014
- Primary responsibility involved working with two assigned school districts; conducted individual evaluations inacademic and understands the educational implications and application of cognitive testing; provided comprehensive written report of observations, assessment results and recommendations; conferred with appropriate school personnel and/or parents about the evaluation results and recommendations; consulted with school personnel regarding individual student program needs; assisted with in-service training for component district personnel; assisted districts in complying with federal and state special education law requirements; participated in ongoing training opportunities to keep abreast of educational trends, educational technology, andspecialty areas, specifically assessment tools; provided support with Response to Intervention data collection, interpretation and application of differentiation strategies and academic and behavioral interventions; served onthe Care Team in one school district; served as a the Behavior Specialist in one school district and worked closely with the special education director and teachers with implementing Functional Behavioral Assessments; provided support to new special education coordinator in one school district; worked closely with school districts to ensure that their special education paperwork (i.e. referrals, IEPs, eligibility reports, FBAs, BIPs) were in compliance; actively participated on a team, work cooperatively and respond with flexibility when collaborating with others; maintained regular attendance at work; demonstrated punctuality in meeting deadlines, attending meetings and following schedules.
Special Education Case Manager
Scio School District
Scio, Oregon
01.2012 - 06.2013
- Served as District Representative for students K-8 and Liaison for all Speech and language students; chaired/conducted phone conference IEP meetings for students with disabilities enrolled in Oregon ConnectionsAcademy (ORCA) and Connections Learning (CL), collaborated and worked closely with special education teachers, speech pathologists, and other ORCA employees; referred ORCA students for psychological evaluations, completed eligibility reports, effectively communicated with parents as well as other school districtpersonnel, collaborated with school districts and education service districts (ESD) regarding students with disabilities; served as a mentor for new special education case managers; prepared contracts to districts; workedclosely with Director of Special Education; demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills.
Lead Teacher for Special Education
DeKalb County School District
Stone Mountain, Georgia
08.2004 - 10.2011
- Provided instructional support exceptional education teachers, developed and monitored Individualized Education Plan (IEPs) for students with disabilities that moved into the district; developed and monitored behavior intervention plans (BIP); implemented individualized Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA); assisted in evaluating special education programs, teachers, students, and paraprofessionals; administered special education assessments and prepared eligibility reports; served as a member of the Student Support Team(SST); completed state and local required reports; monitored and completed FTE reports; chaired difficult IEP meetings; monitored the ESY process; planned and conducted professional learning activities; demonstrated model teaching; conducted special education teachers’ yearly evaluations; provided strategies to teachers regarding classroom management, collaborative teaching, and differentiated instruction using Project ICE modules; effectively collaborated with school and private professionals, and parents; demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills; referred students to vocational rehabilitation and transition services; served on the administrative team; assisted with building the master schedule for the special education department; and worked on several school improvement committees.
Teacher Alternative Preparation Program (TAPP) Instructor
DeKalb County School District
Stone Mountain, Georgia
04.2008 - 05.2011
- Provided teachers with an understanding of the definition, characteristics and instructional needs of studentswith mild to profound intellectual disabilities; engaged candidates in a variety of activities (class lectures, discussions, presentation, observations, evaluations, research, review and exams) that supported the course objectives.
- Part-time
Department Chairperson
Ronald E. McNair High School
Atlanta, Georgia
01.2002 - 01.2004
- Supervised thirteen teachers, created and modified schedules for students, carried out monthly departmental meetings, referred students to vocational rehabilitation and transition services conducted teacher observations
- DeKalb County School District
Exceptional Education Teacher
Ronald E. McNair High School
Atlanta, Georgia
08.1998 - 01.2002
- Accountable for teaching students with Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Specific Learning Disabilities, Mildly Intellectual Disabled, Other Health Impaired, and Moderately Intellectual Disabled according to their Individualized Educational Plan. Attended faculty meetings and trainings; completed lesson plans weekly; worked closely with other teachers to ensure students’ success; referred students to vocational rehabilitation andtransition services; communicated with parents and other stakeholders regarding students; effectively taught students in both the resource and co-taught settings.
- DeKalb County School District
Education
Bachelor of Science - Special Education
Albany State University
Albany, GeorgiaMaster of Education - undefined
Cambridge College
Cambridge, MassachusettsSpecialist Degree - Education Leadership
Albany State University
Albany, GeorgiaDoctorate Degree - Educational Leadership
Argosy University
Atlanta, GeorgiaSkills
- Relationship building
- Strategic planning
- Verbal and written communication
- Decision-making
- Compliance Driven
Affiliations
- Kappa Delta Phi- Educational Honor Society
- Dublin Civitan- Board Member- Past President
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
- United Way-Vice-President
- Council for Exceptional Children
- Georgia Council of Administrators of Special Education
Certification
- L-Educational Leadership (P-12)
- T-SP ED Adapted Curriculum (P-12) Consultative
- T-SP ED General Curriculum (P-12) Consultative
- T-SP ED Language Arts Cognitive Level (P-5, 4-8, 6-12)
- T-SP ED Social Science Cognitive Level (P-5, 4-8, 6-12)
Timeline
Director of GA Pre-K, Special Education, & Student Support Services
Dublin City School District
01.2017 - Current
High School Special Education Coordinator
DeKalb County School District
06.2016 - 01.2017
Lead Teacher for Special Education
DeKalb County School District
08.2014 - 05.2016
Learning Consultant
Linn Benton Lincoln Education Service District (LBL-ESD)
08.2013 - 06.2014
Special Education Case Manager
Scio School District
01.2012 - 06.2013
Teacher Alternative Preparation Program (TAPP) Instructor
DeKalb County School District
04.2008 - 05.2011
Lead Teacher for Special Education
DeKalb County School District
08.2004 - 10.2011
Department Chairperson
Ronald E. McNair High School
01.2002 - 01.2004
Exceptional Education Teacher
Ronald E. McNair High School
08.1998 - 01.2002
Master of Education - undefined
Cambridge College
Specialist Degree - Education Leadership
Albany State University
Doctorate Degree - Educational Leadership
Argosy University
Bachelor of Science - Special Education
Albany State University