Tori Donaldson
Cedar Park,Tx.
Summary
Compassionate and dedicated educator with 17 years of experience supporting students’ academic, career, social and emotional growth as an advocate, leader, and collaborator in my community. Proven ability to build relationships to help students develop their unique strengths for success in school, relationships, the workplace, and as citizens in their communities.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
School Counselor
Leander ISD
06.2019 - 06.2025
- Developed and maintained meaningful and positive relationships with teachers and staff to promote the social, emotional, mental, and academic needs of each and every student in Prek-5th grade.
- Advocated for all students by providing a comprehensive counseling program including Guidance Curriculum, Responsive Services, Individual Planning, and System Support.
- Facilitated small group and individual counseling supporting an average of 350 students per year, achieving a 30% improvement in academic growth.
- First line of defense in conducting risk assessments and partnering with our Student and Family Support Team to provide mental health support and community resources to students and families in need.
- Substantially improved school quality rating for excellent student experience from 67% to 86% for the 2024/2025 school year.
- Served as team lead on our campus Guiding Coalition committee focused on revitalizing campus systems by making purposeful decisions that represent all voices to support continued growth of our school community.
- Behavior team member with active participation in student ARD, IEP, and RTI 2/3 meetings.
- Created student and parent surveys and analyzed data for feedback and insight on aspects of education, school climate and community engagement to better understand student perspectives, identify areas for improvement and build stronger partnerships.
- Implement and lead a No Place for Hate anti-bullying campaign that has decreased student conflict rates by 23%.
- STAAR testing coordinator to oversee the administration of the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, TELPAS, and BOY/EOY assessments ensuring confidentiality and compliance.
- Implemented coaching plans for Tier 3 and at-risk students resulting in a 20% improvement in student behavior.
- Lead for the Leander PALS high school mentoring program to connect and support trained high school students as mentors and role models for students and community volunteering opportunities.
- Coordinated the middle school transition process for scheduling and completing course cards, transition lessons, bus arrangements, parent communication, and implementing the 8 habits of a successful student.
- PTA Secretary Board Member, C2 sponsor, No Place for Hate, Backpack food program, Blue Santa, Second Step, 8 Habits & Leader in Me, PALS, Heroes Mentor Program, Red Ribbon Week, Generation Tx Week, College and Career Readiness, EA testing, Leadership Team, Behavior Team, Hospitality Coordinator, Aspiring Counselor Mentor, At-Risk, and STAAR coordinator.
School Counselor
Ector County Independent School District
05.2012 - 06.2019
- Provided individual and group counseling for 300+ students to support students' academic, social, and emotional development including behavior intervention, crisis management, and addressing concerns with social skills, emotional regulation, and peer interactions.
- Coached students in grades K through 6, using solution-focused and person-centered approaches, to address issues such as academic performance, social skills, self-esteem, and attendance.
- Campus Testing Coordinator involving all organization, training, test management and reporting for Naglieri, CogAT, TELPAS, STAAR and magnet testing.
- Successfully achieved a 98% pass rating for STAAR in the year 2018, ranking Reagan Magnet the 11th best school in Texas out of 4,357 public elementary schools.
- Coordinated AVID certification and administration of data reporting from selected sites and collaborated with teachers to spread AVID methodologies school and district wide to improve student achievement.
- Advocated for equitable education and addressed systemic barriers including social-emotional challenges, academic difficulties, and access to resources.
- Just Say No Club Sponsor, Junior National Youth Leaders Sponsor, President’s Awards Leader, Harmony Home Children’s Advocacy Center Representative, PTA, PBRCADA Member.
Teacher
Vista Academy
08.2009 - 07.2012
- Led 3rd grade students to an Exemplary Rating for TAKS with 93% passing rate for Reading.
- Worked collaboratively with the Special Education Teacher to ensure IEP plans and goals were met.
- Led science classes to include planning and implementing classroom and field investigations, making inferences, communicating conclusions, and making informed decisions.
- Planned and designed standards-based lessons for a diverse group of learners to target various learning styles, raising average reading grades by 19% in one year.
- Mentored struggling 4th & 5th grade students to support their mental health and motivation to achieve.
- Led biweekly PLC meetings and professional development workshops to support team teachers in lesson planning, classroom management, and instructional strategies.
Education
Principal As Instructional Leader - Education Administration
Lamar University
Beaumont, TX01-2018
M.Ed. - School Counseling
Lamar University
Beaumont, TX01-2012
Bachelor of Arts - Child Development
University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX01-2006
Skills
- Individual Counseling
- Group Counseling
- Academic Advising
- Crisis Intervention
- Program Development
- Student Assessment
- Behavior Management
- Conflict Resolution
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Data Analysis
- Google Workplace
- Virtual Collaboration Tools
Certification
- National Certified School Counselor
- Texas School Counselor Association
- American School Counselor Association
- Aspiring Counselor Mentor
- PTA Board Member
- Leadership Team
- Behavior Team
- Site Team Leader
- Leader in Me Action Team
- Guiding Coalition Team
- Young Professionals
Timeline
School Counselor
Leander ISD
06.2019 - 06.2025
School Counselor
Ector County Independent School District
05.2012 - 06.2019
Teacher
Vista Academy
08.2009 - 07.2012
Principal As Instructional Leader - Education Administration
Lamar University
M.Ed. - School Counseling
Lamar University
Bachelor of Arts - Child Development
University of Texas Permian Basin
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