Tyana R Velazquez-Smith, Ph.D
Rochester,USA
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Early Childhood Education
The Rochester Area Community Foundation
01.2024 - Current
- Direct the Foundation’s early childhood portfolio across eight counties, setting strategic vision and leading a regional initiative that advances equitable outcomes for children from birth to age 8.
- Serve as the Foundation’s internal research and policy expert on early childhood development, guiding data-driven grantmaking, systems change strategies, and cross-sector alignment.
- Design, conduct, and publish original empirical research rooted in community-based participatory methods, with a focus on early childhood experiences across the Greater Rochester Area.
- Serve as lead architect of the Early Childhood Upward Mobility Framework, advancing long-term strategic priorities that center community-defined indicators of well-being for children from birth to age 8.
Executive Director/Founder
Sensational Inclusion LLC
10.2023 - Current
- Founded and lead a neurodiversity-affirming education consulting and tutoring organization dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion for children ages 3–8 across the Greater Rochester Area.
- Create and facilitate professional development for educators and school systems, focusing on inclusive instruction, universal design for learning, and culturally sustaining approaches tailored to early childhood.
- Conduct curriculum audits and program evaluations to assess equity, accessibility, and effectiveness of early childhood programs, offering data-informed recommendations for inclusive systems change.
- Established and manage the Sensational Minds after-school literacy and social learning program for children ages 3–8, blending play-based instruction with children’s interests to promote growth and engagement.
Adjunct Professor
University of Rochester Warner School of Education
01.2021 - Current
- Developed and taught EDU 506: Black Women and Girls in Education, a graduate-level course examining the educational experiences, resistance, and contributions of Black women and girls through historical, sociopolitical, and intersectional lenses.
- Created and led EDU 522: Race, Class, Gender & Disability in American Schools, preparing teachers to analyze and disrupt systemic inequities in education through critical, justice-centered pedagogy.
- Designed EDU 498: Literacy as a Social Practice, engaging students in the exploration of literacy as a culturally situated and socially transformative act, with emphasis on community and identity.
Assistant Vice President for Education & Director of the Woodbury School
The Strong National Museum of Play
12.2021 - 11.2024
- Oversaw OCFS requirements, curriculum review, educator training, and school safety for 120 students and their families, ensuring compliance and maintaining high standards of care and education
- Crafted and implemented educational strategies, directly impacting over 5,000 students annually through diverse and inclusive learning experiences
- Increased program enrollment by 15% by aligning curriculum with community needs, expanding access, and strengthening family engagement initiatives.
- Managed a $300,000 operational budget, strategically investing in professional development, instructional materials, and classroom enhancements to support student success.
Program Evaluation
Edmentum
08.2023 - 01.2024
- Led interdisciplinary research to inform inclusive design of Edmentum’s literacy products, centering accessibility, cultural responsiveness, and student engagement.
- Authored DEIB audit reports and advised curriculum teams on equity-focused revisions, contributing to more just and effective digital learning—and earning Edmentum’s Digital Promise Award for impact.
Copy Editor
Excellence Equity & Education Journal
01.2021 - 01.2023
- Reviewed scholarly manuscripts for conceptual clarity, methodological soundness, and theoretical coherence, ensuring alignment with academic standards and advancing the field’s commitment to critical inquiry.
- Engaged in rigorous peer review processes to uphold the intellectual and ethical standards of academic publishing, with a particular emphasis on educational equity, cultural responsiveness, and justice-centered research.
- Collaborated with authors to strengthen the clarity, depth, and impact of their work, offering constructive, research-informed feedback that supported the refinement and scholarly contribution of each manuscript.
- Contributed to the dissemination of high-quality, field-advancing research, shaping discourse around equity, inclusion, and culturally sustaining pedagogies within educational scholarship.
Director of Collegiate Science Technology
St. John Fisher University
12.2020 - 01.2021
- Provided holistic academic advising and career development support to a caseload of over 100 undergraduate students, fostering student success, persistence, and post-graduate readiness through individualized, equity-informed guidance.
- Oversaw and strategically managed a $150,000 annual program budget, aligning financial planning with institutional priorities and ensuring resource efficiency and long-term program sustainability.
- Designed and executed mixed-methods research studies to evaluate program efficacy, applying both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to assess student outcomes and inform evidence-based improvements.
- Generated actionable insights through data analysis, producing comprehensive evaluation reports that guided strategic decision-making and enhanced the overall impact of advising and student support initiatives.
Kindergarten Teacher & Instructional Coach
True North Rochester Prep Elementary School
01.2016 - 12.2020
- Created developmentally appropriate, inclusive learning environments that supported academic, social-emotional, and behavioral growth for a diverse group of early learners.
- Designed and implemented standards-aligned, play-based curricula that fostered foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking through hands-on, inquiry-driven experiences.
- Differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all students, including those with IEPs and multilingual learners, ensuring equitable access to learning through individualized supports and scaffolds.
- Monitored student progress through formative assessments and data analysis, using results to adapt instruction and provide targeted interventions.
International Teaching Fellow-Literacy Instructor
Blessed Hope Primary School of Nairobi
06.2017 - 08.2017
- Delivered targeted after-school literacy interventions for second-grade students, resulting in measurable gains in reading fluency, comprehension, and overall literacy proficiency.
- Collaborated closely with classroom teachers to co-design and implement differentiated literacy instruction that addressed a wide range of learning needs and language backgrounds.
- Applied culturally responsive teaching strategies to support student engagement, promote inclusivity, and foster a deeper connection between literacy learning and students’ lived experiences.
- Contributed to school-wide literacy efforts, aligning instruction with curricular goals while building capacity for sustainable, student-centered literacy practices within the local educational context.
Reading Specialist
Veritas University Costa Rica
01.2013 - 05.2013
- Delivered immersive English language and literacy instruction to students ages 5–7, significantly improving foundational reading skills, vocabulary acquisition, and oral language development in a bilingual learning context.
- Collaborated with local educators to co-develop and implement innovative, culturally responsive teaching methodologies that supported language development and academic engagement.
- Fostered a dynamic and inclusive classroom environment that encouraged student participation, language exploration, and cross-cultural understanding.
Education
Ph.D. - Teaching And Curriculum
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY05-2023
Master of Science - Teaching English To Speakers of Other Languages
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY05-2019
Master of Science - Early Childhood Education
St. John Fisher College
Rochester New York05-2015
Skills
- Educator Professional Development & Coaching
- Early Childhood Data Analysis
- Culturally Sustaining Curriculum Design
- Transformational Leadership in Early Childhood
Publications
- Velazquez-Smith, T. R. 2025. Researching Black Girl Literacy Practices in Predominantly White Schools: An Archaeology of the Self. In NCTE Routledge: K-12 Classroom Civic Literacy Practice Chapter.
- Velazquez-Smith, T. R. (2023). “Everything Can't Be White”: A Love Story of How Black Girls Resist White Supremacy Through Self-Love, Imagination, Play, Solidarity, and Joyful Literacy (Doctoral dissertation, University of Rochester).
- Ares, N., Cochell, L., Velazquez-Smith, T., & Smith, J. (2023). Cultivating Community Cultural Wealth and Armed Love: Freedom School as a Vanguard. Urban Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/00420859231175664
Conferences
- Velazquez-Smith, T. R. (2025). Empowering Black Girls Through Play: Strategies for Fostering Language and Critical Consciousness in Early Literacy. Presentation at the New York State Reading Association Conference, themed "Celebrating Diversity, Creating Equity, and Ensuring a Sense of Belonging for Students".
- Velazquez-Smith, T. R. (2024). Liberatory Pedagogies in Freedom Schools. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting.
- Velazquez-Smith, T. R. (2024). Creating Play-Based Lesson Plans that Align with State Standards and K–2 School Curriculum. Workshop conducted at the University of Indianapolis.
- Velazquez-Smith, T. R. (2023). Trauma-Informed Care and the Power of Play. Session presented at the Playful Learning Summit, The Strong National Museum of Play.
- Velazquez-Smith, T. R. (2023). Unearthing Black Girls' Genius Through Play: Fostering Language and Critical Consciousness in ELA Education. Paper presented at the JoLLe Conference, University of Georgia.
- Velazquez-Smith, T. R. (2022). The Power of Play: Creating Safe and Joyful Black Girl Spaces in Elementary Schools.Presentation at the New York State Reading Association Conference, themed "Paths Forward in Literacy, Learning, and Hope," Rochester, NY.
- Velazquez-Smith, T. R. (2022). Supporting Educators in Cultivating Genius During Teacher Preparation Across Disciplines. Presentation at the New York State Reading Association Conference, themed "Paths Forward in Literacy, Learning, and Hope," Rochester, NY.
- Velazquez-Smith, T. R. (2021). Liberatory Pedagogies in Freedom Schools. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting.
- Velazquez-Smith, T. R. (2020). Diversity and Difference: Pedagogy and Practice of Both the Academic and Student Affairs Sectors. Presentation at the Conference on the Retention and Success of Students of Color in Higher Education, SUNY Erie Community College.
Awards
• Athena Finalist, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce (2024)
• Community Leader Award, Common Ground Health (2023)
• Doctoral Conference Award, Warner School of Education, University of Rochester (2022)
• Diversity and Equity Ambassador Scholarship, Warner School of Education, University of Rochester (2020)
• Provost Fellowship, University of Rochester (2019)
• Byron Williams Scholarship, St. John Fisher College (2017)
• Emerging Leader Award, St. John Fisher College (2015)
• Dean's Academic Excellence Award, St. John Fisher College (2015)
• Leader Shape Award, St. John Fisher College (2013)
• Excellus BlueShield Diversity Award (2014)
• Today's Students Tomorrow's Teachers Scholarship (2011)
• First-Generation Scholar Award (2011)
• N. Evelyn Brandon Memorial Award, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (2011)
• Black Scholar Award, Urban League (2011)
Certification
- National Association for the Education of Young Children Technical Assistance Professional Content Specialist Trainer.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children Trainer and Technical Assistance Coach.
- National Association for the Education of Young Professional Development Specialist.
Affiliations
- Board Member, Rochester Education Foundation
- Vice President, New York State Reading Association
- Board Member, The Rochester Imagination Library
Timeline
Director of Early Childhood Education
The Rochester Area Community Foundation
01.2024 - Current
Executive Director/Founder
Sensational Inclusion LLC
10.2023 - Current
Program Evaluation
Edmentum
08.2023 - 01.2024
Assistant Vice President for Education & Director of the Woodbury School
The Strong National Museum of Play
12.2021 - 11.2024
Adjunct Professor
University of Rochester Warner School of Education
01.2021 - Current
Copy Editor
Excellence Equity & Education Journal
01.2021 - 01.2023
Director of Collegiate Science Technology
St. John Fisher University
12.2020 - 01.2021
International Teaching Fellow-Literacy Instructor
Blessed Hope Primary School of Nairobi
06.2017 - 08.2017
Kindergarten Teacher & Instructional Coach
True North Rochester Prep Elementary School
01.2016 - 12.2020
Reading Specialist
Veritas University Costa Rica
01.2013 - 05.2013
Ph.D. - Teaching And Curriculum
University of Rochester
Master of Science - Teaching English To Speakers of Other Languages
University of Rochester
Master of Science - Early Childhood Education
St. John Fisher College
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