I have been a t.a., teacher, mentor, administrator, and assistant principal since 1997, but also worked in non-profits for refugee and at-risk urban youth, as well as a 2 year stint as a nursing home social worker.  I received my doctorate in Bilingual Education and Leadership from Northern Illinois University, studying Imagined Communities, Third Space, and Ethic of Care by interviewing principals about their efforts to support English Learner students in their academic and social emotional learning.  My MAT and MEd are in Elementary, Music, and Ed. Leadership at Teachers College Columbia University and Lewis and Clark College, and my BA is in Sociology from the University of Chicago. I love being an educator, and also love being a mom to 2 sweetsmartstrong kids, Henry and Pearl, and wife to Mark. I love helping communities thrive, and working/leading alongside others to strengthen both individuals and ecosystems.