Student Services Coordinator
I began my teaching career in 2006 as a middle school teacher in the Bronx, New York City. I taught 6th grade social studies for five years, and then English language arts (ELA) for three. Working on my craft involved designing curriculum and differentiating content to help improve the literacy skills of my students. One of the most important lessons I learned during my time as a middle school teacher was the value of collaborating with fellow teachers, families, and students in order to create more effective solutions for students having unique and challenging academic, social, or behavioral needs.
My move to Ithaca in 2016 marked an important shift in my career. It was a transition that involved working with fewer students, and focusing on students with a higher level of need. During my second full year at the school, I began working more regularly with the Student Services department, which provides services for students with disabilities and learning differences. This transition eventually included becoming a case manager and liaison with home school districts, who are responsible for ensuring progress is being made with the individualized education programs (or IEPs) of students having disabilities and learning differences. In the following years, I continued to develop in my role, and quickly took on more roles and responsibilities, and for the last 3 years, I have been in a leadership role as the coordinator for student services. And, from 2022-2024, I was honored to serve as a member of the school leadership team.
My greatest teachers and guides continue to be my students, as well as their parents and caregivers, who have entire lifetimes of experiences and lessons to share with me. Suffice to say, what I have learned, and continue to learn from them has been immense. I truly believe my work with families has been a major reason for our school having high graduation rates for our students with disabilities and learning differences.
There continues to be so much to love about this school – the small teacher-to-student ratio, its mission and vision of being a school for sustainability and social justice, the commitment and compassion of its teachers and staff, and the sense of community and belonging that the school has been able to create among its students. What’s more, these elements have gone a long way in supporting students with disabilities and learning differences, which has made my job easier. The research regularly shows that happier and healthier students are able to learn better. That New Roots has always strived to become a more innovative and progressive environment for students, has allowed me to reimagine, as well as unlearn, what it means to be an educator of the 21st century.
Email: mmoraleda