Dr. Donna Vallese
CEO and Founder at Inspiring Leaders LLC at Inspiring Leaders LLC
Primary/Secondary Education
Education: SUNY College at Fredonia - Capella University, Niagara University, and Walden University
Jordan, NY, USA
Biography
Dr. Donna Vallese is a dynamic and visionary educational leader with over two decades of experience in transforming K-12 education. As school district leader, she has spearheaded district-wide initiatives that have significantly improved literacy and writing outcomes, enhanced technology integration, and advanced educator effectiveness through targeted professional development.
Dr. Vallese is passionate about fostering inclusive and equitable learning environments. Her leadership in curriculum development and change management has empowered educators and students alike to achieve their fullest potential. With a deep commitment to equity, she has been a staunch advocate for fair hiring practices and has played a pivotal role in supporting staff in comprehensive curriculum updates.
Dr. Vallese is the Founder and CEO of Inspiring Leaders LLC, where she mentors and coaches educational leaders across the country. She is a co-author of the best-selling books Educational Luminaries: Triumphing Over Systemic Hurdles and Ed. Matadores: Revolutionizing the Educational System. Among her numerous accolades are the prestigious Education 2.0 Visionaries Award and the TEDx Speaker at SUNY Geneseo.
An internationally recognized speaker, Dr. Vallese has captivated audiences with her insights on educational reform, leadership development, and instructional coaching. Her thought leadership has inspired educators globally, and she continues to be a driving force in the movement to create meaningful, engaging, and equitable education for all students.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Dr. Vallese holds a Ph.D. in Education for Curriculum and Instruction from Capella University, a Professional Certified Coach credential through International Coaching Federation, a CAS in School District Leadership from Niagara University, and an MS in Education for Integrating Technology into the Curriculum from Walden University.
Dr. Donna operates on the belief that leadership is not positional. Leadership is the act of making the lives of others better and requires a set of complex competencies and powerful mindsets that support the growth and development of people and organizations. These competencies and mindsets work across nearly all professions. A leader makes or breaks an organization and Dr. Donna strives to help leaders assets to their organizations by building their capacity.
Passion
Ensuring every student has access to an education that is meaningful, cognitively engaging, equitable, and relevant.
Best Story
Although Dr. Donna has been a musician for decades, learning to play flute starting in 5th grade, she often recalls the moment in 2013 when she realized just how powerfully unifying music could be. She was in Austin, TX for a Honk! Festival with her band, Extraordinary Rendition Band. The first place they were going to play was at a homeless shelter. When they arrived, dozens of people were lined up outside, some in chairs, some sitting on the sidewalk. There was a lot of yelling and police were breaking up fights and trying to keep the peace.
As the band finally began to play, crossing the street, the attention of the crowd was captivated. Once the band was positioned near the building, the crowd gathered around the band, making many of them feel a bit uncomfortable after what had just been witnessed. But within a matter of minutes, angry faces relaxed and turned to smiles, arms uncrossed and loosened up. Then before long, many members of the crowd began do move and dance to the music and soon began dancing with each other. Yelling had turned to laughter and joy. The police officers were able to relax as they leaned up against the building's pillars and breathed a sigh of relief.
It became evident that music not only could set the mood and be a powerful force for individuals, but it also carried the power to drastically shift a tense situation where people were at odds with each other into a situation where those same people experienced joy together. Unification was the true power of music.
Origin Story
Since Kindergarten, Dr. Donna knew she wanted to teach. Playing school was her favorite thing to do as a child. After several years of teaching, she started to realize that her calling was bigger in education than just one classroom at a time. She then went to work at the state level leading new teacher induction and educator evaluation before earning her building leader certification in a transformative leadership program. Her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction propelled her forward with her deep understanding of instructional leadership. She became a building level leader and then moved into being a district level leader in an urban school district with 34 turnaround schools.
While spending over a decade as an educational leader, it became apparent that even large school districts did little to really meet the professional development needs of instructional leaders. After spending some time contemplating, she decided to put her professional coaching certification to work and founded Inspiring Leaders LLC.
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I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
I generally get paid for speaking but make exceptions
Topics
Best Story
Although Dr. Donna has been a musician for decades, learning to play flute starting in 5th grade, she often recalls the moment in 2013 when she realized just how powerfully unifying music could be. She was in Austin, TX for a Honk! Festival with her band, Extraordinary Rendition Band. The first place they were going to play was at a homeless shelter. When they arrived, dozens of people were lined up outside, some in chairs, some sitting on the sidewalk. There was a lot of yelling and police were breaking up fights and trying to keep the peace.
As the band finally began to play, crossing the street, the attention of the crowd was captivated. Once the band was positioned near the building, the crowd gathered around the band, making many of them feel a bit uncomfortable after what had just been witnessed. But within a matter of minutes, angry faces relaxed and turned to smiles, arms uncrossed and loosened up. Then before long, many members of the crowd began do move and dance to the music and soon began dancing with each other. Yelling had turned to laughter and joy. The police officers were able to relax as they leaned up against the building's pillars and breathed a sigh of relief.
It became evident that music not only could set the mood and be a powerful force for individuals, but it also carried the power to drastically shift a tense situation where people were at odds with each other into a situation where those same people experienced joy together. Unification was the true power of music.
Origin Story
Since Kindergarten, Dr. Donna knew she wanted to teach. Playing school was her favorite thing to do as a child. After several years of teaching, she started to realize that her calling was bigger in education than just one classroom at a time. She then went to work at the state level leading new teacher induction and educator evaluation before earning her building leader certification in a transformative leadership program. Her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction propelled her forward with her deep understanding of instructional leadership. She became a building level leader and then moved into being a district level leader in an urban school district with 34 turnaround schools.
While spending over a decade as an educational leader, it became apparent that even large school districts did little to really meet the professional development needs of instructional leaders. After spending some time contemplating, she decided to put her professional coaching certification to work and founded Inspiring Leaders LLC.