Education Policy & Leadership Alumni
Danielle Riddick, '22
Dr. Danielle Riddick, Principal of Vernal Lister Elementary School in Garland, TX, recently published a guest column in Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA) News on why educators need to resist playing the blame game and focus their efforts on “building a cohesive mindset, identifying a shared purpose and committing to the right work.” Her very interesting article appears on page 8 of the TEPSA News.
Dr. Riddick, a ’22 grad of the Ed.D. program in Simmons’ Education Policy and Leadership Department, has served as principal at Lister since June 2020. She has served in Texas public schools since 2010 and says it has afforded her many opportunities to work with amazing students and effective, and passionate teachers. She has served as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, assistant principal, and principal.
She says her goal is “to consistently take concrete steps to ensure students receive exactly what they need to grow as lifelong learners.” She says the partnership between administrators, teachers and parents helps “move forward in doing what is best for every student, every day” in the vision of driving excellence one student at a time.
Dawna Duke, '20
Dawna Duke is the principal of the Thomas C. Marsh Preparatory Academy in Dallas ISD. She graduated from Simmons with a Doctor of Education in 2020.
What do you do professionally and what is most rewarding about your job?
I serve as the principal of the Thomas C. Marsh Preparatory Academy in Dallas ISD. The most rewarding part of my job is designing the middle school experience to ensure that our students are set up to pursue their dreams. I strive to foster a safe space for staff and students to learn, grow, build, and dream.
What were some of the most meaningful aspects of your education at Simmons?
One of the most meaningful aspects of my education at Simmons was the intentional development of vision and values-based leadership. All of the courses were designed to equip systems-leaders with frameworks and tools to use in our day to day work.
How did your education at Simmons prepare you for your professional career?
My education at Simmons provided me with courses, projects, collaboration, and reflection that prepared me to practice adaptive and distributive leadership in my work. The professors were invested in my personal, academic, and professional success. Through the cohort experience, I have life-long friends, colleagues, and partners that are invested in impacting the future of education.
What are some highlights from your experience as a SMU student?
One highlight from my experience as a SMU student was the cohort experience. I am thankful that we became like a family and are invested in the work of impacting students. We learned to push each other and can look back and see the growth we all had over our period of time together at Simmons.
Why are you proud to be a Simmons alum?
I am proud to be a Simmons alum because I believe in being a world changer. I believe the work that happens in the classrooms at Simmons impacts hundreds of thousands of students everyday. I believe the experience was formative and intentional by design, and for that I am very thankful.
Valerie Ludley Nelson, '20
Dr. Valerie Ludley Nelson is the Director of District Alternative Education Placement for Mesquite ISD. She graduated from Simmons with a Doctor of Education in 2020.
What do you do professionally and what is most rewarding about your job?
I currently serve the Mesquite ISD community as the Director of District Alternative Education Placement, our district’s alternative education program. One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is that I get to work with students whose behavioral choices have caused them to be removed to an alternative setting where we can support disrupting the behavior through intervention, reformation, and restoration.
What were some of the most meaningful aspects of your education at Simmons?
The level of support received from my professors and the program coordinators really made this journey a success for me and my Cohort 3 family. The level of attention taken into consideration while designing this accelerated program made balancing work and family less stressing.
How did your education at Simmons prepare you for your professional career?
I actually moved into my current role while matriculating in the doctoral program at SMU. My dissertation focused on the disparity in disciplinary placements of students of color and the adverse outcomes that continue to fuel the school to prison pipeline. Examining the alignment between what school administrators believe about discipline and their actions yielded a pathway for campus and district leaders to disrupt the current trajectory of this group of students thus increasing their educational and social mobility and decreasing early entry into the juvenile justice system. Our classes on educational law, policy development, and cultural diversity and equity were instrumental in some of the changes I’ve made to our program that continue to improve student successes once they transition back to their home campuses.
What are some highlights from your experience as a SMU student?
As a student I was able to experience a support system that created a feeling of belonging and complete accessibility to whatever resources needed. I felt valued by my Simmons Professors from beginning to end. I had opportunities to serve as a student representative and be a part of awarding scholarships to so many deserving students that enhanced their learning experiences and growth in their perspective disciplines.
Why are you proud to be a Simmons alum?
I’m a proud Simmons alum because I am forever a part of a community of world changers that are driven by passion and the best research-based practices available that will shape and improve the field of education for the children we serve for generations to come.
Anthony Mason '16 and '20
Dr. Anthony Mason is a K-12 Leadership and Learning Executive at Apple, Inc. He graduated from Simmons with a Master of Education in 2016 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education in 2020.
What do you do professionally and what is most rewarding about your job?
Currently, I work as a K-12 Leadership and Learning Executive at Apple, Inc. Having the opportunity to work globally with education leaders as a thought partner and change agent is the most rewarding part of my job.
What were some of the most meaningful aspects of your education at Simmons?
Simmons provided me with the theoretical knowledge and practical experiences necessary to affect positive change in K-12 education. Working with and learning from professors with first-hand experience was invaluable to my grow and development as an education leader.
How did your education at Simmons prepare you for your professional career?
My education at Simmons prepared me with the knowledge and skills to work with and be a systems-level change agent in K-12 education institutions. Both my masters and doctorate experiences involved cohort-style learning—allowing me to connect with educators for diverse and complex experiences in all areas of school and district leadership.
What are some highlights from your experience as a SMU student?
My M.Ed. and Ed.D. experiences at SMU allowed me to explore topics in education of interest to me. Being able to dive deeply into equity for underrepresented populations and education technology integration allowed me to gain deep knowledge and experiences on topics that fostered my personal and professional growth. The field studies and capstone experiences in the Accelerated School Leadership Program were definitely the highlight of the M.Ed. and the leadership practicum was one of many highlights in the Ed.D.
Why are you proud to be a Simmons alum?
I am proud to be be a part of a community of educators that value equity and want to make meaningful change in the lives’ of all students. Simmons combined knowledgeable professors, insightful practitioners, and committed students for a world class learning experience. Being a Simmons alum means I am a part of a unparalleled group of world changers.
Daniel Knoll '18
Daniel Knoll is the Principal of The Momentous Institute. He graduated from Simmons in 2018 with a Masters of Education: Accelerated School Leadership.
What do you do professionally and what is most rewarding about your job?
I am the Principal of the Momentous School. The most rewarding part of my job is having the opportunity to work with our amazing students and families every day. Their love of learning, curiosity about the world, and drive to create a better future for themselves and their community make this work so powerful. As the Principal, I get to see it all in action, and serve others to accomplish their goals.
What were some of the most meaningful aspects of your education at Simmons?
My time at Simmons was shaped by the people I had the opportunity to work with and learn from. The professors are incredibly caring and fostered a community of critical thinkers. My classmates in my cohort shared so much knowledge and ideas about how to successfully prepare to lead a school. I graduated with a powerful network of colleagues and friends that I can turn to for advice and guidance.
How did your education at Simmons prepare you for your professional career?
The work I completed at Simmons was filled with ample opportunities for hands-on practice in the profession. I was meeting with and learning from various stakeholders on my campus, learning the ins and outs of a job that I would have very shortly after graduating. To move from the classroom straight to school leadership would not have been possible without the experiences and expertise I gained at Simmons. I also learned to be a better communicator and advocate for the issues that I care about because it will serve students and families.
What are some highlights from your experience as a SMU student?
Life as a graduate student working full time is extremely busy. There were long days (especially on the weekend), and yet each time I left campus I was re-energized to do this work and apply what I was learning. We visited schools and community centers all around Dallas, practiced high-stress situations that could occur on campus, got lost in philosophical debates about long standing traditions in education, and more. The time I was in class reminded me how much I love being a student, and how important it is to continue learning. Plus going to a football game was pretty great too!
Why are you proud to be a Simmons alum?
I'm proud to be a Simmons alum because as a community, Simmons graduates are working to change the educational landscape in Dallas. Better preparing teachers for their work in the classroom, rethinking how schools operate, training the next generation of leaders and more. Simmons is making change happen, and the students we work with are better prepared for a life of choice and chance.
Elizabeth Caudill McClain '14
Elizabeth Caudill McClain is the Managing Director of Higher Education & Workforce at the Dallas Regional Chamber. She graduated from Simmons with a Masters of Education in Higher Education in 2014.
What do you do professionally and what is most rewarding about your job?
I work at the Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC), the oldest and largest Chamber of Commerce in the Dallas Region. I currently serve as the Managing Director, Higher Education & Workforce working with regional businesses, higher education institutions, workforce development organizations, and the Texas Legislature to improve the Talent Pipeline. The most rewarding part of my job is the people I get to work with every day. I feel immensely blessed that I get to wake up every day and work with some of the brightest and most passionate people in Dallas who are trying to support students to a living/high wage job. I'm constantly inspired by my colleagues inside and out of the DRC!
What were some of the most meaningful aspects of your education at Simmons?
One of the most meaningful aspects of my education at Simmons was how individualized the entire experience felt. I wasn't in an auditorium class with prescriptive assignments, rather a small cohort of brilliant classmates and faculty who made every class and assignment fit to my interests. I studied higher education, which has so many diverse offerings. Among my class were future college athletics coaches, leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion, student housing experts, and I was laser focused on higher education public policy and government systems. The faculty at Simmons made us each feel seen, heard, and challenged in our academic passion for higher education. This was so meaningful to me and helped me better understand my interests and skills in the higher education field.
How did your education at Simmons prepare you for your professional career?
My education at Simmons was incredibly helpful for my career! I chose Simmons for my graduate studies because I wanted a well-rounded graduate education. Rather than studying Student Affairs or just Higher Education Administration, I wanted a little bit of everything. Simmons provided me the opportunity to learn about all of the aspects of the higher education field from student affairs to higher education finance, which better prepared me for my current role. Every day I work to better align higher education and workforce needs, pipelines, and systems. Without the in-depth knowledge Simmons provided on how higher education works, I would not be as successful moving the needle for students.
What are some highlights from your experience as a SMU student?
There are so many! My undergraduate degree is from a fierce SMU rival, so I like to joke that I was surprised how happy I was as a student at SMU! In reality, I had an incredibly positive experience. A few impactful experiences include being a research assistant to one of the top higher education policy researchers in the county, serving as President of the Higher Education Student Association (HESA), and working for Resident Life & Student Housing (RLSH) which helped me pay for my education through scholarships and housing.
Why are you proud to be a Simmons alum?
I am very proud to be a Simmons alumni! Simmons is a top-tier School of Education that continues to grow every year. Because my experience felt so individualized, I feel a deep connection with the experiences and top education Simmons provided me.