Educational Coach and Consultant

Dana L. Kaplan

678-***-**** · ****@***************.***

Award-winning educator and educational coach / consultant for 20+ years, including extensive experience in Gifted and Talented Education, Early Childhood Development, Neurodivergent Education, Social and Emotional Intelligence, Trauma-Informed Practices, and Nonviolent Communication Education. Passionate about supporting children to develop individualized processes for success, regardless of starting point. EXPERIENCE:

Ben Gamla Palm Beach Charter School, Developer, Teacher Fall 2024–Present

• Retained in Fall 2024 to develop, implement, and teach Gifted & Enrichment (K-5) for the 250 student population. Process has included teaching both students and teachers.

• Role expanded in January 2025 to take over a failing First Grade class; after only two months, 60% of students progressed to a late second grade / early third grade academic level, 80% progressed to at least a first grade level, and all now on track.

Developing Empathetic Education with Dana (DEED)®, Founder 2019 – Present

• Educational coach / consultant for schools, corporate teams, small groups, and individuals, with a core mission of identifying and solving for emotional and social inhibitors to education.

• Developer of Individualized Emotional Intelligence and Social Development Strategies: Strategies emphasize developing effective, confident, and authentic communication for youth, adult, and caregiver participants. Process includes designing curriculum / programs / workshops to identify, solve for, and overcome participants’ latent educational or classroom insecurities or other blockers, to optimize and empower each learner’s foundation for success.

• Recent Success Story (Fall 2024-Present): Ben Gamla Palm Beach Charter School (see description above).

• Individual Coaching: Developed personalized enrichment for more than 300 students and parents.

• Speaking: Speaker on a wide range of educational platforms regarding enrichment, communication, and development, including keynote speaker or speaker at dozens conferences, and participant in numerous podcasts and professional development seminars. Topics include neurodivergent learning and living; ADHD; cultivating a classroom for belonging; tackling uncomfortable conversations between children, parents, and adults; and navigating the complexities on how to choose among public, charter, and private schools. Examples include a feature interview by the Stryker Craniomaxillofacial and Neurosurgery Team regarding my personal experience navigating jaw alignment surgery and the significance of bone structure on the physical and psycho-social development of children; keynote speaker for Education Solutions International Inc. (ESI) conference; lecturer at Touro University and SUNY Urban Teachers Consortium; and guest participant on hundreds of education-related podcasts, including Conversations With Warrior Women and Age Has No Limit.

• Community Volunteerism (current or former since 2019): Mt. Sinai Beth Israel Hospital Emergency Department and Observation Unit (Special Projects, including championing the MLK Making Dreams Come True book drive to create a library of 70,000+ publications; She Angels Foundation; Luminary; Delray Chamber of Commerce; BRA-Network; Dreamers and Doers.

Chelsea Prep – PS33, Teacher 2006 – 2018

• Began tenure teaching Pre-K, then launched the ICT kindergarten program, and subsequently created and implemented the Gifted and Talented program, which attracted numerous students to the school.

• Developed and hosted expansive child development workshops on social/emotional needs, critical thinking and problem-solving, and reading, writing, and analytical strategies.

• Aligned parents, teachers, and district wide administration on implementing differentiated enrichment.

• Created charity events for students to demonstrate community kindness, including: Kindness Bags, Charity Water, Romp for Research, Pennies for Patients.

• Recipient of awards and nominations for awards for excellence in teaching.

• Engage in grant-writing, raising over $100K through Donors Choose for classroom materials. Also was a recipient of the Riley’s Way Memorial Foundation Grant of $60K, established to focus on social and emotional learning for teachers and students, which was used to develop program of hand-picking literature for every grade and class, designing aligned curriculum for each text across all grades, and providing accessible emotional language for the community.

EXPERIENCE (Cont.):

Morningside Elementary School, Teacher (Atlanta, Georgia) 2005-2006 John Hope Elementary School, Teacher (Atlanta, Georgia) 2004-2005 EDUCATION / CERTIFICATIONS:

Oglethorpe University, Master of Arts: Early Childhood Education Dec. 2003 University of Wisconsin, Bachelor of Arts: English 2000 Professional Teaching Certifications New York, Florida, Georgia Gifted Education Certified for K-12, Georgia

Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) Certified Touro College, NYC 2023 Certified Master Mind Magic Practitioner (CMMMP) Mind Magic Coach 2022 Certified Behavioral Technician (CBT) University of Central Florida 2020 Greater Good Science Institute UC-Berkley 2018

Responsive Classrooms Chelsea Prep, PS 33 2017

Emotionally Responsive Practice (ERP) Bank Street College of Education 2014 New York State Professional Teacher Certification Childhood Ed. Birth-Grade 2 2007 Georgia Professional Standards Commission Gifted Endorsement 2005 Georgia State Professional Teacher Certification Elementary Education K-6 2004 AWARDS / NOMINATIONS:

• Recipient of New York City Blackboard Award for Teachers (2014), for outstanding achievement, dedication, commitment, and innovation in shaping student and family lives, elevating school culture, and attention to the community at large.

• Recipient of New York City Gifted and Talented Blog Reader’s Choice Award (2010).

• Nominated for Big Apple Awards (2013, 2015, 2017, 2018) and Presidential Awards for Mathematics and Science (2016, 2018).

WRITING:

• Authored digital and interactive book, titled Your Road Map: Walking Across the Bridge from Scarytown to Joytown.

• Authored Forward for Timothy Bellavia’s 25th anniversary publication, We’re All the Same Inside.

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