Carmen Hopkins brings both personal and professional commitment to fostering innovation. Her experiences as a family member, parent, teacher, and leader supporting students with disabilities have shaped her belief that innovation is a moral imperative—something every student deserves without having to earn it. With over 18 years of commitment to promoting access, equity, and innovation, Carmen excels at building systems where ALL students can thrive. She holds high expectations for both student achievement and development of the systems of support, ensuring improved outcomes for all students. Her expertise spans roles as Director of Pupil Services and Special Education, School Administrator, Instructional Coach, and Special Education Teacher. At SIP, Carmen collaborates with educational leaders to dismantle barriers, build bridges, and create innovative environments where all students can reach their full potential. She is also a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at Azusa Pacific University, further strengthening her expertise in innovative education leadership.

PROJECT COORDINATOR

Danny Daher, Ed.D. is an energetic and passionate educator and brings with him nearly two decades of experience. In that time, he has been a school counselor, grade level coordinator, assistant principal, and high school principal.

 

Most recently, Danny worked collaboratively with stakeholders to increase innovative practices on campus including co-teaching and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Danny specializes in innovative mindsets, system shifts for innovative practices, co-teaching, and social-emotional learning.

 

He earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from USC and is committed to supporting schools to create more equitable and innovative opportunities for all students.

 

Heather Snipes has over 15 years of experience in early education, ranging from home based childcare, collegiate child development labs, Tribal Head Start, private preschool, and most recently, as the Director of a state preschool program in Northern California.

 

During her time as the Director of Early Childhood Development and Special Education with Eureka City School District, Heather was instrumental in developing a successful innovative preschool model that has since been scaled up into the elementary grades within the district. She has been an advocate for access to high quality early childhood experiences for all and continues to emphasize the importance of collaboration in order to nurture a strong foundation of trust and partnership between each child’s home and school setting from day one.

 

Heather received her master’s degree in Child Development Administration, Leadership, and Management from Walden University in 2020. Her background in early childhood education, knowledge of the public school system, and experience with the IEP process, allows her to provide a unique perspective on learning environments, student transitions, and relationship building as a cornerstone for quality innovative practices across the educational continuum.

Sara James has diverse teaching and leadership experience working in urban and rural public charter, LEA/district, county, and court schools. Early in her career, Sara gained her teacher training and leadership experience working in an urban high school in the UK. After coming to America, Sara became a teacher leader that demonstrated innovation and best practices working alongside her team to launch an innovative high school. She served as a general and special education teacher. Her areas of passion are academic mindsets for success, innovative pathways to graduation, universal design for earning (UDL), and fostering belonging in the classroom.

 

Sara’s experience spans Pre-K to College, with expertise in supporting students and families from middle school to high school and post-secondary transition planning. Sara believes in innovative educational communities and is committed to collaborating with teams to ensure equitable opportunities and outcomes for all.

Celese Heron knew at a young age she wanted to become an educator, and she has been dedicated to this life goal for almost 25 years. She is enthusiastic about collaborating with educators to ensure all students have equitable access to a rigorous and engaging high quality education.

 

Celese has served as middle school teacher, Teacher on Special Assignment, Assistant Principal, Elementary Principal, innovation Coordinator and Director of Special Education. Her areas of expertise include special education, student services, innovative teaching and learning, supporting English Learners, Site and District administration professional development and strategic planning. Her focus is supporting educational organizations to create a community of learners which nurtures a growth mindset and positive educational environment.

 

Celese has a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Administrative Services Credential from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, Multiple Subject Credential and Education Specialist Credential from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Jessica Maiorca-Nunez, Ed.D., is a life-long learner who was an early childhood special education teacher for 15 years. With her existing foundation of knowledge and understanding of the significant aspects of how children learn and develop, she guides and facilitates adult learners in making explicit connections between experiences and college course content.

 

Jessica believes in promoting and supporting staff members in providing comprehensive services to all learners. In her recent work, she collaborated with and supported Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPAs) and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) throughout California. Jessica provided support focused on data use and governance, continuous improvement methodologies, and high-leverage practices to build the capacity of educational systems.

 

Through the lens of social justice, she strives to provide support that encourages educational systems’ partners to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.

Megan Gross is an author and educator committed to expanding equitable and innovative education. For nearly twenty years, Megan has worked in schools across Northern and Southern California, serving students in K-12 grades as an Education Specialist and as a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA). In 2017, she was recognized as a California Teacher of the Year for her work in creating a high school innovative service delivery model for students with extensive support needs, who had previously been segregated in K-8 grades. The joy of witnessing her students work collaboratively on a science lab, register to vote in civics class, or develop authentic relationships with peers, continues to fuel her passion for improving innovation for the next generation of students.

 

Prior to joining the SIP team, Megan served Poway Unified School District as a TOSA, responsible for leading and supporting district-wide systems change to advance innovation and equity. She earned her Master’s degree in Instructional Design and Technology from Walden University in 2020 and is an experienced facilitator of professional learning rooted in the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Her areas of expertise include: master scheduling for innovative practices, co-teaching, transitioning students from segregated classrooms to authentic belonging in general education, innovation in secondary schools, UDL, and team building.

Thomas Veloso is a dedicated educator with over 15 years of experience in Special Education. His career has included roles as a Mental Health Counselor, Education Specialist, Director of Special Education, and Program Specialist within the Bay Area. Thomas has worked with students across all grade levels, from Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade, with the majority of his teaching experience focused in middle school.

 

His perspective is shaped by his early work in a Non-Public School, where he developed a deep passion for supporting students and families with extensive needs. Thomas specializes in addressing social-emotional and behavioral challenges, believing that all behavior is a form of communication. For him, the key is understanding what students and families are trying to convey. He uses the Internal Working Model Framework, which focuses on the whole child—how they perceive themselves, others, and the world around them. This approach also helps adults recognize how their actions, behaviors, and reactions can have unintended consequences for students.

 

With extensive experience in both Non-Public and charter schools, Thomas is committed to ensuring that all students successfully transition to more innovative educational environments. His focus is on supporting students as they return to their home districts and schools, setting them up for long-term success, and fostering an innovative learning experience for all.

Erica Munoz is a Program Assistant for Riverside County Office of Education.

 

She has worked in education for 11 years and has provided assistance in Alternative Education and Special Education Programs including the Foster Youth Coordinating Program and the Transition Partnership Program. 

 

Erica enjoys networking with all our outside organizations, districts and partners to bring awareness for a population who is in need of the support. She's excited to be a part of an empowering and motivational team to guide educational communities on their adventure towards innovation.

Rebecca Fuller is a Program Assistant for the Supporting Innovative Practices (SIP) Project at El Dorado County Office of Education. She brings with her 20 years of experience in the private sector of the homebuilding industry. The ability to interact with a diverse demographic has contributed to her stellar customer service skills and ability to work in a fast paced, ever-changing environment.

 

Rebecca also has a valuable and in-depth perspective of the Special Education system advocating for her own daughter for the past 18 years. Together, they have experienced first-hand the benefits of innovative school programs. As a mother of a young woman with a disability, Rebecca brings a positive and personal approach to any challenge or task that she encounters.