I have known Antoinette many, many years and have mentored and guided her in her quest to serve the underserved population of those with disabilities ...
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Urban Education Institute
The University of Chicago
June 1, 2009
It gives me great pleasure to write a letter recommending Antoinette Taylor for any position of service for which she might be under consideration. She is an extraordinarily smart, knowledgeable, experienced, and passionate advocate for children and adults with exceptional needs and would contribute significantly to any civil/public service efforts of this kind.
I have known Antoinette for the 3 years now through her work with the Urban School Improvement (USI) Network. The USI Network is a program based at the Urban Education Institute at the University of Chicago that focuses on providing professional development and coaching supports for improving teaching and learning in new schools in Chicago. There are 16 schools in our network, including elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as a large proportion of charter schools.
Antoinette has been with the USI Network, almost since its inception, as our Exceptional Needs Coach. As a coach, she works closely with our Network schools before they open to help them plan and prepare to address the specific needs of their exceptional students, as well as to help them ensure compliance with state and federal laws; she facilitates our Exceptional Needs Learning Group, which brings together the exceptional needs teachers in the Network to support their professional development and implementation of best practices at their schools; she provides school-specific consultation on an as-needed basis in response to challenges that schools face in adequately providing for their exceptional needs students and/or in implementing new processes, like Response to Intervention (RTI), new practices, like co-teaching, or providing whole-school training; and she keeps the entire Network aware of the latest changes in policies and procedures at the system level (Chicago Public Schools), as well as at the state and federal levels. It should be clear, already, that Antoinette has played a major role in our efforts to help schools reach the goal of enabling every student to perform at high levels.
Based on my work with Antoinette, my observation of her work with principals, teachers, and staff, and the feedback that we have received from schools on Antoinette’s work and its impact on their practice, I can say, without hesitation, that Antoinette possesses the knowledge, experience, and passion for advocacy that you would seek in a candidate for any position or role that pertains to individuals with special needs.
In terms of knowledge, Antoinette is versed in exceptionalities across the continuum. She has both basic knowledge of exceptionalities, in terms of being able to identify, diagnoses, and discuss specific developmental, behavioral, emotional, or physical conditions, as well as practical, hands-on knowledge regarding how to teach and support the learning of children with a broad range of needs. Her vast knowledge has made her an asset to every school with which she has worked. In additional to this breadth of knowledge, Antoinette has a depth of expertise in autism. You will not find anyone who knows more about autism, from all angles, than Antoinette. She has a wealth of knowledge about the medical, diagnostic, and psychological aspects of the disorder, a wealth of experience supporting the needs of autistic children in school settings, and she is part of the fabric of local and state grassroots advocacy efforts regarding autism. Finally, Antoinette has a keen knowledge of systems, and schools in particular, and knows how to effectively collaborate with people to effect change in large systems. As a consultant, she has used her “people” knowledge and skills to make changes at the school and system levels, all in the service of children with exceptional needs.
Antoinette has vast experience working on behalf of students with exceptional needs, and their families. She built her career as a CPS teacher and was known to be an expert in providing high-quality education to students with exceptional needs in both self-contained and inclusion settings. She has been a consultant for a number of years and her reputation, which always precedes her, has led her to be engaged with individual schools, charter management organizations, networks of schools (like ours), and groups within the central office of Chicago Public Schools. Again, she knows systems, how they work, and how to help them work for children. Additionally, within the realm of school experience, Antoinette has worked in the context of traditional schools, as well as with charter schools and other schools involved in school reform efforts. When she came to the USI Network, she took it on as a challenge to ensure that students’ exceptional needs were being supported in charter schools, in particular, which in Chicago have earned the perception that they are not responsive to or accommodating of the needs of exceptional students. Beyond the local school level, Antoinette has experience working at the local, state, and national levels of government. She has worked closely with city aldermen, state representatives, and members of Congress to raise awareness of the needs of individuals and families with exceptionalities. Antoinette’s breadth and wealth of experience working on the issues of exceptionalities in multiple contexts have made her an effective leader in this field.
Finally, Antoinette is a fierce advocate for the rights of individuals and families with exceptional needs to have the same access as anyone else to high-quality education and a high-quality standard of living. Antoinette is passionate about her work. She has supported our schools tirelessly, always with an eye on and organized around the exceptional child. Every year, I have the same conversation with Antoinette about how she is working above and beyond the call of duty in our schools. And her response is always the same – “I know, but …”. She works for what she believes is right, whether she is “on the clock” or off. She makes the time to support parents, teachers/staff, and leaders with whatever they may need, so that parents are better able to advocate for their children, teachers have the knowledge and tools needed to teach students well, and leaders can develop the structures and processes needed to support and facilitate strong practices. Additionally, she is attuned to the need, in her work, to advocate particularly for students and families who are under-resourced. She is very aware that low income communities and communities of color are often under-represented in the advocacy efforts for individuals with exceptional needs, and particularly with regard to autism. She has been a staunch advocate for poor families and under-served families who often battle school and systems with little support and sometimes inadequate knowledge of their rights.
I need to underscore the fact that Antoinette engages in this high-level, focused advocacy with families, school staff, school and system leaders, fellow advocates and grassroots organizations, and political leaders all without cutting corners, forfeiting quality, or compromising her integrity. She is wholly professional, trustworthy, and diplomatic.
In closing, I cannot express in words how deeply I respect Antoinette for her intelligence, skill, knowledge, and experience working in support of individuals and families with exceptional needs. You will not find a stronger, wiser, or more effective advocate in this area. Antoinette works on the issues of exceptionality with the dedication and focus of a parent – she works for each one student as if s/he was her own. And she keeps the student at the center as she works on behalf of multiple students and multiple levels of school and political systems. She is a true gem and you would be fortunate to have her on your team.
Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions. I can be reached by email at sybil@uchicago.edu or by phone at 773-612-6217.
Sincerely,
Sybil Madison-Boyd, Ph.D.
Director of School and Leadership Development
USI Network
Urban Education Institute
University of Chicago
Illinois State Board of Education
Vinni M. Hall, Ph.D.
Board Secretary
July 14, 2005
To Whom It May Concern:
It is with pleasure that I recommend Mrs. Antoinette Taylor to your school. Mrs. Taylor has served a graduate assistant and guest lecturer at the University of Illinois and Roosevelt University for me during this last year. I am currently serving as an adjunct professor for those institutions.
Mrs. Taylor is thorough and well-prepared. She has exhibited superior skills in capturing the attention of both graduates and undergraduates in several three-hour presentations on a variety of topics. Her leadership style is evident as she has worked tirelessly with many organizations in my community.
I expect great things for Mrs. Taylor. Her energy and enthusiasm support her thoughtful skills in solving problems, developing strategies based on outcomes and communicating to the essential decision makers. She is outstanding.
If you need any further information, please feel free to contact me.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Vinni M. Hall
