Dr. Valerie J. Parker

Dr. Valerie J. Parker is passionate about working with others to improve the quality of education for underprivileged and historically marginalized students. This dedication has driven her 10+ years in education and her current role as an Assistant Principal at Langley Elementary School in Washington D.C.

Dr. Parker’s previous positions as a general/special education teacher and IEP Chair in Baltimore City Public Schools prepared her for her position as a Certified Instructor with Conscious Discipline. Dr. Parker earned double master’s degrees in Elementary and Special Education from New York University and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy from Florida State University. Her doctoral research focused on the practices and beliefs that contribute to the school to prison pipeline phenomenon.

Dr. Parker is deeply committed to her community and serves as the Education Committee Chair for the Howard County branch NAACP where she, alongside a team of others, focuses on equity for Black students in Howard County Public Schools. They provide programming such as the Freedom School that allows students to learn about promoting social justice through the arts (African drumming, African dance, visual arts and spoken word), gardening, entrepreneurship (drone-flying), and the importance of self-identification.

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