Leroy Smith is a child-centered, responsive, and empowering advocate. He has spent the past 10+ years as a licensed special education teacher and advocate with great success educating students with disabilities and securing the necessary services, accommodations, evaluations, etc. for students with disabilities.
Leroy approaches advocacy through creative and problem-solving lenses due to his background as a musician and growing up in the inner city of Baltimore. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Vocal Music at Gettysburg College in 2012. Then, he obtained his Master of Education in Elementary Education and his Master of Education in Special Education at Lesley University, through the Urban Teachers alternative teacher certification program, in 2014.
As a special education teacher, Leroy increased students' academic outcomes in reading, writing, and mathematics with multi-year growth every school year. Students, on his caseload, grew an average of 2.5 years within reading, writing, and mathematics within one school year every year for 11 years.
Additionally, Leroy has secured services, evaluations, accommodations, supports, etc. for over 75 students as an advocate and special education teacher successfully in Maryland and D.C. public schools.
Leroy's deep understanding of cultural nuances position him to not only increase students' academic outcomes; it propels him to scale this success, for students with disabilities, within each student's home and community by connecting them to community resources, organizations, and providers, and support groups.