Teri Williams Valentine

Overview

Teri Williams Valentine (she/her) has extensive experience in the public and private sectors developing and managing integrated systems of special education law, policy, and practice. As a Senior Program Associate with the Special Education Policy and Practice team, Williams Valentine helps states examine their own systems and practice to increase their capacity for improving equity and outcomes for students with disabilities through coherence of law, vision, action, and resource allocation.

Williams Valentine’s work centers on providing results-oriented technical assistance and support to states through the OSEP-funded Center for IDEA Fiscal Reporting and the National Center for Systemic Improvement and focused contract work with state education agencies revising state regulations and special education policy. In each role, Williams Valentine promotes alignment with strategic plans grounded in equity and access of historically marginalized learners.

Before joining WestEd, Williams Valentine served as the Director of Special Education Planning and Policy and as an assistant general counsel at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Since starting her career as a school law attorney, Williams Valentine has focused her professional practice on special education systems improvement to create conditions for student success.

Education

• JD, Northeastern University School of Law
• BA in religion, Haverford College

Select Publications

Doutre, S. M., Ripma, T., Barrett, T., Williams Valentine, T., Caparas, R., & Willis, J. (2021). California special education governance and accountability study. WestEd.

Honors, Awards, and Affiliations

WestEd Paul D. Hood Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Field, National Center for Systemic Improvement (2020)