Transformational Leadership Impact

Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. James-Coles has demonstrated expertise in:

• Equity and Inclusion Systems Leadership: Directing comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that coordinate educational, employment, safety, and security programs to provide equitable opportunities for students facing achievement gaps while ensuring equal employment opportunities for all personnel.

• Data-Driven Strategy and Accountability: Maintaining, analyzing, monitoring, and disseminating critical data to inform decision-making, implementing program initiatives to remedy racial and ethnic isolation, and developing innovative projects that generate new learning opportunities for diverse student populations.

• Professional Learning Design and Cultural Competence Development: Creating and facilitating professional development that enhances cultural proficiencies across districts, implementing inclusive pedagogies and curricula, and building organizational capacity for culturally responsive teaching and leadership practices.

• Family and Community Engagement Leadership: Coordinating comprehensive family and community engagement initiatives, developing partnerships with community and religious-based organizations, and advocating for families while ensuring traditionally underperforming students receive high-quality learning opportunities.

• Instructional Leadership and Curriculum Development: Overseeing curriculum development, implementation, and articulation across grade levels, providing leadership in educational program review and revision, and coordinating standards-based instruction that meets diverse learner needs.

• Systemic Change Management and Policy Implementation: Leading large-scale organizational transformation, serving on senior leadership teams, participating in board policy development, and implementing federal program coordination to ensure equitable resource distribution across all student populations.

 

Current Role

Dr. James-Coles serves as Director of Equity and Inclusion for the Lower Merion School District, where she functions as the superintendent's primary point of contact for all diversity and equity efforts. In this comprehensive role, she coordinates educational, employment, safety, and security initiatives to provide equitable opportunities for students facing achievement or opportunity gaps, with access to financial and programmatic records across all district departments, including business services, human resources, curriculum, student services, and operations. Her leadership encompasses monitoring and measuring progress on specific programs and initiatives, serving as the district's liaison with the Board of Education, developing innovative projects for diverse student populations, and seeking essential equity-specific funding sources. Dr. James-Coles works collaboratively with instructional and support staff, parents, and community partners to ensure appropriate programming for students experiencing learning or behavioral difficulties while identifying and evaluating professional development that supports innovative classroom instruction and assessment strategies.

 

Summary of Prior Experience

Dr. James-Coles has extensive leadership experience from direct instructional coaching to district-wide systems management. As a central office administrator, she has driven significant transformations in both elementary education and diversity initiatives. In her role as Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Education for Centennial School District, she collaborated with senior leadership to embed inclusive practices, ensure equitable resource distribution through federal programs, and enhance cultural proficiency through robust professional development. Concurrently, as Director of Elementary Education, she oversaw all departmental operations, led curriculum development, and managed district-wide professional learning and new teacher induction. Her district-level success is built upon a foundation of building-level excellence. As Principal of Davis Elementary School, she provided comprehensive instructional leadership for 740 students and over 100 staff, successfully implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Systems and fostering strong community partnerships. Dr. James-Coles began her leadership journey by directly supporting educators as an Instructional Specialist and Reform Facilitator, where she honed her skills in developing teachers through classroom support, lesson demonstrations, and creating professional learning communities to elevate instructional practice.

 

Credentials and Certifications

• Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Immaculata University)

• Master of Education in Educational Leadership (Lehigh University)

• Master of Elementary Education with a Focus in Balanced Literacy (Cambridge College)

• Bachelor of Early Childhood/Elementary Education (Temple University)

• Pennsylvania Literacy Network Facilitator Certification

• Extensive Professional Development in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Transformational Student Voice, and Educational Leadership