About me
Dr. Thomas is a passionate educator and has over 45 years of experience. She retired from the South Carolina public school system, having served 18 years as a general and special education teacher, 9 years as a director of special education for two school districts, and 3 years at the South Carolina Department of Education. After retiring from public education, Dr. Thomas spent one year at Awsaj Academy in Doha, Qatar, where she was the Head of Teaching and Learning. She led a team to establish evidence-based instructional practices and positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS). She then served as the Head of Glenforest School, a private school for students with disabilities needing intensive support. In 2017, she worked on a project with the National Institute for Direct Instruction in Australia, providing consultation to schools utilizing Direct Instruction programs. She is an adjunct professor in special education at the University of South Carolina. In 2020, Dr. Thomas collaborated with Dr. Mitch Yell at the University of South Carolina to create the Academic Alliance of South Carolina (AASC), a technical assistance network supported by the South Carolina Department of Education. AASC provides training and support to local school districts to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Currently, she works part-time for the AASC. Dr. Thomas is a special education consultant for Family Connections of South Carolina, the Parent Training and Information Center for South Carolina. She continues to advocate for collaboration between families and educators to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Dr. Thomas has volunteered by serving in various capacities during her career. She was a peer reviewer for Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. She was a contributing author in the Handbook of Leadership and Administration for Special Education. She served on the South Carolina Council for Exceptional Children executive board for thirteen years as treasurer, vice president, president-elect, president, past president, and parliamentarian. Dr. Thomas served as president of the South Carolina Association for Positive Behavior Support and served as the state coordinator for the National Center on Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. She is a member of the Association for Positive Behavior Support State Leaders’ Network and serves on the advisory board for the Behavior Alliance of South Carolina. Dr. Thomas is a member of the Council of Administrators of Special Education Research Committee and led a workgroup to create the “Administrator Standards for Special Education Resource Guide.”. In 2025, Dr. Thomas co-chaired the General Education Outreach and Support Workgroup for the Council for Exceptional Children. Her greatest role is being “MeMe” to her 7 grandchildren.
