Cultural Responsive Specialist
Derek Stewart is a professor at United Tribes Technical College and South Dakota State University, and a licensed K-12 art and special education teacher in North Dakota and South Dakota. Derek began studying the concept of effective cultural integration for improving academic achievement when starting his career at McLaughlin School District on the Standing Rock Reservation. That eventually led to a fifteen-year endeavor spent researching Lakota/ Dakota culture and innovative teaching practices. Derek was awarded the Mellon Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship from the American Indian College Fund and has presented at the South Dakota Indian Education Summit, SDSU School of Art and Design, and TCU Faculty Research Convening in Denver, Colorado. These experiences have inspired him to continue researching and working towards equitable educational practices..
SPED-Behavioral Specialist
Jennifer L. Williams, M.S., is a dual‑master’s‑level Special Education Case Manager and Educational Psychologist with advanced expertise in multi‑state compliance, virtual instruction, and trauma‑informed educational practice. She holds multiple state teaching licenses and ESL endorsements, allowing her to support multilingual learners alongside students with diverse academic, behavioral, and communication needs. Jennifer specializes in structured, data‑driven, and relationship‑centered approaches that blend precise, legally defensible documentation with a deep understanding of how trauma impacts learning, regulation, and engagement. Her work emphasizes safety, predictability, and accessible instructional design, ensuring students receive individualized, equitable support in the least restrictive environment.