Diana R Williams

Diana Williams is a visionary and hands-on educator with over a decade of experience transforming special education in charter schools across the nation. Known for her innovative approach, Diana has dedicated her career to advocating for students and ensuring that special education programs are inclusive, proactive, and designed to meet the full scope of students' academic and social-emotional needs.

Diana’s work spans major cities including Washington, D.C., Chicago, Newark, New Jersey, and New York City, where she has served in positions from Teacher and Advisor to Interim Principal and District Leader. In 2019, she co-founded an elementary charter school in Brooklyn, NY, and developed a groundbreaking Special Education Department rooted in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Trauma-Informed Care. Her efforts have had a lasting impact on the schools she serves, leading to measurable improvements in student success and school performance.

Now, as the Director of Special Education for KIPP-New Jersey's elementary schools in Newark, Diana continues to spearhead initiatives that drive excellence in special education. Leveraging her SPEDucated Leadership Framework, she coaches educators to increase their capacity and deliver specialized support across three core domains: compliance and systems, individualized support, and leadership development. Diana’s training sessions have been rated as effective or higher by 95.5% of participants, who report feeling empowered to deliver better services and eager to attend future trainings.

At the heart of her work is Diana’s belief that all students deserve a voice—and that special education students, in particular, should be equipped to advocate for themselves, pursue their goals, and lead fulfilling lives. Through her work with her company, The SPEDucated Leader, Diana enables teachers and leaders to move from reactive to proactive, providing them with the skills and clarity they need to effectively manage behavior, differentiate instruction, and make meaningful progress toward student goals. In both a literal and figurative sense, The SPEDucated Leader reinforces a simple yet transformative idea that every educator is a leader, and that leadership is essential to disrupting the status quo and championing a more inclusive, equitable, and accessible educational experience for all students.

Diana’s leadership is not just theoretical; she is known for rolling up her sleeves and working side by side with educators. From modeling strategies to role-playing and refining practices, Diana ensures that educators feel confident and supported in their roles. Her passion for working in under-resourced communities drives her to find creative solutions to challenges posed by limited staffing, development, and resources, ensuring that no obstacle stands in the way of student success.

Diana holds a Master of Teaching from the Relay Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from American University, where she was initiated into the Lambda Zeta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is certified in general education (grades K-6) and special education in both New Jersey and New York, and she resides in Brooklyn, New York, while continuing her work to reshape special education nationwide.