María Santiago Valentín, Ed.D, LDTC, Doctor of Education in Reading, Literacy & Assessment,
I’m thrilled you’re here. Please take a moment to explore my site, where you’ll find details on my background, experience, skills and more. To learn more or connect on an opportunity, don’t hesitate to reach out.
About Me
Maria Santiago Valentin is a Learning Disabilities Consultant since 2014, prior to that was a French and Spanish teacher, and World Language Department Chair (1993-2014), and Applied Behavior Analysis (RBT) Therapist. She is Orton Gillingham trained. She is the Educator Research Associate of The Center for Building Resilient Communities of New Jersey, Consultant/ Researcher for the World Bank Group, Collaborative Partner to the Organisation of Abused and Battered Individuals of Trinidad Tobago,
Education
My Studies
Doctor of Education , Walden University
Ed.D - Degree awarded in 2023
Doctor of Education in Reading, Literacy and Assessment. Interpret the components of a reading curriculum in the 21st century; create a plan to gain stakeholder support to improve a curriculum and literacy program; assess literacy curriculum,\; create literacy programs that enhance student learning; integrate concepts of positive social change in literacy curriculum literacy instruction and professional development; design a scholarly response to address a reading, literacy and assessment problem and contribute to the profession. The doctoral project study "High School Career Technical Educators’ Experiences Teaching Informational Texts in Technical Education" can be accessed through Proquest in this link: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2901430494
Post Masters Certificate LDTC, Kean University
January 2012 - May 2014
Learned to determine eligibility for special services in collaboration with other members of the Child Study Team. The LDTC is an assessment specialist, and prepared to interpret patterns found in testing, to pinpoint cognitive difficulties and to design interventions to help students compensate for academic and behavioral deficits.
RBT, Verbal Behavior Institute of New Jersey
2016
Registered Behavior Technician™ (RBT®) practices under the supervision of a BCBA or BCaBA. The RBT’s primary responsibility is the direct implementation of treatment plans developed by the supervising BCBA.
M.A. French Studies, University of Connecticut
1999-2002
French Literature Middle Ages to 20th century, Francophone Literature, Linguistics, Ethnic Studies, Cultural Studies, Critical Theory, Feminist Theory, Post-Colonial Theory, Post-Structuralism/Â Deconstruction/ Post-Modernism Theories, Psychoanalysis Theory, Structuralism, Post-structuralism, Gender Studies, French Caribbean Literature.
M.A. Graduate Program of Translation, University of Puerto Rico
1992-1998
French-Spanish-English - She worked 23 years ago in a project/thesis on literary translation of one of the co-Founders of la Créolité, Dr. Raphaël Confiant. She translated the first circle (100 pages) of Le Nègre et l'Amiral (El negro y el almirante). She visited Martinique 3 times between1996 and 1997, and completed her research and translation by 1998 (published in 1999 by la Universidad de Puerto Rico with a total of 198 pages that include the "nota del traductor" or Translator's note). In her work she found commonalities between Martinique and Puerto Rico related to the process of racial integration, colorism, the economy in the 1940s in the Caribbean, supersitions and magic, the illiterate and poor working class, the slums in PR and Martinique, and Christian traditions. The only difference she found was the use of Créole as a language of resistance, phenomenum that did not happen in Puerto Rico. Her thesis has been chosen in 2019 to appear in a Doctoral Thesis on Traductology under the direction of Dr. Corinne Mencé-Caster at the Université de la Sorbonne -Paris 3 about the work of Dr. Confiant, as reference of the vocabulary, language, and sentence structures she used in her translation.
B.A. Universidad Sagrado Corazón, Puerto Rico
1986-91
Languages and Literature. (English and French) American Literature, British Literature, French and Francophone Literature, Semiotics, Linguistics.
Post Masters Certificate, Southern Connecticut State University
2001-2003
Methodology of the Teaching a Foreign Language, Grammar-translation, Direct/ Explicit Instruction,
Audio-Iingual, Immersion.
Total Physical Response (TPR),
Communicative Approach
Task-based Learning, Whole Language Based Learning.
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Université François Rabelais de Tours in Partnership with Eurocentre France
1988
Abroad undergraduate 6 credits while completing my B.A. at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. Convention pédagoqique avec l"Université Rabelais de Tours et la Maison de Ronsard, Eurocentre Amboise, France.
Professional Experience
Background & Expertise
October 2014- Current
Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant
Provide Educational Evaluation services as a member of the Child Study Team. Prepares with other CST members and Individualized Education Program (IEP) for identified students. Protect confidentiality of records and use discretion in sharing information within legal confines. Provide mentoring for LDTC intern from New Jersey City University.
1993-2013
World Language Teacher/ Dept. Chair
Design and delivery of instruction, formative and summative assessments, differentiated instruction, effective implementation of 21st century skills, creation of interdisciplinary units. Cooperating teacher with Seton Hall University in 2010 and 2011.
February 2015- November 2018
Behavior Analysis Therapist
Provided After School at home services, the approved Behavioral Support Plan. I implemented the interventions designed by the BCBA. Some of those interventions: Discrete Trial, Prompt Fading, Delayed Gratification Program, Task Analysis, PECS program, Zones of Regulation, Living Skills Tolerance Program, Forward/ Backward Chaining, Teaching a Replacement Behavior.
Skills
Professional Competencies
Learner Centered Specialist
Writer/ Evaluator/ Presenter
Reading and Literacy Learner Centered Curriculum Writer, Theory of Stakeholder Driven Educational Programs for Grant Purposes Evaluator, Learners Academic Achievement and Diversity Presenter,  Special Education Evaluator, Supportive Literacy and Assessment Approach Writer, Orton Gillingham/ Wilson Reading Trained, Non Profit Consultant.
Other Skills
Academic, Interpersonal, Linguistic (Spanish, English, French)
French Literature, Literary Translation (Spanish/ English/ French), Editor, Book Reviewer, Multisensory Reading Approach (Orton Gillingham Trained), Proofreading, Community Outreach, Publishing, Environmental and Climate Change Awareness/ Trainer, Advocacy Trainer, Case Management, Public Speaking, Mindfulness, Event Planning, Mentor and Cooperating Teacher
"Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it."