She/Her
Middle School Developmental Designs Facilitator
Tennessee
Deanna Ross is an educational consultant and classroom teacher with over 30 years of experience. She has taught grades 2nd through 6th and served as a teacher leader in the Memphis City Schools, Shelby County Schools, and Memphis-Shelby County Schools districts. During her tenure in Memphis, Deanna taught in a variety of contexts, including general education, special education, and inclusion classrooms. As a school and district teacher leader, she was an active member of the Instructional Leadership Team. In this capacity, Deanna was the school SEL lead and trainer; district SEL trainer; as well as a District Learning Day presenter. In addition, Deanna has led numerous school workshops and Professional Learning Communities. Currently, she serves as New Teacher Mentor and a member of the Instructional Leadership Team at Keystone School.
Deanna has been using Developmental Designs’ practices for 18 years. She has been presenting and consulting since 2014. Deanna has partnered with dozens of schools to provide high-quality professional development experiences to support schoolwide organizational change. Part of this work included classroom observations and debriefing with school leaders; as well as helping leaders decide on next steps.
Deanna has also created SEL content through articles, blogs, webinars, and professional development content. She is the founder of Friends for Reform, a group that focuses on learning about and dismantling systemic racism. She is also affiliated with the Antiracist Alliance of Educators.
Deanna obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Memphis in 1991. She achieved National Board Certification in 2008. She received the Rotary Award for Teacher Excellence from the Memphis Rotary Club, in 2006.