Chrissy Parker

Chrissy Parker serves as SPED director in Oklahoma, where she has worked in special education for 11 years. Her path into the field was shaped by her family's educational legacy, including her grandfather's role as a professor at Langston University, and by her daughter's autism diagnosis at age one and a half, which inspired her to advocate for children with special needs. Parker earned master's degrees in leadership and special education, and she is a member of the Higher Achievement Association in the Education Department at NSU. In 2023 she founded Aspen Learning LLC to support families navigating autism, and in 2024 she launched the Champagne Posse, an all-female horseback riding group that gives back to autism causes, rural Oklahoma areas, and youth organizations. Her most notable achievement includes leading special needs students to the highest testing scores in the state of Oklahoma, surpassing the general education population. Parker attributes her success to her daughter and emphasizes values of doing what you love with full commitment while advising others never to give up and to provide the support they would want for their own children.