Her Story
About LaTonya
LaTonya Ordaz is an education leader with 18 years of experience who serves as an advocate for special education and inclusion. She begins each day on campus early to set a welcoming atmosphere for staff and students, greeting them with music, ensuring security and value, and providing ongoing support, feedback, and direction throughout a busy schedule. Ordaz holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and management, a master's in elementary world education leadership and policy studies, a master's in curriculum and instruction with a focus on inclusion, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in special education at Liberty University. She attributes her success to Christ, the mentors who have guided her, and the importance of building relationships through service and openness to feedback. Ordaz emphasizes keeping children's needs at the center of all decisions and values authenticity, connection, and relationships in both her professional and personal life. She advises those entering the field to be willing to serve others regardless of title and has created an organization to bridge schools and parents for students with exceptionalities.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with LaTonya
01What do you attribute your success to?
First of all, I will say that it is Christ, because I do acknowledge Him in everything that I do. But I know that the Lord brings people to you, so when I think about the mentors, when I think about the people that sold into me, groomed me for the position, trained me, really mentored me so that I could get where I am today. Those doors were opened because of people and because of relationships. You have to build relationships, you have to be able to be in a position to where you can receive feedback, to where you will listen, and you will apply the things that you are learning, and you have to know when it's time to shift and to change, but you have to be willing, again, to serve under people, and follow the lead of other people. And as you serve, and as you support them in their work, that is what opens that door to leadership. So definitely service. And others, I mean, really, mentors.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Decisions are based upon children's needs, and not adult needs. And if you keep children first and keep them at the center, you will make the right decisions. Because it is for them. We are there to serve them, we are there to grow them, we are there to equip them.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The purpose of the call that you're gonna get ready to walk in. And be honest with yourself. Are you willing to serve? Are you willing to serve others, regardless of your title? You should not be too big to do the little. So know for sure that you are called to serve. If not, it's the wrong industry.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Opportunities to continue to build avenues for effective inclusion for children, putting in systems that impact student achievement and growth for all kids, being intentional about differentiation. Challenges are policies that are in place that really do not benefit all children, needing to collaborate with government officials to reshape and rewrite policies, and getting the resources to implement things.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value the connection, the relationship. I value authenticity, because I have to be me. I feel like that if I am in a position of leading anything, or building anything, then it is for me to show up, because if I'm authentic that means that everything, every gift, every skill, all the knowledge that I bring to that room is supposed to be in that room. So when I want to show up as me, and nothing else. And that's all of me coming into the room.
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