Influential Woman · Education

Linda Platte

Special Education Case Manager / Contractor, Not Specified

Jacksonville, FL

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Undergraduate degree in Political Science and International Studies

Her Story

About Linda

I have been working in education for at least 12 years, specializing in special education. My path into this field was quite unexpected - my undergraduate degree is in political science and international studies, and that's where I was initially heading. A church member introduced me to a school where I started substituting, thinking I would just do it until I got a job in my field. But then I fell in love with the kids, especially the special education students. There was one specific story that changed everything - a non-verbal kid who was biting everybody. I was able to develop a rapport with him and help him throughout his day. It was a huge accomplishment, and I fell in love with this kiddo, which inspired me to continue in the education field. Currently, I work as a contractor in public schools, doing case management for students with disabilities. I have different kids under my caseload, and I service them in school through one-on-one support, classroom check-ins, and managing all the paperwork related to their IEP (Individualized Educational Plan). Each kid with a disability has a case manager who makes sure everything is going well - compliance-wise and implementation-wise - and that teachers are doing what they're supposed to do. I recently contracted with a company called Stepping Stones Group, and the school wants to hire me as an administrator. I'm also working to grow my own business as a contractor because I want to try to make a difference and shift away from the data and numbers focus to look at our students as real human beings. I've worked in different states including California and Nevada, where I worked for the military, and I'm now back in Florida.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Linda

01What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

We face a real challenge in public schools where we have a lot of students who function way below grade level. They got used to being passed along, and it becomes a serious issue. The challenge is wanting to bring the kids up to standards in a way that fits them. There's a gap between administration and staff, and a gap between the community - the parents - and the school. Some parents, especially in specific areas, really don't understand that gap. The biggest problem is that most schools value numbers only rather than looking at the real data. They focus on testing, testing, testing - that's the data that determines if the school is an A school, B school, or C school, unfortunately. The kids are kind of lost in between all that data. I really cannot blame the teachers - I blame the system as a whole. I've worked in different states including California and Nevada, and I still see that they value the same thing: data and numbers. That's what's wrong with our education system these days, and that's why I decided to start trying my own business - because I want to try to make a difference, to shift away from the data and numbers and look at our students as real human beings.

02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I have high ethics, and integrity is the most important thing to me. The kids come first - serving the kids comes first because these are the future of our community and society. We might be seeing the next president, you never know. From my experience doing one-on-one with students, I've found some kids who really have more than what the teachers think they have. I work on bringing up the kids, encouraging them, finding their real strengths and real weaknesses. I tell them it's okay sometimes to feel like you learn slower - I live with a disability myself, and I didn't become successful until I started knowing what are my weaknesses and what are my strengths. So I encourage the kids in that way. My values also include valuing the teachers, making them feel that they are worthy and that they're doing a good job, while at the same time making sure they have high accountability to ensure our students are serviced well. I just want to do the right thing and make sure they do the right thing. There are teachers who really believe in the students and want to do the right thing, and there are administrators the same way, so it's a system as a whole more than individuals.

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