Putting
Students First
About Dr. Brenda Kay Small
As an educator for over 23 years, Dr. Brenda Kay Small has served in schools, universities, and private businesses. She is an advanced learner advocate, author, and presenter. Her book “Serving the Needs of Smart Kids: How School Leaders Create a Supportive School Culture for the Advanced Learner” provides schools with a pragmatic resource to create a school environment designed to support high level learners. She uses her opportunities as a guest speaker, a presenter at multiple conferences and an author to spread the news on how and why to build supportive cultures in student-centered environments.
Her leadership experience reaches beyond schools and into communities through the mentoring and teaching of future school leaders. She has taught masters and doctoral level education leadership courses at four different universities in two states. She enjoys the challenge of writing a contemporary and meaningful graduate level education leadership course curriculum.
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She earned the Administrator of the Year Award for her work in building schoolwide career academies that prepare all levels of students for post-secondary success. As a classroom teacher, she received the Florida Social Science Teacher of the Year Award, and the Florida’s Excellence in Teaching Award.
Her doctorate and master’s degrees were earned from the University of South Florida in Education Leadership and Policy Studies. A true westerner, Dr. Small and her family enjoy living in her home state of Colorado.
“Dr. Small always, and I do mean always, fought for what was best for students. She was not intimidated by any obstacle and was always ready to go into battle for what she believed was in the best interest of her students. She often said, 'You can never be wrong when you put students first.'"
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- Autumn Moyer
Elementary and Secondary School Counselor