Ms. Scott-Marcus is passionately focused on ensuring that equal access to students with special needs is provided in the least restrictive environment. Beginning her journey as a speech-language pathologist, she honed her practice with students who required intensive behavioral support or were early learners. She developed a four-week summer program, still functioning, that supports students with a language delay. After approximately 10 years of practice in schools, incarceration facilities and long-term care centers, Ms. Scott-Marcus transitioned to education and successfully executed various leadership roles with D.C. Public Schools, ranging from director of related services to chief of staff in the Office of Specialized Instruction. Eight years of her tenure occurred during tumultuous times as the District endured the sanctions of a federal judge related to the lack of special education compliance (Blackman-Jones Consent Decree). As a result, Ms. Scott-Marcus was charged with ensuring every school was equipped with all necessary personnel and high-quality intervention programming to ensure compliance and quality of instruction in accordance with the federally mandated guidelines of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Afterward, Ms. Scott-Marcus’ desire to more directly impact student achievement led her to the role of principal at Payne Elementary. The uniqueness of the community she served challenged her to garner the support and resources of various nonschool-based district agencies in an effort to safeguard as well as empower the nucleus of support. She collaborated with Gallaudet University to develop the district’s only multigrade class fully taught through the use of American Sign Language, coupled with development of an inclusionary preschool class that merged typically developing students with their hard-of-hearing peers. Her current role has been to refine and develop the Friendship Public Charter School curriculum across content areas. Ms. Scott-Marcus earned a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders at Alabama A&M University, a master’s degree in speech-language pathology with a concentration in special education at Long Island University-Brooklyn as well as an executive master’s degree in leadership at Georgetown University. She resides in Maryland with her husband and the younger of her two sons. Return to Our Leadership Team page >>
