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Over 25 years working as a Deputy Superintendent, Principal and Educational Consultant in US and International Schools around the world

About

Dr. Monica Medina has been an international educator for over 25 years working as a Deputy Superintendent and Principal in Ecuador (Academia Cotopaxi), Kenya (International School of Kenya), China (Shanghai American School). the United Arab Emirates (American School of Dubai) and Brazil (Escola American do Rio de Janeiro).

She earned her Doctorate in International Multicultural Education at the University of San Francisco in California where Monica worked as a teacher and school administrator for over 15 years prior to moving overseas. 

Monica is a recipient of the National Association of Elementary School Principals prestigious National Distinguished Principal Award. She presently consults with international schools coaching administrators, providing workshops on K-12 literacy practices and training international schools literacy coaches facilitating the International Literacy Coach Cohort (ILCC) in the CEESA and NESA regions.

 Monica has two sons, one who was educated in international schools in Ecuador, Kenya and China. One of her sons in a middle school special education teacher in the US.

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“I believe that the single most powerful work we can do as educational leaders is rooted in fostering collective teacher efficacy (CTE).  CTE  refers to the shared belief that through their collective action, educators can influence student outcomes and increase achievement for all students (Donohoo 2017). Leaders can help build CTE by communicating a strong belief in the capacity of the staff to improve the quality of teaching and learning and attain appropriately challenging goals throughout the goal setting process.  After many years working as a teacher and administrator and reading countless books and articles on leadership, positive school culture, effective professional development, staff performance models, and more, I’ve worked in settings where CTE was present and the impact it has on student learning.  As educators we are responsible to take  time to build the relationships with our peers, engage in purposeful well designed professional learning, and opportunities to observe and learn from peers.” 

Dr. Monica Medina 

Testimonials

Monica was so knowledgeable in the change process and prepared us for the challenges we might see along the way
Bobbi Tracy, Wausaukee School, Wausaukee, Wisconsin
On a school level, Monica was a tremendous support not only in assisting staff to move forward in identified goal areas, but in figuring the way forward when unexpected problems arose. Monica is highly effective because she so naturally establishes a rapport and trust with staff, and staff quickly are able to find value in the reflections that Monica prompts, the questions she poses, and the suggestions she respectfully shares.
Ann Kox, Superintendent, Wausaukee School District, USA and Principal, American School of Valencia, Spain
Dr. Medina-Olds’ ability to gain trust from others, ‘read’ people, listen to them and see what needs to be done next are skills that an excellent professional development leader needs. She is flexible in her delivery of her work with teachers and is always open to feedback; something she asks for after all of her sessions with faculty members and something she uses to build next steps.
Sue Williams, Principal, Pechersk School International, Kyiv, Ukraine
Her humility and openness are tremendous assets when moving forward with changes that could otherwise seem jarring and overwhelming; her approach invariably causes people to ask for more support and energizes them in their work.
Ann Kox, Superintendent, Wausaukee School District, USA and Principal, American School of Valencia, Spain
Monica demonstrated various best practise techniques from planning with homeroom teachers in preparation of her modelled mini lessons, meeting with teachers to debrief the lessons and discuss their self-selected topics, and presented a professional development session on supporting English Language Learners in reading workshop.
Kimberly Shannon, Instructional Coach Pechersk School International, Kyiv, Ukraine
This was made possible due to the differentiated structure of Dr. Medina-Olds’ work with faculty. She understood when we needed to do more with conferring, or when we were ready to switch to data gathering. She knew when she needed to shift gears for those who were able to put into practice the workshop components and those who needed more scaffolding as they deepended their understanding and skill level
Sue Williams, Principal, Pechersk School International, Kyiv, Ukraine
This is another example of Monica working in collaboration with our administration team and myself to tailor her visit to suit the needs of our staff. During this visit, I was able to witness Monica redesign her professional development session for the staff. Over the first three days of her visit, she observed that there was a greater need for using data to drive instruction so she created a session that guided teachers through the moderation of a DRA2 assessment and provided strategies for teachers to implement when taking part in small group instruction.
Kimberly Shannon, Instructional Coach Pechersk School International, Kyiv, Ukraine
Monica began her work at both schools identifying the expertise and background of the faculty to be able to tailor her sessions to meet the needs of all learners. I was very impressed with Monica’s natural ability to connect with each member of the faculty
Jessica Hicks, Principal, American International School Abuja and Escuela Americana El Salvador
In all the work Monica does, she successfully plans her work to give teachers a clear target for their learning, engages teachers in meaningful discussions and experiences, and efficiently assesses the necessary knowledge and skills needed to be addressed. Kimberly Shannon, Instructional Coach Pechersk School International, Kyiv, Ukraine) Monica’s fluency in Spanish was an asset as she was able to provide our Spanish speaking faculty with professional development in the Writer’s and Reader’s Workshop curriculum to be able to align our Spanish and English reading and writing programs.
Jessica Hicks, Principal, American International School Abuja and Escuela Americana El Salvador
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© 2025 by Monica Medina