Diversity Leadership Academy Spotlights: Honoring HBCU Roots and Inclusive Leadership

The Council for Exceptional Children is proud to spotlight two outstanding 2025-2026 Diversity Leadership Academy (DLA) scholars, Ashton J. Minor and Simonie Moore. As graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at Howard University and Bethune-Cookman University, respectively, they embody the Academy’s mission by advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in special education and growing as culturally sustaining leaders.

Spotlight on Leadership: Ashton J. Minor

For Mr. Ashton J. Minor, a career in education is a commitment to justice, visibility, and belonging. A secondary special education math interventionist in West Philadelphia, Mr. Minor brings powerful perspectives as an advocate for students of color to the DLA.  A South Side Chicago native, Mr. Minor holds a B.A. in Asian Studies from St. John’s University in Queens, NY. His teaching began in Brooklyn, where he discovered a passion for supporting students with learning and behavioral disabilities. This led him to earn a master’s in special education from Howard University, deepening his advocacy for students of color with exceptionalities.

His experiences with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s Teacher Quality Retention Program, Profound Gentlemen Special Education Leaders Fellowship, and the DLA further deepened his commitment to inclusive education and systemic change.

He says, “DLA brings forth diverse leadership capabilities and new perspectives on how to serve the various needs of exceptional learners, especially when a majority of the students categorized as needing services are students of color.”

As the founder and executive program director of the Jacob’s Puzzle Foundation, Mr. Minor works to improve life outcomes for students with exceptionalities. His initiatives offer mentorship, academic coaching, and college and career planning while also supporting educators who work with neurodiverse learners.

Opportunities through the DLA and CEC [have] enlightened me to realize that I am not the only brown face in this work,” he shares. “I have been able to connect with other like-minded educators.”

Open about his experiences as a late-diagnosed neurodivergent Black male educator, Mr. Minor reflects, “Being part of the CEC’s DLA [has helped me] to feel accepted for who I am, and not the mask I am forced to wear in neurotypical settings.” 

At the center of Mr. Minor’s mission is a message to the students he serves: you are capable. “It may take a little longer,” he says, but “the world is your oyster.” 

Spotlight on Leadership: Simonie Moore

For Simonie Moore, education is a calling shaped by generations of women and grounded in the legacies and voices of historically underrepresented communities. 

“Given the current political climate, programs like DLA are more important than ever,” she shares. “They provide space for the voices of historically underrepresented and marginalized communities – voices that offer unique perspectives and build bridges across every corner of education, both nationally and globally. Our stories and the legacies behind them matter. They deserve to be honored and heard.”

Born and raised in Guyana as the eldest of several siblings, Ms. Moore comes from a long line of educators. Her family has educated children through their daycare for over two decades, and her grandmother and aunt have served families in the South Bronx for more than 30 years. At the center of it all is her mother, Shawnette Sharon Moore, who laid the foundation for her journey.

“Some may have seen a high school dropout or teen mom,” Ms. Moore says. “But I see the woman who shaped everything I am.” 

A first-generation college graduate and Bethune-Cookman alumna—an HBCU inspired by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s legacy—Ms. Moore embraces education as a path to equality. Dr. Bethune’s words, “Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough,” continue to inspire her.

Now a Ph.D. candidate and Holmes Scholar at the University of Central Florida, Ms. Moore teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in exceptional education, preparing the next generation of educators. Her research focuses on improving classroom management through online professional development, equipping teachers to better support diverse student populations.

She recently attended the 2025 CEC Convention & Expo as a DLA scholar, describing it as a place that sparked lifelong friendships and opened doors to valuable resources. 

Ms. Moore’s leadership is grounded in authenticity, purpose, and a deep sense of responsibility to the communities that shaped her. Through the DLA, she is helping to shape the conversation and create environments where every educator and student feels seen, supported, and valued.

Simonie Moore’s journey reflects the resilience of generations before her and the promise of those yet to come. With vision and heart, she continues to honor the legacy she inherited and to build one of her own.