Y’Shanda Young-Rivera is an independent educational consultant based out of Chicago. She holds an M.Ed. from Loyola University Chicago and a B.A. in Elementary Education from Northeastern Illinois University. Y’Shanda has held numerous positions within the Chicago Public Schools: classroom teacher, associate principal, and dean of students. She has over 20 years of teaching and administrative experience in both secular and nonsecular/nonprofit sectors. She specializes in education in urban settings. She is currently researching and writing about educational reform policy and cultural awareness as a means to alleviate educational disparities across racial and socioeconomic lines.